SIX OF THE BEST

We’ve been stabbing tyres to ind out which formula seals best

Tubeless sealants – we’ve been stabbing tyres with a selection of screwdrivers to see which formulas plug holes the best

Finish Line Sealant £14.99 (240ml)

SO GOOD… Finish Line say their Kevlar-based sealant won’t degrade over time like latex sealants do and will last the lifetime of the tyre, though we’ve not had our sample long enough to test that claim just yet.

NO GOOD… The gloopy solution was reluctant to coat the inside of our tyre, making it harder to get an initial seal than with other formulas and meaning that it struggled to seal sidewall punctures too. It performed worst in our puncture tests, failing to plug a hole made with a 6mm screwdriver. The price is high too, with a full-size bottle (1l) costing £40. www.madison.co.uk

Orange Seal Endurance £15.99 (237ml)

SO GOOD… Orange Seal’s original formula was one of the most effective solutions for sealing large holes but degraded quickly. This ‘Endurance’ version is claimed to last up to four months between top-ups. The included valve injector makes this easier.

NO GOOD… Although it plugged sidewall holes very fast, it couldn’t match the original version when it came to larger holes. Our test tyre could no longer hold 30psi after being stabbed with a 6mm screwdriver, as it could with the top two sealants here. It’s the most expensive by volume too, and the 910ml refill bottle is barely better value (£39.99). www.extrauk.co.uk

Schwalbe Doc Blue £21 (500ml)

SO GOOD… Doc Blue is made by Stan’s NoTubes. That means it performs just like the original Stan’s sealant (not the Race version tested here). The only real difference is the blue colour, and the fact that an empty 60ml dispenser bottle and a valve core remover are included to make it easier to add to your tyre.

NO GOOD… It’s more expensive than the Stan’s equivalent (which costs £16 for a 473ml bottle), and doesn’t plug larger holes as well as the top performers here. Stabbing with a 6mm screwdriver produced a shower of sealant before it eventually sealed. www.schwalbe.com

Effetto Mariposa Caffélatex £20 (1l)

SO GOOD… Not only is this one of the cheapest sealants here but it was the second most effective in our tests. The low-viscosity foaming solution plugs hard-to-reach sidewall punctures quickly and sealed holes made with a 6mm screwdriver after one or two wheel revolutions. There was zero leaking once the holes were sealed.

NO GOOD… It didn’t plug the 6mm hole as quickly as the Stan’s Race sealant and couldn’t plug a hole made with an 8mm screwdriver – only the Stan’s managed that. Effetto sell additives (£20 for 200ml) that are claimed to increase its effectiveness with larger holes. www.upgradebikes.co.uk

e*thirteen Tire Plasma £19.95 (1l)

SO GOOD… This is the cheapest sealant here (by volume), by a slim margin. While e*thirteen recommend using 120ml in MTB tyres, we used 100ml to keep our testing consistent and still had good results. Holes up to 6mm in diameter were plugged quickly, and sidewall punctures were sealed without fuss.

NO GOOD… Although the Tire Plasma coated the inside of our test tyre nicely and plugged punctures rapidly, it never sealed them competely. Even small holes made with a pick leaked very slightly, though this wasn’t noticeable during the course of a ride. www.silverfish-uk.com

Stan’s NoTubes Race £32 (946ml)

SO GOOD… Simply put, this is the most effective sealant here. It plugged 6mm holes with minimal fuss, only losing 5psi, and held the full 30psi after sealing. The relatively runny solution sealed sidewall holes quickly too, and all punctures were plugged with minimal leaking. It was the only sealant to plug a hole made with an 8mm screwdriver, which it managed after three rotations of the wheel.

NO GOOD… It’s considerably more expensive than the Effetto solution, which performs almost as well. We’d recommend the Race sealant for keen racers or tyre rippers, but Caffélatex for more cash-conscious riders. www.paligap.cc