We live in the Dallas/Fort Worth area of Texas where most of the homes have only two car garages instead of three that you might find elsewhere (and they’re tiny too – first world problems). Because our garage is so small, we are forced to park one of our cars in the driveway, which means that during the winter we will have to scrape frost off the windows when it gets cold enough. Sure you can start your car then leave it to warm up to get rid of the frost, but we’re a little uncomfortable leaving our keys in the car, plus my husband prefers to just get into the car and go in the morning (as opposed to going outside to start the car and going back inside to wait). The Gadgeteer was offered a FrostGuard to keep the front windshield from developing frost and I volunteered to try it out. I found that it worked wonderfully as expected. Now we just need a solution for the side and rear windows.
There are three styles of FrostGuard available. We were sent the FrostGuard Signature style which includes a security flap (the flap sewn into the right side of the FrostGuard shown in the photo above) and windshield wiper cover flap (the curved lower portion of the FrostGuard shown in the photo above). We chose the Snowflake pattern but there are several colors and patterns available in the Signature style. The FrostGuard is also available in a FLEET style that has just the wiper flap but not the security flap and a PRO style which does not contain either flap.
The FrostGuard is a two layer cover made of 600D polyester fabric which is backed by a waterproof PVC lining. The two layers together make up a fairly thick covering for the front windshield. The fabric appears to be very durable and the FrostGuard gives the appearance of being very well made. These come in a standard size for most cars and in a larger XL size for trucks and larger SUVs. The FrostGuard also comes with a “Quick Dry” storage pouch made of a nylon-like fabric in a matching pattern (note that the FLEET style does not come with this pouch, according to their website).
Here you can see the PVC lining and the back side of the windshield wiper cover flap. The right and left sides of the FrostGuard contain a plastic rod sewn into the sides to keep the FrostGuard from losing its shape while covering your windshield.
Here you can see more closely one of the plastic rods sewn into each edge to help the cover hold its shape. The security flap is an important feature that prevents the FrostGuard from being stolen. It gets shut into the driver side door and, like the sides, also contains a sewn-in plastic rod that prevents it from being pulled out without first opening the door.
The attachment for the elastic “Fit-Fast” straps can be seen in the photo above.
The elastic straps contain three openings to accommodate different size vehicles. We have a 2002 Honda Accord, and I used the smallest openings and found that it fit quite snugly. It is likely that for very small cars (like the Smart Car), this may be too loose to be of use.
The instructions on the FrostGuard website state that it is important to get the FrostGuard as snug as possible to prevent it from being blown around in the wind. We had some very windy nights over the past month, and we did not have any problems with the FrostGuard coming loose, although the upper portion of the cover did lift away from the windshield for short periods of time during stong gusts of wind. I did notice that the security flap actually helped keep it in place on those windy days, and thought that if there was a flap on the passenger side, it would have been even better.
In Texas, if it is a windy night, it usually doesn’t frost. For northern climates, it is possible that a windy night could be accompanied by a lot of snow or freezing rain, so it is possible that some precipitation could get underneath the FrostGuard if the wind was blowing strongly enough and from the right direction. Our weather did not afford us an opportunity to test this though. I am eager to see how it performs in these more extreme conditions, especially freezing rain, which is much more difficult to scrape off the windshield than frost.
Installation is straightforward and simply involves pulling the elastic “Fit-Fast” straps over the rear-view mirrors, positioning the FrostGuard to cover the main portion of the windshield, positioning the windshield wiper cover flap over the windshield wipers, and closing the security flap in the driver side door. Removal is just as easy and is the reverse of installation.
We finally got some frost recently and when taking the FrostGuard off, you can clearly see the steering wheel and seats because there was no frost on the windshield.
The entire windshield was clear of frost but in the above photo, you can see that the side windows were frosty and difficult to see through.
I still have to scrape the back and side windows (or wait for the car defrost to work, which I usually don’t do). The FrostGuard cannot be used on the rear window since it needs the rear-view mirrors to hold it in place.
