Windshield wiper blades, despite their relative low price, play a big role in ensuring the safety of vehicle movement in bad weather conditions. Very popular among drivers demon frame wipers, but also frame brushes for windshield wipers also have many supporters among car enthusiasts.

To find out what the difference is between frame and frameless brushes, and which type of wipers to choose, you need to study their strengths and weak sides. In addition, when making an objective assessment, it is important to take into account the length of the brushes and the curvature windshield.

At the end of the article, watch a video about which wipers are better to choose for a car - framed or frameless.

Anyway, compared to others car parts, the price of windshield wiper blades is not very high. Therefore, if you don’t like, for example, frame wipers, you can always choose and buy inexpensive frameless ones.

Frame Wiper Blades

Many experienced motorists are accustomed to traditional frame brushes windshield wiper As a rule, they consist of a metal frame, a cleaning rubber band and connecting elements.

The metal skeleton of the brush contains movable rocker arms. Thanks to them, the cleaning tape adheres tightly to the glass. As the wiper moves along the curve of the windshield, the rocker arms rotate, pressing the blade. This ensures maximum surface cleaning from moisture, snow and dirt.

Over time, the cleaning element of the frame brush wears out. But it's easy to replace. To do this, you will need to remove the wiper from the car. When installing a new rubber band, you also need to pay attention to the mobility of the rocker arms.

Advantages of frame wipers

The design of the frame wiper blades provides the driver with a number of advantages.

1. The cost of the cleaning rubber band that is replaced on the brush is low. Therefore, you can replace it frequently while keeping your windshield clean.
2. Even beginners and women can replace the rubber band. To do this, you need to remove the windshield wiper blade from the car and remove the worn element. A new rubber or silicone part should first be trimmed in length according to the old model using a knife or scissors. All that remains is to start it carefully replaceable element into the rocker arm mounts and secure with thin steel plates.
3. The steel frame is durable and it is almost impossible to damage it. In some models, the rocker arms are protected by plastic covers that prevent moisture and dirt from entering the hinges.

Disadvantages of frame wipers

The presence of hinge joints in the “skeleton” of frame wiper blades becomes their serious drawback.

1. Snow or ice getting into the rocker area causes the joint to become immobile. This is also observed when the rocker arms become dirty or rust forms on them. As a result rubber band does not fit tightly to the windshield, which leads to poor cleaning of the surface.
2. The appearance of frame wipers also turns into a disadvantage, especially when the protective paint layer is damaged and pockets of corrosion appear.

Frameless Wiper Blades

In the eighties of the last century, unusual wipers with a characteristic bend of the cleaning tape appeared. They lacked a metal frame, and the brush looked like one whole element.

However, even in the frameless design there is a rigid metal base (Evodium plate), which provides bending to the rubber edge. When in contact with the glass, under the action of a spring mechanism, the blade is evenly pressed against the windshield along its entire length.

Advantages of frameless wipers

New frameless brushes windshield wipers have appealed to many car enthusiasts due to the following properties:

1. The attractive appearance has won the hearts of young car owners. The brush is not subject to corrosion and does not lose the brightness of the paint over time.
2. Thanks to the uniform pressure of the cleaning edge, the wiper successfully cleans glass of any curvature.
3. The design of frameless wiper blades provides high aerodynamic characteristics. The air flow additionally presses the wiper against the glass and also produces less noise at high speed.
4. New brushes are less affected by snow and ice. The design does not have hinged joints that are sensitive to icing and contamination.
5. The low profile frameless wipers provide maximum visibility on the road.

Disadvantages of frameless wipers

Proponents of classic frame wiper blades have found whole line disadvantages in new frameless models.

1. One of the main disadvantages is the high price of a frameless brush compared to the replaceable cleaning element of a framed “classic”.
2. It is not possible to replace the rubber band in a frameless wiper. And when trying to save money, there is a high probability of buying a fake that will not last long.
3. Sometimes frameless wiper blades need to be selected to match specific car. Otherwise, the wiper may not clean the convex glass well. This is most often observed with cheap frameless brushes.

