Best Windshield Repair Kits | Buyer’s Guide

Among things that can ruin your day is the unanticipated rock in the windshield! Having the pit or crack professionally repaired, or windshield replaced, is expensive. DIY windshield repair kits are relatively inexpensive, and they include everything you need to fill a bull’s eye or cracks and keep them from spreading further. Here, you’ll find five different models of the best windshield repair kits from $7 up to $270.

Table of content:

How Do They Work?

Step-by-Step

1. Windshield repair kit makers tell you how to get the best results when you use their product. Most windshield repair products work best when cracks are less than 12” long, and pits are less than 1” diam.
2. Thoroughly clean your entire windshield, including the pit or cracked area. All loose particles must be removed from the damaged area.
3. Place the kit’s applicator directly over the damaged area. Insert the extension base over the applicator.
4. The resin fill completes the repair. Place the resin tube/syringe over the applicator extension and tightly secure it. Applying too much pressure when tightening can crack your windshield. Tighten the resin syringe over the applicator extension just enough to create a resin chamber to remove all the air inside the applicator.
5. Shoot 6 - 10 drops of resin inside the applicator.
6. Place the screw provided in your repair kit inside the resin chamber. Tighten it (clockwise), so the resin is firmly pressed against your windshield. Let it set for 5 -10 minutes.
7. Unscrew and remove the applicator kit after 5 - 10 minutes when the resin has solidified. The repair is complete!
8. Cure the resin per your windshield repair kit instructions. Some products instruct you to place the windshield in direct sunlight to cure while others instruct you to do the opposite.
9. Remove excess resin with a razor blade when curing is complete. Wipe your windshield clean.

What to Look for When Buying a Windshield Repair Kit

Windshield repair kits provide the tools and materials necessary to fix your windshield regardless of how long the crack might be. Instructions, DVDs, and online videos are available to help make your experience and repair successful. Be sure that your windshield repair kit includes ALL the basic essentials to efficiently make the repair (i.e.: applicator, easy-apply resin tube or syringe, razor blade, etc.). Instructions should include basic temperature and curing directives.

• What Kind of Windshield Damage Do You Have?

The type, shape, and extent of your windshield damage determines if a windshield repair kit will even work to fix the problem. Windshield repair kits state their limitations (i.e.length of a crack or deep hole, etc.) and if their product can effectively repair it. The most common damage impacts are chips, stars and flowers, bull’s eyes, and cracks.

For example, a thrown-up rock creates a star or flower shape that has a center point of impact with hairline cracks emanating from it. This is the easiest type of damage to repair. For maximum success, total damage should be about 6” with the center no larger than 1½” diameter.

• Resin Repairs the Damage

Since it is the resin that actually repairs the chip or crack, quality is important. Grade quality varies among windshield repair kits. Some kits include a denser and thicker higher-grade material that dries transparently. It blends well into your windshield leaving little if any scar. Lower-grade resin tends to have a pale-yellow tint after it cures, which makes a repair attempt more obvious.

• Sensitivity to Windshield Heat / Coolness

Your repair kit will instruct you on how to cure your resin patch. Windshield repair kit products typically specify an optimal windshield temperature range prior to making the repair. Some specify curing the repair in direct UV (sun)light while others warn about exposing the resin repair to UV (sun)light, advising against it.

It is important that you follow product recommendations for best results. You should also know if there are any warnings regarding direct sunlight exposure or temperature sensitivity after the repair is completed since eventually your vehicle and windshield will be exposed to weather/temperature extremes.

• How Much Damage Can it Repair?

There is no question that any windshield repair kit can repair a typical chip or crack. If you are making a large repair or plan to repair several windshields, check the amount of resin included in your kit. A 1g. resin tube sufficiently repairs the common small chip or crack.

TOP-5 Best Windshield Repair Kits - Products Review

There are many windshield repair kits on the market. Some are 2-in-1 repair and polish products. Some are for professional repair technicians while others are for quick onetime DIY repairs. These repair kits typically differ according to the type of windshields the product can effectively repair, resin quality, and method of curing.

Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit

The Rain-X Windshield Repair Kit is a top-rated, affordable, easy-to-use DIY windshield repair kit that requires minimal curing time, getting you back on the road sooner. It can be used to repair chip and crack damage on all types of laminated windshields. An advanced high-grade, high-quality resin formula is included in the kit to repair chip damage. It dries transparently and discreetly blends into the windshield.

This Rain-X windshield repair kit works best on round damage less than 1” diameter and cracks less than 12 inches. You can restore your windshield to nearly-new condition. It reduces the appearance of cracks and chips through the process of removing air from the break and filling it with durable resin, which strengthens the area and prevents it from spreading.

The downside is the small plunger top. This reduces the effectiveness of repairs on windshield holes that exceed 1” diameter. This Rain-X 600001 repair kit is also not practical for repairing cracks that exceed 12 inches in length or those that occur to multiple layers of glass.

Recommendations:

This affordable, easy-to-use complete windshield repair kit is good value for money! It includes the applicator, high-quality resin, and razor blade for cleaning. It is also good for multiple repairs.

Rain-X 600001 Windshield Repair Kit: Check the current price

Blue-Star Windshield Repair Kit, .027 fl.oz.

This top-rated Blue Star Windshield Repair Kit is a basic, very affordable, DIY-friendly windshield repair kit. It can be used on all types of laminated windshields. High-grade, high-quality, deep-penetrating resin is included in the kit to repair chip damage. Natural UV (sun) light is required to cure your repair. It dries transparently, blending into the windshield.

