235/55 R17 - Best winter tyres 2026 - market overview, tests, reviews

1

Premium

Pilot Alpin 5

'25#1

'25#1

'25#2

10.0

Price from

£203

Price from£203

Expert summary

This is currently the best rated tyre we have and there is a reason for it - it combines sportiness on snow and dry and very good safety margins on the wet. It’s designed to maintain the joy of driving, even on winter tyres, but still manages to be safe at all times. 100% recommended.

Recommended

#1

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#1 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow braking

100%

Dry braking

99%

Snow traction

95%

+7

Aquaplaning - longitudal

66%

Aquaplaning - cross

55%

Interior noise

47%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(Exemplary)

2025275/35 R19#1(Outstanding)

2025245/45 R19#2(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#2(-)

2024235/35 R19#1(Exemplary)

2024245/45 R18#1(Exemplary)

2024235/35 R19#1(Test winner)

2023225/45 R18#1(Test winner)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 68dB

£203

mytyres.co.uk

£203

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

2

Premium

UltraGrip Performance 3

'25#1

9.5

Price from

£163

Price from£163

Expert summary

The UltraGrip Performance 3 is one of the best tyres we have seen in the tests and on top of that it's top discipline is snow performance while maintaining great properties on wet, which makes it a great candidate for snowy climates.

Recommended

#3

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#3 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow braking

100%

Wet handling

89%

Wet circle cornering

87%

+7

Aquaplaning - longitudal

74%

Comfort

69%

Interior noise

63%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(Good)

2025215/55 R17#1(Exemplary)

2025245/45 R19#1(Highly recommended)

2025215/55 R17#2(Good)

2025225/45 R17#2(-)

2025275/35 R19#3(Very good)

2025225/40 R18#3(-)

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2025225/40 R18#5(Good)

2024215/55 R17#1(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V XL EVR

C B 71dB

£163

mytyres.co.uk

£163

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£167

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

3

Premium

Winter

'25#1

'25#2

9.6

Price from

£162

Price from£162

Recommended

#5

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#5 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow traction

100%

Comfort

100%

Exterior noise

100%

+5

Wet circle cornering

47%

Dry handling

42%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

26%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#1(-)

2025225/40 R18#2(Exemplary)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V

C B 70dB

£162

mytyres.co.uk

£162

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£174

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

4

Premium

Alpin 7

'25#1

'25#3

8.5

Price from

£182

Price from£182

Expert summary

Michelin has unveiled the ALPIN 7 winter tyre, featuring an advanced tread design with additional sipes and an evolving tread pattern to maintain traction as the tyre wears. The new model aims to enhance braking and acceleration on snowy and wet roads while improving overall efficiency for a variety of vehicles. Unlike the Alpin 6, which was considered a bit overpriced for its performance, the Alpin 7 is expected to offer better value and address concerns in upcoming winter tests.

Performance

Comfort

84%

Exterior noise

83%

Snow handling

81%

+6

Interior noise

57%

Wet circle cornering

55%

Wet braking

54%

Test results

2025215/65 R17#1(Very good)

2025215/55 R17#3(Very good)

2025235/50 R19#3(Exemplary)

2025225/45 R17#4(-)

2025215/55 R17#5(Good)

2025215/55 R17#6(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V XL

B B 71dB

£182

mytyres.co.uk

£182

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£216

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

5

Premium

Blizzak 6

'25#1

'25#2

'25#3

9.2

Price from

£162

Price from£162

Expert summary

Blizzak has always been a winter tire focused on wet conditions, but with its sixth model, Bridgestone has promised improved snow performance and reduced rolling resistance. Early tests suggest they have delivered on these promises—Blizzak 6 is unmatched in wet conditions and excels on snow, making it ideal not just for city climates.

