The Subaru Outback is designed to take on the rugged outdoors and the windshield wipers can end up taking a beating. We asked the SubaruOutback.org community to help us find the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers and you did not let us down.
Because your wipers sit out all day in the direct sun and have to deal with everything from heat to extreme cold (not to mention ice, snow, bugs, and more), they need to be replaced from time to time. Nobody likes turning on their wipers and seeing streaks fill up their windshield. It’s both an irritant and a potential danger on the road. It is best to replace the wipers now rather than wait until they break down completely when you need them most.
So we asked you which windshield wiper blades you relied on for your Outback. The ones you had tested out day after day, storm after storm, and went back to the next time you needed them. Here are your recommendations for the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers, along with some from our experts.
Original Equipment
Like @TheHozOpp1 said, "I like the OEM blades. They have performed well and have a guaranteed fitment and performance specific to Outbacks." It's hard to beat one that's designed specifically to fit your glass.
Original equipment wipers are a little bit more money, but they're also premium wipers. With OEM wipers, you're also guaranteed that you won't have any problems fitting the wiper to the arm, because they're designed to fit only your vehicle. It’s no wonder they are among the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers you can buy.
Bosch makes everything from power tools to engine management systems, but windshield wipers are one of the products where you're most likely to see the company's logo. They make a wide range of wiper products, their products were recommended by @cardoc, @stevenva, @Febreze Mee, and by us.
Their Icon line is the top of the range and highly recommended. Bosch says that its unique ClearMax 365 wiper blade rubber is extremely resistant to cracking from long-term environmental exposure. In an ozone test, it went 150 hours without the rubber cracking where leading competitors failed in fewer than 50.
The Icon blades also use a beam-style design in place of the more traditional metal frame and hinge wiper. This works better to keep them flat to the windshield glass and it makes the blades less likely to get jammed up by snow and ice in the winter. Bosch blades, no matter which you get, are high up on our list of wiper blade recommendations.
Nobody has been in the windshield wiper game longer than Trico…the company that actually invented the things back in 1917. Today, Trico offers up wide selection of wiper blades for every budget.
Our favorites are the Trico Silicone Ceramic, because these top-grade blades are designed to last three times longer than average blades. The coating reduces friction and drag on the glass, letting them operate more smoothly and doing a better job of clearing your windshield. The coating also protects the blade material from ozone, UV, and weather conditions, part of why they can last so long in the first place. @DoctorB recommended Trico after using them on their 2018 Outback.
A number of SubaruOutback.org members sung the praises of Rain-X windshield wipers. Rain-X offers its top-end wipers with a beam-blade design that works better to keep the blades clear of snow and ice and planted to the glass. But it also has conventional hinge-frame wipers for those looking for a value-priced wiper and then the middle-ground hybrid wiper.
The Hybrid wiper combines the features of beam and conventional wipers, offering a lower cost than a beam-style but much better performance than a conventional wiper. Users @peterscott and @Flames gave Rain-X the nod, and @dilbout recommended Rain-X for a rear wiper fitment as well.
We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.
Lead photo credit Sashkin / Shutterstock
What Are the Best Subaru Outback Windshield Wipers?
The Subaru Outback is designed to take on the rugged outdoors and the windshield wipers can end up taking a beating. We asked the SubaruOutback.org community to help us find the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers and you did not let us down.
Because your wipers sit out all day in the direct sun and have to deal with everything from heat to extreme cold (not to mention ice, snow, bugs, and more), they need to be replaced from time to time. Nobody likes turning on their wipers and seeing streaks fill up their windshield. It’s both an irritant and a potential danger on the road. It is best to replace the wipers now rather than wait until they break down completely when you need them most.
So we asked you which windshield wiper blades you relied on for your Outback. The ones you had tested out day after day, storm after storm, and went back to the next time you needed them. Here are your recommendations for the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers, along with some from our experts.
Original Equipment
Like @TheHozOpp1 said, "I like the OEM blades. They have performed well and have a guaranteed fitment and performance specific to Outbacks." It's hard to beat one that's designed specifically to fit your glass.
Original equipment wipers are a little bit more money, but they're also premium wipers. With OEM wipers, you're also guaranteed that you won't have any problems fitting the wiper to the arm, because they're designed to fit only your vehicle. It’s no wonder they are among the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers you can buy.
Bosch makes everything from power tools to engine management systems, but windshield wipers are one of the products where you're most likely to see the company's logo. They make a wide range of wiper products, their products were recommended by @cardoc, @stevenva, @Febreze Mee, and by us.
Their Icon line is the top of the range and highly recommended. Bosch says that its unique ClearMax 365 wiper blade rubber is extremely resistant to cracking from long-term environmental exposure. In an ozone test, it went 150 hours without the rubber cracking where leading competitors failed in fewer than 50.
The Icon blades also use a beam-style design in place of the more traditional metal frame and hinge wiper. This works better to keep them flat to the windshield glass and it makes the blades less likely to get jammed up by snow and ice in the winter. Bosch blades, no matter which you get, are high up on our list of wiper blade recommendations.
Nobody has been in the windshield wiper game longer than Trico…the company that actually invented the things back in 1917. Today, Trico offers up wide selection of wiper blades for every budget.
Our favorites are the Trico Silicone Ceramic, because these top-grade blades are designed to last three times longer than average blades. The coating reduces friction and drag on the glass, letting them operate more smoothly and doing a better job of clearing your windshield. The coating also protects the blade material from ozone, UV, and weather conditions, part of why they can last so long in the first place. @DoctorB recommended Trico after using them on their 2018 Outback.
