The 10 Best Sidewalk Salt Of 2024, Tested By CampFireHQ

Sarah Combs By, Sarah Combs
Updated
Best Sidewalk Salt
Best Sidewalk Salt

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: KEEP IT GREEN Pet Safe Ice Melt

Keep it Green Pet Safe Ice Melt is a non-toxic formula that clears away dangerous weather conditions in an instant. The safe solution for your pets and children, this 12 pound jug of ice melt is designed to clear away snow and ice from hard surfaces. Read Review

2. Runner Up: JUST FOR PETS Snow & Ice Melter Safe

Just For Pets Snow contains no toxic Chlorides. It is designed to melt snow, ice, and frost quickly without damaging your pet's paws or skin. It also keeps chemical de-icers safe for use around your pet. Read Review

3. Best Quality: Sea Salt Superstore Ice Melt Salt

Make deicing your sidewalk and driveway easy, fast, and persistent with the help of Sea Salt Superstore Ice Melt Salt. This all-natural deicer salt is a non-toxic, environmentally friendly way to make ice melt that makes use of the natural properties of sea salt. Read Review

4. Best Versatile: Traction Magic Walk on Ice

Traction Magic is the only traction agent that works instantly. Traction Magic contains a special, patented polymer that allows it to work on wet and dry surfaces. This product is ideal for use on bare metal or painted metal surfaces which provide a safe, non-slip grip to prevent falls. Read Review

Salt is an environmental menace. Overuse has reduced salt to a, ubiquitous preservative that affects both human health and the environment. You can find it in the soil, water, and air; it’s in your food, building materials, household products, and cosmetics; it’s even in the soil under your house.

But not everywhere. Some places are so pristine that they don’t know what they have until they lose it — like sidewalks. Only use rock salt on sidewalks or walkways because its fine granules are much more effective at resisting penetration by water than its coarser counterparts. Here are the top-rated sidewalk salts for keeping your walks clean and free of ice build-up.

We think the best sidewalk salt of 2024 is KEEP IT GREEN Pet Safe Ice Melt. However, in order to provide the reader with a wider variety of alternatives, we recommend adding JUST FOR PETS Snow & Ice Melter Safe if you are interested in purchasing another appealing one.