Each driver decides for himself whether framed or frameless brushes are better suited to his car. The main thing is that they successfully clean the windshield from water, snow and dirt. Then good review road conditions will be the key to safe driving.

Video: framed or frameless wipers - what's the difference?

Wipers are a consumable accessory for your car. For comparison, tires, when treated with care, can last 5 years or more, but the rubber on the wipers wears off in a few months. That is why they have to be changed all the time. Once again, when choosing windshield wiper blades, you find yourself wondering again and again which wipers are best? Let's try to figure it out together with you.

Frame wipers

Wiper frames are usually made of plastic. A cleaning rubber band is attached to the base (skeleton), which does its job well. Despite the number of cleaning rockers, and there may be 2, 3 or even 4, one solid cleaning tape is attached to them. It is thanks to its mobility that each part of the wiper fits tightly to the glass.

They have another significant “plus”. This design allows you to avoid it entirely - you just need to buy a cleaning tape, which you can easily change with your own hands. This way you can save a lot!

So, let's look at the pros and cons of these wipers. Among the advantages that frame wiper blades have are:

• tight fit to the windshield, which improves the quality of cleaning;
• possibility of purchasing a winter model;
• replacing cleaning tapes.

But there are also some “disadvantages”:

• Snow and ice stick to regular wipers in winter, causing the blades to become immobile;
• in case of ice, the wipers have to be cleaned for a long time until they begin to function normally;
• winter wipers do not adhere well to the windshield, which affects snow removal.

Frameless wipers

This model does not have a skeleton and a separate cleaning tape. It is a plastic strip with a clamping element inside it. Their advantage is their attractive appearance, which looks more advantageous. Usually frameless models They are produced for a specific car brand in order to most accurately replicate the curve of the windshield. But this applies to inexpensive products that can be purchased at the regular car market.

As for premium products, frameless wipers are produced using a special technology, so the brand of the car does not matter. But the length is important, so you need to take measurements before you go shopping. Which ones are better? It depends on how much you are willing to spend on windshield wipers.

The advantages of frameless brushes are:

1. Harmoniously combines with any make of car.
2. Premium models are ideal for any car model.
3. Easy removal of ice and snow winter time of the year.
4. Good aerodynamics.

These wipers also have their own disadvantages:

1. If you buy inexpensive frameless wipers, you will have to match them to the brand of your car.
2. If you choose the wrong model, with passenger side Dirt may be difficult to clean off.
3. Premium windshield wipers are quite expensive.

Hybrid brushes

Developers also often thought about which wipers were better, so they created hybrid wipers. This is a mixed model, which successfully combines the frame of classic wipers and a compact plastic spoiler, which was given to them by frameless wipers. Since it is a hybrid, it looks different from classic model

. If you decide to replace your wipers with these, you will be able to achieve an enhanced aerodynamic effect, which will have a positive effect on cleaning the surface of the windshield. The tighter the wipers fit, the better the cleaning will be. This is especially true for cars with a convex windshield. Significant disadvantage which they have hybrid wipers , lies in their very high cost . But their service life, compared to other models, is several times higher. But this is provided that you buy original products , but not. They retain their original appearance for about a year, even with intensive use. But which option is best? Let's try to answer this question by looking at the design features of the wipers.

What to look for when choosing?

Rubber is one of the main components of wipers. She works in very harsh conditions. This is especially true during the winter season: constant temperature changes, variable humidity, ingress of sand and soil, and chemicals that fall on it during washing. Therefore, the best rubber band will be the one that has its own characteristics. It should be soft and fit well convex glass. But at the same time, be so tough that it does not smear the dirt, but removes it from the surface of the glass.

Many motorists pay attention to the fastening when choosing brushes, and for good reason. Today there are 8 most common types of fastening, so it’s very easy to get confused about them!