The FrostGuard website also states that you will not damage the cover if you start your car and have the heaters running with the FrostGuard installed. However, it is not intended to be used as a sun shade in the summer.
Final Thoughts
The FrostGuard is inexpensive ($24.99 for standard sizes, $29.99 for XL sizes) and has proven to be very easy to use, well made, and effective in preventing frost from forming on the front windshield to reduce the amount of window scraping you would need to do. Installation and removal are very easy, and the elastic straps and sewn-in rigid plastic rods work to keep the FrostGuard in place on windy nights. It is definitely a time saver in the morning if you have to leave your car outside like we do, although you will still have to scrape your side and rear windows.
Source: The sample used in this review was provided by frostguard.us. Please visit their website for more information or visit their website to purchase one for yourself.
Product Information
| Price: | 24.99 |
| Manufacturer: | Frostguard.us |
| Retailer: | Delk, Inc. |
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WAT???
Canadian here. Never seen or heard of anything like it.
Also never had to remove frost from my windshield or rear window in 37 years of life.
The reason is that all cars do this automagically. The function is called “defrost”.
If you can’t wait, spray a little windshield washer fluid and hit the wipers.
Your windshield will be clear of frost in less time than it would take to put away this contraption.
I just saved everyone $25. You’re welcome!
I think this would be useful for the times when you have freezing rain overnight, and wake up to find your windshield under a sheet of ice, thick enough that you need to chip it away.
I bought a similar shield from Costco, in basic black, and works very well.
I just got one and used it for the first time, however the frostguard itself is now covered in ice and snow. I can’t get it off, no amount of shacking works, will I end up with a puddle of water in my back seat on the next sunny day? What do you do to clean the frostguard?
TBH, I just throw it into the trunk and just let it melt out by itself. I first shake it to get as much off as possible, but accept the tradeoff as I did save the effort on cleaning the windshield.
Thank you Vu, for answering Louise’s question as I don’t have any better answer. Since we live in Texas, I have not had such a problem. But throwing it in the trunk seems like a pretty good way to handle it. 🙂
We have one for each vehicle and they do work well. Helps you get going faster on a frosty morning.
Try a piece of corrugated cardboard from an old box. Wipers can help hold it in place if need be. Works well,nothing to buy and no one will steal it.
I used to make all kinds of things out of cardboard, but you’ve got me beat here!
I live in Alaska, Southeastern part. No I don’t live in an igloo. We have weather like Seattle Washington but we do get the frost. This is a neat idea but old blankets or old sheets work just as well and you can cover all your windows, fold up and you’re on your way! It’s always good to warm up your car in cold weather anyway.
Those side windows are just as important as the front one so this would do me no good.
Well colour me embarrassed.
I have wintered from Quebec (think Vermont) to Toronto (think Detroit) to Alberta (think Montana) to Vancouver (think Seattle) and never seen anything like it.
I guess it’s an American thing?
Come to think of it, our windshield washer fluid is -45-rated anti-freeze and will cut through anything on your window in a few seconds. Maybe US washer fluid is a different spec and not useful on a frozen windshield? I know that gasoline and diesel are blended differently up here.
Here is a video of a guy doing it with a spray bottle, but in the Great White North this is basically what goes in our washer fluid reservoirs so no spray bottle required:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ6LDvTJUYU
Just a question…my neighbor seems to think frost guard can freeze to a windshield…this seems ridiculous to me…can this happen?
Candy – I have not experienced this, but we live in Texas and don’t often get bad winter weather. However, it’s seems like it’s possible.
You may want to contact FrostGuard directly for an official answer to your question:
https://support.frostguard.us/hc/en-us/requests/new
I live in Toronto. If a snowstorm is coming I will pull the windshield wiper blades away from the windshield. Makes it a bit easier in the morning after a snowstorm. But my much “better half” bought me one of these. So I’ll give it a try. Every little bit helps.
Bob – let us know what you think about it!