When it’s time to replace our windshield wiper blades, you should take into consideration what type of weather you will be encountering when behind the wheel.

The type of wiper blades you would use during the rainy season would not be the same that you would want for a snow-filled winter. Use our guide to help pick the right kind of wipers for you and your vehicle.

For Heavy Rain: Beam Windshield Wiper Blades

When the rain starts to pour, and you’re stuck behind the wheel, the best type of wiper blades to keep your windshield clear and increase your visibility are beam windshield wiper blades.

These wipers – also called flat blades – have a slimmer profile than regular wiper blades, featuring a sleek, long-lasting design for drivers that prefer their wipers to stay out of sight.

Each blade is outfitted with a spring-steel band, making them strong yet flexible, allowing the blades to mold to your windshield. This means that they deliver more windshield coverage and more even wiping when the heavy rain starts to come down.

For Summers and Mild Winters: Rubber Windshield Wiper Blades

Your basic, conventional windshield wipers are made of a rubber blade, which is mounted in a spring-tensioned frame made of metal.

Despite their affordable price – rubber wipers tend to be the cheapest on the market – some basic rubber wipers stand up to their more expensive counterparts, clearing rain from a windshield just as effectively as more costly windshield wiper blades.

However, you should only opt for rubber wiper blades during summers and mild winters – the exposed frame of these blades doesn’t stand up to heavy snow and ice as well as special winter wiper blades. If you choose an inexpensive rubber wiper during a winter snowstorm, you run the risk of your wipers becoming damaged from frozen water, which could lead them to stop clearing snow effectively, decreasing your visibility during a snowstorm.

For Wet Weather: Silicone Windshield Wiper Blades

These wiper blades include an exposed metal frame which houses silicone blades. Some brands of silicone wipers come with a special water repellant, which the driver can wipe onto the blade before use, helping the blade to clear water more effectively when the rain starts to pour.

Silicone wiper blades cost more than the more affordable rubber wipers, and also perform better – but only for the first few months after purchase. After being used regularly for a few months, their performance drops to the level of basic rubber wipers, which means that they need to be changed frequently for best performance.

For Snowy Winters: Winter Windshield Wiper Blades

You wouldn’t drive your car in winter without the proper winter tires – in the same vein, when wintertime rolls around, it’s important to outfit your vehicle with the right kind of winter windshield wipers in order to get maximum visibility during winter snowfalls.

Stiffer blades housed in heavy-duty frames make for sturdy wipers that are better equipped to remove heavy snow and ice from your windshield during even the most turbulent snowstorms.

These wiper blades feature metal framework encased in a thick boot, helping to prevent ice and snow from clogging the wiper assembly.

The perfect wipers for harsh Canadian winters, it’s best to switch out your regular wiper blades for winter wipers at the same time as you change to winter tires – in the springtime, when switching out your winter tires for summer wheels, swap out your winter wiper blades with your regular rubber or silicone wipers once more.