Blizzak WS80 vs WS90: Which Is The Best Tire For You?

Bridgestone is known for its winter tire series as an established tire manufacturer. With its Blizzak series of winter and snow tires, Bridgestone has ruled over the tire market’s studless ice and snow division tires. 

Blizzak tires come with multi-purpose winter tread, which improves the winter grip in icy conditions so significantly that you will feel like you are driving on a clear, smooth road. These tires are more prominent than standard tires without the inconvenience of using metal clamps.

The planet has to go through a wide range of seasons, so the tires on our cars must, of course, be substituted to “conquer” every season. Winter is a heavy season, and in this season, the air is very cold.

In turn, the roads are frozen, glacial, and very muddy. Thus, every tire maker in the world produces special tires specific for summer, winter, and winter. 

Furthermore, different conditions need a diverse variety of tires because the road acts differently in each season. For example, during the rainy season, you’re more likely to skid on the roads, whereas in winter, your average tire will find it hard to cut through the snow. 

For this purpose, Bridgestone has created a Blizzak line of tires which are well-tailored tires for the winter season. Among different versions of their “WS” series of tires, the WS80 and the WS90 are among the latest variants for their winter tire line-up. Their models use many modular innovations to ensure their driving safety and efficiency. 

However, the gap between models is small (though still quite significant) when speaking explicitly of the Bridgestone Blizzak WS80 versus WS90. In this article, we will discuss these two specific tire models.

First, let’s start by mentioning a few notable differences between the Blizzak WS80 versus the Blizzak WS90. These include:

Main Differences Between Blizzak WS80 vs Blizzak WS90

The Main Differences Between Blizzak WS80 vs Blizzak WS90 are:

• The Blizzak WS90 has 30% more block stiffness in the tread pattern when compared to WS80
• The Blizzak WS90, specifically at high speed, generates tremendous noise, whereas its counterpart, the WS80, does not
• The Blizzak WS90 comes with a maximum of 20 inches, whereas Blizzak WS80 comes with a maximum rim diameter of 19 inches
• The Blizzak WS90 comes with a 15% increase in the number of block edges.

Depending on what your driving goals are, these can be a fairly significant difference.

Blizzak WS80 vs Blizzak WS90: Which One Should You Buy?

Both WS80 and WS90 are some of the latest tire models in the market today, although the WS90 was released after WS80. Below, we will discuss both products thoroughly to help you choose the best tire for a comfortable ride.

Blizzak WS80

The Blizzak WS80 was released in July 2014 with the modern NanoPro-Tech multicell tread compound, which helps you drive over a snowy road in a breeze. The latest multicell mixture addresses the traction problem in winter conditions. 

The appearance in the tread rubber is of several small air pockets. The tiny bubbles in the tubes and cells’ outline work to briefly wash away the water accumulating under the tire’s patch, as seen through a microscope. This enables the tread rubber to touch the surface for a better grip. 

Although Bridgestone used a multicell compound on their Blizzak tires for many generations, the distinction this time is that there is a special hydrophilic covering within each bubble, which makes all the difference.

Being hydrophilic means that the water is drawn in, pulling for improved momentum into each bubble rather than in previous models. 

Bridgestone has inserted small bite fragments found in the tread rubber to scrape the snow/ice surface. They carefully redesigned zig-zag sipes to incorporate vital bite edges and interlock for improved flexibility and handling of tread blocks.

They also Increased the number of bite block edges by 20% compared to the previous generation Blizzak WS70 by a revised batch form and scale.

Comfort driving is not a problem with this tire. Not only does it offer you more luxury than many of the world’s leading competitors, but it also doesn’t have any unnecessary road noise, which is good if you drive for long distances. Blizzak WS80 comes in various sizes, ranging from 15” to 18” and T and H speed rates. 

Icy roads or highways typically pose harmful conditions that are not ideal for handling your summer and all-season tires. The winter tires of Blizzak WS80 are designed explicitly with distinctive shapes, thicker thickness, and the technology of snow and ice that will protect your car from unforeseen dangers.

Features of the Blizzak WS80

Excellent Traction

The specialized rubber compound of the WS80 operates at molecular levels to be flexible in the cold for drivers who are fighting against bad weather, especially on snow-filled roads.

Impressive Handling

The WS80 provides an optimized tire footprint or touch patch for improved traction and power in dry, stylish, and snowy environments to help deliver strength evenly and efficiently. Furthermore, the WS80 has an innovative rope design of thick grooves and treads.

This encourages the drivers to drive in snow, slush, and water during rough climates since the track makes moving a lot easier, making it easier to handle the vehicle in harsh weather.

Great Stopping Strength

When tires come in contact with snow during winter times, the impact can create water. This water can lead to further slippage under glazed circumstances. The Blizzak WS80 is remarkable, as it comes with a hydrophilic or water-loving coating of the next-generation multicell compound. 

The multicellular compound can attract water from the road to fight slippage on ice. This upgrade enables it to draw water, therefore decreasing the chance of slipping. The WS80 multi-cell compound also has bite particles that serve as tiny studs to grip the road and increase ice braking.

Optimized Footprint

The WS80 is designed mainly to maximize a tire’s footprint and uniformly dispense pressure across the tread for improved traction and smoother water or slush clearance.