Here are the buying guides that we specially made for you guys. Follow all the words below for successful shopping!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 KEEP IT GREEN Pet Safe Ice Melt
Our Score:
9.8
KEEP IT GREEN
  • GREEN COLORED SALT: This green tinted snow melting salt ensures you see what area has already been salted, so you don't waste. These pellets work on contact and continue to work even in very cold temperatures. The easy pour spout spreads the salt evenly.
  • QUICK & EFFECTIVE: Don’t let snowy weather stop you from hitting the road. Melt away snow and ice in an instant! This powerful CMA sidewalk deicer works on contact to de-ice steps, pavements, driveways and other road surfaces immediately.
  • ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY: Trust in a product that doesn’t use calcium chloride or any harmful chemicals. These pellets aren’t harmful to the environment because they draw in moisture from the environment, making it safer for you and the planet.
  • FERTILIZES YOUR YARD: Keep your lawn or yard healthy and lush even through winter weather. Unlike typical ice melts ours is combined with a time release fertilizer that distributes nutrients into the soil once the ice melt washes away.
  • NON-TOXIC, SAFE & STAIN FREE: Keep it Green Ice Melter is the best option for your home and your family because it is pet friendly, child safe and won’t harm vegetation. Better yet, it won't stain carpets, kitchen floors, concrete, brick or stone.
TOP Choice #2 JUST FOR PETS Snow & Ice Melter Safe
Our Score:
9.7
JUST FOR PETS
  • ❄️WORKS ON CONTACT TO CRUSH & MELT SNOW, ICE AND FROST - Powerful Pellets Instantly Generate Heat On Contact With Ice & Snow To Speed The Deicing And Melting Process. Safe at low temperatures (-15 degrees C). Pellet Design Is Compatible With Any Spreaders, Including Rotary Spreaders
  • ❄️OUR PRODUCT WORKS - 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION MONEY-BACK GUARANTEE – Not Satisfied? We'll Refund Your Money, No Questions Asked. Call Or Email Us With Your Order ID And We’ll Take Care of The Rest
  • ❄️NO CHLORIDES – NO MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE, NO CALCIUM CHLORIDE & NO SODIUM CHLORIDE - Ingestion Of Certain Chlorides (salts) Can Cause Severe Gastrointestinal Signs As Well As Local Irritation From Dermal Skin And Paw Contact. There Is No Shortage Of Information Online About How Bad Chlorides Can Be To Pets. Just For Pets Snow & Ice Melter Is Chloride-Free
  • ❄️NO SHARP ROCK SALT, SALT-FREE – Walking On Rock Salt Can Be Excruciating To Your Pets Feet. Sharp Rock Salt Granules Can Become Stuck & Lodged In Paws Causing Pain & Soreness With Every Step. Not Only Does Just For Pets Not Contain Rock Salt, Our Ice Melt Consists Of Soft Round Pellets That Are Easy On The Paws And Two Times The Coverage Of Rock Salt
  • ❄️DID WE MENTION IT WAS SAFE? Safe For All Pets Paws, Skin and Eyes - No Chlorides, Salts Or Sharp Rock Salt. Safe For Children - No Harmful Chemicals. Safe For The Environment - No Harmful Chemicals. Will Not Chemically Attack Concrete or Asphalt. ALSO SAFE FOR USE ON: Sidewalks, Patios, Porches, Wood Decks, Lawns, Driveways, Roofs, Brick, Stone, Parking Lots. Will Not Harm Interior Flooring Or Rugs. Will Not Damage Bushes, Flower Beds, Grass, Shrubs, Trees
TOP Choice #3 Sea Salt Superstore Ice Melt Salt
Our Score:
9.5
Sea Salt Superstore
  • EXCELLENT TRACTION: The coarse grain size and irregular shape of the all-natural salt grains not only make this product quick to work, but also give your shoes and vehicles great traction while it's working.
  • HARVESTED FROM THE PACIFIC OCEAN: Ice Melt Salt is produced in a food grade facility and contains all the trace minerals and beautiful, irregular grains you'd expect from Pacific Ocean coarse sea salt. It's an excellent salt for traction and for de-icing.
  • 5 POUND BAG SIZES MAKE APPLICATION EASY: All of our salts come in multiples of 5-pound bag sizes, which means you won't have to lug giant, heavy bags or tubs of salt around your yard to spread the ice melt salt around your sidewalk or driveway. These conveniently-sized bags are made to help you safely and easily treat your yard without breaking your back, because you've probably already done that with all the shoveling.
  • MELTS SNOW AND ICE IN COLD TEMPERATURES (as low as 15°F): Applying Ice Melt Salt when the snow or ice begins to accumulate prevents ice from forming. Clearing as much snow as possible prior to applying Ice Melt Salt provides excellent, fast melting and traction.
  • SAFER FOR PETS AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Because it is all-natural and food grade, it won't harm kids or pets if accidentally ingested while outside playing in the snow, and it won't burn paws or skin. It won't cause spalling on driveways and concrete that's been properly set and cured. As with most de-icers, pay special attention to ensuring that de-icers are not applied to grass or vegetation, and do not melt into those areas too much.
4 Traction Magic Walk on Ice
Our Score:
9.4
Traction Magic
  • Works at All Temperatures - Works at any temperature and any thickness of ice (even black ice); Superior Absorbency - Very absorbent and abrasive to help clean up messes from animal waste, bodily fluids, oils, paints, and many other viscous liquids.
  • Surface Safe - 100% safe on all surfaces including decking, new concrete, pavers, etc; Anti-skid - Creates an instant skid-free, slip-free surface on ice and snow for foot traffic, pet traffic, car traffic and more.
  • Instant traction on ice and snow; People, Pet & Plant Safe - Safe on eyes, skin, paws and if ingested. It’s all-around safe!
  • All Natural - Composed of all-natural minerals and safe ingredients. 100% free of harmful salts, chloride and chemicals
  • Excellent Spread Rate - Use sparingly while getting excellent traction on large areas for long winters; Non-corrosive and Non-conductive - No damage to delicate machinery and will not short circuit expensive equipment.
