Whether you’re making your tubeless debut or you’re a true convert already, no tubeless tyre setup is complete without tubeless sealant. The milky-white latex-based liquid, complete with synthetic or biodegradable particles that help to plug the hole, works magic when it comes to preventing punctures from letting you down.
While the first tubeless sealant for bike tyres was developed in 2001 by Stan’s, now there’s a huge range to choose from. You can buy different sealants for different bike tyre types, different temperature ranges and even different riding – meaning there’s a bit more to it than just pulling the first bottle you see off the shelf or choosing the first listing you find online.
Let us demystify tubeless sealant for you in this guide, answering the most common questions about tubeless setups including how much sealant you need per tyre, and how often you’ll need to top it up. We’ve also got a list of our favourite sealants for road and gravel tyres to choose from, and why you might like to opt for them in your setup.
Cyclist’s top picks of the best tubeless sealant for road and gravel bike tyres
- Stan’s Tyre Sealant 500ml
- Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre Sealant 1L
- Muc Off Tubeless Sealant 80ml
- WTB Tubeless Tire Sealant 473ml
- Effetto Mariposa Végétalex Tubeless Sealant 1000ml
- Silca Ultimate Tubeless Sealant 473ml
- Vittoria Universal Tubeless Tire Sealant 80ml
- Orange Seal Sealant with injector 236ml
Keep reading for more on each sealant and our detailed buying advice.
Related questions you can explore with Ask Cyclist, our new AI search engine.
How do we test and why trust our advice?
Here are Cyclist we’re always keen to try out and adopt new cycling tech, and the rise of tubeless tyre systems has been a prime example. Now widespread across the gravel and performance road categories, we’ve had our time with tubeless setups – and let’s be honest – learnt from our mistakes when it comes to how to (and how not to) set up tubeless tyres.
Testing tubeless sealant isn’t an easy job, with so many factors that can influence how it performs, so Cyclist tech editor Sam Challis and gravel cycling expert Katherine Moore have brought you a list of our favourites from combined decades of riding, bike, wheel and tyre testing.
Best tubeless tyre sealant for road and gravel bike tyres tried and tested
Stan's Tyre Sealant 500ml
RRP: £20
- First tubeless tyre sealant on the market, formulated in 2001
- Seals punctures up to 6.5mm
- Premium Race Day formula also available
The OG of tyre sealant, the milky white natural latex liquid is supplied in a shaped bottle with a ketchup-like lid for accurate application directly into the tyre. If you prefer to apply through the valve, Stan’s Tubeless Sealant Injector is available separately for £15. A clear strip down the side of the bottles and numbered graduation marks helps you portion out your sealant. A bottle of this size is claimed to seal up to eight tyres.
Stan's isn’t cheap, and then there’s also the premium ‘Race Day’ formula, which doubles the number of hole-sealing crystals, but is only available in a £44, 1L container. You can also buy the original formula in 60ml single application plastic bottles, which is the recommended amount for road and gravel tyres.
Peaty’s Holeshot Biofibre Sealant 1L
RRP: £24.99
- Non-hazardous formula with biodegradable particles
- Universal tyre sealant for tyre pressures between 15 and 120psi
- Suitable for temperatures between -20° and 50°C
Claiming to seal holes of up to 6mm, mountain biking brand Peaty’s has formulated a universal tubeless sealant that can be used in all tyre types, including road, cyclocross and gravel tyres with pressures up to 120psi.
The formula is a white liquid latex base with sparkling blue ‘bio-glitter’ particles throughout, all visible through the clear container. These particles and fibres clot together with the latex when you puncture, quickly sealing small holes and tears. It’s certainly a more environmentally-friendly approach than just chucking some plastic glitter into your sealant mix, which was a popular choice in the early days of tubeless setups.
The 1L bottle is supplied with a tube for insertion directly into the valve if you wish, and graduation marks down the bottle can help you use the right quantity for your needs.
One of my favourite things about the Peaty’s sealant is that I can refill my bottle (or any container) at my local bike shop from their 5L container, cutting down on plastic use.
Muc-Off Road and Gravel Tubeless Sealant 80ml
RRP: £6
- Range of size options from 80ml and 140ml pouches to larger 500ml, 1L and 5L bottles
- Road and gravel specific formula for sealing holes up to 7mm
- Synthetic latex base with particles of biodegradable mineral flakes and bamboo fibre
Designed to work at high tyre pressures of up to 110psi and keep you rolling even down to -15 degrees Celsius, Muc-Off’s Road and Gravel Tubeless Sealant comes in a range of five sizes. Opt for the smaller 80ml or 140ml pouches for easily transportable top-ups, ideal for bikepacking trips or testing events like the Paris-Roubaix sportive, or the larger bottles for your workshop setup.
