The Best Traction Mats and Recovery Boards for Off-Road and Overlanding

1. Best Selling - BUNKER INDUST Traction Boards

The BUNKER INDUST traction boards are all about versatility and durability. Providing the durability is the reinforced nylon construction. This allows them to be lightweight and resistant to breaking under load. In fact, one reviewer put the track on an eight-inch step and left it unsupported. He reports that the board bent at about 70 degrees under the load of his vehicle, but it returned to its flat shape when he reversed with only minor damage.

As for versatility, these traction boards are designed with a built-in jack base in the center so you can lift your vehicle for some emergency work in less than ideal conditions. They are also designed to help you get moving again in sand, mud and snow thanks to their raised tracks that prevent tire spinning As for cleaning, this chore should be a simple affair, as the BUNKER INDUST traction boards have no folding parts or hinges.

If you want to see why we put these traction boards at the top of our list, see us put them to the test in one of our own rigs by clicking here.

2. Editor's Pick: X-BULL Recovery Traction Tracks

This set of rigid, durable, and easy-to-use traction mats is well-reviewed by over 100 users — and easily makes our Editors Pick designation for a nicely rounded blend of performance and price. They should be on anybody’s list of the best traction mats in the industry.

The X-BULL Recovery Traction Tracks are made of reinforced, UV-balanced plastic and are ideal for use in off-road settings, on snow, or in deep mud or sand. The non-folding design adds strength and ease of use but makes these tracks slightly less portable. Priced at $100 and backed by excellent owner reviews that praise their value and performance, they’re a confident buy.

At the first sign of being stuck, just wedge the X-BULL Recovery Traction Tracks under the appropriate wheels and carefully creep your vehicle out. The weight of your 4×4 will help the tires bite into the built-in traction studs, and also press the X-BULL Recovery Traction Tracks firmly into the slippery ground beneath. Two tracks are included in a set, as is a handy carry bag.

3. Best for the Serious Off-Roader: Billet4x4 TRED PRO Recovery and Extraction Device

With numerous design touches that provide enhanced strength, durability and performance, the Billet4x4 TRED PRO Recovery and Extraction Device easily earns our Best for the Serious Off-Roader designation. Long and wide in size, these traction aids are compatible with even larger wheels and tires, and make a great shovel for clearing away excess sand and snow. Ergonomic handles add comfort and portability, too.

But it’s the traction mats themselves that really shine: an aggressive tooth surface provides superior bite, and linking & mounting points are used for added durability. A unique shape and structure gives the Billet4x4 TRED PRO Recovery and Extraction Device a perfect blend of rigidity and flexibility for tackling even heavier jobs. Prepare to open your wallet, however.

4. Most Affordable - SubZero GripTrax Traction Tool

You’re not going to find a more affordable set of traction mats the SubZero GripTrax. Retailing for only $15.99 for a pair, the SubZero GripTrax are a basic design that you can afford to replace if you lose one in the mud or you happen to break them.

Tough they are designed to be able to work in mud and sand, the SubZero brand has its roots in winter performance and the GripTrax were made for snow and ice.

They are more compact than some other traction mats on our list, which makes them easy to store in your vehicle.

User reviews are a bit of a mixed bag. We’ve read about some users who have had GripTrax for seven or eight years with no issues. But some others find they too easily sink into snow and turn into projectiles rather than holding in place while you use them.

5. MAXSA Escaper Buddy Traction Mats

If you do a lot of off-roading in the snow, the MAXSA Escaper might be the best traction mats for you. Long and wide, the MAXSA Escaper Buddy Traction Mats feature a unique design element that helps them stand out when used in the snow. The high-traction track surface, on which your tire drives, is raised. The reason? It helps keep tires from spinning in deeper snow—though there’s some added benefit in mud and sand, too.

Look beneath, and a shark tooth design sees hundreds of sharp edges attacking the ground beneath for grip, while a strong star-shaped structure beneath helps stabilize the tracks in place and provide additional biting edges. The MAXSA Escaper Buddy Traction Mats come with good owner reviews, with most shoppers reporting good performance, portability and pricing. Several owners even reported surprise at how strong the MAXSA Escaper Buddy Traction Mats are, too.

6. Homeon Wheels Portable Tire Traction Mats

These cleverly designed traction aids are completely flexible and roll up for easy storage. The flexible roll-out design means that the Homeon Wheels Portable Traction Mats conform to the surface beneath, making them ideal for quick deployment on uneven surfaces, no shoveling required. High strength rubber ribs are molded over a galvanized steel core for strength, and the manufacturer says the design is virtually indestructible.

