BEST BOAT TRAILER TIRES

When towing your boat to the lake, it's better to be thinking about the sunny adventures ahead of you—not worrying about your boat trailer tires behind you.

If you are looking for the best boat trailer tires, you've come to the right place. Whether you just bought your first boat or you've been hauling your pontoon to the lake for years, investing in high-quality tires is essential for safely towing your boat.

We factored in features like quality, traction, and speed rating when picking our top 5 best boat trailer tires. You want the absolute best tire out there? We got you. You want an economical option that doesn't sacrifice quality? We have that too!

We are here to help you find the tire up to the test—and that's why all the tires on our list are radials. These trailer tires run cooler and last longer than bias ply or LT tires, making them the most stable and secure choice for towing boat trailers.

And you may have a few questions too: What tire fits my trailer? What makes boat trailer tires special? Do I need radials or bias tires for my boat trailers? We will answer these questions and more after our list so you can be confident you chose the right boat trailer tire.

Let's take a look at our top 5 boat trailer tires, so you can find the best match for your boat trailer — and the adventures that await. Time to dive in!

Our Favorite Boat Trailer Tires

1. Kenda Karrier
2. Westlake
3. Taskmaster Provider
4. Taskmaster Contender

Best for Large Boats: Taskmaster Provider

If you need some beefy tires under your big boat, take a look at Taskmaster's Provider tire. Not many brands create tires with enough strength for a Cabin Cruiser—which is why the Taskmaster Provider is our pick for large boats. It comes in load ranges C through G, so consider this tire for hauling your heaviest loads with superior traction.

Provider radials are bake tested, which is a process designed to ensure that these tires hold up over time. Usually this is done only on tires for passenger vehicles, but we appreciate the extra step Taskmaster takes to ensure they are delivering you a quality tire for your trailer.

Their speed rating lies at a hearty 81 mph, so you can feel stable towing your heavy load at a safe highway speed.

This tire's automotive-style tread creates superior traction on wet and dry roads compared to other tires. In wet conditions, this tire will channel water off to maintain contact with the ground. It is resistant to tread separation because of its nylon thread firming belt, and it will tow thousands of miles with minimal wear.

And you can feel safe with the Provider's 2-Year Platinum Plus warranty if you get the tire-wheel combo, which includes emergency tire change service and other benefits that are just a phone call away while towing.

The Taskmaster Provider is a pretty fantastic tire—the one downside is that it is not made in the USA like the Goodyear, but only a few premium tires are nowadays. While this puts the Provider behind Goodyear, you will be getting a great tire at a little lower price.

Best Bang for Your Buck: Kenda Karrier

If you want an affordable tire with high performance, the Kenda Karrier is a great choice for you.

We like the Kenda Karrier because it exceeds the Department of Transportation's safety standards for trailer tires. Kenda has a testing facility near Colombus, Ohio, where they test their tires to ensure the best safety and performance. This tire's construction is more than just sturdy (which you kind of expect from a tire), and it also provides a smooth and stable ride—all for an affordable price.

These Kenda tires come compact and mighty, perfect for small trailers and/or heavy boats. The double steel belts and full nylon-ply construction set the Kenda above its similar-sized competition when it comes to managing large loads. With load range options from C to F, Kenda tires are great for hauling anything from a bass boat to a cabin cruiser, which is a boat-and-trailer combination that weighs in between 4,000 lbs and 16,000 lbs.

The Kenda Karrier is also rated up to 81 mph, which is pretty above average for a trailer tire. The speed rating is lower than the Goodyear Endurance at 87 mph but still higher than other tire brands like Westlake at 75 mph. Overall, you can be confident while rolling down the highway that this tire will dispel heat efficiently, leading to a long life of safe towing.

Why James Loves These Tires

James, etrailer neighbor

1 year later, 5/5 stars

"I needed four tires for a travel trailer and two plus new springs for a boat trailer. Customer service was very helpful with wisdom about tires and searching for some hardware we couldn't exactly match but found some good enough. Gave me her number at end of first call in case I needed any more help and I did. A few hours after ordering I got email reporting all shipped. All arrived on predicted time. Over the years I have noticed that tire quality is often approximately reflected in visible details like the fit of the mold segments, amount of flash, the surface finish, sharpness of details. These are some of the prettiest tires I've ever seen that weren't top of the line Michelins, Pirellis or Bridgestones. I gave them a roll and a sharp eye and saw no wavers vertical or horizontal. Of course the ultimate issue is price. I don't know how you do it. No store in Jacksonville can come close. Even Wal-mart."