So which ones are better to choose? There are two options for solving the selection problem. You can purchase a set of wipers with specific mounts specifically for your car model. True, such brushes will be quite expensive, but they are worth it.

The second option is to choose wipers with universal mounts. Wide range Frameless models can boast in this area. They are suitable for any car, so you don’t have to rack your brains when purchasing. But such brushes have low aerodynamics, so they do not cope very well with heavy dirt.

Pay attention to the size. Typically, right and left wipers are of different lengths. This means that when choosing, you need to carefully select the size.

There is no universal answer to the question: “Which wipers are best?” Each model has its own advantages and disadvantages. Nevertheless, frame windshield wiper blades have so far been and remain the most popular. But after the advent of hybrid wipers, which combine the advantages of two models, the popularity of frame wipers has decreased slightly.

It is ideal if you purchase wipers designed specifically for your car brand. Then they are guaranteed to do their job perfectly. And don't forget to change your windshield wipers maximum once a year! This required condition for quality work.

Today, you can employ any national... excuse me, construction as a janitor: there are framed, frameless, hybrid... Their work is hard, after a year fatigue takes its toll - a replacement is needed. Fresh recruits tend to perform better. And advertising of new products does not hesitate to castigate those design elements that were presented as cutting-edge just yesterday: they say, how did they even go with it?

So which “janitor crew” should you prefer? Newfangled hybrid or familiar frameless? Bosch or Denso? More expensive or cheaper? As a result, we decided to hold a professional skills competition. The Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant volunteered to help us: it has a couple of stands for life tests brushes - you can drive them for at least a year. But we limited the test period to four months: this roughly corresponds to a year’s mileage on a live car.

Each pair of windshield wipers was bought in triplicate - just like in Gaidaev’s comedy. The first - on the stand, the second - in the heat chamber, the third - on the car for comparison: it was and is now.

WHAT WE CHECKED

In the old days, a janitor was the name given to the owner of an inn; he had much more responsibilities than waving a broom. There are also many requirements for modern wipers, so we decided to check the following parameters:

• ergonomics (packaging, labeling, design, appearance, fastening on a leash);
• wear resistance on the stand (analogous to a year's mileage on real car);
• resistance to UV radiation (100 hours);
• heat resistance (at +65 and -45 ° C);
• quality of glass cleaning real car after laboratory tests.

HOW WERE THE RESULTS EVALUATED

Technical indicators were assessed by a group of experts on a 5-point scale; these assessments were recorded in the test report. Ratings for the price/quality ratio were also given on a 5-point scale: according to the principle “more is better.” The calculation method is simple: dividing the cost of each product by the number of points scored, the best attitude was given a score of 5 points, and the worst - 1 point. The rest received proportional intermediate grades. Thus, an “excellent” student could ideally receive 5 points for both technical results and optimal pricing policy. The same applies to the outsider, who in both cases was threatened with one.

Change brushes at least once a year!

The competition turned out to be democratic: long and short, America and Eurasia were represented. Prices range from 300 to 910 rubles per piece. We were pleased that we did not notice the overwhelming superiority of one design over the other. From an engineer’s point of view, everything is logical: advertising is advertising, but there is no need to lose your head. Frankly, only the overseas “Tights” couldn’t handle it: tearing off the tape is almost like hitting glass with a shovel. But the malfunction is not directly related to the type of design: a specific technology clearly failed.

It is curious that “Anko”, “Champion” and “Tights”, even being new, did not receive the maximum rating. Bench tests reduced the cleaning quality of all products, albeit to varying degrees. This reinforces the need for an annual “changing of the guard” on the windshield. Competitors are located in alphabetical order. Best Value prices and quality - from the German “Hainer Hybrid”, “Denso”, “Valeo” and “Vin” scored the maximum points. Our choice ultimately fell on the Korean Denso: low price, text in Russian, excellent scores and... And, whatever one may say, the most modern design. You can't escape fashion.

