Best Tire Chains 2023

Jul 06, 2023

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Get a grip on winter driving conditions with these snow tire chains, socks, and cleats.

If you regularly drive in snow and ice, a set of winter tires is a wise investment and suffices for most situations. But for more treacherous cold weather driving, adding chains to winter tires increases the friction coefficient between the tire and the ground, providing an extra layer of traction, especially for turning and inclines.

For those who live in temperate winter zones like Southern California and low-lying areas of the Pacific Northwest, and only occasionally drive to ski areas or through winter passes, buying snow tires—and the time and expense of swapping them for regular tires—isn’t worth the cost and hassle. Snow chains are a much cheaper and easier option, and they’re required in several Western states in certain areas and weather conditions.

Of course, tire chains can be a hassle to install, and you can’t use them on regular pavement, which means you usually have to install them in cold, wintry conditions. And with chains you can’t drive more than about 25 mph.

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First and foremost, snow chains have to fit your specific tire: too small and they won’t fit over your tire, too large and they’ll be loose and could damage your vehicle. It’s also important to check your vehicle owner’s manual since some automakers state that chains should not be used on their vehicles, and most warn that damage from improper or poorly installed chains can void the car’s warranty.

Also consider what type of chains you want to use. “Snow chains” is a catchall term for both chains and cables. The latter is a more wire than chain and can provide a quick and less expensive solution than chains. Even shorter-term solutions are tire socks and cleats.

Snow chains also come with and without tensioners. Some we tested were quick-fit self-tensioning snow chains and came with spring-loaded arms or plastic clips. Otherwise, spider-style tensioners need to be purchased separately.

We tested tire chains on Mt. Hood after a week of deep snow. The parking lots and roads we chose had been plowed and featured a variety of conditions: everything from several inches of snow to almost bare pavement to ice-covered asphalt.

By doing laps around the Mt. Hood Meadows parking lot, on some of the resorts’ private roads, on nearby public roads, and Oregon Highway 35 is how we evaluated these traction devices. Our test routes provided a variety of flat surfaces, snow-covered grades, and tight turns. We tested the traction devices for overall road feel and comfort, stopping distance under hard braking, and ease of putting them on and off the CR-V’s front 235/60R18 snow tires.

The König XG-12 Pro 255 snow chains are the best we tested—and the second most expensive. They have a special chain-pattern design with welded double-traction plates for maximum grip. They were easy to install, too, thanks to König’s Micro-Adjust system that makes mounting and tensioning the chains a breeze while providing a precise fit on the tire. The chains’ Active Tensioning and Balancing device keeps the chain tight and centered while driving, eliminating the need to stop and tighten the chains.

ISSE calls these “Textile Snow Chains,” but they’re more like snow socks—and a great alternative to heavier, bulkier chains. Since they’re made from 100 percent polyester, they’re easier to install and remove than other chains. They come as a pair, are reusable and even washable, but are also for very limited use. While you can drive on bare pavement with chains if you must, ISSE insists you shouldn’t do so with these since they can become damage easily. Ride feel was the best out of all the products tested and stopping distance was decent—not as good as chains but good enough if you drive carefully and prepare to stop in time.

If cost isn’t an issue and you drive a large SUV, the König K-Summit XXL K66 snow chains are a decent option. The K-Summit are compact and flexible and because they’re installed and removed only on the outside of the wheel, they’re easier to put on. The K-Summit uses proprietary-designed adapters, while fastening is performed via a supplied wrench that tells the user when the ideal torque is reached. Tensioning is handled through an integrated ratchet that causes the chain to automatically reach its ideal position while driving. Special injection-molded plastic plates with hard metal studs and special steel chain make the K-Summit tire chains relatively lightweight.

Security Chain is one of several brands owned by Peerless, and the Super Z6 cable-style chains offer self-tensioning like their Peerless 0232105 Auto-Trac cousins. But they use cables wrapped in steel coils instead of chain links, making them lighter. This means they also take up less space than traditional chains and better for compact vehicles with small wheel wells. The coils don’t dig into snow as deeply as chains, but they get the job done and they’re easy to install. A rubber tensioner that connects to a cable running around the circumference of the tire and six clips tighten the cable and keep the Z6s snug on the tire.

If you’re one of the millions of drivers who prefer the utility and perch of a pickup, Security Chain’s QG2228CAM Quik Grip chains are specifically designed for trucks and can handle the extra weight of a 4X4. Built from manganese alloy steel, they feature long-wearing square crosslinks for maximum grip and durability and come in a variety of sizes to fit a wide range of truck tires. A built-in tightening system means they don’t need additional tensioners, but some online reviewers report that these chains can be difficult to install.

Doug Newcomb splits his time between Hood River, Ore., and Todos Santos, Mexico. He's been writing about technology and cars for more than 30 years for Wired, Rolling Stone, Road & Track, Automobile, PCMag.com, Playboy and numerous other publications. He cofounded the C3 Group in 2013 to produce automotive industry events in New York, San Francisco, Washington, D.C. and at SXSW in Austin. C3 Group was acquired by Informa in 2018. When he's not writing, he's riding a surfboard

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