As far as custom accessories are concerned, the wiper arm cover is usually the furthest from many a customizing motorist's mind. They'd rather invest in fins, spinning rims, spoilers, and low-rider customization than in a cover that protects their wiper arm from corrosion, wear-and-tear, exposure from the "elements" in general, and bird poop or bug guts in particular.
By investing in your own wiper arm cover, you should extend your wiper's lifespan. What's more, it's much cheaper to buy a cover now than to buy a new wiper later, especially when you take into consideration inflation.
Buying Recommendations for Your Wiper Arm Cover
What makes for a good cover anyway? Keep on reading to know all the tips you need to remember when shopping for this accessory online or offline, at real stores or e-commerce sites.
- Type of Wiper: There are different covers depending on the type, size, and vehicle model of your wiper as well as configuration, size, and spec considerations. Is it supposed to cover the front or rear windshield wiper? Is it for a light truck, commercial truck, ATV, RV, or sedan?
- Easy-to-Install Covers: The best covers with the highest ratings on Amazon are usually the ones that are easy to install. They should specifically have pre-applied 3M tape that you can peel then stick to your wiper arms so that you won't have to alter anything, drill anything, or screw anything to make it fit. You can also get covers with perfect fitment to your wiper, like a sheathe to a sword.
- Smoke and Fire: If a cover has loads of negative reviews online and is dirt cheap, then buyer beware. If there's smoke there's usually fire. On the other hand, also watch out for fake reviews and testimonials on the product that could've been manipulated by an online reputation manager. Take everything with a grain of salt.
- Complementary Style: In terms of aesthetics, it's usually better to get a wiper cover that complements the style of your vehicle rather than clashes with it like a neon green sign. You should simply have a cover that matches either to color of your paint finish or the color of your windshield wiper so that it would seamlessly go with the overall theme of your vehicle. Or you can go with a contrasting color. Just avoid something tacky or distasteful.
- Purchase a Whole Set: It's usually more practical for you to avail of a whole set of covers instead of one or two for your front windshield wipers because you want spares or replacements. You can also avail of bulk discounts, thus saving you money compared to buying individual covers for every single wiper arm. These arms can cost as little as $17 to as much as $53 depending on the quality of the cover.