Anco Contour, Mexico

Approximate price, rub.: 910

Type; length, mm: frameless; 500

General impression: average

3,8

1,00

Installation information is given in the insert (without the Russian version). Can be installed on a pin-type lever; an adapter for a flat lever is included. Fixing on a leash (as well as eating) is simple and straightforward. But the fit of the brush was not ideal, neither in the original state, nor even more so after the marathon on the stand. Ultraviolet and climate also added a little negativity: an uncleaned strip appeared in the center of the glass. The price is the highest.

Bosch Aerotwin, China

Approximate price, rub.: 570

Type; length, mm: frameless; 530

General impression: very good

Test rating: 4,35

Rating for price/quality ratio: 3,53

The packaging is nice, but I’m in no hurry to part with the wiper, trying to cut my finger with the sharp edge. Information about car models and installation locations is detailed, but Russian is not used. Fixation and removal are very convenient. After the bench tests, they began to mess around in the center and on top. The ultraviolet was tolerated calmly, but the climate slightly worsened the cleaning in the middle part. Crushing in all modes is absent as a class. The price is average.

Champion, Belgium

Approximate price, rub.: 355

Type; length, mm: frameless; 350

General impression: mediocre

Test rating: 4,20

Rating for price/quality ratio: 4,63

There are no questions about the packaging, if you forgive the inattention to Russian-speaking customers. Included are six adapters for various designs levers. Fixation on the lever is understandable, but difficult. Brushes, even new ones, are prone to chipping. At the same time, they get their hands very dirty (either soot or Silicone Grease- the instructions are silent). The only brush that, after the camera and stand, improved cleaning: perhaps that very dirty layer was erased? The ultraviolet came back with incomplete adhesion and a new attack of crushing. The price is quite low.

BEST WIPER BLADES: CHOICE OF ZR

Denso Wiper Blade, Korea

Approximate price, rub.: 330

Type; length, mm: hybrid; 350

General impression: excellent

Test rating: 4,50

Rating for price/quality ratio: 4,88

Hurray, there is detailed information in Russian! The packaging is convenient, fixing and tightening does not create any difficulties. “Runs” on the stand created minor stripes on the windshield along the length of the brush, and the temperature chamber slightly worsened the cleaning in the upper part, but no crushing or anything else occurred. The price is one of the lowest.

Heyner Hybrid, Germany

Approximate price, rub.: 300

Type; length, mm: hybrid; 500

General impression: very good

Test rating: 4,40

Rating for price/quality ratio: 5.00 (best)

The complaint about the packaging is standard: where is the Russian language? Everything else is good. The set includes two adapters for mounting on pin-type levers. Fixation on the lever is understandable, although difficult. Staying on the stand resulted in small stripes under the middle and upper parts of the brush, and the climate chamber added a small stripe at the bottom. Ultraviolet light did not cause any harm. The price is the lowest.

Trico Innovision, USA

Approximate price, rub.: 490

Type; length, mm: frameless; 510

General impression: bad

Test rating: 3,40

Rating for price/quality ratio: 3,22

The packaging is convenient, but there is no connection to car models (as well as the Russian text). There are small installation instructions. The fixation on the lever is convenient, but removal is difficult due to the non-standard mechanism (you do not need to press on the lever, but pull it). The initial fit was not perfect, and after the stand the picture was supplemented with two stripes - in the middle and upper parts. Not only that, but the rubber band came off! The brush withstood the climate well, but the effect of the UV lamp turned out to be detrimental: stripes appeared along the entire length. The price is average.

Valeo Silencio, France

Approximate price, rub.: 910

Type; length, mm: frameless; 530

General impression: excellent

Test rating: 4,50

Rating for price/quality ratio: 1,86

The information on the packaging is comprehensive, if you close your eyes to the absence of Cyrillic. Attaching and removing the leash is simple and straightforward. When the brushes move at any speed, there is no crushing effect. After the stand, small stripes are left on the glass along the entire width of the brush. The products did not react at all to climate control and ultraviolet radiation. The only thing I wasn't happy about was the high cost.