5 North American Salt 56720 Sure Paws Ice Melter
Our Score:
9.2
North American Salt
  • Melts ice and snow down to-15 degrees Fahrenheit
  • Does not leave powdery residue
  • Does not harm vegetation
  • Safe for use around people and pets
  • Ready to use
6 Anti-SSSSKid Pet Friendly Ice Melt
Our Score:
9.0
Peach Country
  • { Quality is Key } Our non- salt, eco friendly ice melt won't sacrifice the quality of standard rock salt for snow products. A premium deicer for steps, driveways and sidewalks that will melt snow down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.
  • { Skip The Salt } Paw friendly ice melt shouldn't include rock salt. Rock salt can be harsh a ice melter if it gets in between paws. Anti-SSSSkid is truly a pet friendly snow melt product with your pets in mind!
  • { Help Your Lawn } Instead of a driveway salt that hurts your lawn and landscape, our biodegradable, enviro melt provides both safe melting and traction naturally all while providing nitrogen as the ice melts back to your lawn to help sweeten the soil!
  • { Think of your Neighbors } When choosing an ice melt for snow always remember to use a natural pet friendly salt for ice and snow to keep everyone in the neighborhood safe, whether they have four legs or two!
  • { Instant Traction } A pet safe ice melt shouldn't mean you have to sacrifice traction and overall safety. Our product provides the best of both worlds while providing limestone for traction along with natural, non-corrosive snow melt power!
  • { Ice Melt Safe for Concrete } Far less corrosive than rock salt and calcium chloride ice melt. Keep your cured concrete safer from cracks and other winter stresses all while providing instant traction and quality melting power.
  • PERFECT FOR CONCRETE, LANDSCAPE, & VEGETATION: Proven to be safer for concrete, landscape, and vegetation, turn to North Pro Nature to keep your landscaping looking great year-round.
  • 100% CHLORIDE FREE: Our eco-friendly de-icing formula is 100% chloride free ice melt making it ideal for those conscious of the environmental impacts of chlorides.
  • REDUCES COROSSION WITH LESS PRODUCT USED: Using 35% less product than standard ice melt plus reducing corrosion by 70%, North Pro Nature corrosion inhibitors are ideal for keeping your pavement looking fresh while using less product saving you time and money.
  • WORKS TO SUB ZERO TEMPERATURES: North Pro Nature is proven to eliminate snow and ice even in freezing temperatures.
  • MINNESOTA MADE TESTED AND APPROVED: Made, tested, and approved in the heart of Minnesota, freezing temps are no match for North Pro Nature. Tackling snow and ice with ease during Minnesota winters and not relying on the sun for activation, spread NPN day or night for immediate results. NPN is snow & ice’s worst enemy and is no match for the unpredictable temperatures in all states.
8 Snow Joe AZ
Our Score:
8.7
Snow Joe
  • [SAFER TO HANDLE]: When used as directed, EB will not dry out or irritate the skin and can be safely and easily dispensed without requiring the use of protective clothing
  • [FAST ACTING]: Goes to work immediately upon contact with snow and Ice to accelerate the deicing and melting process. Pre-treating surfaces will also prevent ice and snow from accumulating
  • [LONG LASTING]: Time-relax formula stays on the surface area longer for added protection and better control of the freeze/thaw cycle
  • [ANTI-CORROSION FOMULA]: Enhanced with cma (calcium magnesium acetate), an Environmentally benign deicing agent, EB Ice melter delivers fast and effective results without damaging metal surfaces
  • { Skip The Salt } Paw friendly ice melt shouldn't include rock salt. Rock salt can be harsh a ice melter if it gets in between paws. Anti-SSSSkid is truly a pet friendly snow melt product with your pets in mind!
  • { Help Your Lawn } Instead of a driveway salt that hurts your lawn and landscape, our biodegradable, enviro melt provides both safe melting and traction naturally all while providing nitrogen as the ice melts back to your lawn to help sweeten the soil!
  • { Ice Melt Safe for Concrete } Far less corrosive than rock salt and calcium chloride ice melt. Keep your cured concrete safer from cracks and other winter stresses all while providing instant traction and quality melting power.
  • { Instant Traction } A pet safe ice melt shouldn't mean you have to sacrifice traction and overall safety. Our product provides the best of both worlds while providing limestone for traction along with natural, non-corrosive snow melt power!
  • { Think of your Neighbors } When choosing an ice melt for snow always remember to use a natural pet friendly salt for ice and snow to keep everyone in the neighborhood safe, whether they have four legs or two!
  • { Quality is Key } Our non- salt, eco friendly ice melt won't sacrifice the quality of standard rock salt for snow products. A premium deicer for steps, driveways and sidewalks that will melt snow down to zero degrees Fahrenheit.
10 Snow Joe AZ
Our Score:
8.3
Snow Joe
  • [LONG LASTING]:  Formulated to last up to 24 hours, MELT calcium chloride crystals go to work immediately upon contact with snow and ice and continue working all day long to ensure your surfaces are safer and ice-free
  • [INSTANT HEAT]:  melt calcium chloride crystals generate heat instantly upon contact with snow and Ice, thereby accelerating the melting process
  • [NON-TRACKING]:  When used as directed, MELT calcium chloride crystals will not track from your shoes onto your home’s floors or carpets
  • [MELTS DOWN TO -25°]:  MELT calcium chloride crystals effectively melt ice and snow on contact, even at temperatures as low as -25°F
  • [FAST ACTING]:  MELT calcium chloride crystals are specially formulated with super-enhanced melting properties to deliver fast and reliable results

