The weather is getting colder, and that means it’s time to consider car products for winter driving. The winter months throw additional challenges at us when driving. Roads become slippery, daylight is limited and the temperature drops. Driving becomes more difficult in these situations, and as such, there are products, including travel torches, that you will need in order to master driving on those cold winter journeys.
Tackling issues from your windscreen frosting over each morning to finding grip on your tyres is the epitome of winter driving. From finding the best de-icer products to dehumidifiers, winter brings all sorts of challenges.
The key thing to remember with car products for winter driving is to be prepared. Tyres, for example, should be regularly inspected to make sure they are at the correct pressure, as found in your vehicle’s handbook. If not correctly looked after they will not be as effective, and therefore, they will not as well on slippery roads. Though not as essential as good old ice scrapers, you may want to consider installing winter tyres because they have a higher performance in cold conditions than standard tyres.
Best car products for winter driving at a glance
It’s more common for car batteries to fail during the winter months, so having a battery booster or battery charger will ensure that you never have to beg your neighbours for a jump start and end up late for work. You should also ensure that you have enough supplies to keep yourself safe from the elements and that you adjust your driving style to ensure that you are as safe as you can be and are able to avoid hurting yourself and others.
The best car products for winter driving 2025
The best winter driving product
As well as jump leads, you get a folding snow shovel, a torch, foil blanket and even a high-visibility vest in case you break down in the dark. For a bit of extra cash, you can even opt for the kit that includes a warning triangle.
AA also offer different kinds of driving kits - and this even includes European kits if you're planning on heading abroad in your car this year.
Pros
- Great value for money at under £30
- Provides all the kit you need for winter emergencies
- Other driving kits available, including European travel versions
Cons
- Isn't as comprehensive as some others available
Editor's pick
We're huge fans of the Swedish Ice Scraper for its excellent quality, comfortable handle and ability to remove both thick and thin ice from glass. Each side is diamond polished for ice removal, with one side bearing a little indent for clearing windscreen wipers.
Pros
- Perfect for winter
- Built to last
Cons
- Longer delivery times
- Tested by Ryan Gilmore "Every single aspect of this ice scraper has a real ergonomic, tactile feel to it. From the laser-etched acrylic blade to the neoprene handle that stops my hands from freezing solid. No other ice scraper has felt this durable either, it cut through the worst winter could throw at it with ease."
The best snow brush
This Vikan brush represents both great value for money and capability. It even comes with an ice scraper on the end, which is especially handy once you've finished removing the snow and need to clear the ice left over.
Pros
- Useful for clearing away snow bedded on a vehicle
- Comes with an ice scraper on the end
- Represents great value for money
Cons
- The ice scraper isn't as good as others on the market
The best torch to keep in your car
Pros
- Excellent quality
- Powerful beam
Cons
- Not the smallest torch
The best battery charger
Read our full review of the CTEK MXS 5.0 here.
Pros
- Keep your car battery working
- Extends battery life
Cons
- Not a jump starter
The best first aid kit for your car
Pros
- Includes extensive amount of kit
- Compact enough for car storage
Cons
- Most contents are single-use only
The best rain repellent
That's exactly that this Soft99 Glaco Roll On does. It's very easy to apply and contains 120ml of product and is suitable for use on glass, Perspex, and plastic. Rain repellents last for varying amounts of time depending on the product, but this one promises durability for up to a few months.
You can read through our rain repellent group test here.
The best roof box for winter road trips
It can take up to 75kg of weight and the model is available in a number of different sizes, including smaller and lower specifications depending on your needs.
You can read our full car roof box guide here.
Pros
- Amazing build quality and durability
- Large enough for most winter holiday equipment
- Aerodynamic enough for long trips
Cons
- Others represent better value for money
The best snow chains
As with any snow chain, you will need to move forward a few times to make sure they're fastened properly. But they should serve you well if you ever need to make a trip up some snowy mountains.
Pros
- Good build quality
- Great value
Cons
- Very overkill for most of the UK
The best jump starter
Rrp: $124.95
Rrp: $124.95
You can see how the GB40 stacked up against its competitors in our jump starter group test here.
Pros
- Restart dead batteries
- Doubles as a power bank
Cons
- Overkill for small engines
The best car dehumidifier
Pros
- Unlimited usage
- Great alue for money
Cons
- May be easily misplaced
The best tyre inflator
Pros
- Well-made
- Compact design
Cons
- Only good for tyres
The best glass cleaner for a quick clean
If you'd like to see how Autoglym's Fast Glass compares to its competitors, read our glass cleaner group test here.
