The best tyre shine
Spray-on treatments not only give your tyres a real shine, they also provide lasting protection
When tyre shine is so quick and easy to apply, there’s no excuse for not using it and giving your freshly cleaned car that final showroom finish. It’s even easy on the pocket, with most costing less than £5. Our favourites are those that are simply sprayed on and left to dry, but even then you want the glossy look to last – so our test is primarily about durability.
We applied 15 to tyre sidewalls, then monitored the finish over five weeks driving through winter rain and snow. We considered price and ease of use to get our top three.
Winner: CarPlan Tyre Slik
Price: £3.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 764 5981, www.tetrosyl.com
No other product has dominated a category of our Product Awards over the years like Tyre Slik. There has never been another winner in our tyre shine tests – although some rivals have come close to toppling it. This year’s conditions suited it perfectly and saw it take a relatively easy victory over the closely matched commended products here. None could match the finish left by the simple spray and leave Tyre Slik, which could still easily be seen at the end of our tough test.
Commended...
Simoniz Back to Black ‘New Look’ Tyre Shine
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 491 7391, www.simoniz.co.uk
Back to Black has often been Tyre Slik’s closest challenger, but once again it has to make do with a commendation. A good alternative with the same simple spray and leave application, and it’s durable – clearly working through the five weeks. Its section was sharply defined, but the finish was a bit more grey than our champion’s. It got closer as the test progressed, yet remained a touch behind the cheaper Tyre Slik.
Halfords Wet Look Tyre Dressing
Price: £3.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0845 762 6625, www.halfords.com
Chain store’s product claims to have a wet look, but the finish is a bit more muted than serial winner Tyre Slik. That clean but less glossy look was there through the test, although it did go a little grey towards the end – but it was clearly still working. That faded black finish was pretty much the only thing separating it from our winner – Halfords was a match in terms of price and the spray and leave aerosol application was just as straightforward.
Tyre shine Q and A
Can I use a pressure washer to clean my tyres’ sidewalls before applying a shine?
You can, but you’ll need to use a fan spray about 20cm from the wheel and keep the lance moving. If you allow prolonged water pressure to hit one section of the tyre, it can damage it. Also take care to avoid using a fine jet and spraying water directly into the gap where the rubber meets the rim, and you’ll be fine.
How long will a tyre shine last for in the UK?
This obviously depends on how many miles you drive, and the conditions you drive in. We carried out our tests over the wet winter period, and our winner retained its shine and protection for five weeks without the tyres being cleaned. Only after that time did its shine begin to tail off. You can expect to get greater durability in the drier summer months.
