Preventive tyre sealant goes into the tyre before anything happens and seals tread punctures as you drive, so the tyre keeps its pressure and the vehicle keeps working. Puncture repair happens after the tyre has gone down: an emergency aerosol, a plug or a vulcanised patch, all of which mean stopping. In independent tests, OKO's seal was 1.6 times as strong as a vulcanised repair and 7 times as strong as a plug.
How preventive sealant works
You add OKO through the valve when the tyre is new or fresh. Once the wheel turns, it spreads into a liquid layer over the inside of the tread and stays there. When something pierces the tread, the escaping air drives the sealant into the hole, where it bonds with the rubber and forms an airtight plug, usually within seconds. Only a small amount is used on each puncture, so the same dose covers the next one too.
Because it stays liquid for the life of the tyre, there is nothing to do on the day. A truck tyre treated with OKO Original Truck & Bus that picks up a puncture should behave in the same way as the other tyres on the vehicle.
How puncture repair works
- Emergency aerosol cans are used once a tyre is already flat, to get you moving again.
- Plugs are pushed into the hole from outside, usually at the roadside or in the yard.
- Vulcanised repairs mean taking the tyre off the rim and repairing it in a workshop.
All three are reactive. The puncture has already happened, the tyre has lost pressure, and the machine or vehicle has stopped.
Side by side
| Preventive sealant (OKO) | Plug | Vulcanised repair | |
|---|---|---|---|
| When it goes in | Before the puncture | After the puncture | After the puncture |
| Does the vehicle stop? | No, it seals while you drive | Yes | Yes, and the tyre comes off |
| Seal strength (independent test) | 7x a plug, 1.6x a vulcanised repair | Baseline | Baseline |
| Multiple punctures | Seals them as they happen | One repair each | One repair each |
| Effect on tyre life | Up to 20% longer (up to 30% with Lifelong) | — | — |
Downtime is the real cost
The repair itself is rarely the expensive part. The cost is a combine standing still at harvest, a loaded truck on the hard shoulder or a haul truck waiting for a tyre crew. Every reactive repair adds a stop, a call-out or a trip to the workshop. A preventive sealant removes most of those stops for tread punctures.
It also helps between punctures. By sealing the tread and holding the right pressure, OKO keeps the tyre cooler and more flexible, which is how it extends tyre life by up to 20% even when nothing goes wrong. For fleets, our guide to cutting puncture downtime in truck and bus fleets shows how to roll this out.
What sealant cannot do
Preventive sealant is not a cure-all, and it is worth knowing where the line is:
- Tread only. Sidewall damage cannot be sealed by any tyre sealant.
- Size limits. Each formula has a maximum: 5mm for OKO Original 4x4 & Van and OKO Original On-Road Motorcycle, 8mm for OKO Original Truck & Bus, 12mm for OKO Original Off-Road and 20mm for OKO Original Mining. In inner tubes the sealable size is lower.
- Not every product is a sealant. OKO Premium Tyre Care Lifelong is a tyre conditioner. It does not seal punctures.
Damage beyond these limits still needs a proper repair or a new tyre.
Getting started
The dose depends on the exact tyre size, so start with the OKO dosage calculator. Then follow our guide on how to put sealant in a tyre. If you are wondering how often you will need to reapply, how long tyre sealant lasts has the answer: in most cases, one dose for the life of the tyre.
Quick answers
Is preventive tyre sealant a permanent fix?
Yes, within its limits. OKO seals tread-area punctures permanently, up to the maximum size for each formula and within the thickness of the tyre.
Is a sealant seal stronger than a plug?
In independent testing, the OKO seal was 7 times as strong as a plug and 1.6 times as strong as a vulcanised repair.
Can sealant fix a sidewall puncture?
No. OKO seals the tread area only. Sidewall damage cannot be sealed by any tyre sealant.
Does one dose cope with more than one puncture?
Yes. Only a small amount of sealant is used on each puncture, so the rest stays in the tyre to protect it against the next one.
Find your dose in the OKO dosage calculator and choose the formula for your vehicle. The online shop serves the UK only; outside the UK, buy through an OKO distributor.