Pros
- Quick and easy to use
- Pretty good value for money
Cons
- It's easy to use too much
| Volume: | 500ml |
| Suitable for: | Glass, Perspex, plastic, acrylic |
| Extras: | N/A |
The best compact snow shovel
Pros
- Well-made
- Compact
Cons
- Stubby handle
The best Underseal
Being an aerosol-based product, it's incredibly easy to apply. You can use it on anything underneath your car, from subframes, wheel arches, chassis rails and much more.
Pros
- Easy to apply
- Offers ample protection
Cons
- Won't cover the full extent of rust if it's severe
The best car wax for protecting your car over winter
In the right circumstances, a layer of wax creates protection against the elements including rain, snow and much more. A wax-covered car is well-protected against corrosion, which is useful for the winter season. Bilt Hamber's Double Speed Wax is one of our very favourites. It's a carnauba-based wax which is suitable for a number of different paint types and one application can last for up to six-months at a time.
Pros
- Offers sturdy hydrophobic protection
- Easy to apply and suitable for plenty of paint types
- Adds some gloss to the paint as well
Cons
- 250ml of wax may be a bit short to some
Best diesel engine cleaner
With STP's additive, you can tackle this and prevent any issues down the line, including blocked injectors and other components throughout the fuel system.
Pros
- Super powerful addititive that cleans up carbon desposits throughout the engine
- Designed for use every 4,000-miles or so
- Improves engine smoothness and efficiently, depending on the state of it
Cons
- Isn't the be-all and end-all of engine conditioning
The best break down blanket
Pros
- Warm and cosy
- Sustainably made
Cons
- Style is subjective
What to consider with car products for winter driving:
It largely depends on where you’re based. If it snows heavily and you live in the north of Scotland, then your chances of needing a snow shovel and heavy-duty kit is probably quite high. More likely than if you gently cruise around central London. In that case, you could do with a glass squeegee. Snow chains are a hardcore option too. But not everybody needs it since the roads during the winter are generally well-cleared.
The next is how well your car behaves during a cold snap. If, for example, you’re running normal (summer tyres) and feel you’re not getting the best grip. Then upgrading to a set of all-weather tyres or winter tyres might be the solution for you. But if not, then we recommend you keep your tyre pressures and tread depths in good shape, and you should be okay. That is unless you’re in a rather extreme situation where you’ll need a set of snow chains.
Lastly, it’s good practice to keep your engine clean with either diesel or petrol engine cleaners. They help clear up carbon deposits that build over time. Ensuring your engine is clean will mean an easier cold start-up when the temperature gets really breezy. This makes the stuff even more essential than snow socks. A dirty engine combined with cold weather doesn’t go together all that well.
FAQs on winter driving
How to clear ice from the windscreen
While ice scrapers are a very good tool for quickly removing ice from your windscreen, they don’t necessarily remove everything, including the mist. You should always try and clear it using your car’s defroster. This can take time depending on the car and system it uses, but it’s the safest way to do so.
You must always avoid using boiling water, no matter how tempting it might be. This poses a significant risk of cracking or even shattering the windscreen due to the rapid change in temperature – leading to a costly repair. You can however, try cold or lukewarm water as this is much safer and still clears the windscreen effectively.
What are the most essential winter driving products?
A winter driving kit should be towards the top of your list. These include everything you need in case of an emergency including a shovel, jump leads, a foil blanket and even a torch in some cases. Brands like AA provide them as well as others and there are also European driving kits available if you’re heading abroad.
The next obvious item is an ice scraper. Frost can often appear overnight and the first step to clearing your windscreen will probably be such an item. It’s a good idea to keep one of these in your vehicle or near the front door, so you can easily grab it when needed.
If you’re feeling a little more extreme, a battery trickle charger could also be a useful item. Batteries lose charge more quickly in colder temperatures, and a trickle charger can maintain the power within them and keep the battery well conditioned. This ensures your car will fire up every time without the battery struggling – which is especially useful if you don’t drive everyday.
In terms of maintaining your engine, we recommend engine additives to keep your car healthy throughout the cold season. Full engine and injector cleaners are useful for keeping an engine in good order during your commute and/or long drives.
Aaron Hussain is a commercial content writer at Bauer Media writing for Parkers and CAR. He is obsessed with classic cars and anything with a fascinating story to tell.
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