No-one likes it when a puncture gets in the way of a good bike ride. Luckily, tubeless tyres make this a lot rarer than it used to be, and there are loads of great tubeless tyre repair options around to get you back rolling if it does happen
There are a few good ways to avoid getting punctures – optimum tire pressures for the trail, better line choices, choosing the best tire for your riding conditions, sufficient sealant in the tire, and good bike handling. But sometimes, in spite of doing everything right, you just run out of luck and you’ll have to resort to a tubeless repair kit. We’ve tried and tested loads so you can skip straight to the best tubeless tire puncture repair kits out there.
Whatever your budget or your maintenance skill level, these easy-to-use kits and tyre plugs will get you back on the trial as quickly and efficiently as possible. Don’t forget that you’ll still need a mountain bike mini-pump too!
- How to set your tyre pressure
- How to choose the best line
- Best mountain bike tyres: all-rounders and terrain-specific rubber
Weldtite Tubeless Repair kit
1. Weldtite Tubeless Repair Kit
Great value for money if you’re new to fixing tires by plugging them.
Weight: 70g | Rating: 9/10
Reasons to buy: Great value, does the job
Reasons to avoid: Not the most glamorous brand or exciting packaging.
With a lightweight and easy-to-carry box, Weldtite tubeless tire repair kit is great value for money. The box includes 5 tubeless repair strings, rasp and needle tools, knife, 5g rubber solution, sandpaper, and crayon. The tubeless repair strings are thin, super-sticky composite threads jammed into tyre casings with a mini fork-shaped plunger. Apart from the area around tire beads, repairs in most areas work really well and can be replaced later with a bigger and secondary plug, if needed.
The rubber solution helps plugs stay put. You can also cut off any protruding plug tails to stop them ripping with friction from riding or braking. The blade included in this kit helps with the task, but you can also use it to cut the tubeless repair strings in half, to get more use out of the kit.
Read the full review about Weldtite tubeless repair kit on MBR
Dynaplug Racer, for when every second counts
2. Dynaplug Racer Tubeless Repair Kit
You’ll love these if the normal plugs aren’t working well for you so far!
Weight: 23g | Rating: 9/10
Reasons to buy: Offer a speedy fix, fancy setup
Reasons to avoid: Rather expensive
If your priorities are having a speedy and efficient ride, then Dynaplug Racer Tubeless Repair Kit is a must-have for you! Kit includes the tool itself with both standard and megaplug stainless steel insertion tubes, 2 x Megaplugs and 3 x soft nose standard plugs.
Dynaplug punches brass-headed, impregnated, rubber plugs straight into damaged tyres to seal holes without the need for glue. Although, at £35, it is indeed quite pricey, the quick usage and efficient fix makes it all worth it. All you have to do is to push the spiky end through a damaged tire to deposit a tailed, coated repair plug, and it seals immediately.
Normally, the usual tire plugs wriggle out of tires under braking forces, but Dynaplug’s brass plug tips are good at resisting that.
Read the full review of Dynaplug Racer Tubeless Repair Kit on MBR
3. Blackburn Plugger Tubeless Repair Kit
The best mountain bike tubeless repair kit we’ve seen
Weight: 27g | Strips: 10 included | Rating: 10/10
Reasons to buy: Reliable, easy to use, comes with lots of plug strips, comes with strap system for attaching to bike
Reasons to avoid: Chunky design
Blackburn’s reliable Plugger kit comes with 1 plug tool, 1 tool holster, 1 strap, and 10 plugs. The whole set without the strap weighs about 27g. The plastic housing is light but durable, and allows the plugger to be pre-loaded that makes it all set to use whenever you need. The plug tool is like a metal straw with the end cut diagonally, instead of the frequently seen fork-shaped design. The benefit of this design is that the strips stay in the tire better and are easy to insert and load.
The hook and loop strap makes it easy for this kit to be loaded just about anywhere on the bike. This makes it hard to accidentally forget it at home and you’ll have it ready for whenever you need it. Blackburn claims that your repairs are permanent so you can rest assured!
