Articles on: Choosing Tires & Tubes

Aerothan TPU tubes: what they are and their advantages

Aerothan is a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) material Schwalbe developed as a high-end alternative to a standard butyl tube. Rather than incrementally improving butyl, it's a different tube material altogether, aimed at riders who want the lowest possible weight and rolling resistance without giving up puncture resistance.

Key advantages:

About 40% lighter than a comparable Extralight butyl tube
Very low rolling resistance, close to tubeless-level performance
Increased puncture protection — the material resists sudden air loss, so a defect tends to leak down slowly rather than causing a fast flat
Dimensional stability — Aerothan holds its shape well, so it doesn't shift or bunch up inside the tire, which makes installation noticeably easier and less prone to pinching
High heat resistance — safe for use with rim brakes, including repeated hard braking
Compatible with carbon rims

Where it fits: Aerothan is aimed at riders who'd consider tubeless but either prefer running a tube, or have a wheel that isn't a great tubeless candidate. It's available across Road, Allround, and MTB tire categories. Because it's a flexible material rather than a rigid one, expect normal manufacturing tolerances — weight can vary by roughly ±5% between individual tubes.

Aerothan tubes are 100% recyclable, and a portion of the material comes from chemically recycled raw material recovered from end-of-life tires.

For sizing, installation, and repair specifics, see our companion article on Aerothan installation, repair, and care.

Previous version aerothan tubes (identifiable by the plastic TPU valve stem) are NOT compatible with: CLIK valve cores (stripping out the plastic threads). Handheld electric pumps (overheating concerns). Please also exercise caution with screw-on pumps and pressures sensors since the valve core can be un-threaded from valve stem.

As of 2026, the above compatibility issues have been addressed with a aluminum valve stem.

Newly released aerothan tubes (packaged in the sky blue box) use a aluminum valve stem with an external thread, giving a sturdy connection point that now makes them compatible with the Schwalbe Clik Valve, screw-in tire pressure sensors, and handheld electric pumps.

Previous Version - TPU Valve Stem	NEW Version - Aluminum Valve Stem
	* featured with a Schwalbe CLIK Valve

Updated on: 08/18/2026

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