Here’s are some good rules of thumb, imho. If the reason you won’t ride at a lower pressure is that the tires feel sluggish when climbing, or riding in general, then going with wider tires will probably not help - you’ll just be lugging around more rubber.
If the reason you won’t drop your pressures is that you’re afraid of pinch flatting (with tubes) or damaging your rims (tubeless), you are a good candidate for bigger tires.
If the reason you won’t drop pressures further is that the tire feels vague when cornering, you are a good candidate for wider rims.
Optimal pressures and tire sizes will vary depending on priorities, tire construction, body weight, road surface etc. I am personally in the “afraid of damaging rims” camp with 25mm race tires. But with more reinforced 25mm tires, I run them at a high enough pressure that pinching isn’t as big of an issue, because the tire feels mushy at lower pressures. So the more supple your tire, the more likely a wider tire is to be of a benefit. Look at the extreme end of this spectrum: if you use a solid steel tire, the size doesn’t matter. It’s gonna be harsh regardless, so you may as well use the smallest one you can.
Last edited by smashndash; 11-25-19 at 12:51 AM.