There are a variety of windshields available for a Polaris Ranger. You can get anything from a dark-tinted, polycarbonate half windshield to a full glass windshield with a wiper kit. With so many options, how do you know which windshield is best for a Polaris Ranger?
While you’re scoping out windshields for your side-by-side, you’ll want to consider both the design and the material it’s made of. Glass windshields are the most scratch resistant option and are often paired with a handy windshield wiper kit. But, they are easier to crack than polycarbonate and can come in fewer varieties.
On the other hand, polycarbonate windshields are extremely impact resistant, tend to be lighter, and come in many different varieties like full, half, and flip variations. SuperATV offers a large variety of windshields for the Polaris Ranger.
Let’s take a look at everything you have to choose from.
Glass windshields have a couple things going for them over polycarbonate. Namely, they’re incredibly scratch and abrasion resistant. Much more so than even hard coated polycarbonate.
With scratch resistance comes the ability to run a windshield wiper kit. This is a huge advantage for snow, rain, and even dust.
On top of all that, many glass windshields are DOT approved. If you’re looking into making your Ranger street legal, a DOT-approved glass windshield might be your best or only option.
Polycarbonate windshields are stronger and lighter than glass. In fact, their incredible strength is 250 times higher than glass. At SuperATV, we use a proprietary hard coating called XR Optic to make them more scratch resistant than other hard coated polycarbonate windshields on the market.
So, basically, polycarbonate is really tough. It’ll take hits from big rocks, branches, and even most rollovers without cracking.
The big advantage of that strength is that we can make flip windshields, half windshields, windshields with vents, and full windshields without frames. You’ll definitely have more to choose from with polycarbonate.
The classic choice is the full windshield. It seals up the front of your cab tight and gives you plenty of protection from the elements.
You can get full windshields in either polycarbonate or glass material so you have to ask yourself whether you value scratch resistance or impact strength more.
One thing to consider is that full windshields create a suction effect in your cab. When you ride with just a full windshield and nothing else installed on your cab, air gets sucked in from the sides. Normally that’s no big deal, but can be a pain on dusty trails especially.
Half windshields are designed to divert air without totally sealing off your cab. The outward tilting lip at the top of the windshield curves air up and over the riders’ heads for a more comfortable ride.
The effect is more pronounced the faster you go. They tend to be very popular in the hotter regions of the country. Getting continuously buffeted by dry air is super uncomfortable, but sealing up your cab makes riding unbearably hot in these regions.
A flip windshield is the best option to keep on your vehicle year-round. That’s because they can be opened fully to allow maximum airflow on a hot day, and closed fully for when the wind gets a little too chilly.
Many SuperATV flip windshields have the added feature of being able to be opened partially so you can keep out bugs, rain, or debris, but let the air flow in on a hot day. They can also be easily opened and closed from inside the cab.
It’s a utility-focused windshield for a utility-focused UTV.
A Polaris Ranger flip-down windshield is the more traditional flip windshield design. Instead of flipping up, you just undo the straps holding it to the cage and tip it out. It rests on your hood and you can fasten it down to make sure it doesn’t bounce around.
The polycarbonate is XR Optic hard coated for long-lasting clarity and scratch resistance. We designed them for off-road use, so they can take the abuse.
It gives you another versatile option for when you’re not sure what the weather’s going to do. And you can leave it on through every season.
If you want to know which windshield to get for your Ranger, you first need to understand the primary uses of a Polaris Ranger.
Generally, Rangers are used for:
So, for the most part, Ranger’s are workhorses that take you on a pleasant trail ride on the weekends. We’re guessing your Ranger falls into one of those categories too. After all, with its sizable dump bed and low gearing, it’s not exactly a speed demon.
The other thing about work and chores is that they don’t go away just because it’s rainy or cold. You need a windshield that can handle the low-level, constant wear of daily work. That leads us to reliability and durability—qualities that match the Ranger.
So…
The choice is clear (no pun intended). A glass windshield gives you the reliability and durability to match the hard work that your Ranger puts in. The glass itself is the most scratch-resistant windshield material you can get. After years of daily use, you’ll hardly notice a blemish at all.
When you combine its durability with included quality-of-life features like the hand wiper and the sliding vents, you get a windshield that can handle it all. Use the wiper in the rain and snow to keep your view clear, then slide the vent open when the weather gets warm.
The point is: a glass windshield is the best for your Polaris Ranger because it’s built for all the same work as your Ranger. Get a glass windshield, you won’t regret it.
2 Comments
Would a manual wiper scratch the polycarbonate windshield ?
Hey Tom. It did in our testing. If you want a wiper, you’re gonna need a glass windshield. Nothing else is hard enough for it, not even hard-coated poly. Thanks for reading!