Recommended

#7

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#7 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Wet circle cornering

79%

Comfort

78%

Snow traction

76%

+6

Dry braking

53%

Exterior noise

52%

Interior noise

29%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#1(Test winner)

2025275/35 R19#2(Very good)

2025225/45 R17#3(-)

2025215/55 R17#3(Good)

2025225/40 R18#3(Exemplary)

2025225/40 R18#3(Good)

2025245/45 R19#4(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#6(-)

2025215/55 R17#6(Very good)

2025215/55 R17#7(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V XL Enliten / EV

B C 70dB

£162

mytyres.co.uk

£162

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£191

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

6

Upper-middle

WinterCraft WP52+

'25#4

'25#5

8.7

Price from

£115

Price from£115

Expert summary

The Kumho WinterCraft WP52+ is a winter tyre from the established South Korean manufacturer, designed for use on passenger cars during cold weather conditions. Serving as an updated successor to the standard WinterCraft WP52, this model is engineered for winter driving. Its main focus is delivering traction on cold, snowy, and icy roads, though specific technical modifications over its predecessor are not detailed.

Recommended

#10

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#10 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Dry braking

95%

Wet braking

93%

Wet handling

88%

+5

Snow traction

47%

Comfort

42%

Aquaplaning - cross

31%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#4(Good)

2025225/40 R18#4(-)

2025215/55 R17#5(Good)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 72dB

£134

mytyres.co.uk

£134

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 72dB

£115

mytyres.co.uk

£115

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

7

Premium

WinterContact TS 870 P

'25#1

9.4

Price from

£175

Price from£175

Expert summary

Continental winter tires have been winning tire tests for many years, and the 870P is no exception. The “P” stands for performance, but don’t be mistaken, its rolling resistance is also praised, making it ideal for EVs. A well-balanced tire.

Recommended

#6

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#6 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Snow braking

100%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

Dry handling

83%

+7

Aquaplaning - longitudal

66%

Wet handling

66%

Snow traction

65%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#1(Good)

2025215/55 R17#1(Outstanding)

2025235/50 R19#1(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#3(Exemplary)

2025245/45 R19#5(Highly recommended)

2025225/40 R18#6(Good)

2025225/40 R18#7(Good)

2025225/40 R18#13(-)

2024215/55 R17#2(Highly recommended)

2024235/55 R18#2(Very good)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 99 H EVc

B C 71dB

£175

mytyres.co.uk

£175

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£185

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V XL

B B 71dB

£185

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£185

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

mytyres.co.uk

£187

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

8

Premium

Winter Sport 5

'25#4

'24#2

'24#4

8.6

Price from

£126

Price from£126

Expert summary

While being somehow dated as it was introduced back in 2015, it received some midlife updates and still holds up with the current models, at least in smaller dimensions. At the right price, it could be a great choice.

Recommended

#11

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#11 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Comfort

83%

Aquaplaning - cross

82%

Snow traction

79%

+6

Dry handling

48%

Dry braking

43%

Exterior noise

35%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#4(Good)

2024215/55 R17#2(Good)

2024235/35 R19#4(Exemplary)

2024205/55 R16#5(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(Good)

2024205/55 R16#11(-)

2023205/60 R16#1(Good)

2023225/45 R17#4(Good)

2023225/45 R18#7(Good)

2023225/45 R18#15(-)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 99 V

C C 70dB

£126

mytyres.co.uk

£126

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

9

Budget

Polaris 6

'25#2

'25#9

'25#10

8.3

Price from

£125

Price from£125

Expert summary

Barum unveils the Polaris 6, a budget-friendly winter tyre from the Czech Republic that adopts design elements from Continental’s TS series, including a V-shaped tread for better snow performance. The Polaris 6 improves on the Polaris 5 with enhanced durability, reduced rolling resistance, and quieter operation, while maintaining solid wet and dry performance. Priced about 20% higher, it leverages Continental’s technology to offer greater value and reliable winter traction for cost-conscious drivers.

Recommended

#14

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#14 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Comfort

100%

Exterior noise

100%

Snow traction

79%

+5

Dry handling

51%

Aquaplaning - cross

38%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

36%

Test results

2025215/65 R17#2(Good)

2025225/40 R18#9(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V XL EVc

C B 72dB

£125

mytyres.co.uk

£125

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£141

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

10

Premium

Wintrac Pro+

'25#4

7.2

Price from

£132

Price from£132

Performance

Wet circle cornering

89%

Wet handling

83%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

79%

+6

Interior noise

43%

Snow handling

37%

Dry braking

34%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#4(Exemplary)

2025215/55 R17#4(Good)

2025235/50 R19#4(Good)

2025215/55 R17#5(Very good)

2025225/45 R17#6(-)

2025245/45 R19#6(-)

2025275/35 R19#6(Good)

2025225/40 R18#13(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#17(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 99 H £132

mytyres.co.uk

£132

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£163

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

11

Premium

Cinturato Winter 2

'25#6

'25#7

'25#8

7.2

Price from

£175

Price from£175

Expert summary

The Cinturato Winter 2 is enjoyable to drive and offers safety in all conditions. However, some tests have described its dry handling as sluggish.

