The first snowfalls are starting to arrive. You need to change your tires to drive properly. In this case, snow tires are the best choice. But how do you find the right models? Check out our guide to the best snow tires for this year.
Here is our commitment, to make sure that we provide the best user experience and content quality:
You can support us by using our links to make your purchases (at no extra cost to you)! This sometimes earns us a commission which allows us to remain independent. More about us
Our selection
"Designed to handle extreme cold, this Continental Winter Contact tire is your best ally in dealing with heavy snow. It grips well to the ground…"
"With decent performance, this Hankook Winter I-cept tire allows you to cover miles of snow without losing performance. It's both inexpensive and of excellent quality."
"Bridgestone offers a tire that provides safety and stability for any driver who frequently drives on snowy or icy roads. Its Driveguard Run-Flat technology makes…"
"Still in the Winter Contact range, this TS 800 is a good alternative to climb all roads in winter. It offers easy and stable driving…"
Designed to handle extreme cold, this Continental Winter Contact tire is your best ally in dealing with heavy snow. It grips well to the ground and offers a perfect handling to the vehicle.
63,92 £ on AmazonThis Winter Contact tire by Continental reacts well to cold weather, especially in the most impassable snow. Suitable for all types of cars, it is significantly more efficient than other tires in the same range. It offers a more precise braking distance and is 4% shorter on ice, providing optimal stability. With a rolling noise of 72 dB, it is one of the quietest snow tires of the moment.
Not only does this Winter Contact TS 860 have good aquaplaning resistance, but the wet grip is also exceptional. The design with a high silica content gives it perfect handling, even in the most difficult conditions. This German technology winter tire is a good compromise for driving along all roads during winter.
With decent performance, this Hankook Winter I-cept tire allows you to cover miles of snow without losing performance. It's both inexpensive and of excellent quality.
36,53 £ on AmazonWith perfect grip on wet or snowy ground, this Hankook Winter I-cept RS tire is the ideal option for those who want to save money during the winter season. It offers good traction on snow thanks to its narrow sipes. It is also a very versatile tire due to its compatibility with all cars. But it is especially efficient when mounted on a city car.
Due to its block design and its well thought out 4 straight channel groove, it quickly evacuates moisture and has a good road holding. As a result, it is perfectly resistant to aquaplaning. In addition, the rolling noise is relatively low. It is composed of silica rubber to reduce the braking distance.
Bridgestone offers a tire that provides safety and stability for any driver who frequently drives on snowy or icy roads. Its Driveguard Run-Flat technology makes it more resistant to moisture.
104 £ on AmazonThis Bridgestone tire has all the makings of a good, stable wet weather tire. The M+S type of tire grips well on wet and snow-covered surfaces. Designed specifically for touring cars and SUVs with TPMS, it performs no less well on other models. Proudly displaying the European class A label, it is very efficient for safe winter driving.
Equipped with an innovative technology called Driveguard, it allows you to drive after a puncture up to 80 km/h. But its main advantages lie in its ability to reduce braking distance and its great traction on snow, all thanks to the combination of 2D and 3D sipes. It offers excellent road holding, both in curves and on wet roads.
Still in the Winter Contact range, this TS 800 is a good alternative to climb all roads in winter. It offers easy and stable driving and allows to have full control of the vehicle on wet ground.
74,13 £ on AmazonDesigned for city cars and compact cars, the Winter Contact TS 800 from Continental performs well on wet surfaces. Designed with a rubber compound, it guarantees good handling and a perfectly controlled ride on all roads, especially on snow. Its design with large transverse cuts reinforces the grip.
The M+S and 3PMSF type snow tire is very robust and adapts to all weather conditions. It is insensitive to aquaplaning and is very stable, even on icy roads. Its honeycomb tread has been designed to make the entire structure rigid, thus optimizing its efficiency and reducing braking distance.
Any specific needs?
The best entry-level snow tire
Your guide :
Rate this buying guide :By rating this buying guide, you are helping us to reward our best writers. Thank you!
| TOP OF THE TOP | CHEAP | TOP OF THE LINE | EXCELLENT | |
In accordance with our commitment, this buying guide does not contain any sponsored products. |
9/10 |
7/10 |
8/10 |
8/10 |
| OUR SELECTION |
Continental Winter Contact TS 860
|
Hankook Winter I-cept RS W442 M+S
|
Bridgestone Blizzak LM-005 Driveguard XL
|
Continental Winter Contact TS 800 EN
|
|
Designed to handle extreme cold, this Continental Winter Contact tire is your best ally in dealing with heavy snow. It grips well to the ground and offers a perfect handling to the vehicle.
|
With decent performance, this Hankook Winter I-cept tire allows you to cover miles of snow without losing performance. It's both inexpensive and of excellent quality.
|
Bridgestone offers a tire that provides safety and stability for any driver who frequently drives on snowy or icy roads. Its Driveguard Run-Flat technology makes it more resistant to moisture.
|
Still in the Winter Contact range, this TS 800 is a good alternative to climb all roads in winter. It offers easy and stable driving and allows to have full control of the vehicle on wet ground.
|
|
|
Performance load index
|
91
|
80
|
99
|
77
|
|
Speed index
|
H
|
T
|
H
|
T
|
|
Fuel economy index
|
C
|
E
|
E
|
E
|
|
Wet grip
|
B
|
C
|
A
|
C
|
|
Noise level
|
72 dB
|
71 dB
|
71 dB
|
71 dB
|
Help us improve this table:
Report an error, request the addition of a feature to the table, or suggest another product. Thank you for your kindness!
