Review and photos by James Bergeron
Photo Gallery: Tire Tote
"What exactly is a Tire Tote and why would I ever need one?"
I remember asking myself this very question when I first saw these bags in auto parts stores a few years ago. Fast-forward a couple of years, a few extra sets of tires in my garage, basement, trunk and - heaven forbid - the entryway to my home - and I totally get them.
When you purchase a set of tires or simply get your winter or summer tires swapped on your vehicle, chances are the dealer will give you large plastic bags to carry your wheels and tires home in. The intent is to attempt to keep your car's trunk or back seat clean while you transport the goods back to your garage - but they never work.
Personally I find these bags extremely annoying: they constantly slide off the wheels, there is nothing to hold onto and your hands and clothes inevitably get filthy as you lug these tires out of your car and into their final resting location till the next swap.
Tire Totes in action. Click image to enlarge
Enter the Tire Tote: a "bag" made out of a nylon material that wraps around your tire and wheel assembly and provides a rather sturdy handle for carrying. Although I called it a bag, the Tote is more like a wrap, as it wraps around your tire allowing the product to fit a wide variety of wheel sizes from 22-inches to 31-inches in diameter. What about wide wheels? No worry, as they work on those as well - I was able to easily fit a 275/40/R17 tire and wheel assembly into the Tote.
I use these for my track wheels, and the amount of brake dust and grime that builds up on the wheels is unbelievable. Heading to the local eatery full of grime after a track day is no fun at all. The Tire Totes really do an excellent job of keeping my hands and clothes free of this grime and makes transporting the wheels a snap - I will admit though, that a 17-inch tire is a wee bit heavy to carry with one hand.
For the average consumer, these bags protect clothes and surroundings from salt and road grime as well as brake dust. Being constructed of vinyl, they do not hold onto the moisture that can be trapped by a plastic bag and cause your nice summer alloys to corrode if they're still damp from a final wash.
We should also consider the environmental impact of these tire totes. Approximately 7 million Canadian drivers use winter tires and they each swap over their tires twice a year, that totals 56 million wasted plastic bags per year. Collect all these bags in one spot and that's enough to fill 519 Olympic sized swimming pools.
Tire Totes in action. Click image to enlarge
Not only do these bags keep me, my car and my house clean, but they are pretty stylish to boot - Tire Totes are available in grey and black for as low as $21.99 for two (you'll need to buy two boxes) or Michelin-branded in stylish blue and black at most Costco locations for $39.99 for four totes (only one box required).
Another benefit - and something I'm sure the inventors hadn't thought of - is that Tire Totes also keep that tire smell at bay. While this isn't so much of a concern if you store your tires in your garage, I store mine in the basement; I used to get numerous comments from the better half on how our basement smelled like the tire centre at Costco - but not anymore! Thanks Tire Tote!