Best Fuel Economy: Westlake

If you want to save some cash on gas while towing, the Westlake tire has epic fuel economy at an affordable price.

How do these Westlake radials translate to better fuel economy? Their unique NitroFill-inflation process creates consistent tire pressure, which in turn means greater fuel economy. Other benefits of the Nitrofill feature include improved braking, handling, and longer tire life. If your boat trailer is stored in your garage most of the year, these Nitrofill tires won't lose air. So after storing, you can still hit the road safely and efficiently.

It is also our best selling tire because who doesn't like affordable tires with high performance? Compared with other tires on our list, the Westlake's traction performs better than the budget Taskmaster Contender, but comes after the premium Goodyear Endurance. In other words, this is the middle line between price and performance. Not to mention, Westlake is a more economical choice than name brands like Maxxis or Carlisle—without sacrificing quality.

They come in a variety of load ranges, so you can find the right size tire for your trailer whether it's towing a bass boat, pontoon, or ski boat.

This Westlake has a great warranty and roadside assistance included if you purchase a tire with a wheel. So if you run into a flat tire or other wheel related issues on the road, you have the option of calling Westlake to help you out.

Best for Budget: Taskmaster Contender

If you are in the market for an affordable tire, the Taskmaster Contender is a great option for you. These tires come at a smaller price than name brand tires, but you don't have to sacrifice safety or quality.

Taskmaster keeps it simple with their Contender tire—this is the perfect option for boaters who don't need the flashiest or most expensive setup out there, but want a reliable, affordable tire to get their boat from point A to point B. The speed rating on this tire is a hearty 81 mph, which is great for safe highway towing.

A benefit of the Contender is that it has a high capacity for its size. So if you are looking for a smaller tire to fit on your trailer, but you need it to hold a lot of weight, the Contender is a good choice for you.

This tire comes with roadside assistance, which provides some extra peace of mind while towing. All you have to do is give Taskmaster a call, and they can assist you with any tire issues, such as blowouts or flats!

The construction of the Taskmaster Contender tire is not as beefy as other radial tires. This means you may experience a little more sway from your trailer while hauling. If you are new to towing, you may want to invest in tires that will pull more steadily behind your trailer.

Additionally, this tire does not perform as well as other tires in wet conditions. You may be interested in superior traction if you live in an area with unpredictable weather conditions. Our Goodyear Endurance and Taskmaster Provider have siping, so take a look at these options if you want the tires that channel water off with the most efficiency.

What Tires Fit My Trailer?

After buying your first boat trailer tires, you'll need to find out which tire will support your trailer and boat combo. Most boat trailers come with tires already, so a good place to start is by taking a look at their sidewalls (which we have a helpful article that will help you with doing that here). They'll have a lot of helpful information, including load range, rim width, and wheel diameter.

What Makes Boat Trailer Tires Special?

Boat trailer tires undergo more stress than car tires, which means they need to be more durable. Boat trailer tires are rated special trailer (ST). These types of tires will have stronger sidewalls and higher weight capacity than other types of tires such as passenger vehicles (P) or light truck (LT) tires. Their stiff sidewalls and narrow construction will prevent your boat trailer from swaying when driving on the highway.

Additionally, they have shallower treads to minimize sway, run cooler, and improve your tow vehicle's fuel economy.

LT tires are sometimes used for trailers because they are easier to find at a local store or may be less expensive. While these work, we recommend using ST tires for boat trailers because they support higher weight capacities. Additionally, LT tires have a more flexible sidewall because they are on drive-axles made for trucks. Since trailers don't have these axles, you just need a tire with stiffer sidewalls to support your load.

Radial or Bias Ply Tire for a Boat Trailer?

You may have heard of people using either radial or bias ply tires on their trailers, but which one is better for hauling boats?

For towing boat trailers, we recommend using radial tires. Radial tires flex more than bias ply tires, which means better traction on pavement. Radial tires also run cooler and last longer than bias ply tires under heavy loads when hauled long distance. Bias ply tires are generally used for agricultural hauling because they have thicker sidewalls than radial tires.

The difference between these two tires is in their construction. Cords inside of a bias ply tire run at a 32 degree angle to the direction of travel, while cords on a radial tire run across the tire from wheel lip to wheel lip at 90 degrees. The cords inside a bias ply tire are good for non-paved surfaces, but chance are, you're hauling your boat on the road, so you'll want to stick with radial tires for towing your boat.