If you swap your tires during the summer and winter seasons, you’re going to want to invest into tire storage bags to protect them when they’re not being used. Properly storing your tires when they’re not being used will ensure their longevity. Don’t just toss them into the corner of your garage, because tires can deteriorate in storage, to the point that they need to be replaced.
Tire storage bags are relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to buying an entirely new set of tires. They’ll also keep your storage area tidy while keeping all that nasty tire grime from coming in contact with other items. Best of all, some of the tire storage bags we recommend come with handles, making it easy to transport your tires to and from your vehicle and storage area.
Below, you’ll find our top recommendations for the best tire storage bags, so you can keep your tires protected when they’re not being used. We’ll also detail how to prepare your tires for storage, and how to properly store them with or without mounted wheels.
One important thing to note before you start shopping, tire storage bags are sized based on the tire’s diameter. This is not the same as your wheel diameter, so don’t purchase based on that final pair of numbers listed on your tire’s size. Either use a tire size calculator to determine the diameter of your tire, or measure it yourself.
1. Top pick: Kurgo Michelin tire covers / tire bags
Pros
- Michelin-branded, quality product
- Heavy-duty construction
- Handles for easy transport
Cons
- Wheel felts sold separately
- Handles can feel flimsy when storing wheel and tire combination
Michelin is one of the most reputable tire manufacturers out there, and these Michelin-branded tire covers come from Kurgo. If you’ve never heard of Kurgo, the brand is mainly known for manufacturing travel products for dogs, including rugged car seat covers. These tire storage bags come in a set of four and are designed to be a universal fit. They’ll cover tires measuring 22″ to 31″ in diameter, which should work on 90% of passenger vehicle tires.
Each tire tote comes with a built-in handle to make it easy to carry, although you should use caution if you’re storing a wheel and tire combination that is a bit heavy. Also, if you are storing wheels and tires together, you’ll have to purchase the wheel felts separately to keep the face of your wheels protected.
Keep in mind if you are storing your tires for a long period of time and using a tote like this, you will want to wrap them in an airtight plastic bag first.
2. Runner-up: Explore Land tire cover
Pros
- Available in a wide variety of sizes
- Three-year warranty
- Flexible buckle strap design
Cons
- Can blow off in heavy wind
- Color fades with constant sun exposure
Similar to our top pick, these tire totes from Explore Land are available in a wide variety of sizes. Again, this is based on tire diameter, which is not the same as your wheel diameter. The available sizes cover tires ranging from 23″ to 42″ diameter and they’re available in a few different finishes. If you’re planning to store your tires outdoors however, it’s worth mentioning that customers have said the color fades or changes with constant sun exposure.
Each tire cover is made from heavy duty material with water and UV resistant coating. Inside, there’s a soft lining to protect the tires. Explore Land also has a built-in handle for these totes, as well as an adjustable buckle strap for a snug fit on your tire. Unfortunately there aren’t any grommets or tie downs, so make sure you weigh the cover down if it’s going to be windy. These are best used when storing tires inside your garage. Again, you’ll want to use an airtight plastic bag before putting your tires into these totes for long-term storage.
One key advantage these tire covers offer is the three-year warranty from Explore Land.
3. Best on a budget: WHEEL CONNECT tire storage bags
Pros
- Simple, cost-efficient solution
Cons
- Very basic, similar to a heavy duty trash bag
- No easy way to tie them up
- Not extremely durable, can rip depending on the weight of the wheel and tire
Sometimes you just want a real simple, affordable solution for storing your tires. One way to do that is with these tire storage bags from Wheel Connect. They’re basically large bags made from polyethylene LDPE plastic and are available in two sizes: large and X-large. Be sure to use the chart Wheel Connect provides to determine which size bag you need.
This is a pretty basic solution and one could argue you’re better off using a garbage bag since they’re easier to tie up. But depending on your tire size, you may have a difficult time finding a proper size garbage bag. I definitely do not recommend using these bags if you’re going to be storing both wheels and tires, as they likely will tear from the weight. It’s a good option if you’re storing the tires inside your garage and you don’t want to spend the money on totes. These bags are also great to use in combination with totes.
4. Also consider: Mr.You seasonal tire cover
Pros
- Good for outdoor use
- Zipper design makes it easy to cover stacked tires
- Good value
Cons
- Material can discolor if stored outdoors
- May not cover all four tires if the tires are wide
- Some users complain the cover isn’t waterproof
For some car owners, this seasonal tire cover from Mr.You might be an easier solution. It’s essentially a giant tire storage bag with a zipper and drawstring base to enclose its contents. There are a few caveats when purchasing this product. While it does give you dimensions for tire diameter, it doesn’t specify the width of the tires it supports. So if you’re running really wide tires, they may not all fit inside the bag when stacked on top of one another. Keep that in mind since the size only specifies diameter. The width of your tire is the first set of number in your tire size — you can learn more here.
While you can’t use this to individually protect each tire, it’s a decent solution for storing your tires outdoors. Some users did complain that it’s not fully waterproof. Again, we’d recommend putting your tires in an airtight bag in combination with this product.
If you do decide to use this as a way of storing your tires, make sure to read our tips below before zipping up that bag.
How to properly store your tires
You may think you can just stack your tires in the corner of your garage until the season passes, but at the very least, you want to put them in airtight bags. Before you do any of that however, there are several steps you should take to ensure your tires are protected while they’re in storage.
- Make sure to clean your tires before storing them. Use a tire brush to make the job easier.
- If you are also storing your wheels, clean your wheels too.
- Do not apply any sort of tire dressing or tire shine before storing your tires. This can actually hurt your tires since they’re going into storage.
- Once your tires are clean and dry, that’s when you want to bag them up. If you are using one of our recommended totes, keep in mind those aren’t perfectly airtight. We recommend putting them in a plastic bag first, and then putting them into the tote.
- Do your best to avoid storing your tires in direct sunlight. Tires should be stored in open air with cool, dry weather. Avoid placing them near heat sources. A climate-controlled space is ideal, like a basement, but we know that isn’t possible for everybody.
- If you’re stacking your tires, make sure to store them black-to-black and white-to-white if your tires have any white areas on them.
- Standing your tires is the best way to store them, but if you are having to stack, try to avoid stacking too high. Now if the tires are mounted on wheels, then stacking is better. You can also hang wheel and tire combinations up on a hook or tire rack, but never hang a tire on its own. Hanging unmounted tires can cause damage to the tire.
- When you’re ready to use your tires again, make sure to have them inspected by a professional. You do not want to go through the hassle of putting them back onto your vehicle to find out they’ve been damaged while in storage.