The Northeast is absolute hell on a car during the winter. The roads are saltier than a chicken Parmesan sandwich, subjecting a vehicle’s paint and undercarriage to the corroding salt.

Worse yet, the constant drizzle mixed with salt means cars are perpetually coated in a fine layer of salty chicken cutlets crud. Not only is it physically damaging, but it makes for reduced visibility and annoying glare from latent winter sun (the effect when the sun is too far down for your visor to block).

The Rain-X Latitude Wiper won’t fix the sun, but it sure does a fine job of making the windshield squeaky clean. The specially blended graphite coated rubber blade wipes smoothly without any chatter or noise (very important to me). I can’t pass any judgments for its touted aerodynamic spoiler design that reduces drag, noise, and wind lift, but it was definitely smoother than the factory blades on my salt doused Land Rover. As a matter of fact, the only thing not coated in dust is the wiping path of the Rain-X Latitudes.

Gear Patrol Tip: Vehicles that are parked in warm garages are at higher risk to rusting because of the accelerated combination of moisture and oxygen exacerbated by the salt. The garage, though great for the motor and transmission causes greater wear on the body. No, this has nothing to do with the wiper blades, but there you have it.

Cost: $13+ (per blade)