Key takeaways
- Buying tyres online and using a mobile fitter are not either-or: many drivers buy online, then have them fitted at home.
- Online prices can look low, but you still need fitting, balancing, a valve and disposal, so compare the full cost.
- A mobile fitter can either supply and fit tyres, or fit tyres you have bought online and had delivered.
- Mobile fitting saves the trip to a garage and the wait, fitting at your home, work or the roadside.
- Always check the delivered tyre is the right size, load and speed rating before fitting day.
Buying tyres online feels cheaper, and sometimes it is, but the headline price is never the whole cost. You still need them fitted, balanced and the old ones taken away. This guide compares buying online with using a mobile fitter, explains why the two often work together rather than against each other, and shows how to avoid the common mistakes that catch people out.
Should you buy tyres online or use a mobile fitter?
It is not really a choice between the two, because they cover different stages: buying online is about sourcing the tyre, while mobile fitting is about getting it fitted. Many drivers do both, buying online and having a mobile fitter come to fit them. A good mobile service can either supply the tyres or fit ones you bought yourself.
So the real questions are where you buy and where you get fitted. Online can offer a wide choice and keen prices. Mobile fitting brings the fitter to your door instead of you queuing at a garage. Put them together and you can have the tyre you want fitted where you want, often for a competitive all-in cost.
What does buying tyres online actually cost?
Buying online looks cheap because the price you see is usually the tyre alone. You still pay separately for fitting, a new valve, wheel balancing and old-tyre disposal. Some online retailers bundle a fitting appointment at a partner garage; others leave you to arrange it. The all-in figure is what counts, not the sticker.
| What you pay for | Buying online alone | Mobile supply and fit |
|---|---|---|
| The tyre | Yes, often keenly priced | Included in the quote |
| Fitting and balancing | Arranged and paid separately | Included, at your location |
| New valve and disposal | Usually extra at the garage | Included in the all-in price |
| Your time and travel | Trip to a garage and a wait | None - the fitter comes to you |
Once the extras are added, a tyre that looked much cheaper online can land close to a supply-and-fit quote. The lesson is to total everything before deciding. Our guide on how much new tyres cost in the UK explains the parts that make up a fair price.
Can a mobile fitter fit tyres you bought online?
Yes. A mobile fitter can fit tyres you have bought online and had delivered, as well as supply and fit tyres themselves. This is a popular route: you hunt down the exact tyre you want, have it delivered, and a fitter comes to your home or work to fit and balance it. Our full guide covers fitting tyres you bought online.
Fast Tyre can do either: supply the tyres for you, or fit ones you have bought and had delivered, at your home, work or the roadside across London and central England. The wheels stay on the car, the tyres are changed on the spot, and the old ones are taken away. It is the same job a garage does, brought to your driveway.
What are the advantages of mobile fitting?
Mobile fitting's main advantage is that the fitter comes to you, so you skip the trip, the queue and the wait that a garage involves. The work is done at your home, workplace or the roadside, often within 30 to 60 minutes of arrival, and the all-in price is usually quoted upfront. For busy drivers the time saved is the real value.
- No trip or wait - the fitter comes to your driveway or car park.
- Roadside cover - useful if a tyre fails away from home.
- All-in pricing - fitting, balancing, valve and disposal usually included.
- Flexible timing - fitted while you work or relax at home.
Our guide on how much mobile tyre fitting costs shows how the price compares. For most jobs, mobile fitting is not a luxury surcharge: it removes the hidden costs of getting to and from a garage.
What are the risks of buying online?
The main risk of buying online is getting the wrong tyre or an old one. It is easy to order the wrong size, load index or speed rating, and a tyre that has sat in a warehouse can have an old DOT date code. You also lose the fitter's eye that would catch a mistake before fitting on a supply-and-fit job.
[UNIQUE INSIGHT] The cheapest online listing is sometimes cheap for a reason: an older manufacture date, a discontinued line, or a less suitable rating for your car. Check the size against your door placard, confirm the load and speed ratings match, and ask the seller about the DOT date if it is not stated. A few minutes of checking avoids fitting a tyre that is technically wrong for the car or already aged. Buy carefully and online sourcing works well; buy on price alone and it can backfire.
How to get the best of both
The smart approach is to source the right tyre at a fair price, then have it fitted where it suits you. Compare the all-in cost of buying online plus fitting against a mobile supply-and-fit quote, and pick whichever is better value for the exact tyre you want. Either way, fitting at home removes the garage trip entirely.
Whichever route you choose, Fast Tyre can help: we supply budget, mid-range and premium tyres, or fit ones you have bought online, at your home, work or the roadside across London and central England through our mobile tyre fitting service. Just confirm the size and ratings, and the wheels never have to leave your car.
Frequently asked questions
The tyre itself can be cheaper online, but the price usually excludes fitting, balancing, a valve and disposal. Once those are added, the all-in cost often lands close to a mobile supply-and-fit quote. Compare the total, not the sticker, and factor in your time and travel to a garage.
Yes. A mobile fitter can fit tyres you have bought online and had delivered, or supply and fit tyres themselves. Many drivers source the exact tyre they want online, then have a fitter come to their home or work to fit and balance it on the spot.
Check the size, load index and speed rating match your car, using the door placard or your current tyres. Ask about the DOT date code so you do not receive an aged tyre, and confirm whether fitting is included or arranged separately. A few minutes of checking avoids a wrong delivery.
Not usually. Mobile supply-and-fit bundles the tyre, fitting, balancing, valve and disposal into one all-in price and saves the garage trip. Buying online then paying a garage to fit adds the same extras plus your travel and waiting time, so mobile is often level or cheaper.
A wrong-size tyre cannot be fitted, so it must be returned and the correct one ordered, wasting time and possibly a fitting appointment. Always confirm the full size code, load index and speed rating against your door placard before ordering, and double-check the delivery on arrival.
Yes. A mobile fitter brings the equipment to your home, workplace or the roadside, changes the tyres with the wheels still on the car, balances them and takes the old ones away. The job is the same one a garage does, usually completed within 30 to 60 minutes of arrival.