What are the best replacement wiper blades for our vehicles?

Well since noone has a Prius V yet, I am guessing you have a regular 'ol Prius.

In that case the best by far are the uniblade types. RainX makes them I believe, but others have caught on. I bought RainX ones from Walmart, they were a fair bit pricier than the rest but wow... Just wow. They clear anything and absolutely no streaking because there is only 1 pressure point. The rubber just form fits the glass.

The first time it rained I was really disappointed in the performance. I couldn't see a damned thing. Then I realized I forgot to take the little clear plastic blade protectors off. :loco:

 

Well I can say the RainX ones I got are better than what was on there stock. Quiet and no streaking at all.

They were $20+ per blade. But $40 for vehicle maintenance is nothing and the improvement is extreme.

 

I'm a big fan of Bosch Icon. The Rain-X adapters are not all that great.

However, I am also a big fan of the Rain-X windshield treatment.

 

I have a set of OE Toyota wiper inserts in the under cargo area storage just waiting for the original stock wiper inserts to lose there effectiveness. The reason I decided on using OE inserts is the the ones that came with the car are doing a great job and it looks like the blade has a bit of aero design to it. I don't want to change the blades.

 

Same here. I replaced all three of mine with the OEM Toyota wiper inserts because the rear window one began to tear. They do a good job and were only $22 for all three.

I tried some Trico inserts but they did not have the correct curvature to fit the Prius windows. The curvature for the OEM blades are built in to the metal inserts that go inside the inserts.

 

I personally thought the OEM ones that came on the car were pretty good. They were quiet for me, too. However, I switched to TRICO and have used the Rain-X ones. Both of those did quite well, IMO. The downside now, I've applied the Rain-X water repellant, and the wipers tend to smear when I do have to use them. But, I rarely turn them on when it's raining anyway.

When it's time for the next round, I will probably just go back to the OEM ones, because at the time I didn't realize they sold the inserts and that's always a cheaper and less wasteful way of doing things.

 

I used to replace blades fairly frequently, say 18 months at the most, whenever they started to smear and/or judder. A few years back I picked up an aerosol can of automotive glass cleaner, and got more dilligent about cleaning the windshield, and wiping down the blade itself with a cloth saturated with the cleaner.

Since then it seems like the blades are lasting a lot longer, that the blades that were formerly "worn out" was actually a case of the blades (and the windshield) accumulating a film.

FWIW, when replacing I go with the OEM rubber blade inserts, just the rubber.

 

I also follow this practice.

Have you guys noticed the illustration provided with the inserts, which shows that the driver's side wiper insert is supposed to be installed so that the two pieces of spring metal bow down, towards the glass (instead of bowing up so that the curve in the spring metal corresponds to the curve in the glass.) That was news to me when I was changing the inserts on the 2004 a couple of weeks ago, and saw that.

 

I started doing that too. For awhile, I used Windex because I had a gallon bottle of concentrate, I conveniently borrowed from an old employer . I've always preferred the Invisible Glass aerosol can, though - it's also recommended by the shop that installed my window tint. I find the IG is much better and less smearing/streaking when cleaning the windshield. I do believe wiping the blade down helps. It's always in touch with the dirt, pollen, etc that's on the windshield and then that gunk dries onto the blade.

 

I don't know if the blades on my Prius are OEM or not. Haven't changed them but I'm the 2nd owner.

I was thinking of going
Bosch 4826 Evolution All-Season Bracketless Wiper Blade - 26" and 18" for about $11 a blade.

These blades get good reviews on amazon from people with the right curvature windshields. Apparently some glass is flatter and some is more curved. The only review form a prius owner was a 2007 and he gave them a positive review.

It rains plenty in my part of the world but I don't often drive in the rain (luck of the draw on that).

I like the idea of the bracketless blade being low profile to reduce drag but I realize it's down in the margin of error level when it comes to measuring any possible pro/con in terms of aero/drag so I'm probably more concerned about cost/noise/clearing the windshield.

 

I have a set of Bosch wiper blades. I'm not very pleased. They seem to smear and streak. Think I may go back to the O.E.M. blades. It appears Toyota O.E.M. blades are manufactured in China.

 

Bosch makes several grades of wiper blades. What ones do you have? The Icon's are the best ones that they make, and I have always been delighted with them.

 

I have enjoyed using the Rain X Lattitudes, great price on Amazon. Heavy snow in our area, and they work great and last longer than the factory one's and even the Anco Wipers I had used before.

 

We've tried the Bosch Ikons, and the other pricey ones from Costco.

I think we'll be going back to OEM, as well.

The expensive ones kept getting crud stuck on them, which then creates a streak/smear spot that won't go away... or the really fine rubber edge gets a little ding in it, or something.
Where we live, there is just too damn much rain to have to deal with crappy wipers... and the current ones also "chatter" at the bottom of the driver's side. oiy vey!!!

 

I've noticed the bottom driver blade chatter on all of the ones that have been on the car. I wonder if it has to do with the curvature of the windshield or something. IIRC, it was less noticable with the OEM blades, though.

 

I just got the costco goodyears and they seem to be fine.

I do use a flat razor blade, scrape any sap and stubborn dirt off, thoroughly clean the window and then use rain - x. after this, it's butter.

hope that helps