On a tire, what does XL or reinforced mean?

If you own a car that often carries heavy loads, or is a multi-purpose vehicle's, e.g. a minivan, it is possible that the vehicle manufacturer originally installed Extra Load (XL) or reinforced tires. These tires have stiffer sidewalls than normal tires, which allow them to support the weight of heavier vehicles.

You can check on the sidewall of the tire you currently have for the mention "XL" or "RNF", which will indicate if the tire is reinforced. This should not be confused with "RF", which usually means run flat.

To be sure, you should also make sure that the load rating on the tires you are buying is the same or higher than what you currently have installed.

Our site allows you to search for XL or reinforced tires by applying the filter below on the tire result page.

1. Filter your tire size

2. Refine your results by selecting “Reinforced”, as illustrated below;

3. Then, click on “Update Results”

The results will be updated and will only show “Reinforced Tires”, which are labelled with an “XL”.