Why it’s crucial to remember the three ‘B’s of winter

Supplier of auto accessories and private labelling manufacturer, Simply Brands, is urging motor factors and workshops to remember the three ‘B’s of winter: blades, bulbs and batteries.

It’s a common thought when looking at what is going to be popular for the winter months, and the products that are typically looked at the most, are wiper blades, bulbs and batteries, as these are even more crucial in winter, yet are more prone to failure as they get the most use during this season.

Among its range of products, Simply Brands claims to have multiple solutions that address these needs.

Blades

Developed and tested in the UK over a nine-month period, the range consists of both multi-fit flat blades and traditional conventional blades, which will cover the majority of the car parc, says the company.

The multi-fit flat blade offering will reportedly cover 98% of the car parc and consists of 15 SKUs with eight original equipment (OE) fit adaptors that cover the 10 most popular OE arm types. This will include a retro fit hook adaptor to upgrade older vehicles to the latest flat blade technology.

The flat blade technology is said to deliver wiping pressure across the entire blade length thanks to two precision cut steel rails, with a symmetrical spoiler reducing wind lift at high speeds. The rubber-wiping element is made of synthetic and natural rubber compound that the company claims is for an optimum blend of performance and durability.

The conventional blade range has 11 SKUs in lengths 280mm – 700mm, and all are a metal vented frame design with a universal pre-attached adaptor, intended to fit all hook wiper arms, as well as legacy side pin and 7mm bayonet wiper arms.

All blades come in environmentally friendly carton packaging that, to assist with fitment, feature QR codes on all packaging that will reportedly direct users to a wiper blade finder, as well as installation instructions. For those who prefer written step-by-step instructions, Simply Brands also includes printed installation instructions inside every pack.

Bulbs

As best practice, Simply Brands recommends replacing bulbs annually and in pairs to ensure drivers do not suffer a blown bulb in the middle of the night on country roads where lighting is minimal.

Consisting of 160 references, Simply Brands’ range of bulbs includes: performance, auxiliary, LED auxiliary, headlight, LED headlight and fog light bulbs. All bulbs are made to OE specification to ensure durability and reliability and are competitively priced, according to the company.

For the best margin, Simply Brands suggests its performance range. One such example is the Xenon high performance bulbs it offers. This provides the driver 50% brighter and whiter light, and also features a quartz glass UV filter, which is designed to cast a cleaner light beam from the vehicle and protect the headlight glass from damage due to direct light exposure.

The company has also released even brighter bulbs to accommodate drivers’ needs. The new bulbs come in 100% brighter or 200% brighter, providing workshops and factors with an upgrade option for customers. With the aim of becoming more sustainable, these are also in eco-friendly cardboard boxes, as opposed to the previous plastic packaging.

Batteries

Simply Brands even has a range of products for battery care and support, including chargers and jump starters, the main products required in the colder weather.

The battery chargers range from heavy-duty to portable, which feature an easy-to-view LED output display that actively displays in real-time the current charging voltage, the charging status out of 100% and status messages. There are also additional LED indicators highlighting Winter Charging Mode, 6/12V battery voltage, STD/AGM/GEL/LION battery type, 2A/6A/10A mode and Fault/Recovery/Charge LED indicators.

It’s said these charge and maintain cars, motorbikes, vans, SUVs, small lorries, boats, caravans, classic cars, leisure vehicles, and more.

There are also jump starters available from Simply Brands, such as the Heavy Duty Jump Starter that has four features that will be of use to drivers and technicians, including a powerful 700amp peak jump starter, air compressor, work light and a USB output. For a more compact jump starter, there’s the 1000Amp jump starter and power bank, which is said to be able to start 5L diesel and 7L petrol engines. It’s also small and portable and comes with a small zipped case, designed to make carrying the cables with the jump starter as easy as possible.

All Simply Brands products and ranges are distributed by JRP Distribution in the UK and Ireland.