Winter tyres are a great choice if you drive lots throughout the cold season, offering a range of advantages over summer or all-season tyres and keeping you safer on the road. You can find the best winter tyres for your car easily with Tyre Shopper, buy online, and have them fitted in any one of our 250 fitting centres or by using our mobile fitting service.
Search for your new winter tyres with your registration number or, if you know the tyre size you need, use our tyre size search. You can also choose your vehicle make from the list below to find the exact winter tyres you need.
Driving conditions change when winter arrives, and so should the performance of our tyres. Winter tyres are made specifically for cold, wet and icy conditions, and offer better grip and handling than summer or all-season tyres.
Winter tyres or cold weather tyres are designed specifically for cold conditions and perform best in temperatures below 7°C.
They provide drivers with more control as they're made with more natural rubber and an increased groove ratio which gives them better grip and allows for shorter stopping distances. The tread pattern of winter tyres can also disperse a greater amount of water, reducing the risk of aquaplaning.
Several countries across Europe have legislation concerning winter tyres, meaning that if you're planning to take your car abroad in the winter, you might be required to fit winter tyres. At the time of writing, the countries where winter tyres are mandatory include:
In addition to this, although there are no laws that demand it, the authorities in countries including France, Italy, and Switzerland heavily recommend using winter tyres.
We stock winter tyres from premium, mid-range and budget ranges made by a variety of trusted manufacturers, including Bridgestone and Pirelli.
Simply search for your winter car tyres by using our VRN search function or, if you already know which size tyres you need, you can search for the exact manufacturer and tyre size.
For more help choosing the right tyres for you, read our tyre guide or call our 24-hour call centre on 0800 731 0133 and speak to one of our advisors.
Winter tyres - also known as cold weather tyres - are built for improved grip in snowy, icy or wet conditions, while summer tyres are built primarily for speeds and fuel efficiency.
So, what makes winter tyres unique? Well, their high silica content and detailed tread pattern means they're able to stay flexible in temperatures below 7 degrees.
This means that these types of tyres offer better car safety, including braking and handling performance in treacherous conditions, as well as on cold or wet road surfaces.
These tyres have many tread patterns embedded in them, which helps motorists to keep grip on the road.
Tyres designed for use in winter usually contain a different type of rubber which is built to remain soft at low temperatures. Dry weather or all-weather tyres usually contain compounds which harden as the temperature drops thus decreasing the traction between the tyre and the ground.
Winter radials also have small slots at the side, which offer extra grip as they arrange themselves with the snow on the ground to form a sticky surface. Special tread designs are also employed in these radials to ensure the presence of snow in the tyre tread as this provides for better traction.
While there is no legal requirement in the United Kingdom to switch to winter radials, it is advisable to do so. Several government and private institutions like the Automobile Association advocate this practice as a measure if safety because of varying degrees of cold during the winter months.
Winter tyres are often labelled with a symbol showing a snowflake to let you know they are perfect for these colder conditions.
Summer tyres often stiffen up and lose flexibility in the cold weather, causing them to be less efficient at gripping black road surfaces. Winter tyres aren't really suited to all year-round use and summer tyres will perform better when temperatures rise, and the road is dry. So, you may need two sets of tyres if you want to use specialist ones over winter.
The innovative rubber compound used within Bridgestone winter tyres helps drastically improve grip while significantly reducing braking distances, making them a popular choice for our customers.
However, we do stock a fantastic range of cold weather tyres so whether it's Continental, Goodyear or Pirelli you prefer, we've got a set to suit, as well a whole host of other quality tyre brands.
No. You should swap all four tyres to ensure a balanced performance. If you have a mixture of tyre types, handling of the vehicle may become unpredictable.
Tyre manufacturers such as Continental and Pirelli invest huge amounts of time and money in research and development. Due to this, tyres suited specifically for winter are just as comfortable and quiet as standard tyres.
There are many countries where it is illegal not to have winter specific tyres fitted. However, it is not a legal requirement within the United Kingdom. Overall, due to the number of safety benefits we would definitely recommend that they are fitted below when the temperature drops below 7*C.
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