Best All-Weather Tires to Use Throughout the Year and After

Best all-weather tires

What are the best all-weather tires? If this question has been ringing in your mind and you still have not found the answer, I have good news for you. When you are buying a new set of tires, the weather does play a major role in helping you decide what kind of tires you will go for. The wrong tires can break your entire car, especially if you happen to crash and you cannot prevent it.

While there are many tire options, you can choose from, getting the best all-weather tire will help you drive with confidence even on the worst days. So, in this article, we shall discuss some of the best options available.

What are All-Weather Tires?

Winter is not very far, and you may want to start planning early enough by getting the best winter tires to get you through the season. All-weather tires are tires designed for all-season use. However, they focus more on the winter, as they provide more traction. They are like winter tires that you can use all year round.

Winter tires are made from rubber polymers that wear quickly if used in the hotter months. Therefore, they are most useful during wintertime. All-weather tires have the features you'd need for a great performance during the four seasons.

Important Point to Note:

All-weather tires are still labeled as all-season. So how can you tell the difference between the two? All-weather tires have a unique three-peak mountain snowflake pictogram on the sidewalls. This unique mark indicates that the tire provides 110% more traction than the standard all-season tires.

Let's look at the best all-weather tires

1. Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady-205/65R16 95H SL VSB

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady - 205/65R16 95H SL VSB
  • goodyear assurance weather ready - 205/65r16 95h sl
  • Fit type: Universal Fit
  • Item Weight: 20.0 pounds
  • Model number: 767780537

Goodyear Assurance WeatherReady all-season tires are not just all suitable for the dry seasons. It ensures you get high performance during all four seasons, ensuring you get snow traction to help you get through the snowy season.

Goodyear Assurance tire is designed to fit SUVs, CUVs, Sedans, and Minivans. The tires have a patented asymmetric tread pattern and sweeping traction grooves to evacuate water, delivering excellent wet and snow traction. In addition, a 60,000-mile limited tread life warranty covers assurance weather-ready tires. These tires have a load capacity of 1521 pounds.

It's worth noting that Goodyear is well known in the commercial vehicle industry, they are even used with bus hires in Auckland

Pros

  • It is compatible with many vehicle models
  • 60,000-mile tread life warranty
  • Features a patented tread technology to provide great winter traction

Cons

2. Falken Wildpeak AT3W All-Season Radial Tire

Falken Wildpeak AT3W all_ Season Radial Tire-265/60R20 121S
  • All-terrain, any-weather rugged capability
  • Heat diffuser technology in the lower sidewall dissipates heat to...
  • 3D Canyon sipe technology interlocks the shoulders to resist wear...
  • Rugged and rigid tread blocks feature support ramps and step-down...
  • Aggressive upper sidewall along with offset shoulder blocks...

Here is the tire you've been looking for; Falken Wildpeak AT3W is not only the best all-weather tire but also an all-terrain tire that you can rely on. It features a heat diffuser technology in the lower sidewall that dissipates heat to protect the internal tire components. When this critical area is kept cool, the vehicle remains stable even when carrying heavy loads or towing.

The treads are rugged and rigid and have support ramps and step-down features that ensure tread pattern rigidity in the contact patch; this enhances vehicle stability and handling and, in the process, prevents stones from getting trapped in the grooves.

After getting Falken Wildpeak, you won't have to buy any other dedicated winter tire. The good news is that the rubber Manufacturers Association qualifies it for the three-peak mountain snowflake symbol. This all-season tire also has an aggressive upper sidewall with offset shoulder blocks that protect it from sharp rocks and give it additional off-road traction when the tire pressures are low and in off-camber situations.

Pros

  • It is all-terrain
  • Features a heat diffuser that dissipates heat to protect the tire components
  • Rugged and rigid tread blocks enhance stability
  • Large load capacity
  • Minimal road noise

Cons

3. Sumitomo Ice Edge Studable-Winter Redial Tire

Sumitomo Ice Edge Studable-Winter Radial Tire - 215/55R16 97T
  • Certified with the RMA 3PMSF symbol for severe snow performance,...
  • Wide and Serrated tread channels enhances snow grip and speeds...
  • Optimized 3D serrated siping pattern maximizes tread bite on...
  • Triangular Center tread blocks expands tread contact footprint...
  • Optimized Stud Pin distribution for the maximum performance...

Sumitomo Ice Edge is an all-weather tire with features of a winter tire and a summer tire. This is the solution if you want to get through the winter conditions without making extra efforts towards your tires. It features wide and serrated tread channels that enhance snow grip and hastens the evacuation of slush and ice.

Ice Edge all-season tire is certified with a three-peak mountain symbol that shows it is suitable for severe snow performance. This tire is designed to meet the needs of those in various winter driving environments. The design features of this tire target the demands of cold weather driving. Such features include a formulated tread compound designed to perform in low temperatures.

Another feature is the optimized 3D serrated siping pattern that maximizes tread bite on road surfaces in winter.

Pros

  • Excellent traction
  • Affordable
  • Not loud

Cons

4. Toyo Celcius Cargo LT275/65-18 All-Season Tire

Toyo Celsius Cargo LT275/65-18 123/120S All-Season tire
  • Toyo Celsius Cargo LT275/65-18 123/120S All-Season tire
  • Package Quantity: 1
  • Package Dimensions: 33.0" (L) x 33.0" (W) x 11.0" (H)
  • Country Of Origin: United States

Toyo Celcius is one of the best all-season tires as it has a unique tread design with snow claws and slush grooves. These features make it a great option for heavy snow and ice. In addition, the inside of the tread has a higher sipe density for better traction in snow and ice. On the other hand, the outer tread has a lower sipe density for wet, including snow traction and on dry roads.