The runny pink sealant is based on a synthetic latex liquid with natural, biodegradable ‘mineral flakes’ and bamboo fibre. Muc-Off recommends using 50-60ml for 28mm road tyres, or 70-80ml for gravel tyres up to 45mm, and replacing the sealant every 3-6 months (or sooner in hot, dry climates).
The pouches also have a clear window, so you can easily see how much you have left, and roughly measure out your required amount against the graduated scale. The narrow nozzle also makes application through the valve easy, once you’ve removed the valve core, if you don’t want to unseat the tyre.
WTB Tubeless Tire Sealant 473ml
RRP: £20 Buy now from Amazon £16
- Ammonia-free formula with synthetic latex and mica particulates
- Optimised for temperatures down to -9°C
- Designed to work well in the wet
A sealant to be fitted directly into the tyre, rather than via the valve, the WTB Tubeless Tire Sealant is based on a ‘tackifying’ sealing process, rather than an ammonia-based formula that relies on evaporation. According to WTB, this means that the sealant is more effective in wet conditions compared to ammonia-based sealants, which are also less environmentally friendly.
There are four sizes of bottles to choose from; 114ml, 228ml, 455ml or 909ml.
While other options can be used in lower temperatures, WTB opted to prioritise sealing ability over antifreeze, acknowledging that most riders won’t need their regular sealant to perform below -9 degrees Celsius.
According to WTB, the resulting universal sealant is the result of extensive testing and refinement as the fifth formula in their R&D phase.
Effetto Mariposa Végétalex Tubeless Sealant - 1000ml
RRP: £28
- Plant-based biodegradable formula made with olive stones
- 3-6 month active lifespan in tyres
- Totally plastic-free option
Made in Italy from ground olive stones, Effetto Marioposa’s Végétalex Tubeless Sealant is a remarkably different offering. The semi-transparent dark green liquid couldn’t look more different to typical milky-white sealants, with plant-based fibres and particles to replace natural or synthetic latex.
Here, the finely ground stones of olives and cellulose fibres combine to create the sealing effect, held together by xanthan gum, derived from simple sugars. Effetto Mariposa claims that this combination seals punctures up to 5mm.
Besides being environmentally friendly, this formula benefits from a long lifespan in the tyre, upwards of three months and up to six months, depending on environmental conditions.
Choose from 250ml, 1L or 5L bottles, which are also supplied with a short tube to allow you to apply the sealant through the valve, should you wish. There’s also a transparent panel down the side of the bottle with graduation marks, to help you measure out the right portion for each tyre to be fitted or topped up.
Silca Ultimate Tubeless Sealant 473ml
RRP: From £6
- Reformulated for longer sealant life
- Natural/synthetic latex formula with added carbon fibres
- Sealant can now be applied through the tyre valve
Silca's reformulated tubeless sealant is claimed to last up to six months between refreshes, thanks to a new mix of synthetic and natural latex. As with the previous version, it's ammonia-free, but unlike that version there's no need for a separate replenisher product. Silca says that its new sealant coats the inside of the tyre more evenly and is less affected by the use of a CO2 inflator.
The new formula also replaces the mixed carbon fibre mix with single strand carbon fibre, which Silca says helps to reduce clumping and ensure more even fibre distribution for faster sealing. The single strands also mean that the sealant can be added to the tyre and topped up via the valve, as there's no risk of it clogging, as with the previous formula.
Silca still reckons its sealant will seal punctures up to 6mm across, as before. It's available in 1,000ml, 500ml and 65ml sizes.
Vittoria Universal Tubeless Tire Sealant 80ml
RRP: £8.99
- Available in 6 different sizes from 80ml to 5L
- Universal formula for all tyre types
- Neat integrated valve core remover on bottle lid
Vittoria claims that its Universal Tubeless Tire Sealant plugs holes up to 7mm for up to 1,200km, thanks to a combination of the liquid base and coagulating ‘platelets’, which combine when a hole is formed.
As the formula is free of solvents, you can use it in combination with more fragile cotton tyres and tyre inserts without a worry.
A really clever design feature is that the smaller bottles have a valve core remover built into the nozzle lid, making inserting the tubeless sealant through the valve easier. Neat.
The bottles also feature a see-through panel and graduation marks, so it’s a little easier to portion out the right amount for your setup.
While the Vittoria sealant has been developed for use with Vittoria's tyres, it can be used with any brand of road, gravel, CX or mountain bike tyre.
