The best VW T5 Wiper blades reviewed
In this article we will look at the best choices for VW T5 wiper blades that are currently on the market in Europe and also look at the pitfalls of the cheaper Chinese brands.
VW T5 Wiper blade choice
Buying the best wiper blades for a VW T5 should be pretty straight forward you would think right? Maybe not..
There is a rapidly growing choice of VW T5 wiper blades on the market with a wide range of prices from £10 way up to £50 leaving VW T5 owners asking what the best wiper blade for a VW T5 Transporter actually is.
To make things even more complicated, a lot of owners are finding them selves in the terrible situation where they have bought the wrong size or wrong fitments that are not compatible with a VW T5 despite it being listed under their model in places like eBay and Amazon.
Here we will look at the different wiper blades that will fit a VW T5 and explore which ones offer the best quality vs value for money.
Manufacturer | Our Rating | Price |
Valeo | ||
Bosch Aero Twin | ||
Heyner Germany | ||
AXEBLINK |
Transporter VW T5 wiper size
The size of VW T5 wiper blades is: Driver side: 24″ (600mm) Passenger side: 24″ (600mm)
It is worth pointing out that some of the VW T5 range came factory fitted with a slightly shorter blade on the passenger side. A pair of standard 24” blades will fit no problem and most T5’s that fall into this group will already have been replaced with 24” on both sides.
Tip – Make sure you buy the correct wipers as Left- and Right-hand drive vehicles are obviously mirrored and won’t fit correctly if you buy the wrong ones. The wipers linked here will be for right hand drive vehicles.
VW T5 Wiper blades Cheap vs Expensive
So the saying buy cheap, buy twice is quite relevant here.
That is not to say that some of the cheaper options aren’t good however if you look at the wipers in the higher price bracket you stand a better chance of getting a well-fitting, smear free wiper set that lasts well through four seasons of changeable weather.
Some of the cheaper pattern part VW T5 wiper blades that are available on eBay (and other online retailers) have been reported to either not fit very well/come lose when in use or slightly annoyingly smear your windscreen.
Some of the cheaper wipers also struggle with the more extreme weather conditions with snow/ice/hail/heavy rain coupled with some warm summer days (occasionally) in the UK perishing the rubber much quicker than you might hope for.
I have seen VW T5 owners report wipers lasting less than 6 months before needing to replace due to MOT fail.
Difference between VW T5 cheap wipers and expensive
Other than the actual fitment of the wiper, which is generally better in the higher price brackets. The cheaper sets of wiper blades for a VW T5 will have basic rubber blades which can have a shorter life span and lead to smear on the windscreen.
The middle range wipers you would expect to see rubber blades that are at least halogen hardened or have some other coating which last a bit longer and less likely to smear as the rubber is not as soft as on the cheaper options.
The most expensive wipers usually have silicone based blades. As these are silicon rather than rubber, they clear water much more effectively and are unlikely to smear the screen at all.
The more expensive silicone blades should also have a longer lifespan as they do not perish as rapidly as basic rubber in hot/cold temperatures.
How long should a set of VW T5 wipers last?
Wipers do not get the credit they deserve! They are put through some gruelling work especially in countries that experience a lot of rain. Think about how many times the blades run over your windscreen even in light rain.
For a well looked after set of medium to high priced wipers you may get 18-24 months use before HAVING to replace them, however the older they are the least effective they will be.
Below is a very rough guide on life span that you might hope for based on price bracket. Of course there will be exceptions to this and very much depends on where you live and how well you look after the wipers!
Low priced VW T5 wipers less than £15 – 6 months
Medium priced VW T5 wipers £15 to £30 12-18 months
High priced VW T5 wipers £30+ 18 to 24 months
Some mechanics/manufacturers recommend changing wipers every 6 months, personally I think that is a little too much and would advise checking the blades for signs of cracking or perishing, if they look worn I would then replace.
For an MOT in the UK so long as the blade isn’t split it will usually pass the test with no issues.
VW T5 wiper blade care
This is an odd question, right? Who ACTUALLY looks after their wiper blades? Below are a few tips that will help you increase the life span of your VW T5 wipers.
- Do not use them on a dry a windscreen – It kills the blade extremely quickly so make sure you have your wipers on the right setting in light rain.
- Raise your wipers if you are expecting temperatures below freezing. The blades stick to the windscreen and damage easily.
- Do not be lazy. Do NOT use your wipes to clear ice off your windscreen. Use a scraper or de-icer.
- Park in the shade in hot weather or use a screen shield.
Wiper blade review
Bosch Aero Twin Windscreen Wiper Blades
This is a medium priced set by Bosch and probably the most popular wiper blade for the VW T5. These don’t boast a 40% longer life that you often see on some of their other models however they are good quality and fit well.
They have the quick clip adapter that I like that makes fitting them to the VW T5 extremely easy and would be one of my top recommends.
The blade itself uses a patented coating which clears the screen well without steaks or smears. The coating also claims to extend the life of the blade by reducing friction on the screen.
The blade isn’t quite as good as the Valeo in my opinion, however, it certainly does a good job and for the price it makes one of my top recommends for a VW T5.