It is this variable sipe density design that makes it different from other dedicated winter tires. Toyo Celcius Cargo tires can also function as summer tires as well as winter tires. This means that you don't have to change your tires as the seasons change. Also included is a 60,000-mile limited tread life warranty.

Toyo Celcius all-weather tire also features the three-peak mountain snowflake. The snowflake symbol, as discussed earlier, indicates that the tire is an all-season tire with capabilities to handle heavy and light snow.

Pros

  • Has variable tread density for the winter weather
  • Suitable for all-season use
  • Features the three-peak mountain snowflake

Cons

5. Nokian WR G4 SUV All-Season Radial Tire

NOKIAN WR G4 SUV 107V XL 50K All-Season Radial Tire-235/60 R18
  • Product Type: Tires
  • Package Quantity; 1
  • Package Dimensions: 29.1" (L) x 29.1" (W) x 30.1" (H)
  • Country of Origin: United States

You no longer need to be in fear of snow in winter. Nokian WR is created to outdo other all-season tires in matters of handling snow. It combines high-performance and reliable winter grip, which makes it a true weather grip. This fourth generation of Nokian tires is designed to handle all four seasons with ease.

Nokian WR is suitable for use on all roads, regardless of the weather. It ensures performance on heavy rain, snow stones, and even sun-scorched asphalt. Because it provides an all-weather dual performance, this tire provides excellent wear resistance and minimizes fuel use. It weighs 21.5 pounds, and the rim is 18 inches.

Pros

  • It minimizes fuel use
  • Suitable for most terrain
  • It is ideal for use on snow

Cons

What Should You Look for When Buying the Best All-Weather Tires

So you've been planning to buy tires, and you don't know what to look for? You need to put in mind various features to ensure you get the highest value for your money. So, this section of the article includes some features you need to look for before buying the tire.

a). Tread

The tread of your tires provides them with almost all the grip, traction, and performance. When you get a tire with the best treads, you would have saved yourself from many headaches. There are many tire designs that you can buy, depending on the surface you will use it on.

Aggressive treads mean you can drive off-road with ease. It also means that if it is snowy and the roads are full of ice, your aggressive tires will not have difficulty getting through it. Some tires have special features, for example. Some tires have features that help to remove trapped water. If you are driving through a very wet place, water may get trapped in the wheels, making them more vulnerable to water damage. Some tires have treads that fling this water out and keep the drier than most designs would.

If you live in warmer areas, you may need to look for tires with treads that release trapped heat and don't expand too much when it's warm. 

b). Traction

The best all-season tires have traction properties that you can use without worry, even when you are driving on an ice-filled road during the winter season. Good traction lets you accelerate well towards a certain direction.

It is the friction between the tire and the ground that lets your vehicle move. Therefore, if there is no traction, you wouldn't move. Tires with good traction will get you through muddy, snow, and ice-covered roads and even increase the friction, making movement easier. Getting stuck in the mud or ice is not cool; therefore, ensure your tires got traction to get you out of such situations.

c). Weight

Different vehicles need a different types of tires. For example, a heavy vehicle will need heavy tires for the support that it needs. But, on the other hand, it can be dangerous if you use light tires on a heavy vehicle.

Sometimes brands may have a weight rating which can help you identify the set standards of what a tire can support, making it easier to know the correct weight of all-weather tire to get for your vehicle.

d). Size

Because each vehicle is designed with certain tire size, you cannot use a different tire size. That will not be practical, neither will it be safe. Furthermore, if you install a different tire size on your vehicle, you will also lower its performance.

e). Breaking Power

If your car does not have a good level of brake strength, it would not stop properly on slippery surfaces and end up having an extended braking distance due to the tires. This is because you force the tires to stop whenever you stop your car, and the friction between tires and the ground makes the car stop.

If you are speeding on smooth surfaces, your braking distances can sometimes be measured in double digits. This can happen during any season, not just in the winter, because even dry surfaces can be slippery if they are smooth.

In most cases, breaking power goes hand in hand with traction as their functionality is almost similar. However, that does ot mean that they are the same. Some tire models have unique brake features. Cars rely on their tires to take a break, which means that if you get the best all-season tire, you will not risk rimming into the back of another car because your tires didn't cooperate.

What is the Difference Between All-Weather and All-Season Tires?

It is not uncommon to find many people using all-season branded tires to get them through all four seasons and not have to change the tires during winter to get winter tires. However, even though those tires are marked as all-season, they do not handle well in winter.

The best all-season tires are designed for great performance all season, except in winter when they don't provide the best traction. All-season tires are made with comfort and efficiency in mind, meaning that their main purpose is to ensure you have comfort and great performance when you use them.

All-weather tires, as discussed earlier, are usually focused for use during winter, on snow and ice. However, their design ensures you drive safely and comfortably during the winter and other seasons. Unlike all-season tires, which are focused on comfort and efficiency, all-weather tires provide control, grip, and braking.

The key difference between these two types of tires is that all-weather tires provide the performance of all-season tires on wet and dry roads and provide the great traction needed during winter.

Frequently Asked Questions About the Best All-Weather Tires

1. Do you need all-season tires for winter?

All-season tires can take various conditions and can take you through spring, summer, winter, and fall. So, for the winter season, all-season tires will do you wonders, and you will have a smooth and safe ride over slippery surfaces.

2. Can I use all-weather tires all year round?

Most of the all-weather tires are made for all-year use. Therefore, nothing stops you from using them. A tire may be great in the snow, but that does not mean it can't function well on dry surfaces. However, this depends on the model you prefer.

All-season tires are better to use all year than all-weather as they are not specific and are not purely designed to handle snow.