Two mats are included, and some owners prefer to carry these in their vehicle as an alternative to installing tire chains in certain conditions. The Homeon Wheels Portable Traction Mats are priced in the same ballpark as a single tow-truck call, meaning that they could pay for themselves on the first use.

Serious off-roaders may wish for something a little more rugged and durable, but as a general-use traction mat that’ll do the job in most situations, the Mr. Go Auto Emergency Traction Aid should hit the mark.

7. Portable Tow Truck Tire Traction Mats

This might be too light-duty a product for some more serious off-road use, but we like the super-simple design, price point, and owner reviews of the Portable Tow Truck Tire Traction Mats. Like a simplified version of some of the other traction mats further up this page, this traction air features a dense array of tire-biting cleats on top, and an array of angled ‘hooks’ on the bottom. Every square inch of the bottom of the Portable Tow Truck Tire Traction Mats looks like a mouthful of little plastic teeth ready to bite into snow, ice, mud or wet dirt.

Lightweight, rigid, and just 3 feet long, they’re easily stored in your trunk or bed, too. The Portable Tow Truck Tire Traction Mats probably won’t stand up well to a heavy off-roader stuck in rocks and mud, they’ll come in handy just about any other time you find yourself in need of a little boost in traction.

8. Discount Ramps Heavy Duty Vehicle Recovery Grip Track

For the shopper that prefers their traction aid be made of good old-fashioned steel, the Discount Ramps Heavy Duty Vehicle Recovery Grip Track is worth further investigation. These are sold individually, so a pair will cost you about $60. For that, you get a fully folding, all-metal ramp that folds for compact storage, and extends to about 20 inches long when in use. A rugged and thick orange finish adds visibility in low-light situations, but at just over 7 inches wide, we wonder how well it will work with wider tires.

Owner reviews clock in at over 4 stars average, and cite good performance and satisfactory results — though a few owners note that the Discount Ramps Heavy Duty Vehicle Recovery Grip Track’s short length means several may need to be laid end to end to create a suitable ramp. Other owners suggest the occasional blast of WD-40 and drying with a towel after use to prevent corrosion.

9. DEDC Foldable Traction Mat Pad

These folding traction boards from DEDC might not be the longest-lasting or most effective set on this page, but at under $30 for a set, they’re worth considering to keep in the trunk of your car or truck in a pinch versus other traction mats that cost substantially more

A folding design adds portability, and at nearly two feet in length, you’ve got a decent high-traction runway for your tires. The DEDC vehicle recovery tracks don’t have shark-tooth biting edges or recovery tethers like some of the pricier options on this page—though a honeycomb-shaped tread pattern on the bottom edge looks like it would provide a decent chomp into some mud, dirt or snow.

They’re not pretty, and you might break them on the first use. Still, for the price, the DEDC foldable recovery tracks might get you unstuck, which is pretty sweet.

To see if they’re worth space in your of-road rig, check out our real world review to see how they measure. Click here to read all about them.

Good To Know: What To Do If You’re Stuck

Consider the following tips and tricks if you wind up stuck—and whether or not you’ve got a set of traction mats available.

Shovel It

A little shoveling to remove snow and ice from the area around and in front of each of your vehicle’s drive wheels can go a long way to helping get you on your way. Traction mat or not, you increase your chances of freeing a stuck vehicle without calling a tow truck when you remove as much excess snow and ice from the path of your vehicle’s wheels as you can before trying to free it.

Look under your vehicle too, if it’s stuck in the snow. Are you hung up? If so, the vehicle’s weight is not being supported by the tires, but rather, by the floor of the vehicle instead. In this situation, you’re at a massive disadvantage—and even with traction mats, your tires may not have enough weight on them to do any good. Bust out that shovel and get to work: break up and remove as much snow as you can from beneath the floor of the vehicle, remembering that trying to free a vehicle that’s hung up is typically incredibly frustrating.

Translation? Remove as much snow as you can from beneath your vehicle, and from the area around and ahead of its tires, as you can.

