Tyre shines tested
We put tyre shines to the test, before picking our four favourites
Tyre shines are cheap, plus quick and easy to use, and they are the finishing touch to all that hard work with the car wash, wax and wheel cleaner.
You can spray and leave most of these products, so it takes seconds to get a new tyre look worthy of your just-washed rims. While tyre shines are generally easy on the pocket, we wanted that rich, black finish to last – so our test of 15 top buys focused on durability.
We checked sidewalls regularly over five weeks of wet winter driving for signs of fading. Plus, we rated ease of application and what you get for your money, before picking our four favourites.
CarPlan Tyre Slik
Price: £3.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 764 5981, tetrosyl.com
Rating: ★★★★★
Best buy: Pack boasts of 10 Auto Express victories, and will have to be updated as it wins again, by a claear margin. The clean, black finish had barely deteriorated at the end of the test. You simply spray and leave, plus it has a low price, so stays on top.
Simoniz Back to Black New Look Tyre Shine
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0161 491 7391, simoniz.co.uk
Rating: ★★★★
Recommended: Yet again, Simoniz has to settle for second behind Tyre Slik. It’s an excellent performer and was clearly having an effect at the end of our five-week test – its section looked cleaner than many rivals. Just spray it on and leave to dry.
Used - available now
2006 SsangYong
REXTON DIESEL ESTATE SPECIAL EDITIONS
46,822 milesManualDiesel2.7L
Cash £16,500
2024 Kia
XCeed
17,720 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £16,107
2022 Kia
XCeed
22,763 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £12,468
2022 Volvo
XC60
38,489 milesAutomaticPetrol2.0L
Cash £27,999Halfords Wet Look
Price: £3.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 0845 762 6625, halfords.com
Rating: ★★★★
Another aerosol, and the chain store’s product is from the same mould as the top two. Spray and leave, and it gives a slightly more muted finish than glossy Tyre Slik. It was still visible at the end of the test, too, if a little greyer than the CarPlan and Simoniz.
Turtle Wax Wet ’n’ Black
Price: £4.99
Size: 500ml
Contact: 01695 716610, turtlewaxeurope.com
Rating: ★★★★
Veteran from Turtle Wax is our trigger pack pick. It’s easy to apply and the trigger delivers the product efficiently. Pack claims long-lasting shine and that’s what we saw, but it had started to go grey by the end. Can also be used to protect rubber or plastic trim.
Verdict
No other test category has been dominated like this. Tyre Slik takes yet another victory – rival tyre shines rarely get close to its performance. Fellow aerosol Simoniz secures second with its New Look shine, but is only just ahead of Halfords’ Wet Look Tyre Dressing. If you prefer a trigger pack, go for the Turtle Wax Wet ’n’ Black, which finished in fourth place in our test.
1. CarPlan Tyre Slik
2. Simoniz Back to Black New Look Tyre Shine
3. Halfords Wet Look Tyre Dressing
Also tested...
Simoniz Back to Black ‘Wet Look’ Tyre Shine ★★★★
Angelwax Tyre Dressing ★★★★
Mer Tyre Dressing ★★★
Armor All Extreme Tire Shine Gel ★★★
Simoniz Protection Tyre Treatment ★★★
Sonax Tyre Care ★★★
Autoglym Instant Tyre Dressing ★★★
Muc-Off Tyre Shine ★★★
Meguiar’s Endurance Tire Gel ★★★
Poorboy’s World Bold N Bright ★★★
Dodo Juice Tyromania ★★