Pros

• Provides excellent grip for narrow and snowy roads
• Convenient travel with minimal noise
• Improved Steering accuracy
• Considerably cheaper than WS90

Cons

• WS80 has around 15% fewer block edges than WS90
• Doesn’t Provide as great of a grip in wet environments
• Treads wear down way faster than its competitor WS90

Overall WS80 Verdict

While WS80 is five years old than the WS90, it still packs a punch. While it might not necessarily be better than the WS90, it definitely competes with it — especially considering that it is priced considerably lower than WS90.

The hold on snow, ice, wet paving, and all other types of winter roads is superb. The safer sensation this tire provides when driving in raw weather is absolutely worth it. There is nothing when it comes to a winter tire, as far as the negatives are concerned.

There are a range of really nice models to pick from if you’re interested in buying a package of winter tires, but for the money, the WS80 is indeed a good bang for your buck tire.

Blizzak WS90

The Blizzak WS90 is one of the latest tires by Bridgestone, and it was released in May 2019. Throughout their lifespan, winter tires have excellent stability and high driving safety requirements. They are engineered and produced to improve their performance under different winter conditions while also retaining their superior handling and power.

The Blizzak WS90 comes in a wide range of sizes, ranging from 14 to 19 inches in diameter. This is impressive when compared to WS80, which only comes in 14 to 15 inches in diameter. 

According to Bridgestone, the Blizzak WS90 is a robust tire, which controls your car in the most challenging conditions. Also, Bridgestone has stated that the WS90 is a “leader in charge of the ice,” based on tests on a closed course rather than in-house testing of the venture.

Features of the Blizzak WS90

Rough Conditions

Winter tires like the WS90 use their winding and winter blends to improve road handling and stability in winter conditions. Different tread designs and formulations could achieve the same impact, so a proper balance must provide maximum durability under winter conditions.

The Blizzak WS90 is also modeled from a durable multi-cell compound with a detail that improves the pneumatic grip on the road’s surface. The unique compound removes the thin water coating that forms between the rubber and the surface of the ice during the drive to enhance the gripping ability of ice and snow. 

Silica in the compound allows the tires to retain rubber stability at lower temperatures and increase surface grip with ice and snow. The tread design’s precise zig-zag pattern increases the amount of biting corners in the drive that grasp the ground surface, allowing the tire to improve its winter weather protection.

The larger circumference and side grooves of the tread are built together to improve the resistance to hydroplaning. The tire surface interaction is interrupted when water and slush linger on the asphalt surface. The driver loses control of the skidding car in these situations, which could result in injuries.

The optimum grooving pattern enables the tire to improve its moist grip and drive comfortably even in harsh weather conditions.

Comfortable

The standard of the ride is pretty good — not as steep as in high-performance tires, but much more substantial than in winter tires. You will never notice any difference. The Blizzak WS90 is also much easier when it comes to noise.

There is always a visible noise on any surface, but Bridgestone has done a great job keeping noise levels as low as possible. You can use these all year long, but it is not advisable because treadwear is increased during summer.

The sip pattern also causes friction between the ground surface and the tread field; it improves stopping strength and reduces the brakes’ distance. This combination means that the performance will be outstanding in different winter conditions, and you are almost guaranteed a smooth, enjoyable ride.

Enhanced Stability and Flexibility

All tire rubber will start to expand when the weather gets colder, so new winter tires have been engineered to stay durable even at incredibly low temperatures. The WS90 series tires are especially flexible.

With a tape pattern designed for grip in winter driving weather, this flexibility helps them adapt to the ground’s surface and retain their traction. 

The latest Blizzak WS90 is ranked 3 Peak Mountain Snowflake and features Nano-Tech, which means that the cold weather is flexible and easily spread silica to improve grip and flexibility.

Pros

• In both mild and hard snow, this tire works very well.
• Good handling and driving control
• Three peak mountain snowflake symbol certified (3PMSF)
• Great stopping power
• Comes in a wide range of sizes ranging from 15 to 19 inches

Cons

• WS90 is more costly than WS80
• No Tread Life warranty
• WS90, Specially at high speed, produce significant noise

The Overall WS90 Verdict

The Bridgestone Blizzak is a fairly solid winter tire. It’s more robust than its forerunner with a higher industry ranking. It boasts its included features, such as block hardness, interlocking sipes, and specially formulated mold, for instance.

This version is ideal for the entire driving season, but especially brilliant under snow conditions with increased stability and power, designed for supreme control over snow, slush, and ice.

The model also has zig-zag blocks, which increase the tire’s wear life, and a multi-cycle compound with bite particles to improve grip on the icy roads. All in all, the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 is one of the — if not the best — tires if you’re looking to have a comfortable and peaceful drive when driving through rough weather.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Final Verdict

There should be no overemphasizing the advantages of getting winter tires. You should realize that you have a responsibility to keep your drive as safe as possible, not only for yourself but for other passengers on the road, too. No doubt, it’s a joy to adjust your car’s tire to make your vehicle more robust and safe.

Although the variation between these tire types is minor, the output capacities are also different. You should consider the driving conditions under which you submit tires whether you are thinking of buying one or the other.

If your vehicle is mounted on the WS80 or the WS90s, both are well capable of being used during the winter season. Bridgestone is an internationally recognized tire manufacturer, and you have to think about tires’ consistency and quality, no matter what variant you pick.

Both WS80 and WS90 are great choices. If you want to purchase good pocket-friendly winter tires, WS80 is the way to go. Otherwise, if you’re going to have the latest technology with a considerable amount of improvements, then WS90 will logically be the best choice.