Winning features
- Quick clip adapter making fitment easy and secure
- Price is very reasonable for a Bosch product
- German reliability and quality engineering
- Patented coating on the blade extending life
Heyner Germany Windscreen Wiper Blades Front Wipers
The Heyner wipers have a great reputation. They don’t use plastic on the frame therefore making it a high-quality product without the Bosch price tag. A lot of the cheaper options are plastic which can snap quite easily (and damage windscreens) so watch out for this.

The Heyner use a standard Hook and Slim Top push button for the fitment. I find they aren’t quite as easy to fit as the Bosch sets however it certainly isn’t a hard process either. Once fitted they are very secure and no tools necessary.

Winning features
- Great reputation for manufacturing wipers
- Metal frame – Not cheap plastic which can snap
- Slim top push button fitment – very secure fitting
Valeo Wiper blade, Silencio
Valeo are one of the top wiper blade manufacturers in the world, based in Europe. The quality of the product and the technology within the blade make Valeo wipers our top pick.

This is a very high quality, medium to high priced product. The blade is a dual compound rubber and in addition has a coating to give a really good none smear glide across the windscreen.
The dual compound rubber also increases the life of the blade so is ideal for hard conditions in the UK.
I really like the design of these blades and believe they are a good middle upper product for VW T5 owners with a slightly higher budget.
Winning features
- Huge reputation for manufacturing wipers – they are the biggest in the world
- Dual compound blade for hard wear and tear
- Long life blade
- Reduced windscreen smear thanks to smart design
AXEBLINK WIPER BLADE
This is a very cheap but popular set of wipers for the VW T5 and a lot of owners use them. They are normally sub £15 on eBay. They fit OK using a generic U Hook fitment. These can be a little fiddly to fit however once clipped in they are secure and for the price you cannot really grumble.

The wipers do the job however the blade uses flexible rubber. It is resilient to colder weather however without the coatings offered on the more premium products are more likely to smear and perhaps not clear the screen quite as effectively as the Bosch or Valeo.
These wipers do offer good value for money for owners on a budget and therefore make one of my recommends to owners.
Winning features
- Very cheap product and great value for money
- Flexible rubber blade giving good water clearance
- Good performance in colder weather
- Secure hook and clip mechanism
Conclusion
There is more to wipers than most people realise and hopefully I have covered the topic in enough detail for you to decide for your self which product suits you best to your budget.
In summary it is worth paying a little bit more for your wipers if you can as you will get a smear free, longer life product.
That said there are still plenty of options for sub £15 that will do the job for you however bear in mind that the biggest difference is usually with the blade rubber/silicone and the more premium products will last longer.
You may also like
Manufacturer | Our Rating | Price |
Valeo | ||
Bosch Aero Twin | ||
Heyner Germany | ||
AXEBLINK |