​Top Can-Am X3 Windshield & X3 MAX Windshield Options

When you’re racing down the blacktop at breakneck speeds, it’s nice to run a windshield for protection. And when you’re riding in adverse weather conditions, windshields are great at blocking rain, preserving in-cab heat, and preventing strong winds from blowing junk into your eyes, ears, and nose. But with so many windshield alternatives out there, you might be wondering what the best course of action is for you, your proclivities in the driver’s seat, and the areas where you do most of your riding. While there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, there are Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields that are designed and manufactured with more thought and skill than other Can-Am X3 windshields. And from our decades of experience, here is what we think of the top Can-Am X3 windshield options.

Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshield Type Comparison

Advantages Of Glass Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshields

• Dust / Water Repellant: Glass UTV windshields attract less dust than plastic windshields, and they can be treated with products like Rain-X to effortlessly repel sleet, snow, rain, muddy water, and other kinds of wet debris.
• Insulation: Full poly windshields are better than nothing when things get chilly, but when it comes to trapping heat on the inside of your cabin, nothing is a better insulator than a full Can-Am X3 glass windshield!

Disadvantages Of Glass Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshields

• Jumping: There are several types of DOT-approved glass windshields for the Can-Am X3 made with thick metal frames to prevent the glass from flexing, bending, and warping during either takeoff or landing. Not all glass windshields for the X3 are designed the same, however, and the less-burly glass UTV windshields are more suited for milder riding applications.
• Chipping: While glass UTV windshields don’t scratch or fade, they can chip -- especially when sitting exposed on the back of an open-air trailer going 80+ MPH down the interstate. Windshield trailering covers are advised to prevent your windshield from chipping in the first place, and there are chip-filling products you can apply to your windshield to prevent the cracked area from spreading.
• Shipping: There are different grades of glass panels / replacement glass sheets used in glass UTV windshields, and some of the cheaper grades are more fragile. Once installed, most glass windshields are perfectly robust for everyday riding situations. But before they even make it to you, glass windscreens are at risk during the shipping process. Glass is already vulnerable, and while not as bad as the USPS, companies UPS and FedEx have been known to damage items from time to time.

Advantages Of Can-Am Maverick X3 Polycarbonate Windshields

• Price: In general, polycarbonate windshields for off-road vehicles tend to be cheaper than the other options. But while products such as plexiglass windshields and acrylic windshields are cheap in terms of both price and quality, hard-coated polycarbonate windshields are priced inexpensively while also being durable and practical.
• Weight: Aside from running no windshield at all, the next lightest option at your disposal is a half poly windshield for the Maverick X3. And as far as complete-coverage goes, full front and rear polycarbonate windshields are much lighter than their glass counterparts. So if your machine is already overweight thanks to all your gear, supplies, and aftermarket X3 accessories, a poly windshield might be worth it for the weight reductions alone!

Disadvantages Of Can-Am Maverick X3 Polycarbonate Windshields

• Scratches: When considering hardened polycarbonate windshields for the Can-Am Maverick X3, it’s important to distinguish a difference between the terms “scratch resistant” and “scratch proof”. Sure, a scratch-resistant UTV windshield will come out unscathed when pitted against twigs and tree branches, but if you slash, gash, and stab at your scratch-resistant poly windshield with something sharp like a RazorLite buck knife, it won't hold up as well.
• Care / Maintenance: Due to its brute strength and ability to defy the hardest of impacts, polycarbonate is the go-to material for windows and windshields in everything from aviation to shipbuilding. In the off-road UTV world, however, a number of terrestrial challenges exist that must be taken into account. Although folding polycarbonate windshields, half polycarbonate windshields, and full polycarbonate windshields are tough as nails, they can develop micro-scratches if you wash / rub them incorrectly -- so always make sure to flood your windshield with ample amounts of water before applying any windshield cleaners or rubbing the inside or outside surface with a microfiber cloth. And while we’re on the subject of Can-Am X3 windshield cleaners, never put any cleaners, waxes, or polishes on a polycarbonate windshield unless the product is made specifically for polycarbonate windows. And where polycarbonate windshield products are concerned, few can match the protection granted by a few coats of some Nu Finish windshield polish!

Advantages Of Full Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshields

• Heat Capture: An obvious advantage of full Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields (be they full glass windshields for the Maverick X3 like the ones by Bent Metal Offroad, or full MR10 Polycarbonate windshields for the Maverick X3 like the ones by Extreme Metal Products) is that they help insulate the cabin during winter and when the temperatures drop over the course of the night / early morning.
• Windshield Wiper Kits: Full windshields are annoying when you have to get out and clean them ever few hours. But with a Can-Am Maverick X3 windshield wiper kit installed on your rig, you can power through the hairiest of mud obstacles without worrying about mud-caked windshields that are hampering your forward visibility. Some Can-Am Maverick X3 windshield wiper and reservoir kits cover both sides of the windshield, while others cover the driver’s side or the upper section of the windshield exclusively.

