The 9 Best Ice Melts of 2023

Best Overall

Green Gobbler Pet-Safe Ice Melt

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This product should melt any ice on your driveway or sidewalks in temperatures as low as minus-10 degrees Fahrenheit. You can scoop and spread the small, round pellets or use a spreader such as used for seed and fertilizer. The pellets are shaped to reduce jams and clogs in most spreaders.

While no ice melt is “safe” for pets, the ASPCA says this product’s primary ingredient, magnesium chloride, can be less dangerous to pet paws than other materials used in ice melts, but it can still cause them to become sick if they ingest it while trying to lick the substance off their paws.

This ice melt is a bit expensive, but buying in bulk—the bucket is pretty heavy at 35 pounds—helps keep the per-use cost down. (It does come in a smaller 15-pound size but it is more expensive by weight.) Just keep in mind that if you plan to move the bucket when it is full, you may need some muscle to get the job done. The bucket also has a lid that is very secure, and we’ve noted that many people have said that they've struggled to get it off.

Price at time of publish: $73

_{Intended surfaces: Driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, walkways | Type: Pellets | Size: 35 pounds | Use around pets/plants with caution? Yes/Yes}

Best Budget

Road Runner Ice Melt Calcium Chloride Blend

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This affordable ice melt combines magnesium chloride and calcium chloride for quick-acting ice melt in temperatures as low as minus-15 degrees Fahrenheit. Calcium chloride should be less harmful to plants, as long as you use it in reasonable amounts. However, calcium chloride can be more harmful to pets than magnesium chloride, so it would be wise to keep Bella away until the ice melts to the point where you can shovel it and the ice melts off the surface.

We like that you can spread this product straight from the bag or by using a spreader. We would prefer that the 20-pound bag it comes in be resealable. So, plan to use all of the ice melt at once or have a way to store it, preferably in a sealed bucket.

Price at time of publish: $7

_{Intended Surfaces: Driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, walkways | Type: Pellets | Size: 20 pounds | Use around pets/plants with caution? No/Yes}

Best for Pets

Sunday Pet Safe Ice Melt

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Dead Sea magnesium chloride, which this product uses as its only ingredient, has been found to be effective against some skin irritation. However, we find no research to confirm whether that makes this product an effective ice melt. We recommend this product, however, because magnesium chloride can be gentler on pet paws than calcium chloride, which is used in other ice melt products. This product uses no other ingredients that could severely harm animals.

The manufacturer claims this product can melt ice to a slurry in temperatures as low as minus-13 degrees Fahrenheit. A half cup of pellets should be sufficient to melt ice on a walkway or driveway up to 10 feet long and 3 feet wide. If your driveway or sidewalk is longer, you may need more than a single bag.

Price at time of publish: $18

_{Intended Surfaces: Driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, walkways | Type: Pellets | Size: 7 pounds | Use around pets/plants with caution? Yes/No}

Best for Concrete

National Blue Ice Melt

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If you need to cover a large area of concrete with minimal risk, we recommend this mostly calcium chloride product. Calcium chloride doesn’t melt the ice but chemically degrades the bond between ice and the concrete surface, which is frequently colder than the air. Unfortunately, calcium chloride is more of a pet and plant irritant than magnesium chloride, which other products use. This product also contains sodium chloride (salt), which can irritate pet paws. 

National Blue Ice Melt product comes in 20-pound and 50-pound buckets—difficult to move but perfect if you need to purchase ice melt in bulk. The blue color comes from dye that is meant to show where you have applied the ice melt, reducing the likelihood that you use more of the product than necessary. The dye is water-soluble, so it disappears and doesn’t stain as the ice melts. 

Price at time of publish: $45

_{Intended Surfaces: Concrete | Type: Pellets | Size: 20 pounds| Use around pets/plants with caution? No/No}

Best for Asphalt

Bare Ground 5 Gal. Liquid Anti-Snow/De-Icer

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Bare Ground Liquid de-icer is effective for keeping snow and ice from sticking to asphalt surfaces such as some driveways—up to 10 days, according to the manufacturer. Applying this to bare ground before snow falls may stop up to 2 inches of snow from accumulating. Its effective low-temperature limit is listed as minus-20 degrees Fahrenheit.

This liquid product comes in a bag with a resealable pour nozzle. But you apply it by spraying, requiring a separate, dedicated sprayer (not included). You can use any standard sprayer, but we recommend using a separate hose from the one that you use with your plants. Expect the 5-gallon package to cover around 5,000 square feet (slightly larger than a basketball court). 

We have not noted any special danger to pets, although any ice melt can be harmful if ingested or licked off paws. You can also use it, as directed, around plants, although you should try not to spray directly on vegetation. It is also biodegradable. You can consult the UL Safety Data Sheet for more information.

Price at time of publish: $62

_{Intended Surfaces: Asphalt | Type: Liquid | Size: 5 gallons | Use around pets/plants with caution? Yes/Yes}

Best for Roofs

Roofmelt Ice Melt

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Ice and snow buildup on roofs can cause significant damage. We note that these 3-inch-round calcium chloride tablets, which come 60 to a 14-pound pail, can effectively melt through most accumulated ice. The manufacturer says these hockey puck-like tablets are most effective by melting snow to form channels, which carry water off the roof and into gutters.

The trick for best effectiveness is how to get the tablets onto your roof, since the manufacturer says you need one tablet for every square foot of roof. Randomly throwing them onto your roof can be haphazard. If your roof is particularly high, you might need to do this with a ladder.

Price at time of publish: $41

_{Intended Surfaces: Roof | Type: Tablets | Size: 60 tablets per 14-pound pail | Use around pets/plants with caution? No/No}

Best for Driveways

Prestone Driveway Heat Concentrated Ice Melter

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Anyone who has a driveway knows how necessary it is to keep the surface clear of ice. If you need to de-ice your driveway quickly, this product is highly recommended. As a pure calcium chloride formula, the Prestone product effectively works more rapidly and in colder temperatures—down to minus-25 degrees Fahrenheit—than many blended products. It is considered less damaging to concrete than highly effective rock salt (sodium chloride), because you can use less of it on the same-size area.

While it is okay to use carefully, as directed, around vegetation, this isn’t the best option if you have pets who run around on your driveway. Calcium chloride can irritate pet paws and can be harmful if ingested, such as by licking paws.

The manufacturer specifies that you shouldn’t use this product on concrete that’s less than one year old, has exposed cracks, or is composed of stone, or brick masonry. 

Price at time of publish: $11

_{Intended Surfaces: Driveways | Type: Pellets | Size: 20 pounds | Use around pets/plants with caution? Yes/No}

Best Eco-friendly

ECOS Ice Melt Compound

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This ice melt is part of ECOS’s line of what they position as environmentally friendly home products for cleaning and upkeep. The manufacturer has positioned this product to be environmentally friendly by combining a slew of ice-melting chemicals, with magnesium chloride as the main ingredient. Others include calcium chloride, potassium chloride, and sodium chloride (ordinary salt). But each by itself can irritate pet paws and cause various harm to concrete surfaces. 

We like that this product is sold in 6.5-pound containers you can easily pour from, reducing the need for a separate spreader. It’s best to sprinkle this product on the targeted surface before the snow falls and ice forms, then again at various intervals. This also means you use the product more, requiring more frequent purchases.

Price at time of publish: $17

_{Intended Surfaces: Driveways, sidewalks, parking lots, walkways other than concrete | Type: Pellets | Size: 6.5 pounds | Use around pets/plants with caution? Yes/Yes}