Tests 73 · 1 test Owners 63 · 21 reviews
Head-to-head
Updated
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 vs Michelin Defender T+H — Compared
Relative Score (0–100): the weighted average of the categories below, each 60% road tests and 40% owner reviews (comfort 40/60). Based on 1 + 1 road tests and 21 + 1 owner reviews. How we score
Defender T+H leads, 70–68 Narrow edge
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Tests – · 1 test Owners 69 · 1 review
Best test result: #1 of 8 in 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires (tested tread life (miles))
Category by category
Relative Score per category, 0–100. Open “Why this score” for the tests and owner ratings behind it.
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73
Dry
Blizzak WS90 +469Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 85 ≈ 69 (est.) Reviews found online 54 70 Blizzak WS90: 60% × 84.9 + 40% × 54.1 = 73
Defender T+H: 60% × 68.8 (est.) + 40% × 70 = 69
No road tests of dry for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.41).
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67
Wet
Defender T+H +572Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 66 ≈ 72 (est.) Reviews found online 69 73 Blizzak WS90: 60% × 65.6 + 40% × 68.5 = 67
Defender T+H: 60% × 71.9 (est.) + 40% × 72.8 = 72
No road tests of wet for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.55).
-
73
Snow
Blizzak WS90 +865Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 69 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 79 61 Blizzak WS90: 60% × 68.9 + 40% × 78.5 = 73
Defender T+H: 60% × 67.5 (est.) + 40% × 61.1 = 65
No road tests of snow for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.32).
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61
Comfort
Defender T+H +667Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 69 ≈ 68 (est.) Reviews found online 55 66 Blizzak WS90: 40% × 68.8 + 60% × 55.2 = 61
Defender T+H: 40% × 68.1 (est.) + 60% × 66 = 67
No road tests of comfort for Defender T+H. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.20).
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63
Noise
No comparison–Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · 1 / – tests 70 – Reviews found online 51 – Blizzak WS90: 60% × 70.4 + 40% × 51.1 = 63
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61
Treadwear
Defender T+H +1273Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Professional tests (TWG score) · – / 1 tests ≈ 63 (est.) 76 Reviews found online 58 68 Blizzak WS90: 60% × 63.4 (est.) + 40% × 57.8 = 61
Defender T+H: 60% × 76.1 + 40% × 67.9 = 73
No road tests of treadwear for Blizzak WS90. The test half is estimated from the owner ratings, as far as owners and testers agree (correlation 0.36).
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62
Handling (owners)
No comparison–Why this score
Source Blizzak WS90 Defender T+H Reviews found online 62 –
Scores at a glance
| Category | Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 | Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Relative Score | 68 | 70 |
| Dry | 73 | 69 |
| Wet | 67 | 72 |
| Snow | 73 | 65 |
| Comfort | 61 | 67 |
| Noise | 63 | – |
| Treadwear | 61 | 73 |
| Handling (owners) | 62 | – |
Higher is better. The Relative Score follows your weights below; category scores do not change.
Weight the categories that matter to you
Wet grip starts at “Important”. Treadwear starts at “Neutral” here: road tests measured it for at most one of the two tires, so it rests on owner reviews. Move the sliders and the scores update instantly.
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Neutral
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Less important
NotLessNeutralImportantMost
Only one of the two tires has a score here, so this weight changes nothing in the head-to-head.
Recomputed
Headline score
68
/ 100
Blizzak WS90
70
/ 100
Defender T+H
Only categories both tires have data for count toward the headline score.
The professional test results behind the scores
Per discipline: the average % of the best tire over every test both tires were in, and how many of those tests each one won. “Different tests” rows compare results from separate tests.
| Discipline | Category | Blizzak WS90 | Defender T+H | Δ | Head-to-head |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Also published by the testers (not in the score) | |||||
| Overall Ranking | Overall | #8/10 2026 Tire Rack All-Weather vs Winter Tyre Test | #1/8 2022 Consumer Reports All-Season Tires | – | Different tests |
Pros, cons & observations
Themes extracted from owner reviews found online — not the opinion of TireWheelGuide.
Tire A Blizzak WS90
Pros
- Outstanding grip and acceleration on ice and hard-packed snow
- Excellent braking performance in hazardous winter conditions
- Strong capability in slush and deep snow
Cons
- Increased road noise during highway driving
- Less responsive or 'softer' handling feel on dry pavement
- Potential for minor rubbing depending on vehicle fitment
Tire B Defender T+H
Not enough owner reviews yet to extract themes.
Specs side by side
| Attribute | A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 | B · Michelin Defender T+H |
|---|---|---|
| Category | Winter | Premium Touring All Season tire |
| Vehicle type | Passenger Car / Crossover | SUV and 4x4 |
| Sizes available | 45 | — |
| Rim diameters | 15″ – 19″ | — |
| Tread depth | 11/32″ | — |
| UTQG | — | 820 A - B B |
| Sidewall | Blackwall | — |
| Max pressure | 44 psi | — |
Which one should you actually buy?
68
/ 100
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
70
/ 100
Michelin Defender T+H
Narrow edge: Michelin Defender T+H — better treadwear, comfort and wet. Pick the Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 if snow and dry matter most to you. Michelin Defender T+H rests on little evidence so far (1 test, 1 review), so read this result as provisional.
Pick tire B
You want the longest tread life
Michelin Defender T+H scores 73 vs 61 on treadwear.
Pick tire A
You drive through snowy winters
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90 scores 73 vs 65 on snow.
Pick tire B
You want the most comfortable ride
Michelin Defender T+H scores 67 vs 61 on comfort.
Pick tire B
Your priority is wet-weather safety
Michelin Defender T+H scores 72 vs 67 on wet.
Tire A · Bridgestone Blizzak WS90
Tire B · Michelin Defender T+H
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Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Which is better in the wet, Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 72 vs 67 on our wet score.
Which grips better on dry roads, Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 69 on our dry score.
Which is better in snow, Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Bridgestone Blizzak WS90, 73 vs 65 on our snow score.
Which is more comfortable, Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 67 vs 61 on our comfort score.
Which lasts longer, Blizzak WS90 or Defender T+H?
Michelin Defender T+H, 73 vs 61 on our treadwear score.
How do we compare tires?
Every category score blends two independent signals. 60% comes from professional tire tests (braking distances, lap times, noise measurements), each result compared with every other tire in the same test and newer tests counting more. 40% comes from owner reviews found online, adjusted for how generously each site rates. Both use one scale: the average tested tire gets 70, the best 100. When a tire has only one of the two, the missing half is estimated from the other and the score stays closer to average; with no road test and fewer than five owner reviews it gets no score yet.
Handling is the exception: road tests measure it inside the dry and wet scores, so its own row comes from owner ratings only and starts as less important.
Community buzz from Reddit and forums is shown for context only — it never changes the score. Full methodology