Winter driving comes with its own set of challenges, and one of the most common is dealing with snow and ice buildup on your vehicle. Having the right tools to clear your car quickly and efficiently is essential for safety and convenience. Among the many options available, the Hopkins SubZero 80037 has consistently proven itself as a top contender. After rigorous testing and years of real-world use, we’ve found this tool to be the Best Snow Brush For Car, especially for owners of larger vehicles like trucks and SUVs.
The Hopkins SubZero 80037 excels as the best snow brush for cars due to its combination of robust ice scraping capabilities and efficient snow removal features. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
The Hopkins SubZero 80037 is more than just a snow brush; it’s a comprehensive tool designed to tackle even the toughest winter conditions. It combines a powerful ice scraper with an exceptional snow broom, making it a versatile asset in your winter car care kit. Its extendable handle provides an impressive reach, making it ideal for clearing snow from the roofs and hoods of larger vehicles, which can be a significant challenge with smaller, less capable tools.
What makes the Hopkins SubZero 80037 the best snow brush for car? Let’s delve into its key features:
Superior Ice Scraping Performance
When it comes to ice removal, the Hopkins SubZero 80037 truly shines. Its broad and sturdy blade is designed to cut through thick layers of ice with ease. In our tests, it outperformed other scrapers, clearing windshields covered in thick, clear ice faster than any competitor. The integrated ice-crushing teeth are another standout feature. These tall, sharp teeth run along the entire 4-inch width of the blade, allowing for effective ice breaking in a single, broad stroke. This thoughtful design ensures you can quickly and efficiently clear even stubborn ice buildup.
Robust and User-Friendly Handle
The handle of a snow brush is crucial for both effectiveness and ease of use, especially in cold weather. The Hopkins SubZero 80037 features a handle constructed from strong aluminum tubing, ensuring durability and longevity. Comfort is also a priority, with thick, neoprene grips that provide a secure and comfortable hold, even when wearing gloves. These grips are designed to prevent slipping, giving you maximum control while clearing snow and ice.
The extendable handle mechanism is another example of thoughtful design. When extended, the handle sections lock firmly into place with a reassuring click, indicating a secure and stable tool. This robust locking mechanism is a significant advantage over lesser snow brushes that often have loose connections and handles that can slip or retract unexpectedly during use.
The Hopkins SubZero 80037 features user-friendly, recessed buttons for handle extension, making it the best snow brush for car in terms of ease of use. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
The buttons on the Hopkins SubZero 80037 are designed for ease of use even in cold, gloved conditions. The handle extension button is a wide, low-profile paddle protected by a bumper. This design makes it easy to operate with gloves on, while also preventing accidental unlocking during use – a common frustration with designs that have exposed buttons. Similarly, the broom head adjustment buttons are strategically placed on both sides of the broom’s axle and require simultaneous pressing to adjust the angle. This dual-button system ensures that adjustments are intentional and not accidental, further enhancing the user-friendliness of this best snow brush for car.
Versatile and Effective Broom Head
The broom head of the Hopkins SubZero 80037 is a standout feature, combining multiple functionalities for comprehensive snow removal. It features stiff yet non-scratching nylon bristles on one edge, ideal for sweeping away snow without damaging your car’s paint. On the opposite edge, a rubber squeegee is incorporated. This squeegee is rigid enough to effectively push snow off larger surfaces like car panels, but also flexible enough to conform to the curves of windows, ensuring thorough snow removal from all areas of your vehicle. Adding to its versatility is a 10-inch-wide extruded-aluminum plow. This plow efficiently moves large amounts of snow with each pass and is built to withstand years of use, making it a durable and effective component of this best snow brush for car.
The combination of bristles, squeegee, and plow makes this broom head exceptionally versatile. The bristles are particularly effective at reaching into nooks and crannies where other brushes or foam plows might struggle. The broom head also locks into seven different positions, allowing you to optimize the angle for plowing snow from various surfaces and angles. This level of adjustability is often lacking in competitor products, further solidifying the Hopkins SubZero 80037‘s position as the best snow brush for car.
The multi-functional broom head of the Hopkins SubZero 80037, featuring a squeegee, bristles, and aluminum plow, makes it the best snow brush for car for efficient snow removal. Michael Hession/NYT Wirecutter
Proven Durability
Durability is a key factor when choosing a snow brush for car, as it’s a tool that needs to withstand harsh winter conditions year after year. Our original Hopkins SubZero 80037 has been tested through ten New York winters, including severe storms with heavy snowfall. Throughout this extended period of use, it has consistently performed efficiently and proven to be remarkably durable. Despite being stored in a car parked outdoors and exposed to both summer heat and freezing winter temperatures, there has been no noticeable degradation of the plastic components or the foam padding on the handle. This long-term durability is a testament to the quality of construction and materials used in the Hopkins SubZero 80037, reinforcing its reputation as the best snow brush for car. Its proven resilience even led to one Wirecutter writer requesting a second 80037 to replace a less effective scraper, highlighting the user satisfaction and confidence in its long-term performance.
Minor Drawbacks (But Not Dealbreakers)
While the Hopkins SubZero 80037 excels in most areas, it’s not without minor limitations. Like many ice scrapers, it can struggle with very thin, hard ice or frost. For these types of ice formations, you might need to use a defrosting solution or allow your car to warm up to loosen the ice before scraping. Additionally, while the tool collapses to a manageable size of just over 3 feet, it cannot be fully disassembled. This means it does take up a noticeable amount of space in your vehicle for storage. However, considering its superior performance and durability, these minor drawbacks are easily outweighed by its many advantages, especially when you need the best snow brush for car to handle significant snow and ice.
Conclusion
For car owners seeking the best snow brush for car that offers a combination of powerful ice scraping, efficient snow removal, user-friendly design, and proven durability, the Hopkins SubZero 80037 is an exceptional choice. Its robust construction, versatile broom head, and comfortable handle make it a top performer in even the harshest winter conditions. While it has minor limitations, its overall effectiveness and long-term reliability solidify its position as the best snow brush for car on the market, especially for those with trucks, SUVs, or anyone who demands the best for winter car care.