Ween Shimo, EU

Approximate price, rub.: 365

Type; length, mm: frameless; 350

General impression: excellent

Test rating: 4,50

Rating for price/quality ratio: 4,70

You highlight it right away detailed information in Russian indicating car models and installation locations. Convenient packaging, three adapters. Installing and removing the wiper is easy. Staying at the stand did not affect the initial abilities in any way: crushing and other negative things were not noticed. The ultraviolet “tanning” also did not cause any harm, and only the temperature effect slightly worsened the cleaning in the upper part. When checking the heat resistance, softening of the rubber tape was detected. The price is reasonable.

FROM FRAME TO HYBRID

The design of brushes has not undergone any major changes over the past century. Hopes for various types of blowers, nanocoatings and other tricks melt away before the simplicity and effectiveness of conventional mechanical cleaning. Therefore, the main efforts of developers are spent on battles with a variable radius of curvature and other innovations.

The most famous brushes are frame brushes: a kind of set of rocker arms and elastic plates plus a rubber band. Rubber was constantly replaced by other materials. The companies used synthetic and partially synthetic rubber, used a graphite coating on the blade, a three-component composition of the belts, etc. As for the rocker arms, the number of which began to grow before our eyes, they decided to get rid of them altogether by using a frameless design. A spring steel element inside the rubber band improved the pressure against the glass and gave hope that the brush would not freeze in the cold. As usual, a step back was soon taken: so-called hybrid wiper blades appeared, which were supposed to combine the advantages of their ancestors.

The hybrid brush design is completely hidden in the body, which prevents water from freezing in the joints.

In any case, you should only use brushes recommended for this car model.

Most frequently asked question- which brushes are better, framed or frameless? There is no clear answer to this question. The rating included both those and others. In addition, the list of the best includes hybrid models. They all have their advantages and disadvantages.

Windshield wiper blades are one of the most frequently changed consumables in a car: you often have to install new ones even on cars that have just left the showroom; on many "state-owned" cars, standard wipers are of little satisfaction to drivers. Well, let's try to figure out how this simple item works and on what principle you need to choose best kit wipers.

Brushes modern type were invented almost a hundred years ago - in 1923. Since then, their design has changed little: the working element is an elastic strip with a sharp edge, secured in an elastic bracket for attaching to the leash. The elasticity of the brush is its main quality, which directly affects the cleaning efficiency, since when moving, the edge of the brush should fit as tightly as possible to the curved surface of the glass.

Depending on the type of suspension in the bracket, brushes are divided into:

• Frame- in them the elastic element is the supporting structure itself. The brush frame connects to the cleaning plate at several points, tending to bend it. Hence main drawback frame brushes: they fit most tightly to the glass at the points of connection with the frame.
• Frameless Brushes use a metal plate cast into the brush itself as an elastic element. Technologically, their production is more complicated and more expensive, but this is justified by a much better fit and, accordingly, efficient work. Distinctive feature frameless brushes have a laconic appearance: the fastening is located on the plastic frame of the brush itself.
• Hybrid brushes have both a supporting frame and an additional elastic element in the plate. For glasses with a large curvature of the surface, they will probably become best choice. They can be easily distinguished by the plastic casing that covers the frame and at the same time serves as an aerodynamic element.

The brush itself can be made from a wide variety of materials, the requirements for which are simple: elasticity, low coefficient friction (this will ensure not only the absence of squeaking, but also reduce abrasion of the edge), resistance to de-icing agents, solvents (the main component of the washer is isopropyl alcohol) and exposure to ultraviolet radiation. The rubber originally used for this is not very suitable for the specified parameters - in the cold it becomes harder, which is especially sensitive for frame brushes, it cracks quickly, and due to the high coefficient of friction it is prone to squeaking. Modern silicone-based materials make it possible to create more best brushes windshield wipers that can work both in summer and in severe frost.

