All season vs winter tyres: which is right for you in the Netherlands?

The difference is in the rubber and in the tread pattern. According to the ANWB, a winter tyre is made of a softer rubber compound than a summer tyre and has many small cuts in the tread, called sipes. That keeps the tyre flexible in the cold and gives it grip in snow. A summer tyre has harder rubber and a closed tread pattern. That gives short braking distances on dry and wet tarmac in warm weather. An all-season tyre sits in between: the rubber is a little softer than that of a summer tyre and the tread has sipes, but fewer than a true winter tyre.

Summary based on the ANWB guide to buying winter tyres and the ANWB tyre tests of 2025 and 2026.

Look at the symbol on the sidewall. M+S (mud and snow) is a marking the manufacturer chooses itself, without a test. The snowflake inside a mountain (3PMSF, three peak mountain snowflake) means the tyre has passed a snow test. According to the ANWB, since 1 October 2024 only a tyre with the snowflake symbol counts as a winter tyre in Germany. Almost every modern all-season tyre carries that symbol, but check before you buy.

The tests show two things: a good all-season tyre is a serious option, but the differences between brands are large. In the ANWB all-season tyre test of 22 June 2026 (size 185/65 R15), 8 of the 16 tyres tested received a positive buying recommendation. Only one tyre received the overall verdict good. The ANWB adds: the Continental, one of the most expensive tyres in the test, came out with the lowest cost per kilometre. According to the ANWB, the difference in fuel consumption between tyres can reach 0.3 or 0.4 litres per 100 km, which is 5 to 7 percent.

On 22 September 2026 the ANWB compared all-season tyres with winter tyres. In the size 185/65 R15 T, only two premium winter tyres met the standard for handling and safety. Those lasted 34,300 and 33,100 km. Comparable all-season tyres from the same brands lasted 41,300 and 43,600 km. The ANWB’s conclusion: a good all-season tyre is cheaper than the combination of winter and summer tyres. And also: if you regularly drive in snowy areas, a winter tyre remains the best option.

The Austrian ÖAMTC, together with the German ADAC, tested 16 all-season tyres in 2025 in the larger size 225/45 R17. Four tyres were rated good, four were rated unsatisfactory. On a wet road the best tyre came to a stop after 31.3 metres from 80 km/h. A poorly scoring tyre needed about 11.5 metres more. The testers call all-season tyres a real alternative for low-mileage drivers. They also note that a long tyre life in the poorly rated tyres comes at the expense of safety.

All-season tyres are good enough for most drivers who spend the whole year on Dutch roads. In September 2026 the ANWB named small, light cars that rarely see snow as the target group, with the Fiat 500e, Kia Rio, Peugeot 208, Toyota Yaris and Volkswagen Polo as examples. You fit this profile if:

In the workshop we see the biggest advantage in the convenience: no second set, no storage and no two changeover appointments a year. The downside is that you drive on a compromise in every season. On a hot summer day a summer tyre brakes shorter, in deep snow a winter tyre grips better. On the days around freezing point, which are the most common in a Dutch winter, a good all-season tyre is better than a summer tyre.

Winter tyres are the better choice if you regularly drive in snow, take the car on a skiing trip or have a larger or sporty car. In its frequently asked questions about winter tyres, the ANWB recommends winter tyres for larger and sporty cars. Heavier cars with wide tyres benefit more in snow from the soft rubber and the many sipes of a true winter tyre.

If you choose winter tyres, do not choose a budget tyre. In the ANWB winter tyre test of 22 September 2025, 11 of the 14 budget tyres tested performed poorly. The worst tyre had a wet braking distance of 47.1 metres, a good tyre stopped after 31.7 metres. Some cheap tyres lasted 34,000 km, a premium tyre up to 75,000 km. The ANWB writes that looking at price alone when choosing tyres is not wise. How we change winter tyres and what comes with it, you can read on winter tyres in Rotterdam.

Do not count the purchase price, count the price per kilometre and the extra costs. We do not quote our own prices on this page. We tell you one price in advance, based on your registration number. As an indication we use the figures from the ANWB.

Market indications from the ANWB. We tell you the price for your registration number in advance, including tyres, fitting, balancing and disposal of the old tyres.

This is how you work it out for yourself. With a second set of winter tyres you pay for the tyres, two changeovers a year and storage. In return, your summer tyres do not wear for half the year. With all-season tyres you pay for one set and no changeovers, but that set covers all your kilometres. With low mileage the all-season tyre wins almost every calculation. With high mileage and a heavier car the second set comes closer, and safety in snow outweighs the arithmetic.

You can have a new set of tyres fitted in Rotterdam with us based on your registration number. You choose from three price classes: budget, mid-range and premium. We tell you which class suits your mileage and your car. The ANWB tests show that the most expensive tyre often has the lowest cost per kilometre.

