What is the Difference between an All-Season Tire, a Winter Tire, and an All-Weather Tire?

Posted On September 12, 2017
By Integra Tire Canada

Tire lingo can be confusing. You may be asking, “If it’s an all-season tire, can it be used in the winter? If it’s a winter tire, can it only be used in the winter? What does all-weather mean?”

Well, that’s what we are here for – to answer all of your tire questions. We’re going to explain what each type of tire is so that you can make an informed buying decision.

All-Season Tire

An all-season tire is meant to be used in any temperature above 7°C; that means that it performs best in warm climates – the spring, summer, and fall. The rubber that an all-season tire is made with is designed to extract water and provide traction whenever the temperature is above 7°C. If an all-season tire is used when the temperature drops below 7°C, then the tire will become stiff and will not grip the road or evacuate ice and snow, leading to an increased risk of sliding.

Winter Tire

A winter tire is meant to be used in any temperature below 7°C; that means it performs best in the winter months. The rubber that a winter tire is made with is soft and will stay soft in cold temperatures; this means that the tire will grip the road and evacuate snow and ice in any temperature below 7°C. Since winter tires have soft rubber, the tire tread will wear down quickly if you drive on them through the summer.

All-Weather Tire

An all-weather tire tries to combine the best of both of the properties of a winter and all-season tire. It’s made with softer rubber than an all-season tire so it will grip in temperatures below 7°C and it has more rigid rubber than a winter tire so it won’t wear down in the summer months as quickly as a winter tire. An all-weather tire will not grip the road in very cold temperatures as effectively as a winter tire. Furthermore, an all-weather tire may wear down faster in warm weather than an all-season tire. An all-weather tire will work best in locations that have temperate weather that constantly hovers around 0°C.

We hope that these informational tidbits help to clear up the questions you have about all-season, winter, and all-weather tires.

If you need more information, find us on Facebook or Twitter, or visit us at your local Integra Tire!

 

Questions? Our Advisors are Happy to Help!

If you have questions about anything you've read in this resource page, contact your nearest Integra Tire dealer for more information. We are passionate in assisting our customers make the best choices to keep their vehicles in tip-top shape and keep their families safe.
Resource Tags: All-Season Tires , All-Weather , cold weather , winter tires
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