Performance

Exterior noise

74%

Snow handling

72%

Wet circle cornering

70%

+7

Dry handling

36%

Aquaplaning - cross

34%

Snow braking

0%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#6(Good)

2025215/55 R17#7(Good)

2025215/55 R17#8(Good)

2025225/40 R18#10(Good)

2024205/55 R16#4(-)

2024215/55 R17#6(-)

2024215/55 R17#7(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#11(Sufficient)

2024205/55 R16#13(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R17#5(-)

View full review

Price variants (3)

235/55 R17 99 H £188

mytyres.co.uk

£188

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V £175

mytyres.co.uk

£175

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

12

Upper-middle

WinterExpert

'25#5

'25#8

'25#12

8.1

Price from

£147

Price from£147

Expert summary

Very good traction on snow for a nice price in a wide range of dimensions. Could use shorter braking distance on dry and better traction on the wet.

Performance

Snow traction

67%

Wet circle cornering

63%

Aquaplaning - cross

61%

+6

Dry handling

40%

Wet handling

37%

Dry braking

34%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#5(-)

2025225/40 R18#8(Good)

2025225/40 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#7(-)

2024205/55 R16#9(Good)

2023225/45 R18#11(-)

2023225/45 R18#12(Satisfactory)

2023205/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

2022245/45 R19#7(Sufficient)

2022215/60 R16#14(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V mfs XL £147

mytyres.co.uk

£147

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£150

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

13

Upper-middle

Winter i*cept evo3 X W330A

'25#7

'24#5

'23#2

8.7

Price from

£127

Price from£127

Recommended

#13

2026

theTyre Lab.comRecommended#13 Winter tires 2026

Performance

Aquaplaning - cross

78%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

69%

Snow traction

68%

+6

Wet circle cornering

43%

Exterior noise

24%

Interior noise

13%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#7(Good)

2024235/55 R18#5(Very good)

2023235/55 R18#2(Recommended)

2023235/60 R18#3(Highly recommended)

2023225/60 R18#6(Good)

2021235/55 R18#6(Good)

2021235/55 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (5)

235/55 R17 99 H

B C 72dB

£127

mytyres.co.uk

£127

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 99 H

B C 72dB

£187

mytyres.co.uk

£187

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 72dB

£138

mytyres.co.uk

£138

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 72dB

£149

mytyres.co.uk

£149

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£158

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

14

Upper-middle

Snowproof 2 SUV

'25#8

'24#9

'23#5

7.1

Price from

£119

Price from£119

Performance

Aquaplaning - cross

93%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

85%

Interior noise

75%

+6

Snow traction

20%

Wet braking

19%

Comfort

0%

Test results

2025235/50 R19#8(Sufficient)

2024235/55 R18#9(Good)

2023235/60 R18#5(Recommended)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 H Aramid Sidewalls

B C 70dB

£119

mytyres.co.uk

£119

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

15

Upper-middle

WR Snowproof P

'25#8

'22#4

'22#13

7.5

Price from

£143

Price from£143

Performance

Dry braking

92%

Exterior noise

89%

Dry handling

67%

+5

Snow handling

18%

Aquaplaning - cross

4%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

3%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#8(Satisfactory)

2022225/45 R17#4(Recommended for economical driving)

2022215/55 R17#13(-)

2022215/55 R17#18(Satisfactory)

2021225/45 R17#5(-)

2021225/40 R18#7(-)

2021225/50 R17#13(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V

B B 70dB

£143

mytyres.co.uk

£143

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£168

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

16

Premium

Cinturato Winter 3

'25#9

8.0

Price from

£173

Price from£173

Test results

2025225/40 R18#9(-)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V

A B 72dB

£173

mytyres.co.uk

£173

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£200

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

17

Upper-middle

Krisalp HP3

'25#7

'25#12

'25#14

8.0

Price from

£144

Price from£144

Expert summary

Old but gold, that is how we can pretty much describe the Krisalp HP3. It's a winter tyre that is great on snow for a good price, which is what the average driver is looking for. It's not a premium tyre, but you get a lot of bang for your buck.