When choosing brushes, you should take into account the operating characteristics of the car - in the summer, budget frame brushes will be no less effective than premium-segment hybrid models. But in the northern regions, in cities where deicing agents are actively used, the quality of the brush material and its design require more careful attention: here expensive “hybrids” clearly win in all respects.

25.01.2014

There are a lot of pages covered on various forums and websites on the topic, which brushes are better? Frame or frameless? Where they write one thing, where they write another! Let's try to figure this out too.

To draw any conclusions, we need to understand the structure of frame and frameless (brushes), and only then we will be able to identify the advantages of one over the other.

Frame Wiper Blades

Frame wiper blades are a skeleton to which a cleaning rubber band is attached. In other words, rocker arms extend from the wiper arm (there are 2, 3, 4 of them depending on the model), to which a cleaning tape is attached, despite the fact that the tape is in free circulation (it can move forward and backward). Each wiper arm is movable and, thanks to this, is able to fit tightly to the glass.

Due to their design, the windshield wiper blades do not need to be replaced entirely, but can only be done by replacing the cleaning tape. This is definitely a plus, because... the cost of the tape from a set of new wipers is noticeably different in favor of the former.

This design has no skeleton and no separate ribbon. Frameless wipers consist of a tape, inside of which there is a pressing element (for example, a steel plate). Frameless, in contrast to framed ones, clearly benefit in the appearance of the car. Most often (from the lowest price category) frameless wipers are produced purely according to car models in order to replicate the curve of the windshield as much as possible. But from the premium segment, frameless blades are made using special technologies, where you do not need to know the make of the car, but you need to know the required length of the wipers (Length of wipers VAZ 2114, 2115, 2113).

What's better? Frame or frameless?

In fact, everyone chooses their own, which is why long conversations are held on forums where they do not find a definite answer. We, in turn, will not claim that one or the other is better, we will simply tell you the advantages of one over the other, and you can choose for yourself. Agreed? Then let's go!

Frame wipers

Frame wipers lose in their own way appearance, but have a greater pressing force against the windshield due to the structure of the rocker arms, which undoubtedly affects the quality of glass cleaning for the better.

But the complex system of rocker arms also has a negative point: in winter, in snowy weather, the rocker arms become covered with ice, the wiper becomes motionless and oaky - accordingly. There is only one way out of this - to warm it up, standing in the cold, clear the ice from the wipers until the rocker arms begin to move freely.

Therefore, for winter they came up with frame wipers with closed rocker arms. In other words, the entire skeleton of the janitor is hidden in plastic casing where snow and moisture do not penetrate - accordingly, the rocker arms are always movable and the wiper cleans well. But this system also has a small minus - on high speed, due to the “winged” structure of such wipers, the downforce on the windshield drops noticeably, which negatively affects the quality of glass cleaning.

Another advantage over frameless ones is the ability to change cleaning tapes. In frameless wipers, the tape does not change, but the brush assembly does.

Frameless wipers

The appearance of these windshield wipers blends harmoniously with any car rather than the frame skeleton.

These economy segment wipers must be selected according to the make of the car, because Each car has its own windshield shape, and accordingly, the windshield wiper has its own bend. Therefore, with cheap wipers, it often happens that the brush does not press well on the passenger side, and therefore the dirt is not cleaned. There is nothing you can do about such brushes, just replace them with quality ones. The premium segment promises us to work perfectly on any car, the main thing is to choose the length, but the price of such brushes is 1000 rubles.

Another advantage of frameless ones is that they are easy to clean from ice in winter; just bend the wipers a couple of times and all the ice will fall off.

Another advantage of such wipers is good aerodynamics. Those. their downforce does not decrease as speed increases.

I hope everything has become clear to you and you will do it right choice. We also recommend that you read the article: In it you will learn how to choose the right brushes, what you need to know, which companies you should give preference to.