Cheap Winter Tyres

Looking for cheap winter tyres but not sure where to start? Read on to find out if you should buy winter tyres or not, and where, and the best time of year. If you're looking to save money then why not run a quick price comparison and see how much you'll save by shopping around?

What exactly are winter tyres?

Quite simply, winter tyres are the ideal type of tyre needed for wintry weather. And that means the type of weather we tend to get in the UK during winter: not snow, but ice, rain and wind.

It's a common misconception among Brits that winter tyres are "snow tyres" only ‐ these are sometimes confused with snow chains, something completely different altogether.

Put simply, the main difference between summer tyres and winter tyres is the tread depth. A winter tyre's depth starts at between 8mm and 9mm, as opposed to 7mm and 8mm on a regular tyre.

The little indents and markings on the winter tyre itself are wider and deeper as well, forming a larger channel for snow, ice and watwer to travel through ‐ which translates to a better all round grip on the road surface. The actual rubber used to make winter tyres will also have a a larger percentage of natural rubber and silica in it ‐ meaning a tougher result (although it doesn't actually harden as much as summer tyres, giving an improved grip).

winter driving laws

Do winter tyres work?

The RAC has researched this, and their research shows that a car fitted with winter tyres will come to a stop on a snow-covered road (at a speed of 30mph) after 35 metres.

With normal summer tyre however, the braking distance required is a further 8 metres (43 metres in total!) ‐ or, to put it another way, that's another 2x Ford Fiesta lengths! So the differences between winter and summer tyres are clear, but what about the price differences?

Are winter tyres worth buying in the UK? Aren't they just for Sweden?

Winter tyres aren't much more expensive than regular ones, and they are highly effective in temperatures below 7 degrees Celsius, which is quite common during winter ‐ particularly if you live up north. It's true that they're popular in Scandinavia but many Brits also buy a pair and keep them in the garage ‐ they'll last for a few years with normal/average usage.

Remember: You are probably only going to be using them for a few months of each year.

Don't forget that it can get as low as -15°C in the UK quite easily at night in the depths of winter.

Okay, so when should I buy them?

Winter tyres are available to purchase all year round, although you may (predictably!) see a surge in demand as the temperature drops in the autumn / winter. The more savvy folk will be looking to pick up a bargain in the spring when demand for winter tyres drops and stockists will be wanting to shift old stock ‐ luckily for them, Compare Tyres price-checks winter tyres all year.

4 Steps to buying winter tyres:

  1. Buy winter tyres in SPRING. It'll be cheaper.
  2. Shop around and do a tyre comparison price-check.
  3. Select your fitting date
  4. Or go to your local garage. We will arrange it all ‐ free!

If the UK has a frightfully bad winter, then expect demand easily to outstrip supply, so those looking to buy will struggle to find a set of new tyres for their vehicle. Therefore in short if you can afford to buy some in autumn, then do so. But for the biggest savings, it's best to wait until the worst of winter is over... as the snow melts, the prices drop.