Frameless vs Conventional Wiper Blades: What’s The Difference?

What happens when your car windscreen wipers start giving you trouble and it's time to replace them? You visit your local mechanic shops and they ask you to choose between two types of wipers; the more expensive one or the budget one. While this is a pretty straight forward query, most people might think it has something to do with the quality of the wiper blades. However, there is more to it.

In such a situation, your mechanic isn’t necessarily asking you about the quality of the rubber. What your mechanic really wants to know is whether you want frameless or conventional blades for your car? It can be a tough decision, especially if you aren’t sure about the difference between the two kinds of wipers. 

What Are Frameless Wiper Blades?

Frameless wiper blades first started making an appearance on cars sometime in 2005, and compared to their conventional counterparts, they are a recent invention. They were designed to be used on luxury car models, but over the years, their use has trickled down to mass market car models as well. When the mechanic is referring to the more expensive wipers, they are talking about frameless types as they can cost two to four times more than conventional blades.

What Are Conventional Wiper Blades?

Conventional wiper blades, also known as traditional wiper blades, have been used on cars since the 80’s and 90’s and over the years, they have been used on all types of automobiles such as cars, buses and trucks. They are simple to manufacture and don’t cost a lot, and are offered as standard equipment on all small cars that conform to a budget. When your mechanic is talking about the cheaper kind of wipers, they are talking about conventional blades.

How Are They Different?

Frameless and conventional wiper blades, each have their own pros and cons. We have listed these factors below to give you a clearer idea as to which type of car windscreen wiper will work better for you.

1. Design

Frameless wipers have a minimalistic design as they feature a single, thick, piece of rubber with an embedded metal strip. The blade is connected to the wiper arm by a small plastic mechanism which is placed in the centre of the wiper blade. Some cars might require special adapters to accommodate them. Frameless blades are considered to have a more aesthetically pleasing design when paired with modern car designs.

Conventional wiper blades feature a metal bracket which serves as the backbone of the entire structure. Several smaller arms extend from the metal bracket, which ultimately hold the rubber blade that wipes the windscreen in place. Conventional wipers can easily connect with the J hook of wiper arms and don’t need special adapters. They can look a bit out of place on modern cars, however, the conventional type of wipers look pretty good on older car models.

2. Pressure Distribution

To be able to wipe water off a windscreen efficiently, a wiper blade needs to apply pressure on the glass surface.

In the case of frameless car windscreen wipers, this pressure is applied by the metal strip inside the rubber. The metal strip is pre-tensioned, and that is the reason why frameless wiper blades have a curved appearance when they are not installed on a car. Furthermore, the metal strip applies even pressure to the entire rubber, resulting in a superior wiping performance and even wear of the rubber.

Conventional car windscreen wipers use the metal bracket to apply to the rubber blade to press it against the windscreen surface. However, in its case, it's the small metal arms, which extend from the main bracket assembly, that apply the pressure at equal distances on the rubber blades. As the pressure is applied to individual points, it does not spread equally through the rubber blade. Thus, the wiping performance isn’t as good as frameless blades and furthermore, the wear on the rubber is also uneven.

3. Aerodynamic Efficiency

Aerodynamic efficiency refers to how easily air is able to flow over a surface, in this case the wiper blades.

Frameless wiper blades have a contoured design which allows the air to effortlessly flow over them, without affecting their performance. In fact, the air only helps to further press them on to the glass, further increasing their wiping performance. Aerodynamic efficiency was one of the biggest reasons behind the invention of frameless blades, as it helps them stick to the glass at higher speeds.

The metal bracket design of conventional wiper blades isn’t efficient in diverting air. The air can flow through the clear spaces in the metal bracket, disrupting its working efficiency. At higher speeds, it can lead to the windshield wipers being fully lifted off the windscreen, completely negating their ability to wipe off water. This can impair visibility at higher speeds and lead to a potentially dangerous situation on the road.

4. Durability

Frameless wiper blades are made of a single rubber piece and they are less susceptible to the process of weathering by natural elements. In contrast, the metal bracket of conventional wipers are prone to rusting, especially if the paint on their surface is scratched off and the metal underneath is exposed.

While rubber also does undergo the effects of weathering, it is a slower process and generally by the time the rubber starts to dry out, it is already time to change it. Therefore, frameless options are considered more durable than conventional ones.

5. Noise Level

As mentioned earlier, frameless wiper blades apply even pressure on the glass surface, and thus wear out evenly. In contrast, the uneven pressure exerted by conventional wipers on the windscreen wears them out unevenly.

Over time, the uneven wear caused by the conventional type can start creating a squeaky noise. In contrast, frameless blades offer a noiseless wiping performance throughout their life span.

6. Cost

Wiper blades are consumable parts and they need to be changed at certain intervals. This makes their cost a key consideration, when choosing between frameless and conventional types of blades. We already know that the frameless option is considered the ‘expensive’ kind whereas the conventional blades are known as the ‘cheaper’ kind. In general, a frameless car windscreen wiper can cost up to three to four times more than a conventional car windscreen wiper, however, they last longer too.

However, conventional wiper blades have a serious cost advantage over frameless options. They are not just cheaper to begin with, but conventional wipers can be refilled with rubber blades, meaning you can swap out the worn out rubber blade for a new one while using the same metal bracket. The rubber refills are even cheaper, and significantly lower the cost of windshield wiper blade replacements.

Which One Should You Choose?

Ultimately, choosing between frameless and conventional car windscreen wipers will boil down to three things: your usage, the type of vehicle and your budget.

Frameless wipers offer better performance and are better suited for those who drive often, especially on highways at higher speeds, and in changing conditions. Alternatively, conventional wiper blades will work just fine who use their cars sparingly and aren’t looking for outright performance from their wipers, and will be using them sparingly.

The type of car will also be a deciding factor in deciding between frameless and conventional blades. Newer car models are often equipped with a provision for frameless car windscreen wipers and older car models are compatible with conventional wiper blades. Certain adapters can overcome these issues, however, such a solution is not applicable across all car models.

Your budget will play a huge role in choosing between the two types of wiper blades. Compared to frameless options, conventional wiper blades will be better suited for those who prefer a budget friendly option.