X-BULL Recovery Traction Boards (2-pack) Review

There are three ways to get an unstuck car out of snow: rock it (works for shallow ruts), dig and sand it (works if you have time and sand), or put traction boards under the drive wheels (works almost every time, in about two minutes). X-BULL made the board that turned the third option from an off-roader's luxury into something any commuter can keep in the back. At under $80 a pair they're the right price for insurance you'll use maybe twice a winter.

Technique matters more than brand. Clear the snow in front of (or behind) the drive tire down to the surface, push the board's tapered end under the tread as far as it'll go, and then ease onto it with the lightest throttle you can manage. The teeth grip the tire; the board's length gives you a full rotation of traction to get moving. The single rule: do not spin the tires on the board — a spinning tire melts nylon lugs in seconds, and that's the source of nearly every 'these boards are junk' review. Pair them with a collapsible shovel and a bag of sand or cat litter and you have a complete self-recovery kit.

Versus the premium MAXTRAX and similar: those boards are stiffer and the lugs are harder, which matters for a 7,000-lb truck in deep mud and matters much less for a crossover in a snowbank. The X-BULLs are a little softer, a little cheaper-feeling, and perfectly adequate for winter duty. Strap them to the roof rack or tuck them in the trunk from November to April.