Advantages Of Half Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshields

• Heat Reduction: On some days, a vented Can-Am X3 full windshield just doesn't cut it. And if you’re going hard at the track, a folding Can-Am Maverick X3 windshield might be a bit too shaky / rattly on the rougher sections while in the open-most position. So if you want a sliver of wind / rain protection without over-restricting airflow, a half windshield is your golden ticket to that peanut-butter-fudge factory in the field!
• Glare Abatement: Tinted half windshields and tinted Can-Am Maverick polycarbonate sun visors like the ones by Moto Armor are both excellent assets that pay immense dividends on cloudless days and in the morning / evening when the sun is hanging lower in the sky.
• In-Cab Debris: Although it might be counterintuitive, half windshields for the Can-Am Maverick X3 can actually be better at preventing debris infiltration into the cabin for those who ride in dusty areas. With a full front windshield alone, dust particles, soot, and other airborne particles will get sucked inwards through the rear due to vacuum / vortex patterns created by the front windscreen. This doesn't happen with half windshields, but it’s an easy fix with full windshields, requiring only a back window / rear Can-Am Maverick X3 windscreen.

Top Can-Am Maverick X3 Windshield Brands

Aside from the motorized OEM Can-Am Maverick X3 PowerFlip windshield by BRP, there are myriad aftermarket Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields made by dedicated off-road companies who are completely committed to their craft.

• Bent Metal Offroad: Riders like the Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields by Bent Metal Offroad because they are affordable, reliable, and easy to install. Although their vented windshields won’t blow you away and their windshield wiper kits only cover half of the windscreen, you can opt for accessories like the Seizmik Versa-Vent for the former, and aftermarket wiper kits for the latter.

• SuperATV: SuperATV makes half windshields for the X3, flip-up windshields for the X3, rear windshields for the X3, and full clamp-on front windshields for the X3. Some of their folding Can-Am X3 windshields only open half way, which is still too restrictive for some. Additionally, if you do a lot of mudding, the polycarbonate X3 windshields by SuperATV can sometimes scratch if you wipe them off in the field while they're covered in dust / mud. And once you rub gritty particulates all over your windshield, it'll become blurry, hazy, and distorted, which will compromise your field of vision. Some riders say that a SuperATV windshield is the best addition they’ve made to their machine, while others say that SATV windshields are junk. While we must admit that non-coated polycarbonate windshields are garbage, coated / scratch-resistant poly windshields like the ones by SuperATV for the Maverick X3 are more than suitable for most riding conditions.

• EMP: Whether they’re polycarbonate or DOT-approved safety glass, the Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields by Extreme Metal Products are nothing short of spectacular. And if you run aftermarket lighting accessories on your rig, you can get EMP light bar mounts for the EMP roof that position your light bar so that it doesn't whistle while you ride or cast a glare on the windshield.

• Moto Armor: The X3 glass windshields by Moto Armor fit both the factory cage as well as aftermarket roll cages by firms such as FabWerx Cage -- albeit with a little trim work required for non-stock cages. Glass windshields like the ones by Moto Armor eliminate much of the heat that would otherwise radiate through a plexi windshield, and the vents on the X3 windshields by Moto Armor are also longer and less restrictive than other vented X3 windscreens, which makes for better airflow and cooler cab temps. For better visibility during storms, many riders choose to install a longer 19” windshield wiper blade. It’s a compromise, however, between how far the bottom of the blade swings out verses how high up the blade can swing before the top end hits the upper edge of the windshield. What you can do, though, is cut your wiper arm, bend it, then weld it back together so that it’s offset and able to sit flush at the top of the windshield on the driver’s side.

• UTVZilla: Similar to the Moto Armor windshields, the X3 front windshields by UTVZilla are also easy to install, they look nice, and they come with wipers / lower vents. And just like with Moto Armor, visibility issues exist with regards to UTVZilla rain blades. So if you’re after full-coverage wipers that’ll clear your entire windscreen, upper or lower windshield wiper kits with 180-degree wiper motors can be found that work perfectly with the UTVZilla X3 windshield.

• Spike Powersports: Spike Powersports makes a number of aftermarket accessories for side-by-sides, and Can-Am Maverick X3 windshields are one of them. Their vented front windshields are compatible with the OEM Can-Am X3 front intrusion bars, but they also offer tinted half front windshields for the Can-Am Maverick X3, rear windshields for the Can-Am Maverick X3, and full front windshields for the Can-Am Maverick X3 with either lower vents or upper vents.

• Rough Country: If affordability is a large factor in your windshield-decision-making process, Rough Country offers extremely low-priced full poly windshields and half poly windshields for the X3, X3 rr, and X3 Turbo. Their full poly windshields don’t have thick metal frames like glass windshields do, so your field of view will be more open and less restricted. Plus, Rough Country X3 windshields are simple to install, rapidly removable, and easy to store for riders who like to run without windshields in the summertime!

Finding The Right X3 Windshield For You

A key takeaway when thinking about the top Can-Am X3 windshields is the circumstantial nature of off-roading. Folding windshields and vented windshields are versatile and function well in capricious climates, while full glass windshields are better suited for areas where it’s commonplace for temperatures to go sub-zero. While you weigh your X3 windshield options, make sure to think deeply, pay for specific features if you need them, and avoid windshields with unnecessary features / functionality.