4. Wolf Tooth EnCase System Chain + Tire Plug Multi-Tool
A stealthy multi-tasking tool that fits in your handlebars
Weight: 27g | Strips: 5 included | Rating: 10/10
Reasons to buy: Can be stowed in handlebars, includes chain tool
Reasons to avoid: Pricey if you already have a multi-tool.
This handy multi-tool essentially allows you to fix tubeless tires and broken chains – both things that can help you keep going against all odds. The Wolf Tooth EnCase System Chain + Tire Plug Tool has a chain tool on one end and a fork-shaped tire plug inserter tool built into the handle, with inner storage for tubeless tire plugs. It comes with 5 tire plugs, and more are available to buy aftermarket.
The set-up overall is pleasant to use, with the tire plugs easily loading into the inserter tool, even when doubled up, and seals punctures effectively. Whilst the chain tool is a great addition to it all, if you’re just after a plug tool to add to your existing tool kit, this one might be an overkill.
The setup usually sits inside your handlebars with the EnCase System Storage Sleeves, sold separately. Of course, you can also carry it in your jersey pocket or top tube bag.
Read more about the Wolf Tooth EnCase System Chain + Tire Plug Multi-Tool on MBR
How we tested
The experienced product testers at MBR do a lot of riding, and that means they’ve clocked up a lot of miles on their bikes. Punctures are inevitable, and these tubeless tyre repair kits are the ones we’ve found work the best. They offer excellent performance, value for money, and ease of use. In evaluating them, we take into account the price, what’s included, how easy the system is to use, how durable the repair is
Kiss goodbye to repairing inner tubes with tubeless and tubeless plug kits
What to look for in the best tubeless repair kit for your mountain bike
There are several elements to a tubeless repair kit that you need to consider, and what you go for will often be a combination of quality, price, and what works best for you.
Tool: This is the metal or plastic fork or prong that is used to insert the repair strip into the hole in the tyre. Some are needle-shaped, and some fork shaped which makes it easy to hold the repair strip between the prongs.
Repair plugs: These have different names depending on the brand; tyre plugs, repair strips, even ‘bacon strips’, so called because they often look a little like slices of streaky bacon. These strips are what will plug the hole in the tyre, pushed into place with the tool. There’ll often be excess material poking out which can be trimmed.
Cannister or holder: Most tubeless repair kits will come encased in a little cannister or holder. This is to keep things neat, protect the contents, and also protect the rider; landing on a miniature barbecue fork when you crash would not be fun. These are usually small enough to stow in a pocket or frame bag. Some also come with straps so they can be attached directly to the frame, so you can always have them on your bike and ready to go.
Blade or scissors: Some tools will have an additional small blade or scissor-type element so you can cut off any excess strip material once the plug is in place.
What’s the difference between puncture repair kits and tubeless tyre plugs?
Puncture repair kits are for tires with tubes. Tubes can get punctured for several reasons including getting a tiny bit of pointy rock poking in through the tire into the tube to getting a slow puncture from a shred of glass. Puncture repair kits include patches, glue and sandpaper. Normally, you scruff the tube with the sandpaper, put the glue on the back of the patch and stick it onto the tube, before putting the tube back into the tire (and making sure the inside of the tire is clear of any debris) and pumping it up.
Tubeless tires, on the other hand, use tire plugs to repair or seal a puncture to the tire. Tires that are set up tubeless – without an inner tube – instead use a combination of design, specific rim tape and importantly a liquid sealant that sits inside the tire. In most cases, with smaller holes, this sealant will fill, dry and automatically seal the puncture.
However, for bigger holes, a tubeless repair string/plug is used. The idea is to insert a strip of material, sometimes called a plug or ‘bacon strips’, into a sharp fork-shaped tool that you then firmly push into the hole in the tire. When the tool is withdrawn, the plug should literally plug the hole, the sealant then does its job to seal the area around it, and any remnants of the plug on the outside can be cut off. This sort of repair ensures longevity of the tire.