WHAT IS THE BEST PROTECTION FOR ALLOY WHEELS?

Have you ever hit a kerb or a pothole and felt that sinking feeling, thinking: "That's it — my wheel is done for"? Modern alloy wheels tend to have larger diameters, making them far more susceptible to scuffs and scratches caused by kerbs, potholes, and other road hazards.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOUR ALLOY WHEELS FROM DAMAGE?

Wheel protectors are a fantastic way to protect your alloy wheels and tyres from unwanted damage caused by kerbs and potholes. Typically made from a strip of flexible yet durable plastic or rubber that attaches to a wheel, they act as a barrier between the face of your alloy wheel and any road hazard.

WHICH ALLOY WHEEL PROTECTORS SHOULD YOU CHOOSE?

There are a number of wheel protection solutions available on the market, which generally fall into one of two camps: fully integrated wheel protection or self-adhesive rim protection. Your choice will depend on what you are looking for and your budget, so let's take a look at some of the options available.

ALLOYGATOR ALLOY WHEEL PROTECTION

Offering protection for wheels up to 24 inches, the AlloyGator wheel protector physically integrates into the wheel. Using patented wheel-locking technology, it fits to the back of the alloy wheel and grips the secondary bead of a tyre. This creates a robust and secure barrier that protects both the face of the alloy wheel and the tyre sidewall against sustained and repeated impacts without breaking, meaning it has an exceptionally long service life.

The AlloyGator wheel protector is the only wheel protection product whose quality and safety have been independently tested by the Motor Industry Research Association (MIRA) and TÜV. (View our test certificates here.)

AlloyGator wheel protectors are slightly more involved to fit than other wheel protection products, as they require you to raise your vehicle, deflate your tyre, hammer the profile into place, and re-inflate the wheel. Rest assured, they also offer a nationwide fitting service if you would rather not install them yourself!

AlloyGator Wheel Protection offers a range of 14 colours, designed to give customers the choice of making a statement with bold, eye-catching shades such as blue, orange, red, green, and pink, or the option to blend their wheel protection into a more understated colour scheme with silver or black.

Available from €129.95

IN SUMMARY

+ AlloyGator offers a high level of wheel protection;

+ Protects both the alloy wheel and the tyre sidewall;

+ Has a long service life;

+ Has been independently tested by MIRA & TÜV,

– Is slightly more involved to fit, but a fitting service can be purchased.

– Is slightly more expensive than competing products.

RIMBLADE ULTRA (Scratches replaced by RIMBLADES and ORIGINAL RIMBLADES in March 2020)

Rimblade Ultra fits wheels up to 22 inches and is an adhesive-based wheel protection solution, designed to bond to the wheel rim and provide protection against minor kerb impacts, stone chips and parking scuffs. It is manufactured from santoprene and contains a fine wire that prevents the profile from stretching or shrinking at extreme temperatures.

To fit Rimblade Ultra, you need to clean the face of the wheel, peel off the adhesive tape, press the rubber strip against the edge of the alloy wheel rim until you reach the same position where you started, and cut with kitchen scissors.

Rimblade Ultra is available in 10 different colours, offering a choice of subtle or more varied colour options.

Price between €36 and €215

IN SUMMARY

+ Rimblades are slightly more affordable;

+ They are easier to fit;

– They rely on adhesive to bond to the rim, meaning they have a relatively short lifespan compared to integrated solutions such as AlloyGator;

– Can only provide protection against minor impacts.

RIMPRO-TEC

Similar to Rimblade Ultra, Rimpro-Tec offers protection for wheels up to 22 inches and is an adhesive-based wheel protection solution designed to bond to the wheel rim and provide light protection against scuffs and kerb damage.

Fitting is relatively similar to Rimblades; with Rimpro-Tec, you need to clean the face of the wheel, peel the adhesive tape from the back of the base profile, press the strip against the edge of the rim until it completes a full circle, cut the profile, and add the inner profile on the opposite side to the end point of the base profile to create a seamless join.

Slightly different from AlloyGators and Rimblades, RimPro-Tec features a black, silver or red base layer and an inner layer available in a range of 11 colours.

Price €119.15

IN SUMMARY

+ They are easy to fit;

– They rely on adhesive to bond to the rim, meaning they have a relatively short lifespan compared to integrated solutions such as AlloyGator;

– More expensive than most wheel protection solutions;

– Can only provide protection against minor impacts.

Conclusion

Choosing a wheel protection solution is relatively straightforward – you simply need to ask yourself these questions:

1. Which alloy wheel protection solution offers the best protection against road impacts?
2. Which alloy wheel protection solution will last the longest?
3. Which alloy wheel rim protector is the easiest to fit?

In my opinion (and not just because I write this blog for them), AlloyGators are truly the only way to go! Yes, AlloyGator wheel protectors are slightly more difficult to fit than other wheel protection products. However, given that AlloyGators can be physically secured and integrated into a wheel, they genuinely offer unbeatable wheel protection compared to other products.