Windshield chips are pesky and annoying. They can be big or small and happen for a plethora of different reasons. Rocks and gravel from the road can be kicked up and mark up the windshield, large trucks can even kick debris up at your car or a ball could be hurdled by an innocent child and it crashes into your windshield, inducting a tiny crack. Sometimes, temperature fluctuations occur from hot to cold or cold to hot and this places a large amount of stress on the glass, cracking it. Inclement weather, such as hail, also can damage your windshield. Maybe you got into an accident and the windshield cracked slightly. Whatever the case may be, if the windshield is chipped, this could lead to a bigger and more costly disaster if left untouched.
Product | Pros |
|---|---|
OUR #1 RATED
Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit | |
OUR #2 RATED | |
OUR #3 RATED | |
OUR #4 RATED
3M Windshield Repair Kit | |
OUR #5 RATED
Blue-Star Windshield Repair Kit |
You may have to figure out a way to do without your car for a week while it gets repaired at the shop. Your windshield may actually leak. Plus, if that chip is in your line of sight through the windshield, that is just plain annoying. This can also interfere with your visibility and turn into a giant safety hazard. Let’s talk about fixes. If you leave it alone, it could get worse. Replacing the windshield could end up being very costly. Finding and hiring a glass repair company could wind up being time consuming and expensive. A windshield repair kit is your answer.
Sifting through the many products out there for windshield repair can be confusing as they all seem to blend together and offer the same things. Hopefully this list can help set each one apart to break down the best and the worst about each kit (further reading: guide of best socket set for mechanics) (further reading: guide of best socket set for mechanics) . Let’s take a look.
Top Windshield Repair Kit
Depending on how bad the chip is in your windshield, the kit may be effective in repairing it. It should be noted that these kits are not designed to be a miracle complete fix to a full blown crack in your windshield. They are designed to repair and be sure that the damage does not get any worse and expanding. The kits will, if effective, hide the damage very well and will save you a big chunk of change in the long run.
Long cracks in the glass are not repairable with these kits, those will have to be fixed by a professional. However, look through a magnifying glass at the chip or very small crack. Any chip in the windshield glass that runs perpendicular to your surface of the windshield or at a very shallow angle is able to be fixed with these kits. Most kits are effective due to a product called resin. Resin is inserted into the crack or the chip to repair the damage.
It should be noted that right away when damage to your windshield occurs, the crack or chip should be covered with transparent tape for prevent any moisture or dirt from entering. The windshield should be repaired as soon as possible to prevent it from growing and spreading.
There are different shapes of damage that are usually fixable. Bullseye damage is round with a dark circle and an impact point, a combination break starts as a bullseye and has multiple characteristics, a crack is a single line and a half moon is a partial bullseye. Star break damage has multiple “legs” coming from the break and a surface pit is usually a super minimal chip. These are just some of the types of chips that are able to be repaired. Certain kits mention that they will only fix certain types of breaks, so it is important to be able to identify which break is similar to yours.
Let’s go ahead and compare some of these products.
1. Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit
So, we all know the Rain-X name. Their products are superb. Their windshield repair kit is easy to use and can be done within a few minutes. The kit features a quad suction pad applicator and enough resin (.96 ounces) to be used for multiple repairs. It is said that the kit can even repair cracks that are pretty long. Rain-X’s resin formula works best on round chips that are up to one inch in diameter and cracks up to twelve inches long. This kit repairs any type of laminated vehicle windshield.
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2. YOOHE Car Windshield Repair Kit
This kit takes about twenty minutes and does not require any extra tools. It comes with 2 ml of resin for plenty of repairs and a crafty suction cup sealant injection device for the resin. This product can fix any type of laminated windshield damage up to one inch in diameter. The injection head on this device removes air while injecting the resin to reduce the appearance of any repair. The YOOHE kit includes a sealant that must be cured for five-ten minutes under UV light. Sunlight is said to work as well.
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3. Permatex Windshield Repair Kit
This kit specifically mentions only repairing bullseye breaks up to 1 ¼ inches on most laminated windshield glass. The package includes easy to follow instructions and utilizes natural sunlight to cure their resin. Because their company is known for providing maintenance solutions for OEM products, it is said that their resin product and solution is the best out there. The process is recommended to be performed in a shaded area where the windshield temperature stays between 50 degrees F and 75 degrees F. The delivery system incorporates a spring lock feature.
