If you’re wondering if you should pull the trigger on a set of Barum Tires, you probably should and here’s why.

Who makes Barum Tires?

Barum tires are a tire manufacturer in Czechoslovakia founded in 1948 making them one of the oldest, most established, and trusted name in tires in Europe for well over 70 years.  According to their timeline, in 1993 Continental Group who, you guessed it, makes Continental Tires, took over Barum Tires. Continental Tires, if you didn’t already know, is a German Tire maker that’s over 147 years old and you know they have a solid reputation with their tires showing up on OEMs.

From their, Barum Tires experienced a boost in growth both in R&D and manufacturing processes evidenced by becoming ISO 9001 certified for at least one of their production facilities the next year.

As far as I know, Barum Tires has one main manufacturing facility in Otrokovice, CZ. Click here to see a Google Maps shot of the Continental Barum factory for yourself. 

Tire Lineup-

Currently, Barum boasts ten tires including,

• Bravuris 5HM
• Bravuris 3HM
• Polaris 5
• Brilliantis 2
• Bravuris 4×4
• Bravuris 2
• Quartaris 5
• Polaris 3
• SnoVanis 2
• Vanis 2

Are they any good?

Yes. A good indicator of how good the entire tire lineup is, is to look at their value offering and see the reviews on those tires. If a tire company skimps on their most affordable offering, they’re more likely to skimp on other tires in their lineup.

Looking at the Brilliantis 2, a tire I first came across when I peered out my window parked at a parking lot in California, this appears to be a popular tire sold by tire shops in my area. Barum says this tire is good for High Mileage, good safety during critical maneuvers, good for wet weather performance, and low rolling noise, all bold claims for a tire that claims to do it all at a price point far less than its competition.

Here are a couple of reviews on the Brilliantis 2 that you should find helpful.

Cheap, trustworthy, comfortable, quiet (enough) and reliable. Very predictable on dry, less so in the wet, but still within safe limits. Wear is not an issue yet and I also don’t expect it to become one. On original 185/65-15 the car was a bit thrashy on sudden ridges, unloaded. Switching to 175/80-14 gave a very comfortable ride, all-around, on these Barums. via Tire Reviews.

“I drove Barum Brilliantis 2 tires for at least 31,000 km. Now after 7 years for safety reasons I have to buy new tires. However, there is some flesh left in these tires. The wet grip is okish, but over the 7 years I wish it was better in emergency braking. Never slipped away laterally though. The dry grip is good.” via Tire Reviews.

“… The Barums also seem to make the steering a bit lighter which is good as the car doesn’t have power steering. They are predictable as well – you know when you are at the edge of grip before you end up in a hedge. Wear is difficult to give an opinion on as the mileage we do is very low but they seem to be wearing evenly. Reasonably priced tire at about $50 each fully fitted and will definitely buy again.”  via Tire Reviews.

And here are a couple of videos from people here in the United States discovering and/or reviewing their Barum Tires that I think you’ll find helpful in forming your own opinion on this tire company.

Final thoughts

Barum, without a doubt, is an excellent tire brand with modern technologies, the latest manufacturing methods, and a proven track record for, as mentioned, over seven decades.

With these tires just making their way into the United States market en masse, it’s understandable that you’re wary of a new brand but rest assured, they’re good tires.