PIAA has been seriously growing in the worldwide market recently. They are a reputable provider of various automotive parts with some focus on motorsport – that is, part suited for higher speeds. They seem to be doing fine, and the brand has a good selection of wiper blades.
Super Silicone is one of the more intriguing options in their assortment. Many of their wiper blades cost more than usual, but also excel at their tasks accordingly. This one is amongst rather cheaper offers, but it’s still very effective at providing visibility and not enhancing discomfort while doing so.
PIAA brand
PIAA is an interesting case. Factually, they are a subsidiary of Valeo – a prominent French car parts supplier. There is one more company between them in this chain of command – a company that produces some parts in Japan and effectively supervises PIAA.
Like Valeo, PIAA doesn’t just sell wiper blades, although it’s one of their key products. If this brand is anything like their French parent, they can be trusted. Valeo isn’t known for making production mistakes or failing to deliver promises. According to the popular reviews, this seems to be a truth.
Features
Super Silicone isn’t like most recent high-class wiper blades. The new stuff is all beam or hybrid types, but SS is a conventional system. It means that, instead of relying on something to tension the rubber strip from within, the standard carcass with several pressure points is used instead.
On Super Silicone, there are 6 of them – put at regular intervals and specifically pressured into a curvy position to better suit most car windshields. The usual number on the modern conventional is 8, but if the brand does a great job calibrating and balancing the pressure mechanisms, there’s no need for more pressure points.
Their chief quality is the obviously the silicone-rich rubber strip. The manufacturers cover their blades in various flexible materials to enhance different qualities. Obviously, you’d like them to be hydrophobic, and that’s primarily why PIAA put so much of it into these blades.
Silicone is hydrophobic – it doesn’t soak up water, it simply brushes it away. But what’s more, it actively prevents the water to gather. Instead, the individual droplets stick to the silicone surface and get thrown aside. Usually, it’s a great way to get rid of the moisture for good. However, it can be tricky.
If something went wrong (there’s too much water, the blades don’t hug the glass properly, don’t work fast enough, etc), the blade may simply collect the water, go away and return with the same water it collected, smearing it all over the windscreen. These things happen seldom, but they do happen.
They also give you a special mixture you are to put on your blades. It’s supposed to prevent water gathering, as well. So, even when the blades don’t work, you still get tolerable visibility, seeing how the droplets don’t turn into the haze, but instead bead up and slowly leave – helps in the storms.
Silicone is also pretty durable a material. That’s another reason to put it on your wiper blades. The silicone compound PIAA used is said to last for at least 2 years, which is more than most wiper blades of this category can offer.
Secondarily, the blades are easy to install and don’t produce too much noise – owing both to their conventional structure and the aerodynamic shape. It adds to comfort, even if other qualities are much more impactful in the long run.
Is it worth buying them?
In the end, if you like to make sure you have an utmost visibility, these blades are for you. They’ll fit very well if you know it’ll rain heavily where you live. Alternatively, it will be overkill to buy these if you don’t except anything but the normal rainy weather (no storms or particularly damp days).
They don’t usually cost too much, even though PIAA is a costly brand. The prices can change from store to store, and Valeo stores are probably your best bet if you aim to buy them physically. Online, Amazon or PIAA official website is the place to go.