Performance

Snow traction

88%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

84%

Snow handling

77%

+6

Wet braking

53%

Wet handling

49%

Dry handling

31%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#7(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#12(-)

2025225/40 R18#14(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#8(Good)

2024205/55 R16#16(-)

2023225/45 R18#4(-)

2023205/60 R16#10(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#11(Satisfactory)

2022215/60 R16#7(Satisfactory)

2022225/45 R17#8(-)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 99 H £144

mytyres.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V mfs XL £144

mytyres.co.uk

£144

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

18

Upper-middle

Eurowinter HS02 Pro

'25#9

'25#20

6.6

Price from

£116

Price from£116

Expert summary

EuroWinter HS02 is very good and quite sporty on dry and wet, but lacks some performance on the snow which is the reason for the not so good test results. Weaknesses in aquaplaning and rolling resistance doesn't help either.

Performance

Dry braking

74%

Exterior noise

73%

Dry handling

61%

+6

Snow traction

30%

Aquaplaning - cross

30%

Snow handling

27%

Test results

2025215/55 R17#9(Good)

2025235/50 R19#9(Sufficient)

2025225/40 R18#20(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#20(-)

2024235/55 R18#8(Good)

2024245/45 R18#10(Satisfactory)

2023255/45 R20#7(Satisfactory)

2023225/60 R18#7(Satisfactory)

2023225/40 R18#9(Satisfactory)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V

B D 68dB

£116

mytyres.co.uk

£116

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

19

Upper-middle

G-FORCE WINTER 2

'25#11

'25#12

'24#10

8.2

Price from

£159

Price from£159

Expert summary

G-Force Winter 2 is our favorite budget winter tyre. It's great on snow and offers good safety on all surfaces, which is no surprise as BFGoodrich is a part of the Michelin group.

Performance

Snow traction

94%

Snow handling

90%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

89%

+6

Wet handling

44%

Wet circle cornering

39%

Dry handling

35%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#11(-)

2025225/40 R18#12(Good)

2024205/55 R16#10(Good)

2024205/55 R16#13(-)

2023225/45 R18#4(Good)

2023225/45 R18#5(-)

2023205/60 R16#8(Satisfactory)

2022185/65 R15#5(Satisfactory)

2022215/55 R17#6(-)

2022215/55 R17#9(Good)

View full review

Price variants (2)

235/55 R17 99 H £159

mytyres.co.uk

£159

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

235/55 R17 103 V £175

mytyres.co.uk

£175

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

20

Budget

Speed-Grip 5

'25#11

'25#14

'25#15

8.0

Price from

£150

Price from£150

Expert summary

We really like the new Speed-Grip 5 - it's not expensive, it's very good on snow and on top of that, it's got very low rolling resistance. What it lacks compared to the premium tyres is better wet performance, but given it's price it's definitely recommendable.

Performance

Interior noise

100%

Aquaplaning - cross

84%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

82%

+6

Wet circle cornering

45%

Snow traction

40%

Wet handling

36%

Test results

2025225/40 R18#11(Good)

2025225/40 R18#14(Satisfactory)

2025225/40 R18#15(-)

2024205/55 R16#3(Exemplary)

2024215/55 R17#4(Satisfactory)

2024205/55 R16#6(-)

2023225/45 R17#6(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#16(Satisfactory)

2023225/45 R18#19(-)

2022185/65 R15#3(Good)

View full review

Price variants (1)

235/55 R17 103 V

B C 72dB

£150

mytyres.co.uk

£150

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

tyres-pneus-online.co.uk

£152

In stock · Free shipping

Buy

21

Upper-middle

Winterhawk 4

'25#7

'25#16

'25#18

6.3

Price from

£128

Price from£128

Expert summary

The Winterhawk 4 is a tyre with mixed ratings as there are tests where the tyre was not recommended. Common criticisms include longer braking distances and significant understeer

Performance

Exterior noise

81%

Snow handling

80%

Aquaplaning - longitudal

76%

+6