Orange Seal Sealant with injector 236ml
RRP: £19.99
- The original formula from Orange Seal for punctures up to 6mm
- Highly regarded for sealing tyres with porous sidewalls
- Supplied with applicator injector and dipstick (not pictured)
Designed to seal holes up to 6mm, or slices up to 19mm, the original Orange Seal Sealant has a relatively short lifespan, with recommendations to top up every 1.5 months. If that’s a little too much faff, consider the alternative Endurance formula, which only needs to be topped up every three months, but isn’t quite as effective at sealing holes.
The natural latex formula is pale orange in colour, with tiny black specs of the suspended particles, which clump together when a puncture occurs. Orange Seal offers two small bottles, 118ml or 236ml, or larger refill bottles, 455ml or 909ml.
The sealant bottle comes with an applicator tube for injecting directly into the valve, and a dipstick, so you can remove your valve core and test whether your sealant has dried out at any time without having to unseat the tyre.
If you’re planning a super chilly trip (think fat biking in the snow), then Orange Seal also produces a sealant that’s designed to work effectively below zero, though their standard formula will do for most, as it's rated down to -11°.
How to choose the right tubeless sealant
How does tubeless sealant work?
A tried and tested technology that’s widely used in motorbike and car tyres, tubeless sealant sits within the tyre and works to plug punctures or small tears in the tyre tread and walls.
You need tubeless-ready wheels and tubeless-ready tyres, in addition to tubeless valves and tubeless rim tape to make the system work. Combined, these create an airtight space within the tyre for the sealant without needing an inner tube.
The liquid natural or latex-based sealant lines the inside surface of the tyre and flows around the tyre. When the tyre is punctured, whether that’s a thorn, shard of glass or complete hole, the sealant in the tyre flows to the affected area.
Much like how blood forms a clot at a cut in the skin by delivering platelets to the area, sealant features suspended particles – such as natural or synthetic fibres, crystals or glitter – which are carried to the puncture area and help the latex form a seal.
These seals can be permanent, and in some cases so effective that you might not even know that you’ve punctured at all. At other times, with more severe punctures, you may need the additional support of a tubeless plug.
How much tubeless sealant do I need to use per tyre?
How much sealant you’ll need to use depends on three factors; the size of your tyre (and wheel), the sealant manufacturer’s recommendations, and whether you want additional protection.
Larger tyres will need a greater volume of sealant, as there’s a greater internal surface area to cover and further for the sealant to travel to get to a puncture.
Manufacturer recommendations vary a little according to different sealant formulas. Here are just a few:
| Sealant | Road tyres | Gravel tyres |
| Muc-Off | 50-60ml | 70-80ml |
| Peaty’s | 30-45ml | 60-75ml |
| Stan's | 60ml | 60ml |
| WTB | 57-114ml | 57-114ml |
| Orange Seal | 56ml | 85ml |
| Vittoria | 56ml | 85-118ml |
Many manufacturers recommend adding an additional 30ml to your setup if you’re seeking extra protection.
Can I reuse tubeless sealant?
Absolutely. If you’re switching between tyres and your sealant is still liquid, transfer it over to the new tyre and top up the volume accordingly. If you’ve had your sealant in the original tyre for a while, it may have dried up, so you won’t be able to reuse it.
How often do I need to replace tubeless sealant?
Different sealant formulas have been designed to last for different lengths of time. It’s a balancing act; for example Orange Seal’s standard formula is the most effective at plugging holes according to the brand, yet only lasts six weeks. Its Endurance sealant lasts twice as long, but you lose a little of the sealant's efficacy.
Check your chosen sealant for recommendations on how often you need to replace it. Also factor in environmental conditions, as sealant will dry out much quicker in hot and dry climates.
Here are a few manufacturer recommendations;
| Sealant | Replacement interval |
| Muc-Off Road and Gravel | 3-6 months or 750 miles |
| Peaty’s | Up to 6 months |
| Stan's | 2-7 months |
| Orange Seal original | 1.5 months |
| Orange Seal endurance | 3 months |
| Silca | Add Replenisher every 3-4 months |
Make sure you replace your sealant regularly to ensure there’s always enough liquid sealant in your tyre to plug holes effectively.
Can you use the same tubeless sealant for road, gravel and mountain bike tyres?
Yes and no. Most brands have designed their sealants to be universal, but others, such as Muc-Off, have specific sealants for road and gravel or mountain biking applications. The main differences are the required tyre pressure range and the size of the potential holes or tears. Having said that, there is a lot of overlap between the two, so you could probably go for either if you were really in a pinch.
Read our guides to the best tubeless road bike tyres, best gravel bike tyres and best tubeless repair kits to complete your tubeless set-up.
