RainEater Elements All Season Windshield Wiper Blades Review
Are these truly "the best wiper blades in the world" as claimed?
The windshield wiper market is a tough one to break into. Dominated by longstanding titans and the occasional cheap off-brand, there seems to be little room for new contenders in the wiper world. After all, how many different variations on a wiper blade can there be?
RainEater is stepping up to bat, introducing its own version of a beam-style wiper. With customer testimonies from storm chasers and a development history in the Aerospace industry, RainEater ElementsTM aims to be the best wipers on the market. But are they?
Product: RainEater Elements All Seasons Wiper Blade
Manufacturer: RainEater LLC, licensed by Erie Automotive Aftermarket Holdings
Price: $17.99 per blade, $35,00 for sets
Sizes: Currently offered in 16″, 17″, 18″, 19″, 20″, 21″, 22″, 24″, & 26″
Website: www.RainEater.com
Model Tested On: 2014 Hyundai Elantra
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Packaging/Unboxing
RainEater Elements blades are packaged just like any other wipers you’ll find at your local automotive store: in a long, narrow case of cardboard and translucent plastic. The blade is half-exposed and can be visually inspected on the store shelf before purchase. A unique difference in this packaging is its curved box. While most packaging squeezes a curved beam blade into a rectangular package, this box forms around the wiper, maintaining its angles.
The package is easy to open with perforated tracks on the cardboard back and a thumb-punch starting hole. The product initially comes with a vivid green protector sleeve on the rubber blade.
Overall, it’s solid, appealing packaging that emphasizes the curve of the wiper blade and advertises it with modern green and black colors.
Instructions Appraisal
Installation directions are printed on the cardboard back of the package in a series four-step diagrams for hook type, top lock I, top lock II, bayonet, side lock, and side pin compatibility.
The instructions are relatively easy to understand, especially if you’ve installed a wiper blade before. Few words are used and the pictographic approach should be understandable by car owner. Unfortunately, the translucent arrows on the diagram are hard to follow and blend into the lines of the wiper sketches. Apart from that, the instructions are brief, useful, and legibly printed.
Product Quality
You’ll notice just by feeling it that the RainEater Elements blade is solid. The plastic spine is firm, the rubber element is tight, and the superstructure is durable. It bends when force is applied but retains its shape and forms to the curve of the windshield. Although only short-term testing was done, the quality and durability of this product looks like it will last through years of regular use.
The product’s retail price is comparable to similarly-designed all-season wipers from competitors like Rain-X and Bosch, but priced a bit higher than cheaper generic wipers.
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The RainEater Elements blade (above) compared to a traditional, dealership-provided wiper (below)
Installation
RainEater Elements has a patented “Universal, all-in-one Adapter” that fits “97%” of vehicles’ wiper arms. Of the types we tested, that was accurate.
This universal connector cleverly hides the hook of your car’s metal wiper arm inside a plastic hatch, protecting it and its inner workings from snow, heat, and rain damage. However, the act of installing the wiper is its biggest weakness. Rather than sliding on smoothly and locking into place, the wiper arm hook has to be wedged and yanked tightly before being locked. This resistance made by the plastic connector adapter feels like it could break accidentally in the hands of a forceful installer. It actually developed a crack when we installed/uninstalled it a couple times in a row. The latch release is also hard to reach once the blade is installed.
Once the arm is in, although it appears to not align perfectly, it fits snugly.
Does It Do What It Claims?
The first thing you must know about wiper blades is that there are two different types: traditional and beam. Traditional blades have a metal frame and interchangeable rubber wiper blade that slides on and off the clawed frame. RainEater Elements blades, on the other hand, are beam blades. The single-piece design has few exposed or moving parts and presses against the windshield more consistently than traditional blades do.
What sets the RainEater element blade apart from other beam blades are its ridge-like, aerodynamic wind spoiler that runs along the top of the beam, and its lack of metal parts (favoring infused and synthetic rubber components). The rubber is advertised to resist extreme temperatures and wear & tear.
RainEater Elements Blades endured a freeze test at Penn State Behrend, as well as our own personal heat/freeze tests performed by The News Wheel. Although the connector/adapter was frozen shut during cold temperatures. the blade still performed with flexibility and consistency as it would at a moderate temperature.
The product claims to use “special coated rubber” to eliminate noise, and while the RainEater Elements Blade avoids shuttering, it still squeaks when ran during light rains.
The blade evenly distributes pressure using the shark fin spoiler that neatly wipes all rain from its path, apart from a few minor streaks at the edges. Upon multiple tests, it performed better than traditional metal-framed wipers which left streaks and puddles. We’re very pleased with the consistency and evenness of the RainEater Elements Blade’s performance in heavy rain. Water even rolled off the blade itself and did not stick to its body.
Overall Review
With the knowledge that there are only certain sizes of RainEater Elements blades currently available (not extending to popular compact models like the Hyundai Elantra, which was used for testing), the RainEater Elements Blade is a dependable, quality choice for a windshield wiper that can holds its own against competitors. Despite requiring delicate precision to install, the wiper–upon short-term inspection only–is a solid investment for any family or business vehicle.
RainEater wiper blades are available through the company’s website and in select retail stores (listed on RainEater’s website).
Product provided for review by manufacturer. Two blade sizes were provided for review: 28″ driver wiper and 16″ passenger wiper. 16″ was not tested on the car since Elantras require a 14″ passenger blade. 28″ size model was primarily reviewed.
Aaron is unashamed to be a native Clevelander and the proud driver of a Hyundai Veloster Turbo (which recently replaced his 1995 Saturn SC-2). He gleefully utilizes his background in theater, literature, and communication to dramatically recite his own articles to nearby youth. Mr. Widmar happily resides in Dayton, Ohio with his magnificent wife, Vicki, but is often on the road with her exploring new destinations. Aaron has high aspirations for his writing career but often gets distracted pondering the profound nature of the human condition and forgets what he was writing… See more articles by Aaron.