What to Look For in a best sidewalk salt?

Actually, when you decide to invest in best sidewalk salt for yourself, lots of things to consider! It's harder to choose since the product comes with many types, functions, and features from different manufacturers. That’s why you should find a reliable space to acquire knowledge related to the item. 

We’ve highlighted the essential features of the best sidewalk salt below. Along with checking out the list of best models in the list, you should also carefully read the buying guide here:

Environmental Factors

The chemicals found in your ice melting will have an adverse effect on the surroundings, as we've already mentioned.
Different products can have different effects on the animals and plants of the environment, as well as man-made materials like concrete or grates.
When you are choosing your product, and later when it is applied, be mindful of the environment.
This article provides more details about the impacts of deicing chemicals upon soil, vegetation and groundwater.

Package Size

While bulk purchases offer the greatest value, it is best to buy large quantities. If you do not want to throw away your ice melt, however you can store large containers of icemelt during the summer heat. Take into account how many tons of ice or snow you expect to get in the coming year. Stock up accordingly.

Intended Surface

Some ice melts are not suitable for all surfaces. You should look for an ice melt that's anti-corrosive and formulated specifically for you, like a roof deicer. It's a good idea, if you're not sure, to try the ice melt first on a small area of your driveway or sidewalk.

Type

There are two types of ice melts: liquid and solid. You can sprinkle solid ice melt pellets by hand, or using a handheld or small-handheld sprinkler. You can spray liquid ice melt with any handheld sprayer. Additional equipment may be required, which could increase the cost of your liquid ice melt.
You can also buy ice melt that is specifically designed for roof deicing. They come as tablets which can be used to throw onto the roof, sometimes with help from a ladder. The ice melts and then runs off the roof like water.

Minimum Temperature

Ice melts are usually required to reach a minimum temperature of between 0° and -40° Fahrenheit. Some can even be used below -15°F. You should make sure that you get something that will withstand the extreme cold temperatures in your region.

FAQs

What's The Best Ice Melt For Asphalt?

The best asphalt ice melt is sodium chloride, also called "rock salt". This deicer is what you will see on roads and highways in snowstorms. It is also less expensive than other ice melts, and it can be effectively used on gravel surfaces. Asphalt is not immune to all possible damage but it is more resistant than concrete to chloride-based, ice melts.

Is Ice Melt Environmentally Friendly?

Ice melt in large amounts can be harmful to the environment. Large quantities of chemical deicers can get into storm drains and then into waterways (e.g. rivers or lakes). They often react with other chemicals in water and cause damage to wildlife and fish. It is important that you only apply the necessary amount and not to spread it to areas where there are plants.

How Do You Use Ice Melt?

Apply a thin coating of concrete to your ice and snow melt. Scotts offers a wheeled spreading tool that can be used to cover larger areas than driveways or small walkways.
Ice melt performs at its best when laid before storms and prevented from freezing.
Use a snow shovel to remove snow that is already on the ground.

What's The Difference Between Ice Melt For Driveways Or Sidewalks And Ice Melt For Roofs?

Magnesium chlorineide is the best option for roofing because unlike sodium chloride and other ice melting options, it won't cause damage to your roof shingles. Magnesium chloride is a little safer than sodium chloride and will not pose a threat to the landscape or lawn if it leaks off the roof.
We have had success with roof rakes to remove snow from roofs.

Can You Make Homemade Ice Melt?

Effective ice melting can be done with items that you have around the house. A large amount of isopropyl ethanol (rubbing alcohol), mixed with warm water and some dish soap can be used for smaller deicing areas like the windshield or walkway. This makes it safer for you and your pets.
Even though regular table salt might be useful, they will kill your grass and leave you with a damaged driveway.

Is Ice Melt Pet-safe?

Although "pet-safe" may sound a little broad, it is true that any ice melting is potentially dangerous for your pet. Their paws can be irritated and burned by sodium and calcium chloride. Many melts are toxic and can cause serious injuries if they are ingested. Also, be aware of how to store ice melt.

After knowing the suitable kinds of best sidewalk salt and the features you wish, it’s high time for you to start your shopping. Note that you shouldn’t run out to a particular store or start scrolling through online sales just yet. With the development of technology, especially the expansion of sale sites, you can easily find your buddy. 

Remember to check out our site weekly round-up to ensure that the current sales on best sidewalk salt perform well in our tests. So you can catch up with them as soon as possible. Would you please give us your feedback for better service? Many thanks!


2 ratings

About Sarah Combs

Sarah Combs
Sarah Combs is a visual editor who loves to travel and hike. She enjoys taking photographs of her journeys, which help her to remember the beautiful places she's been to. Sarah is grateful for the opportunities that she has had to see the world and looks forward to continuing to explore new places in the future. Sarah is the editor of CampfireHQ since 2021 and has written on a variety of topics, from camping, and hiking to other outdoor guides.

Read Sarah's full bio