What Are Studded Tires And Are They Worth Buying?

Winter weather varies a lot and so do the tires made for driving in it.  There are all season tires for driving in places that don't see much snow and for the places that get a lot of it, there are snow tires.

For some of the toughest winter conditions, there are studded tires. These tires have small usually rounded metal studs on them. Most have the studs embedded into them already. Some come without the stud, but are manufactured for putting the studs in so as to give the driver more options. However, this is not a simple process, and requires a tire specialist with the right equipment.

Most of the major manufacturers make studded tires, even though the market has shrunk as snow tire technology improves. Nokian, in Finland, invented the studded tire, and leads in their production today. Goodyear and Michelin are also known for their studded tires.

Studded tires help when driving in areas that get a lot of ice. They are also at their best where there is snow but the roads aren't plowed all the way down to the surface. This can happen because of the need to provide a packed surface where winter sports such as snowmobiling occur, or the road surface is too rough to plow effectively. Hard-packed snow can also be a safer surface than cleared road with patches of ice. Under these conditions, studded tires are the way to go.

With their bite, studded tires are the best option when you are not driving on asphalt or concrete. When you are on those surfaces, studded tires lose their effectiveness quickly. Because of the studs, road noise turns into a rumble, handling degrades, and braking distance lengthens. The road surface suffers, too, as studded tires dig into softer road surfaces. Also, these tires are better known for their grip than for their handling, though even that is changing with new tire tread designs. 

The need for studded tires has dropped as tire and road cleaning technologies improved. However, there is still a need for them. 

Then there is the question of snow chains, which are put onto already mounted tires only when the road conditions call for them. Studded tires and snow chains on tires should be used in very different circumstances, and usually not in combination.

Studded tires are more convenient than chains on other tires, since you don't have to get out of the car to put them on. You can drive faster on studs than on chains and for longer distances as well. Nokian rates its Hakkapeliitta 10 tires at 118 mph, and if the surface changes you keep going. With chains, when you drive off the ice or snow and onto pavement, the most important thing to do is to take off the chains as soon as possible. When chains are on, the maximum speed is less than 30mph.

In unplowed snow and on clear roads, winter tires rule. These tires are made of rubber compounds optimized for colder weather, and they do not wear as quickly as all-season or studded tires. Most importantly, the tread pattern is designed to push snow and water out from under the tire and has deeper grooves, which makes a bigger difference in loose snow than in the hard-packed conditions that studded tires are made for. 

A hybrid tire might be on the horizon. In 2014, Hokian announced the development of an experimental snow tire with retractable stubs. If it ever sees production, safety conscious drivers would have the best of both worlds.