Tyre Noise Ratings Chart 2026: EU A, B, C Classes in dB

The noise letter on an EU tyre label (tire label, in US usage) is not a fixed decibel scale: it measures how far the tyre sits below the legal noise limit for its width. For the widths most cars use, 186 to 245 mm, the limit is 71 dB, so a tyre is class A at 68 dB or less, class B at 69-71 dB and class C from 72 dB. Narrower tyres need a lower figure for the same letter, wider ones are allowed more, and the tyre noise ratings chart below gives every band.

💡 Calculate yours: Tyre Pressure Calculator — the right PSI/bar for your car and load; wrong pressure changes how a tyre sounds and wears.

Tyre noise ratings chart: A, B and C by width

Reading it for your car: take the width from the tyre size — the 205 in 205/55 R16 — and find its row. A 205 mm summer tyre labelled 70 dB is class B; the same tyre at 68 dB would be an A. If the sidewall says XL or carries the snowflake symbol, use the figures plus 1 dB. Our tyre size guide explains the rest of the size code.

What A, B and C mean on the 2021 label

The current label has applied since 1 May 2021 under Regulation (EU) 2020/740. The noise box shows a loudspeaker, the measured value in dB and the letters A B C, with the tyre’s own class printed in bold. Every label carries the same three sound waves in the pictogram, so counting waves no longer tells you anything.

On the label used from 2012 until April 2021 (Regulation (EC) No 1222/2009) the class was shown by one, two or three black waves. Plenty of older tyre listings and articles still describe noise that way; the letter is what counts now.

The class boundaries come from the limit values in Regulation (EC) No 661/2009: 70 dB for car tyres up to 185 mm, 71 dB from 186 to 245 mm, 72 dB from 246 to 275 mm and 74 dB above that. Because new car tyres must also meet those limits to be approved for sale in the EU, the European Commission notes that C-class noise is only allowed for very specific tyres. In practice the choice in a normal car size is between A and B.

How the decibel figure is measured

The dB value is an external rolling noise figure, measured to Annex 3 of UNECE Regulation No 117: a test car fitted with the tyres coasts past roadside microphones with the engine switched off, and the result is referenced to 80 km/h. It records what people outside the car hear. It is not a cabin-noise measurement, although a tyre that is quieter outside usually gives the interior less to work with as well.

For the full label, including the fuel-efficiency and wet-grip classes, see our EU tyre label guide.

How much is 1, 3 or 10 dB?

The decibel scale is logarithmic, which is why small numbers on the label matter:

• About 1 dB — hard to hear side by side.
• 3 dB — double the sound energy. The Commission’s own explanation of the label puts it as a 3 dB difference doubling the external noise a tyre produces.
• About 10 dB — what most listeners judge as twice as loud.

So a class A tyre, at least 3 dB under the limit, puts out half the sound energy or less of a tyre sitting right at the limit for the same width.

What makes one tyre louder than another

• Tread pattern. Big, widely spaced blocks hit the road harder and pump more air in and out of the grooves; pitch-varied block spacing spreads the sound over more frequencies so it hums less.
• Width. More rubber on the road means more contact noise, which is why the EU limit itself rises with width.
• Construction. Stiffer sidewalls, as on run-flat tyres, can pass more road vibration into the car. Some tyres have a foam ring bonded inside to damp the air resonating in the cavity; that affects cabin noise rather than the label value.
• Winter compounds and tread. Deeper, heavily siped winter tread tends to be louder on dry tarmac, and the regulation allows snow tyres an extra decibel.
• Road surface. Coarse chip seal, grooved concrete and cobbles raise noise from any tyre; the label test is run on a standard surface so tyres can be compared fairly.

Quietest tyres in your size: how to compare before buying

1. Compare like with like. Label values only line up between tyres of the same width; mixing a 195 mm and a 255 mm tyre mixes two limits.
2. Use EPREL. Every tyre sold in the EU is registered in the EPREL database, and the QR code on the label opens its record, so you can check the dB value and class for your exact size before buying.
3. Read independent tests for cabin noise. Motoring clubs such as ADAC score noise in their own tyre tests alongside braking and wear; the label gives you only the standard pass-by figure.
4. Do not trade safety for silence. Wet grip matters more than a decibel or two, and in winter conditions a proper winter or all-season tyre matters more than either.

Keeping tyres quiet once fitted

1. Keep pressures right. Under-inflated tyres flex and wear unevenly; use the tyre pressure calculator or our tyre pressure guide.
2. Rotate and align. Feathered or cupped wear makes a tyre drone; see the rotation and alignment guide.
3. Check new noises. A rhythmic thump that appears after a pothole can be a damaged tyre rather than road noise; compare what you see with our sidewall damage chart.
4. Pick the narrowest approved size if your car’s handbook lists more than one; the tyre size calculator shows how alternatives compare.

Related tyre markings

The noise class sits on the label, not the sidewall. The sidewall carries the size, the load index and the speed rating, which must match your car’s specification whatever the noise figure. EV drivers can find more in our EV tyre guide, and country rules are in the tyre laws directory.