The biggest downside is that an all-season tyre is not the best tyre in any season. The ÖAMTC sums it up: performance on dry, wet and wintry roads is largely at odds with the life of the tyre. A manufacturer that makes the tyre last a long time often gives up grip. That is why the poor tyres in the tests are often the ones with the hardest rubber.

So an all-season tyre is not a miracle tyre, but a deliberate choice for convenience. If you choose one from the mid-range or premium segment with good test results in your size, you drive safely in the Netherlands all year round.

We start with your registration number (kenteken), not with a special offer. This is how it works in the workshop:

1. We look up, by registration number, the tyre sizes that are approved for your car, with the correct load index and speed rating.
2. We ask how many kilometres you drive a year, where you drive and whether you go skiing. That decides whether all-season tyres or a second set of winter tyres makes sense.
3. We look at the weight of the car. An electric car, van or motorhome up to 3,500 kg needs a tyre with enough load capacity.
4. We compare the EU tyre label: rolling resistance, wet grip and noise, plus the snowflake symbol.
5. You choose from three price classes. We tell you which one suits you and why.
6. We balance the wheels at every fitting. We only recommend wheel alignment when there is a reason for it, for example uneven wear or a steering wheel that sits off centre. Not as standard with every tyre.

At every seasonal changeover we check tread depth, age and tyre pressure. According to the ANWB’s rule of thumb, a winter tyre older than 6 years is best no longer used. Not sure whether your current tyres will last another winter? Call +31 10 479 00 00 with your registration number and we tell you the price and when we can do it.

Yes, if the tyres carry the snowflake symbol (3PMSF) and have enough tread. In Germany, according to the ANWB and the ADAC, an all-season tyre with that symbol counts as a winter tyre. In Austria, from 1 November to 15 April, at least 4 mm of tread is required in wintry conditions. Do take snow chains with you in the mountains, because an all-season tyre grips less on steep, snow-covered roads than a true winter tyre.

As soon as the temperature stays below roughly 7 °C, in the Netherlands usually from October. According to the ANWB, a summer tyre loses noticeable grip from about 7 °C. A handy reminder from the ANWB: when the clocks go back at the end of October, it is also time to change to winter tyres. If you drive on all-season tyres, there is nothing to change.

That depends on brand, size, driving style and tyre pressure. In the ANWB comparison of September 2026, all-season tyres from two premium brands in the size 185/65 R15 lasted 41,300 and 43,600 km. Winter tyres from the same brands lasted 34,300 and 33,100 km. As a rough average the ANWB mentions 40,000 km for a car tyre, and after 8 to 10 years a tyre is due for replacement because of ageing.

No, we advise against it, and so does the ANWB. At 15 °C and 50 km/h a car on summer tyres stops within 12 metres according to the ANWB, and on winter tyres after 14 to 15 metres. The soft rubber also wears faster in summer. If you want one set for the whole year, choose an all-season tyre.

Yes, by law you may, but we advise against it. Under the APK (MOT) rules, the Dutch roadworthiness test, the tyres on one axle must have the same size marking. Different brands or types are legally allowed. A car with all-season tyres at the front and summer tyres at the rear behaves unpredictably in snow and in an emergency stop. In an ideal situation the ANWB advises replacing all four tyres at once. If you replace two, Michelin advises fitting them on the rear axle.

Yes, according to Michelin, tyres on an electric car wear up to 20 percent faster because of the higher weight and the instant torque. That applies to every type of tyre. So choose a tyre with the correct load index and low rolling resistance, and check the tyre pressure every month. On an electric car the life per kilometre weighs extra heavily in the choice between all-season tyres and a second set.

Yes, on Saturday from 9.00 to 15.00 and Monday to Friday from 8.00 to 17.30. Call with your registration number and we tell you one price in advance for the tyres, the fitting, the balancing and the disposal of the old tyres. You bring the car and we call you when it is ready. Waiting while the tyres are fitted is not possible, a loan bike is free while one is available.

We supply the tyres ourselves. That way we are sure the size, load index and speed rating are right, and we sort it out if anything is wrong with the tyre. Do you already have tyres? Call us with your registration number and we tell you what we can do for you.

• ANWB: Allseasonband verslaat winterband op prijs in kleine maten (22 September 2026, in Dutch)
• ANWB: All-seasonbandentest 2026: kleine banden presteren minder (22 June 2026, in Dutch)
• ANWB: Winterbandentest 2025: budget winterbanden vaak onveilig (22 September 2025, in Dutch)
• ÖAMTC and ADAC: Ganzjahresreifentest 2025, 225/45 R17 (in German)
• ANWB: Winterbanden kopen: waar let je op? (in Dutch)