FAQs - snow chains and winter driving advice

The best snow chains for your vehicle depend on four factors: your vehicle type, the tyre size, how much clearance your vehicle has around the wheel, and how easy you need fitting to be.

Our budget ranges are ideal for occasional use — perfect for getting out of trouble in wintry conditions, and they meet all legal requirements for driving in Europe.

Our premium ranges are made from high-tensile steel, are more hardwearing, and come with a 5-year warranty. Premium chains also tend to offer greater ease of fitting and removal, fit a wider range of tyres/vehicles, and include specialist options for vehicles with limited clearance.

We also supply snow socks — a textile cover that wraps around the tyre to improve grip on snow. They are easy to fit and are well-suited for occasional use in the UK, though they are not always accepted as a legal substitute for chains on European mountain roads.

Use our vehicle fit guide or tyre size lookup to find the right chains for your specific vehicle, or call us on 01732 360638 for expert advice.

The easiest snow chains to fit are self-tensioning chains and those with advanced fitting systems. Self-tensioning or auto-tensioning chains tighten automatically as the wheel turns — meaning you do not need to stop again to re-tighten them.

Self-tensioning models include the Zip Ultra, XG-Cross, XG-12 Pro, Reflex-Cross and the K-Summit ranges.

Most other chains — including our budget Polar ranges, the Zip-9, Zip Transport, CB-7 and XD ranges — can be fitted without moving the vehicle but require manual tensioning: you fit the chains, drive forward around 50 metres, then stop to re-tighten. This is a simple process but does require getting out of the vehicle a second time.

|  Tip: Whichever chains you choose, we strongly recommend practising fitting them at home in the dry before your trip. With a bit of practice, each chain should only take a couple of minutes to fit.

All snow chains are relatively straightforward to remove, but the K-Summit, Reflex Cross, Easy-Fit and CS-9 ranges are particularly simple. The CS-9 features a patented rip-cord removal system — making it one of the fastest chains to take off in cold or wet conditions.

Snow chains are sold in pairs and, in most cases, one pair fitted to the drive wheels is sufficient — and meets legal requirements on European mountain roads.

However, there are situations where fitting two pairs (or a pair of chains plus a pair of snow socks) is advisable:

How many snow chains do I need for a rear wheel drive vehicle?

For RWD vehicles chains must be fitted to the rear (drive) wheels, leaving the front steering wheels without traction assistance. This can make handling difficult, especially with a heavy load in the boot descending steep hairpin turns. A second set of chains on the front wheels if clearance allows — or a set of snow socks — is recommended to improve steering control.

How many snow chains do I need on a 4x4 or AWD?

Legally, only one axle needs chains. However, many 4x4 drivers prefer to use two sets for better traction and control. Check your vehicle handbook, as some manufacturers specifically recommend fitting two pairs.

Which wheels do you fit chains to on a 4x4?

On most 4x4s, chains are fitted to the front wheels — but not all and this varies by vehicle, so always check your manufacturer's handbook first. If there is insufficient clearance at the front, chains may need to go on the rear, or a more specialist low-clearance chain used. The XG-12 Pro and K-Summit ranges are designed for vehicles with restricted clearance, and the space available will dictate whether the XG-12 Pro are suitable or whether K-Summits are required.

The clearance needed depends on the chain type. As a guide:

• Standard 9mm car chains: minimum 15mm between the tyre and any obstruction.
• Our standard 4x4/van chains (16mm protrusion): minimum 21mm clearance.
• Thule XG-12 Pro (12mm protrusion): suitable for tighter clearances as low as 17mm.
• Easy-Fit SUV (10mm protrusion): for vehicles where the XG-12 Pro is too wide (down to 15mm).
• K-Summit: requires no internal clearance at all — it fixes to the wheel bolts on the outside of the wheel and does not cover the inner tyre wall.

Clearance refers to the gap between the tyre and any obstructions such as the bodywork, braking systems, or suspension.

You can check clearance yourself at home. Place your hands into the wheel arch and feel around the tyre — particularly along the back/inside wall — for any parts of the suspension or bodywork that come close to the tyre surface.

Move your hands from the 9 o'clock position around to 3 o'clock along the back of the wheel, wiggling your fingers to feel for obstructions. Keep in mind that a chain sits over the rubber of the tyre, so any obstruction near the tyre surface on any side could be a problem. Once you have established whether there is any restriction i.e. anything comes close to your tyre, and the approximate distance to that obstruction, then refer to the answer above for how much clearance is needed for different chain ranges.

If fitting to front wheels, also check with the steering on full lock in both directions — the tightest point is usually at 3 or 9 o'clock when the wheel is turned.

If you are unsure, contact us with your vehicle details and we will advise on the right chain.

Yes — we have options for vehicles with very limited or even no internal clearance, with very few exceptions*.

• Thule K-Summit: fixes directly to the wheel bolts on the outside of the wheel, requiring no clearance around the back of the tyre. Suitable for the most restricted vehicles.
• Thule XG12 Pro: 12mm protrusion (vs 16mm for standard 4x4 chains) — suitable for many SUVs and vans with moderate clearance restrictions.
• Easy-Fit SUV: 10mm protrusion — for vehicles where even the XG12 Pro is slightly too thick.
• 7mm car chain: designed specifically for cars with insufficient clearance for a standard 9mm chain.
• Snow socks: a textile alternative that wraps over the tyre. Cannot damage the vehicle, easy to fit, but do not provide the same grip as chains and their legal acceptance on European mountain roads varies.