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4. 3M Windshield Repair Kit
This kit comes with a dual suction stabilizer that holds suction really well and does not require any mixing or heat. The 3M kit is best used on bullseyes and chips and requires less curing time than other brands and products. Specifically, attention is honed in on the instructions which are clear and concise.
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5. Blue-Star Windshield Repair Kit
This kit offers clear and permanent repair with a deep and penetrating resin that requires sunlight to repair. With a vacuum mechanism, dirt and other filth can be pulled out of the crack before repairing to ensure a clean and non-visible repair. This kit is also said to be able to work on other laminated glass, even shower doors. 1.6 ounces of resin is provided with this kit, making it cost-effective and giving you leftovers for future repairs.
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6. Automotive (you might also like our guide on the best hvlp spray gun for automotive paint) Glass Nano Fluid Kit
This kit is slightly different from the others in that it utilizes repair strips instead of an injector mechanism for the resin. It should be noted that this model is most effective on spider, bulls-eye, star damages, and some combination breaks no larger than one inch in diameter. This product unfortunately will not be effective on cracks or surface pits larger than 3/16 inches in length or diameter. It is said to be easy to use and can be used on any laminated windshield.
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7. PDR King Repair DIY Windshield Repair Kit
PDR’s version has a very wide range of the types of glass it is capable of fixing. This product can repair all types of laminate glass as well and is under ten dollars. Bullseye, crescent, star and radial shapes are covered with this one. The process is said to take about twenty minutes, which is a tad longer than some of the other processes, but it is easy. PDR uses a high pressure vacuum procedure to remove the air that is in the chip or crack. This makes it easy for the repair liquid to enter the damaged area smoothly so that the windshield glass does not undergo secondary damage. Along with any air comes debris out of the broken area. This company is using a newer and stronger resin as well.
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8. Gliston Windshield Repair Kit
This kit works best on double layer laminated windshield glass. For small chips, bulls-eye, half-moon crescents, star-shaped, cracks not longer than twelve inches and round damage not more than one inch in diameter, this is ideal. It is slightly steeper in price and is said to take between twenty minutes to an hour to finish the repair. This kit uses a simple method of applying the resin with an enhanced injection head, applying a curing strip and then letting it sit in the sun. You then are instructed to scrape off the excess with a razor blade. The repair location is guaranteed to not be broken, even through glass breaking.
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9. Clearshield Windshield Repair Kit
This model comes with a training video to ensure you take all steps correctly when using the kit. This one also takes a bit longer than some of the others, coming in at about twenty to thirty minutes until completion. This is set apart from some as it is very universal as it repairs all kinds of laminated glass and all kinds of cracks and chips. It follows the same process of using the injector to apply, applying a curing strip, letting it sit in the sun or UV light and then removing residue. This one is close to thirty dollars, a little bit more expensive than some others.
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Buying Guide
When attempting to sort through these, it can get confusing and frustrating because in reality, they are very similar with only a few minor differences. It is important here to think about which method appears to be easiest and most effective for you, how much you are willing and able to spend and what kind of damage you have or anticipate possibly having. Here is a bit more of a break down to help you narrow down your choices and options.
Method
First, which method appeals most to you? If repair strips seem to be more effective or easier than utilizing some sort of injector, it would be recommended to look into the Automotive Glass Nano Kit as long as your chip or crack meets the size requirements. If you are looking for an injector with a pressure vacuum feature to be able to remove air and debris from the crack or break, the YOOHE, PDR or Blue-Star brand is a good option.
Price
We have a wide range of prices here, but the higher priced options seem to really stand behind their product and its effectiveness. With the Clearshield model, it is more expensive than the others, but it universally fixes all laminated glass and all cracks and chips, unlike some of the others. Keep in mind that sometimes, you do get what you pay for and it may be wise to invest a little more to avoid having to replace the windshield you already repaired in the future.
Versatility
Some of these repair kits claim they will be effective on all types of laminated glass and all types of damage and others are very specific in the type and size of the damage. Each is listed out in the product description. Do your best to match up the shape of the chip or crack and be sure before purchasing that the brand you choose is compatible with that damage.
Conclusion
When you are shopping for the best windshield repair kit, it can be confusing. Remember that if you do not go with a product that offers a vacuum feature to remove any air or dirt, to be sure to insert resin into a clean area. This area should not be wet, so if you use water to clean it out, be sure to thoroughly dry the area before beginning your repair at home. Hopefully, the damage you have matches up with the damage that is fixable with one of these brands and you are comfortable with the method necessary to complete the repair. This guide should have eradicated any confusion or concerns moving forward with your windshield repair. Good luck!