Wiper blades for a VW T5

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.

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.

1. 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.
2. Raise your wipers if you are expecting temperatures below freezing. The blades stick to the windscreen and damage easily.
3. Do not be lazy. Do NOT use your wipes to clear ice off your windscreen. Use a scraper or de-icer.
4. Park in the shade in hot weather or use a screen shield.

Wiper blade review

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.

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