If you are still unsure which options suit your vehicle, call us on 01732 360638 — we are happy to advise.

*There are some vehicles for which we struggle to recommend a chain, these include some where the bodywork is too close to the tyre, and others where the wheel nut configuration does not allow a K-Summit to attach-on. Thankfully these scenarios are rare.

On mainland Europe a driver is responsible for equipping his vehicle for all weather conditions. A driver can be fined if he fails to use snow chains when they are needed, thus impeding the normal flow of traffic or causing an accident.

Snow chains are a legal requirement on all European mountain roads. Roadside checks are carried out and drivers may be fined if they do not have a set in their vehicle. Snow socks do not meet the required standard in European ski resorts.

 We would always recommend driving with caution in snowy conditions, even when using snow chains. The maximum recommended speed is 30mph.

A gentle driving style is essential when using snow chains. Excessive acceleration and hard braking will put too much pressure on snow chains and may cause them to snap.

Regulations regarding accessories are subject to change and we would recommend checking the AA website for the most up to date information. Currently it is compulsory to have a GB sticker, warning triangle, reflective vest, beam deflectors and spare bulb kit across most of continental Europe plus breathalysers for France.

Regulations regarding the use of reflective vests vary from country to country, with some countries requiring any passenger that exits the vehicle to wear one. We recommend all passengers have a reflective vest.

The use of snow chains is legal in the UK, as long as they are not used in a manner that will damage the road surface. This means snow chains must only be used on snow-covered roads and need to be removed when driving on a tarmac surface. The use of snow chains is legal across most of Europe, and in many areas they are compulsory. Local signs indicate when they are legally required and this includes all mountain roads/ski resorts. Outside of these compulsory areas, any driver found to cause a hold up or accident as a result of not being equipped for the weather conditions is liable to be fined.

Snow chains are designed for use on packed snow and ice. Driving on tarmac is not recommended because it will wear the chains very quickly and increase the chances of breaking them. Snow chains can also be used in muddy conditions - very useful for motorhomes. We also sell snow chains to the middle east for use in sandy conditions!

Snow socks are an alternative to snow chains usually recommended when a car does not have clearance for snow chains. If you are unsure of which to choose you may find useful our snow chains vs. snow socks article. It remains a grey area whether socks meet the required legal standard in European ski resorts.

Once you have the hang of it you should be able to fit each snow chain in a couple of minutes. We recommend you try on the snow chains before you go on holiday. We have also produced snow chain fitting videos, available on the fitting page, so you can see how it's done.

After using snow chains we would recommend washing them in warm soapy water asap, ideally with a firm brush to remove any salt residue and muck (jet washing is also an option for this stage). Finally having hung the chains to dry you should spray them with WD40 and then hang to dry again. The WD40 helps stop/reduce corrosion particularly with a view to ongoing storage. The longer chains sit in a wet (or worse, salty and wet) container the quicker they will rust and deteriorate.

The most common problems encountered are: (1) Wheel-spin or locking-up the wheels under braking - this is the most common way people break chains; (2) Incorrect fitting, in particular failing to centre the chains such that the inner or outer bands get run-over (or any of the working components like the springs, ratchet or connectors). You can see by looking at the chains that the chain sections intended to be driven on are more robustly built than the inner and outer bands, or the working components which should sit against the tyre wall away from the road surface. (3) Hitting curbs or pot holes can also break chains, but since this is usually not intended by the driver it's only mentioned here as something to avoid where possible. (4) Driving on clear tarmac (without a significant covering of snow or ice) is also to be avoided.

Chains massively improve traction on snow, ice, mud and even sand however they do not enable you to defy physics. Where you can and can't go largely depends on the vehicle's abilities, load, driver ability and myriad other factors. So do not assume you are invincible with chains on - some slopes for some vehicles will be unclimbable even with chains on. In such circumstance do not spin the wheels to try get up the slope, as there is a high chance you will break your chains and potentially damage your vehicle.

Generally snow chains must be carried in the European Alps from 1st November to 1st April. Spot checks are carried out and during periods of heavy snowfall vehicles without chains will be refused access to the mountainside. Each country has slight variations in regulations, as shown below:

Andorra

Snow chains – MANDATORY (should be carried and used as dictated by local signs or road conditions. Reduced speed limits may apply).

Austria

Between 1 November and 15 April snow chains are MANDATORY (should be carried and used as dictated by local signs or road conditions. Reduced speed limits may apply).

France

Snow chains – MANDATORY, must be fitted to vehicles using snow-covered roads. (Should be carried and used as dictated by local signs or road conditions. Reduced speed limits may apply).

Germany

Snow chains – MANDATORY (should be carried and used as dictated by local signs or road conditions. Reduced speed limits may apply).

Any vehicles incorrectly equipped that are found to impede the flow of traffic are liable to be fined

Italy

Snow chains – MANDATORY - Between October and 15 April or, at other times if conditions dictate

Switzerland

Vehicles not equipped to travel through snow and ice and which impede traffic flow are liable to a fine.

Snow chains - MANDATORY (should be carried and used as dictated by local signs or road conditions. Reduced speed limits may apply).