The Blue Star windshield repair kit allows you to restore your windshield to nearly-new condition and prevents the damaged area from spreading. The easy-to-use windshield repair kit includes a fully-illustrated instruction booklet showing how to complete the repair.

The downside is that the applicator is basic and works only for chips, flowers and stars, and bull’s-eyes. It is may be difficult to repair long cracks.

Recommendations:

This affordable windshield repair kit is a good value for money! It works best for repairing chips, flowers and stars, and bull’s-eye defects, and the resin is cured by sunlight alone. Due to the simplistic applicator design, however, repairing long cracks may be difficult.

Blue-Star Windshield Repair Kit: Check the current price

Mookis Windshield Repair Kit to Fix Car Cracks, Chips, Bull's Eyes and Starts

The Mookis Windshield Repair Kit is a complete, easy-to-use DIY windshield repair kit. It can be used to repair chip and crack damage on all types of laminated windshields. An advanced high-grade resin formula (imported repair fluid) is included in the kit. Repairs and/or curing should NOT be made in direct sunlight. It dries transparently and discreetly blends into the windshield.

This Mookis windshield repair kit works best on chips, bull's eye, stars and flowers, half-moon crescents, cracks, etc. It can also fix slight scratches. You can restore your windshield to nearly-new condition. The process reduces the appearance of cracks and chips by removing air from the break and filling it with the resin that increases the strength of the damaged area.

The downside is that this kit is intended for only small damage repair. It is not for repairing cracks unless they are part of chip, flower or star, or similar damage, or a crack less than 3/16 inch. Resin should be kept away from plastic trim, paint finish, and wiper blades. Most, but not all damages can be fully repaired to optimum clarity.

Recommendations:

This windshield repair kit has a fully-illustrated instruction booklet showing how to complete the repair. Repairs should ideally be made when the temperature is between 60F. deg. and 90F. deg.

Mookis Windshield Repair Kit: Check the current price

Tri Glass Basic Windshield Repair Kit TRI 10

This portable Tri Glass Basic Windshield Repair Kit has enough resin, sealer, tools, and accessories to make more than 200 repairs! It can be used to repair all types of damage on all types of laminated windshields. An advanced high-grade resin formula is included in the kit. Prevent the resin from contacting surrounding paint finish, wiper blades, etc. A battery-powered UV lamp is included to aid curing.

The Tri Glass repair kit uses the vacuum process that removes air from the break and fills it with resin to repair and increase the strength of the damaged area. The stainless-steel double O-ring injector system traps air so it can be replaced by high-quality resin.

Although not the most expensive windshield repair kit of its type on the market, the downside may be its cost. But it will surely pay for itself in the long term! This kit no longer has a pit buffer and polish, which must be purchased separately.

Recommendations:

This windshield repair kit has a fully-stocked case including an inspection mirror, carbide and hook scribes, and DVD training video illustrating how to use and maintain the kit’s tools, common types of windshield damage, and how to make the repair.

Tri Glass Basic Windshield Repair: Check the current price

GP21005 Glass and Windshield Polishing DIY Kit

Even if you don’t have chips or crack damage to repair, your windshield may be scratched from years of particles, dirt, and debris rubbing against the glass under wiper blades. This GP21005 Glass and Windshield Repair Kit is a top-rated 2-in-1 DIY windshield repair and glass polish system that can be used on any type of glass, including auto and toughened glass. Its unique formula fills in miniscule scratches and polishes windshield glass to a “brand new” appearance.

The easy-to-use 2-in-1 system contains no abrasives and includes polishing buffs that may be affixed to any variable speed electric drill. The manufacturer recommends a 1000 - 2500 rpm speed for the best polished results. It is a distortion-free process that may be repeated multiple times for increasingly professional-looking results.

The downside is that it is primarily a polishing kit intended to fill and buff out windshield scratches. It is not intended to repair chips, bull’s eyes, and cracks that run deeper than surface scratches.

Recommendations:

This inexpensive 2-in-1 DIY windshield repair and glass polish system works best for removing fine/medium windshield scratches. It is best-suited for removing scuffs, surface and water marks, tree sap, etc.

GP21005 Glass and Windshield Polishing DIY Kit: Check the current price

What First-Time Windshield Kit Repairers Should Know

Before you start to repair your windshield, be aware of a few small things that professional windshield technicians know, but the first-time DIYer might not, such as:

• Different types of windshield damage require different approaches to repair.
• Know how much pressure may be applied to the windshield before it starts to crack.
• Only quality resins with the correct viscosity for the type of damage and (windshield) temperature should be used.
• Upon completion, smooth the resin fill so your wiper blades do not catch any dried excess or work the entire repair loose.

Pros & Cons

The primary benefit is the cost advantage of repairing impromptu rock chip or crack damages yourself. You also do not have to wait for an appointment to get the damage repaired while hoping it does not get worse in the meantime.

The drawback might be the time and attention it takes for you to prepare, repair, and polish your windshield. And since you are not a professional technician, you can easily over-tighten and put too much pressure on the windshield during repair, cracking it further. You also do not have any guarantee or warranty on the repair.

Product Comparison – At a Glance

Conclusion

Before beginning your windshield repair, if the damage is in the driver’s line-of-sight, have a professional repair technician inspect the damage to determine if the windshield can be repaired or replaced for safety reasons.

Windshield repair kits are affordable, easy to use, and strengthen the damaged area upon completion. They include easy, often illustrated, instructions. There are many windshield repair kits. This review is only a start!