There are two types of wiper blade technology; bracketless (or beam) and bracketed (or conventional). The market is seeing more of a shift to the bracketless technology. One of the many features of bracketless wiper blades is that they distribute even pressure along the entire blade for consistent wiping performance and even wear on the rubber. The metal joints on bracketed blades act like pressure points on the windshield and the tendency of getting unwiped area is higher. Bracketless blades also have better all-season performance because there aren't any exposed metal brackets that can trap ice and snow.

The Bosch ICON(tm) bracketless wiper blade features a dual rubber compound (referred to as fx dual rubber). The rubber wiping edge is made up of a harder material for durability, and rest of the rubber is softer for flexibility, improved flip over performance, and quieter operation. The ICON(tm) has internal tension springs that distribute even pressure along the entire length of the blade and also creates a fit that is custom-contoured to the curvature of each side of the windshield. The "A" and "B" after the blade length in the part number on ICON(tm) references this customized fitment. The driver side will always have an "A" fitment and the passenger side could have an "A" or "B" fitment depending on the vehicle. This minimizes any unwiped area that wipers could cause if they do not fit properly and "hug" the windshield at all the right places.

Miles driven in rain or snow contribute to the wear and tear on wipers, however, what many people do not know is that the driving in warmer climates can also affect the durability of wiper rubber. Recently, Bosch did some independent testing on what effects long term environmental conditions have on wiper rubber, including direct heat and ozone exposure. The testing proved that the rubber on the ICON(tm) outperformed competitors' wiper rubber by up to 40%. Wiper rubber can get very brittle and start cracking in warmer climates with direct sunlight exposure, which affects the wiping quality and causes the blade to have a shorter lifespan. The ICON(tm) rubber did not show any signs of cracking during this testing, which just goes to show how durable the rubber really is to withstand all extreme weather conditions.

Bosch offers six total product lines of both bracketless and bracketed wiper blades in every pricing segment for all types of vehicles. Three of them are bracketless (like the ICON(tm)), and three are bracketed blades. The Evolution is a high quality bracketless blade that features a flexible, aerodynamic wind spoiler that helps distribute a uniform downward force along the entire blade length to hold it firmly to the windshield. Bosch has recently introduced a new brackletless wiper blade called the Clear Advantage, which is a more cost effective option, but with quality you would expect from a Bosch product. The rest of the wipers in Bosch's line are bracketed blades. The Excel+ is a premium bracketed blade and a very robust product. It features an all-steel frame, which is important for bracketed blades because the joints can be suseptible to corrosion and rusting, so having an all-steel frame helps resist any corrosion. The second bracket blade is the Micro Edge. It is made up of natural rubber with a micro finish wiping edge for quieter performance. And finally, the Direct Connect, which is the lower cost alternative for a bracketed blade.

For more information on Bosch's wiper blades be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter!