My old fenders (for my commuter bike) snapped in half today when I clipped the door at work. Ouch! What I would like to do is buy a set of metal fenders. (Because metal last longer than plastic.) Which brands are the best and why?

Velo Orange, why? because they're attractive, high quality and cheap.

If metal, then yes, Velo Orange.

I would not assume metal will last longer than plastic-- it depends on the metal, the plastic, and {most of all) on installation. In my experience fenders last until something gets caught in the spokes, which can happen at any time.

I've had the Velo Orange hammered aluminum; loved the look but mounting was frustrating and toe overlap was a real problem on my FG. They didn't break, I gave up.



Planet Bike Hardcore worked fine, easy to install, polycarbonate... stolen along with the rest of my bike.



SKS Long boards now for two years. Polycarbonate also, excellent fenders.



Anything that breaks polycarbonate fenders would likely break aluminum ones too. I don't think the polycarbonate ones are subject to the kind of embrittlement that OP might be worried about... it just doesn't happen.

I've had excellent performance from my gilles Berthoud stainless steel fenders for the last 8+ years.

CAT in Eugene is now making custom fenders. I think Aluminum.

I don't know if they ship.

https://www.catoregon.org/

I don't see them listed on their website, but I know they make them.

I have one vintage bike that I was going to outfit with fenders, so I have some taken off of an old (free) Raleigh frame. They'll take some work, but they should clean up nicely. Anyway, it never hurts to look at used/vingage.

I've read reports from a few people that thin aluminum fenders didn't last long, but as [MENTION=73614]rhm[/MENTION] points out, most (or perhaps all) of these failures are from mishaps.

SKS chromoplastic™ fenders are a plastic/aluminum composite and are worth considering. The claim is that they combine the good attributes of both materials. I've been using a set for about three years, and they're holding up fine.

Another idea is Wald chrome-plated steel fenders. They weigh more but will probably withstand more bending than others. They look pretty nice except for the struts, which appear to be galvanized.

FWIW: I've had the same Zefal plastic fenders on my city beater for 25+ years. Parts of the hardware have salt rusted off & been replaced but the plastic still looks great.

Another idea is custom wood fenders. There are a few companies out there. Spendy, maybe heavy, but beautiful!

Not all are from mishaps; thin metal fenders (both aluminum and steel) also have a tendency to break at attachment points. Vibrations cause metal fatigue around the points of attachment, and as a result cracks propagate from the attachment holes. One can mitigate this with correct installation, which involves leather washers to dampen the vibrations around the points where the cracks would begin.

i have not had luck with either sks raceblades or honjo aluminum fenders. they both broke in less than a year's time.

a coworker has planet bike fenders and he says he likes them as they're durable. however the front one came off and he hasn't been able to replace it.

so those 3 are off my list. i will probably want to see fenders in person before purchasing but i have a feeling any fender i get will yield these results. getting fenders to stay on and not break has been a real issue for me.