What is the difference between summer and winter tyres?

by Rohit Gautam SEO Analyst

For many drivers living in regions with extreme seasonal climate changes, two tyre sets are often compulsory: they require both tyres for the summer and the winter season.

But what are the differences between the two tyre types?

Special features of winter tyres

Winter tyres and summer tyres differ in three main characteristics: in the rubber compound, the structure and the pattern of the tread.

Winter tyres contain more natural rubber, to keep them soft even when temperatures are low (below 7 C). Due to their softness they can mesh better with the ground surface and provide good grip and precise handling. In contrast to tyres made for the summer season. They harden much quicker at low temperatures.

Also, winter tyres are characterised by their deep and wide profile. Among other things, the winter profile is designed to absorb snow. Surprisingly, nothing sticks better to snow than snow itself. If this now presses into the wide tread grooves, this increases the grip and improves the propulsion of the vehicle on snowy or icy roads.

Also, winter tyres have thousands of tiny cuts, also called lamellas on the tread surface. These tilt in the snow, mud and ice and thus improve the adhesion on the road. Also, the louvres dissipate water and thus protect against aquaplaning.

A winter tyre can be recognised by the "Snowflakes" or Alpine symbol on the sidewalls. The sign indicates that the tyre meets the safety requirements for all wintery road conditions.

One more difference – you should replace winter tyres from a profile depth of 4 mm, while summer tyres can be driven to a tread depth of 3 mm (by law even to 1.6mm).

Special features of summer tyres

Tyres for the summer season offer better overall performance during the warmer season than winter tyres. The relatively hard rubber blend of summer tyres remains so flexible at milder temperatures that it is optimally adapted to both wet 7 dry road surfaces.

Even though summer tyres do a good job under most conditions, they are unsuitable for cold and rather harsh climate conditions. Their lower natural rubber content begins to get hard below 7 ° C and become brittle. They are consistently designed to perform optimally at warmer temperatures, and not becoming too soft. This property also means tyres for the summer season offer less rolling resistance, which has a favourable effect on fuel consumption.

Summer tyres also have fewer fins than winter tyres, but they have specially developed tread blocks that minimise the risk of aquaplaning. These tread blocks improve both longitudinal and lateral grip at higher temperatures, ensuring optimum grip on both wet and dry roads.

Although summer tyres can handle most weather conditions, they are not suitable for harsher, colder climates. Their harder rubber compound with a lower natural rubber content compared to winter tyres begins to harden below 7 ° C and become brittle. They are consistently designed to perform optimally at higher temperatures, without becoming too soft. This property is also due to the fact that summer tyres offer less rolling resistance, which has a favourable effect on fuel consumption.

Most summer tyres have a profile with simple, robust rubber blocks that provide extensive contact with the ground surface. This construction has a substantial impact on the handling and the overall braking distance: At temperatures above 15 ° C, a vehicle on tyres for the summer comes to a standstill 6-7 metres earlier than with tyres for the winter season.

We hope you have found this information useful. If you have any questions, please get in touch with us. On our Phillips Tyres website, you can also find information about our other services and buy tyres for every season and purpose in all sizes and from many different brands. There are tyres for every budget available at great prices.