Go for the Grit

If you don’t have traction mats available, or even if you do but you’ve borked things up badly, having something gritty for additional traction may make a big difference in getting your stuck vehicle out of trouble. Every year, drivers across the country forget how much help a few shovels full of sand, cat-litter or road salt can provide, and forget to put some in their vehicle for emergency purposes. Assuming you’ve remembered to pack something gritty along for the ride in the winter, just pour or shovel the sand or salt generously into a stripe that’ll give your spinning wheels (and traction mats) something to bite into, after you’ve shoveled away as much snow as you can.

Straight and Steady

Whether you’re stuck on sand, mud, ice or snow, remember that keeping your steering wheel pointed straight — if feasible — is a great way to help your vehicle get unstuck. Even a little bit of steering angle can make it a lot harder for a stuck vehicle to get moving again, and if you keep your wheel pointed straight ahead, you’re typically increasing the traction available to move the vehicle ahead. Trying to free a stuck vehicle with the steering wheel turned is frustrating business.

You’re the Boss

Most vehicles have a traction control system that’s designed to dramatically reduce, or even eliminate, wheelspin. This is for maximum safety and control, though when you’re stuck a controlled amount of wheelspin may be very helpful to get your machine free. When left engaged, many traction control systems massively suppress the throttle and engine power, which can be counterproductive when trying to free a vehicle that’s trapped by snow, ice or mud. You want to be able to spin your wheels on command, and continuously, if required—so find the traction control switch in your vehicle, and turn it off. If your vehicle has 4×4 or AWD, this is also a good time to engage any available ‘LOCK’ mode, if equipped.

Just don’t spin the wheels too much: light and gentle but steady and continuous throttle application is typically best. Typically, you want your wheels spinning at a steady pace for a few seconds at a time, but not at a high rate of speed. Don’t press the throttle too hard. If your vehicle is AWD, remember to stay onto the throttle and let the wheels spin for a few moments, as AWD systems often need a moment or two to sort things out. If you’re not moving after a few seconds of throttle application, in any case, place the vehicle in park, reposition your traction mats, remove more snow, apply more grit, and try again.

Safety First

If you’re stuck in close proximity to a busy roadway, forget trying to free your vehicle until you’ve made the area nearby as safe as possible. Move passengers somewhere safe if possible, place road flares or reflective warning signs behind your vehicles to alert other motorists of the hazard, and engage all lighting and hazard lighting so you’re as visible, from as far away, as possible. If you’ve got a reflective vest (you should keep one in your emergency kit), now’s the time to put it on.

If you’re stuck on an active roadway, don’t exit the vehicle or attempt to push, dig or recover it. Typically, you’re best to engage hazard lighting and stay put — calling for professional help. Every year, drivers are seriously injured by accidents that result from them exiting their vehicles on a busy road. If you can’t exit the vehicle and flee to safety, you’re often safest to stay inside of it. Engage all of your vehicle’s lighting, including hazard lighting.

If you’re stuck in the snow and nothing seems to be working, you might have to wait several hours for help to arrive. Remember to idle your engine for about 20 minutes every hour, to help conserve fuel for heat. Also, be double-sure to regularly check the tailpipes and clear snow away from them, to prevent possible carbon monoxide poisoning that’s more likely if exhaust gasses don’t have a clear path away from your vehicle.

Finally, be sure to read and memorize all safety instructions relating to your specific traction mat product. Proper use and regular inspection for damage and wear is vital to safe use. A worn or broken traction mat may be a safety hazard, and could fail when you need it most. Before setting off on any winter voyage, a quick inspection of your previously-used traction mats is a great idea.

What is the difference between traction mats and traction boards?

While they both serve the same purpose, there are two different styles. Traction boards are more commonly found being used by those who off-road regularly and need a longer, wider base to get traction in a wide variety of conditions. Traction boards like the ones from Bunker Industries, are usually around 3′ long and 12″ wide to provide a solid base for good traction in loose terrain. Traction mats on the other hand are usually more compact and light weight. We’ve found them to be more suitable for cars or light SUVs, for firmer road/trail use if your tires are spinning on a small patch of snow, ice or mud. The DEDC Foldable Traction Mats are a perfect example of this style of traction mat.

Additional Resources

• Best Tow and Recovery Straps
• Best Winches and Why You Need One
• Essential Tow Points for Proper Off-Road Recovery

Recent Updates

11/22/2021: Updated product descriptions, removed and replaced discontinued products, updated product links, added additional resources.

3/3/2021 – Deleted obsolete inventory and updated product ranking.

11/2/2022 – Updated product links and deleted obsolete products

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