It was easy to be tempted by these blades as they’re from a brand we’d heard of, probably as a result of looking at too many old car magazine adverts. Price: £15.99 (including rear wiper blade) These blades might be old tech but Michelin clearly thinks there’s no need to reinvent the wheel – the Stealth Hybrids wiped away our simulated downpours without any issues. To be fair though, they didn’t budge, even in heavy rain. The joint looked a bit unfinished too, as though a part was missing. But the connection lacked the secure feel of the Bosch and we kept double-checking we’d done it properly. Six different connectors are included in the pack to accommodate most cars, but our hook fitting was already in place and slotted straight on easily. It makes them look a fair bit chunkier than the others here. To hide this old-looking tech (and presumably to reduce the wind whistling through them) they’re enclosed in a rubbery case. Instead of using the modern-looking spoiler-shaped blades like all the rivals in this test, these are an old-fashioned ‘bridged’ wiper as you’d expect to see on a budget car or something from the 1990s. We initially felt a bit cheated by the Michelins. It might not bother you enough to pay the extra £8 for the Bosch, especially if your wipers are hidden by the bonnet when not in use. They’re not perfect though, and our main gripe is that the connector looks a little cheap and unfinished in the arm.
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The connectors slotted easily and securely into our Land Rover’s arms, and if we were unsure of how to fit them, a nifty video tutorial is available by simply scanning a QR code on the packaging. These Aerowipers from the online supplier .uk were not far behind our winning Bosch blades in terms of performance.
If you tend to turn your nose up at ‘own brand’ products, here’s proof that you could be missing out.
The Aerotwins might cost a few quid more, but you’ll be pleased you paid it when you hit that switch. There seems to be something clever about the locking fitment in the hook on the arm too, as it felt far more secure than rivals once fitted and kept the wipers at the correct angle as they swept – essential to avoid judder. The rubber itself seems to do a better job of clearing the screen than rivals here while the shape of the blade means they are whistle-free at motorway speeds. There’s no getting away from the comparatively lofty price for a pair of Bosch blades, but they were good enough in our tests to make us cough up the money to change over the wipers on two other cars in our personal ‘fleet’. All prices are taken from online sources and are for a pair of blades. We scored them on quietness, checked for lifting at motorway speeds, then rated for ease of fitting and value. Which blades should you choose from the bewildering array on offer? Are the cheap blades really as good as the named brands? To find out, we fitted 22-inch (550mm) wipers to a Land Rover Discovery and put them through their paces in simulated heavy rain, and also using the washer jets in dry weather.
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