8 Snow Chain Alternatives That Grip in Winter

AutoSock is a textile cover that pulls over the driving wheels, and it is the original snow sock on this list. The size AS600 shown here fits tyre size 165/70-14 and costs £64.95 per pair, while larger sizes cost more, with AS697 at £79.95 and AS698 at £84.95. The limit to know is speed and surface.

• AutoSock says passenger cars should not drive faster than 50 km/h or 30 mph with the socks fitted, and fabric wear rises fast on bare tarmac, so take
• Choose AutoSock for occasional snow and limited clearance, and pick a metal chain for daily mountain driving.

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ISSE Safety makes textile snow chains from 100 percent high strength polyester with no metal parts, and the New Zealand distributor sells them in sizes that cover vehicles from a mini to a large SUV. Each bag holds two chains, one for each side of the car, so drivers who want all four tyres covered need two sets. One limit is that the New Zealand site does not show a price, so this entry is listed as quote only and you need to contact the seller for a current figure.

• The New Zealand Transport Agency recognises textile snow chains as a temporary gripping device, similar to metal snow chains, which matters at chain c
• ISSE says its socks can last up to four times longer than other products in the same category.
• Choose ISSE if you want a textile option with a patent-backed fabric design.
• Skip it if you need a firm price before you commit.

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Michelin Easy Grip Evolution is a composite snow chain made from a high-tech net rather than steel links, and it sits between a textile sock and a full metal chain. The EVO 9 size is listed at €89.40 per pair on Amazon Spain, while the larger EVO 18 size is listed at €149.56 on a tyre retailer site, so the price depends on the size group your tyres need. The product is approved in Italy to UNI 11313:2010 and meets the European standard EN16662-1:2020, which helps at chain control points in countries that accept composite devices.

• Each group matches a set of tyre sizes, so match the group to your tyre sidewall before you order.
• Choose it for more bite than a fabric sock.
• Skip it if your handbook bans chains of any kind.

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Michelin SOS Grip Evolution is a textile tyre sock, and Michelin lists ten sizes that cover more than 90 percent of vehicles on the road, from small city cars to large family cars and 4x4s. The price shown in a retailer catalogue is €114.00 per pair for sizes SOS0 to SOS9, so the price is the same across the size range in that catalogue. Fitting takes under two minutes, and the socks suit vehicles with ESP and ABS and vehicles with reduced wheel arches, where steel chains may not fit.

• Like other textile socks, they are a short-term aid: take them off when the road clears, because bare tarmac wears the fabric fast.
• Choose SOS Grip for a wide size range at one price.
• Skip it for the lowest cost, because AutoSock starts at £64.95 per pair.

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König XG-12 Pro is a steel snow chain built for large SUVs, vans and motorhomes that cannot take a traditional 16 mm chain. It is 12 mm thick, and König says it is the only 12 mm thick snow chain certified to Ö-Norm V5117, EN16662-1:2020 and Ö-Norm V5119. König covers its snow chains with a 5 years warranty against manufacturing defects in materials and workmanship.

• One limit is price: the official König site does not show a price, so this entry is listed as quote only and you need to ask a dealer for a current fi
• Choose XG-12 Pro for a large SUV, van or motorhome with tight clearance.
• Skip it if you want an online price first.

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Pewag Servo RS is a diamond pattern chain with square 3.2 mm links, and its servo system tightens the chain by itself once you make the connections and flip the switch, then drive. The PWRS76 size costs $187.38 per pair at etrailer, against a retail figure of $229.95 shown on the same page. It fits tyres from 14 inch to 19 inch, and the Class S design needs only 1.46 inch (37 mm) of clearance above the tread and 0.59 inch (15 mm) at the sidewall.

• The trade-off is the warranty and the fitting feel.
• Pewag gives a 90-day warranty on this chain, which is far shorter than the 5 years warranty König gives on its chains.
• Some drivers also find the cable connector stiff to undo, so practise the fitting at home in dry conditions before you need it in snow.
• Choose Servo RS for a self-tensioning chain with tight clearance.

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König K-Summit is an external snow chain, which means it is fitted working only on the outside of the tyre and fixed through a wheel bolt or nut system. That design is the point: cars with no inner wheel clearance, where a normal chain would touch suspension parts or brake lines, can still use it. The K-Summit family covers passenger cars, SUVs, electric cars, vans and buses, with eight size variants for the car model alone, from K11 to K45.

• The K45 size costs NZ$1,149.00 per pair at Supercheap Auto New Zealand, and other sizes are listed at NZ$1,079.10 to NZ$1,349.00.
• Fitting is for sealed roads only, and the chain must match your tyre size exactly, so use the König configurator before you order.
• Choose K-Summit if your car has zero inner clearance.
• Skip it if your car accepts a normal chain.

Visit König K-Summit →

Trac-Grabber is different from the other items here: it is a rubber block that straps across a drive wheel to get a stuck vehicle moving again, rather than a chain you drive on for miles. The blocks sit against each drive wheel and are held by Velcro straps through an opening in the wheel, and the maker says fitting takes about 30 seconds. Once fitted, you apply power slowly until the tyre turns and the blocks grip the surface, lift the tyre, and move the vehicle to stable ground.

• The device weighs as little as 1.5 pounds and comes in sizes for cars, trucks, ATVs, four-wheel drive vehicles, and even buses and semi-trucks.
• One limit is scope: Trac-Grabber is for getting unstuck, so it does not replace a chain or a sock for a long drive through snow.
• Some wheels need the hubcap removed to expose the opening for the straps.
• Choose Trac-Grabber as a cheap rescue aid to carry beside a chain or a sock.

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