Studded Tires, Winter Tires or All-Season Tires?

It’s that time of year again; the weather is getting chillier and the leaves are changing to beautiful oranges and reds. Fall is a wonderful season to experience in Vermont, but it also means that it’s nearly time for you to change your tires over. This time of year is typically when people go into mental debates about why they need winter tires or why they’re not going to get them this year. And that’s why we’re here! We wanted to post some general information and frequently asked questions regarding winter tires so that you can make the most informed decision possible about whether or not to purchase winter tires this season. For today's blog, we've got a comparison of your different tire options, and next week we'll go into some FAQs and explain common obligations people usually have with purchasing winter tires!

If by the end you're still having trouble deciding, be sure to check out our Tire Selector Guide here!

Which tire is best for winter driving?

There are two general types of winter tires; studded, and not studded; there are many variations of both studded and not-studded tires but those are the two main types you’re going to be deciding between. So here are some pros and cons for both:

Studded Tires

Studded tires are best only on ice and when temperatures are near freezing. The pros are that they stop faster than any other tire on ice in freezing temperatures, and they “chew up” the ice on the roads, which benefits both you and other drivers driving on the same icy roads. The negative side of that is while they chew up ice, they’re also not very good for the roads you’re driving on if there isn’t any ice present. Studded tires aren’t as effective as regular winter tires on snowy or slushy roads, they’re illegal in a few starts and they’re pretty noisy.

Winter Tires

As for winter tires; they perform well in all winter conditions, not just ice. Since they have that deeper tread, slush and snow are able to fall out of the tire as it rotates, thus causing less build up. The noise level is about the same for winter tires as it is for all-season tires, but a drawback can be that their regulation is misleading – it’s best to buy your winter tires from a trusted source so that you’re clear on the quality of your tires.

So which one is best for you? Since studded tires are better designed to handle icy roads, which are more prominent on the coast, you’re probably better off using regular winter tires unless you live in a place that generally has sleek icy roads as opposed to snowy and slushy. If you appreciate less noise, you should definitely go with winter tires, and since we live in a place with very unpredictable autumn and spring weather, winter tires are usually the way to go.

All-Season Tires

I saved all-season tires for last because they’re an entirely different kind of tire. All-season tires are designed to perform in, well, all seasons, meaning that they’re mostly effective in most driving conditions. They are a type of “tire compromise”. All-season tires do particularly well in rain and on dry roads, but they’re not prepared for the winter because the rubber that’s on them isn’t designed for less than 45 degree weather. When you drive in the cold, the rubber on all-seasons gets hard, making it easier for you to slide on the road in cold temperatures, as opposed to winter tires, which have rubber that keeps soft in the coldest temperatures. As Edmunds says, “think of all-season as sneakers and snow tires as heavy duty boots,” you can certainly walk down the icy, snowy driveway and sneakers, but it’s going to be a lot easier and a lot safer in winter boots.

Need more help? No problem! Take a look at our Tire Selector Guide here.