

Since you’ll probably need two different sizes of wipers, make sure you know if you’re picking a single pack or a two-pack of blades because the latter will cost more and leave you with extras sitting in the trunk. In there, you’ll find what length of wiper you need, and that’s normally going to be different between left and right blades. The first step to choosing the right winter wipers is a trip to your owner’s manual. The wiper is made from coated steel for strength and performance as well as corrosion resistance. A heavy-gauge precision-cut rubber wiper blade resists tearing in sub-zero temperatures, and each part comes with a pre-attached adaptor to make installation quick and easy. This design has been around for decades, so they are well-proven over time.

Still, if you’re using your wipers in occasional freezing weather rather than an extreme Midwest winter, wipers like this offer an affordable way to keep your front glass clear all winter long. While that works to keep out ice and snow, it only works as long as the boot is intact, making this style more susceptible to damage. To protect the metal parts from ice and snow and to make sure they stay flexible, the moving parts are encased in a protective rubber boot. Instead of a flexible one-piece design, it has a conventional hinged design. This is an older-style wiper from TRICO, which in this case, means it comes with a lower price. There are pros and cons to each type, so for more information on the best winter wiper blades, refer to our table of contents. That’s why all our picks are either Bosch beam style, with no springs or metal to pack up with snow or enclosed like the Michelins. This can either keep them from bending so they only make contact in a few areas, or pack up along the edges so they don’t wipe at all. Then, they have to be able to work in sleet, cold rain, snow, and ice, which love to clog up wipers. Not only do the blades need to be softer to stay flexible in cold temperatures to better curve around your windshield but they also need to be slippery so they don’t drag and skip on freezing glass. There are two factors that the best winter wiper blades need to account for: Cold, and ice. It’s why you need tough winter windshield wipers, and we’re here to help with the best for high visibility in low temperatures. The roads are often saturated with wet salt, too, which covers your front glass and dries into a thick mass that’s tough for summer wipers to scrape off. Winter holds cold temperatures, freezing water, snow, and ice in store, and that is hard on windshield wipers. You’ll need to consider your specific circumstances and the weather conditions you’ll be experiencing to find the right pair for the job.

Shopping for the best winter wiper blades isn’t as straightforward as simply figuring out what fits your car. And with the ongoing extreme storms and temperatures of the 2022-2023 winter season, we’re not sure anyone is safe from winter weather. You can get away with good all season wiper blades if you live in the deep south, but if freezing temperatures and salted or sanded roads are winter norms in your area, you need to switch over in the fall. Windshield wipers aren’t exactly glamorous, but the best winter wiper blades are crucial for safe winter driving.
