<p>In Filament Winding (FW) techniques, uninterrupted fiber tows are deposited onto a rotating mandrel for closed cylindrical structures. It is the most frequently used process for the fabrication of pipes, tubes, shafts, and pressure vessels. This also allows high cable placement precision, high percent fiber content, and low material wastage. To use the maximum strength of fibers, reinforcement is given uniformly in the FW directions. Proper design and winding technique would involve maximum fiber strength in the winding direction chosen. The present review connects 50 research papers published from 2015 to 2025 that relate to filament-wound polymer composite cylindrical tubes, thus providing an organized review of current knowledge and findings. It summarizes materials selection, fiber type, matrix system, and parameters of production with their influence on tensile strength, flexural strength, and impact resistance. The mechanical properties were derived from the experimentally validated results reported in the literature reviewed by applying standard test methods such as ASTM tensile tests, low-velocity impact tests, and Finite Element (FE) modeling. The review states that the control of fiber orientation with advanced methods of reinforcement is one major contributor to structural integrity. It further throws some light on how manufacturing parameters like winding patterns, winding load, and curing conditions influence final properties. It also highlights the diverse applications of filament-wound polymer composite cylindrical tubes in different industries. Finally, the paper highlights the gaps in the existing research and outlines directions for future research.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>