We spend thousands of hours each year studying the major specialized websites, analyzing products of hundreds of brands and reading user feedback to advise you on the best products.
We are a product review company with a single mission: to simplify your buying decisions. Our research and testing helps millions of people every year find the best products for their personal needs and budget.
To support us you can: use our links to make your purchases (which often earns us a small commission), share our articles on social networks, or recommend our site on your blog. Thanks in advance for your support!
Snow tires are recognized by their ability to brake effectively, but also by their traction and acceleration in the snow. This first criterion is very important, as it determines the performance of snow tires. Tires with the M+S label are less efficient. Prefer snow tires that have a 3PMSF label which are more resistant and practical in wet and snowy conditions.
It becomes increasingly difficult to drive fast in winter. Thus, you are forced to reduce your speed to avoid any accident. The most advisable being to choose snow tires with a slightly lower load index; up to 2 indices. The advantage is that your tires will last longer.
This criterion is essential for the stability of the car as well as the safety of those inside the vehicle. Since most motorists have no experience driving in snow, it's best to adapt your pace to the situation. Snow tires have deeper grooves and should be installed as soon as the temperature drops below 7°C. The grip depends on several elements such as the quality of the rubber, the designs of the tires; and varies between 1 and 10.
As a
rule, the dimensions of the tires are written on the sidewall of the tires as follows: width / height / diameter / load index / speed index. This is an important element to keep in mind since there is no standard tire and each snow tire has its own dimension.
In contrast to summer or winter tires, snow tires must have sipes that go all the way to the bottom. This is proof that the tire is sturdy and can roll perfectly in a layer of snow. This type of siping has the particularity of having a strong grip. The minimum requirement for safe winter driving is a 6/32″ thick tire tread.
Winter is coming! It's time to get a snow tire for your daily travels. The snow tire is a unique design that has nothing to do with the classic or ordinary tires used in summer. While summer tires tend to harden in the cold, snow tires grip the ground better when the temperature drops. This is due to the fact that the rubber used for these tires is flexible due to its deeper grooves and special siped tread.
A snow tire is identified by a small logo depicting a three-peaked mountain with a snowflake in the center, as well as the marking 3PMSF or M+S; or both at the same time. All of these markings can be found on the sidewall of the tire.
While winter tires are mounted as soon as the temperature drops below 7°C, snow tires must be installed at the right time, i.e. when the first snow begins to fall. These tires are called situational tires and cannot be used on dry or wet terrain.
Snow tyres have been designed for driving on snowy roads. They have special grooves that grip the ground even when the snow is very deep. They are also called Nordic tires. However, these tires are not made for summer travel. It is therefore a good idea to replace them as soon as the temperature rises or when the roads are dry.
Winter tyres are characterised by their ability to wick away moisture instantly, with deep grooves. The rubber alloy is very resistant and flexible at the same time. The only drawback is that this type of tyre should not be used at temperatures above 15°C and sometimes they do not save energy or fuel.
The difference between these two types of tyres is minimal, but if you live in the mountains and have to deal with snowy roads all the time, it is better to choose snow tyres. On the other hand, if you live in regions where the temperature is relatively bearable in winter, winter tires are the best choice.
Before you hit the road
It's a good idea to do a few checks before you head out onto a snow-covered road. The first thing to do is to check the pressure of your tires, because it decreases as you go through the snow. The best thing to do is to overinflate them a little bit so that they return to normal inflation as you go.
Equip your snow tires with chains
Sometimes your snow tires will not respond to an exceptional situation, such as a rock slide or snowfall. In this case, you can install snow chains, which are very effective, especially if you are in the mountains and have to drive on extremely slippery roads.
Pay less for snow tires
Saving money on snow tires is possible. Just alternate them with summer tires and change them at the right time. You can also choose tires with lower than normal speed ratings to make your tires last over time.
Embellish the wheels
Covers are not only designed for aesthetics, they are also an effective accessory to protect tires and rims from the elements. They also prevent ice from forming on the wheels and allow the studs to loosen easily in case of a flat tire.
In case of a slip...
If
your car is slipping and your snow tires are no longer doing their job, don't panic. Pick a direction you want to go, steer the car in that direction, and let yourself be guided slowly, leaving the gas pedal and brake free. You should regain a good grip in a few seconds... or minutes.
The best snow tyre depends on your needs and your budget. Read our buying guide to find out which products are the best at the moment.
You don't have to buy additional rims to mount the snow tires. Your usual rims can perfectly support your wheels. But if you have the budget, you can equip your snow tires with rims. This will make your job easier.
Nitrogen inflation is more than recommended in winter. This saves you the trouble of constantly checking the pressure of your snow tyres. But also make sure that the wheels are properly calibrated, because proper calibration ensures that the car has good road holding.
The ideal time to replace snow tires is between February and March. However, you must take the temperature into account. If the temperature rises above 7°C, it's time to change to summer tires.
We tend to think of tires with the M+S marking as snow tires. In reality, only approved tyres with the 3PMSF marking are considered snow tyres. It is also a guarantee of wheel performance on snowy terrain.
Every month we help more than 1 000 000 people buy better and smarter.
Copyright © 2022 - Made with ♥ by buyingbetter.co.uk
Your reviews and buying guides 0% advertising, 100% independent!