A number of SubaruOutback.org members sung the praises of Rain-X windshield wipers. Rain-X offers its top-end wipers with a beam-blade design that works better to keep the blades clear of snow and ice and planted to the glass. But it also has conventional hinge-frame wipers for those looking for a value-priced wiper and then the middle-ground hybrid wiper.
The Hybrid wiper combines the features of beam and conventional wipers, offering a lower cost than a beam-style but much better performance than a conventional wiper. Users @peterscott and @Flames gave Rain-X the nod, and @dilbout recommended Rain-X for a rear wiper fitment as well.
We are committed to finding, researching, and recommending the best products. We earn commissions from purchases you make using the retail links in our product reviews. Learn more about how this works.
I'll be completely honest, I love the OEM ones. They don't chatter, they wipe cleanly and don't streak or leave water on the windshield after each pass. I replace them once a year and the cost isn't high.
Whether you live in the southeast where regular, extreme rainfall is a normal occurrence or if you live up north and deal with freezing rain and snow, we want to hear from you.
You forgot the desert southwest, where we don't get much rain, but when the monsoon comes around, it can be heavy.
The problem we have is the high heat, and strong sunshine rots out the majority of wipers, so they last about a year. So once the monsoon kicks in, EVERYONE buys new wipers on the first rain.
I found on Ebay, 100% silicon wiper inserts (cut to fit, reuse old metal spines) that have lasted for 3 years so far! For comparison I put PIAA "silicone" insert just on the back window wiper and it's starting to rot out after 1 year.
My OEM blades still work OK after 4 years but are starting to streak a little so I'll get some new ones. I have been pleased with Michelin inserts on my other vehicles so I'll probably try them on the Subie. I should add that my car is usually in the garage when not being driven and I live in a part of Oregon that is lucky to get 10" of rain a year.
4 years is excellent life for a wiper blade. Most manufacturers of wiper blades recommend an annual replacement. The fact that it has taken 4 times that period for your blades to degrade to the point where you would consider replacing them speaks to their quality.
As I said in my previous post, I like the OEM blades. They have performed well and have a guaranteed fitment and performance specific to Outbacks.
FWIW…I’ve always replaced mine with OE wipers. I keep some extras in the garage and if one needs replacing it’s there ready to go on the car…changed the drivers side spjust last weekend.
I’ve done Bosch but they are so expensive and still have to replace annually here on the wet side of Oregon. I bought wipers directly from Aero last fall and they’re working great at half the price of Bosch plus they came with a second set of inserts. AERO Wiper Blades | Official Website – The Revolutionary of Wiper Blade Technology
I just replaced mins on my 2018 Outback with TRICO Platinum blades from Amazon. Decent price, and they work very well. My wife's vintage 1996 Saturn now uses the same blades, and she like them too.
When it comes to upgrades for your vehicle, windshield wipers are not exactly what we’d call exciting. But anybody who’s ever been driving with a set of streaky wipers knows how frustrating that can be. So we are here to ask the experts at SubaruOutback.org what are the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers?
Whether you live in the southeast where regular, extreme rainfall is a normal occurrence or if you live up north and deal with freezing rain and snow, we want to hear from you.
We will follow up here and update the original post so the community can use this as a resource for Subaru Outback windshield wipers going forward.
With Aquapel I don't even need wipers unless it's raining hard or I'm creeping along at city speeds. When I need 'em, I use Icons because they are consistently rated the highest. When I think they need replacement, I clean 'em with alcohol and a paper towel. When that it is no longer impressive, I sand 'em lightly with fine sandpaper. When THAT isn't impressive, I replace 'em. The alcohol and sandpaper are not my ideas, rather, from the internet. How wrong could THAT be? The Aquapel recommendation is from decades of using it on three vehicles. It is far superior to Rain-X. (Tip: I tried applying it myself, but wasn't quick enough, as it dries WAY fast. Have a windshield shop that uses it often apply it.)
Been using Rain-X Latitude wipers and Rain-X windshield washer juice in all my vehicles for 20 years with zero complaints. I've tried others, and always go back to Rain-X.
Our 2019 outback still has the front ones that came on it. Had to replace rear one just a month ago cause it started ripping. Not even sure what brand she replaced it with all I know is that it works and thats what important.
When it comes to upgrades for your vehicle, windshield wipers are not exactly what we’d call exciting. But anybody who’s ever been driving with a set of streaky wipers knows how frustrating that can be. So we are here to ask the experts at SubaruOutback.org what are the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers?
Whether you live in the southeast where regular, extreme rainfall is a normal occurrence or if you live up north and deal with freezing rain and snow, we want to hear from you.
We will follow up here and update the original post so the community can use this as a resource for Subaru Outback windshield wipers going forward.
I would recommend searching on Wipers123.com for exact sets to include from and rear. Usually Trico wipers. Decent price strut and great customer service.
When it comes to upgrades for your vehicle, windshield wipers are not exactly what we’d call exciting. But anybody who’s ever been driving with a set of streaky wipers knows how frustrating that can be. So we are here to ask the experts at SubaruOutback.org what are the best Subaru Outback windshield wipers?
Whether you live in the southeast where regular, extreme rainfall is a normal occurrence or if you live up north and deal with freezing rain and snow, we want to hear from you.
We will follow up here and update the original post so the community can use this as a resource for Subaru Outback windshield wipers going forward.
I know I had tried Bosch (can't remember the variety) and thought them no better than others and 3x as expensive. I bought Michelin brand at Costco and they've worked fine. They don't carry the rear size though. I'm in Charleston SC so don't deal with snow and I do use Rainx washer fluid. Not sure if that makes a difference.
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