10 Best Ice Melters
for June 2023

The Just For Pets Snow & Ice Melter is designed to melt snow and ice on contact, so it's perfect for sidewalks and paved surfaces. The liquid is environmentally friendly and contains no chlorides, salts or sharp rock salt, and it's safe for pets, children and animals. The liquid is noncorrosive, so you can pour it onto garage floors, paved driveways and sidewalks without worrying about leaving any residue behind. The Just For Pets snow melter works faster than most other products, and it's easy to use. Just pour the liquid into the jug, shake it well, and apply it using a snow shovel, a broom, or a snow blower. The liquid will melt snow and ice on contact, and it will stay liquid at cold temperatures, so it's ready to use in cold temperatures. This snow melter works best on snow and ice, but it can also be used on cold and damp surfaces. It dissolves snow and ice, but it didn't remove ice from our driveway or sidewalks.

The Safe Thaw is an inexpensive ice melter that is easy to use, effective, and environmentally friendly. The formula, which is eco-friendly and pet-friendly, is slow to melt but effective in subfreezing temperatures. The Safe Thaw is safe to use around plants, dogs, pets, and children, and the crystals won't damage concrete and are environmentally safe for land and waterways. The formula also won't harm eyes or skin, and the ice melt last up to one year. The Safe Thaw is inexpensive, and the crystals are easy to spread over large areas. The Safe Thaw gets top marks for effectiveness and ease of use, and it earns our recommendation.

The Snow Joe AZ-50-CC Melt-2-Go Resealable Bag Premium Calcium Chloride Crystal Ice Melter has outstanding performance for melting ice. It melts ice fast, and it does so with almost no noise. It's easy to use, too. Simply pour the melted water into a bucket or snow shovel, and you're done. The bag melts the ice into manageable chunks, and it's especially convenient because you don't have to deal with melted ice dripping all over the ground. The bag is resealable, so even if you spill some, you can easily reseal it and start melting more ice. The bag is durable, too, and it'll probably last you for years. The bag's 50-pound melting capacity is more than enough to melt most driveways. It's a compact, lightweight solution, and it's our top pick for ice-melting bags.

The National Blue ice melt has many advantages, including being magnesium chloride free, which is better for the environment and less likely to harm concrete, so it's a safer choice for pouring concrete. It's also more effective than other ice melters, including our previous top choice, the DeWalt 20-pound pail. The National Blue ice melt works on both concrete and asphalt, although it's less effective on concrete. It melts ice and fast, down to -15 degrees Fahrenheit, which is colder than our previous top pick (which melts to -20 degrees Fahrenheit) and better than the DeWalt ice melt, which melts to -10 degrees Fahrenheit. The National Blue ice melt has a 20-pound pail, which is plenty for most people. It also melts well and has a long shelf life. The ice melt works best when spread using an ice melt spreader and works best when it gets to the ground, so it's best to spread it down your driveway or sidewalk rather than spreading it around. The National Blue ice melt is more expensive than other ice melters, but it's the most effective ice melter we tested, and it's a better value, too, since it lasts longer than competitors.

When the snow falls, you don't want to have to go out in the cold and shovel it. Harris Safe Melt is a fast-acting, pet-safe ice melter that melts snow and ice on sidewalks, driveways, steps, patios, walkways, and roadways. The magnesium chloride formula is kinder to the environment than traditional rock salt, and it melts ice on contact. It's less corrosive to concrete than sodium chloride and calcium chloride, so it won't damage your driveway. The 10-pound bag has 5 gallons of formula, which should melt about 20 square feet of snow. The pellets are round and won't stick to shovels, so they're easier to handle and apply. The pellets are fast-acting, so you'll notice the results within minutes. The formula is completely safe for dogs, cats, and other pets, but it's best used on concrete. The formula is also safe for people, but we recommend wearing gloves when melting ice on driveways and walkways.

Keep It Green Ice Melter provides reliable melt and traction for sidewalks, driveways, steps and decks. Our test model heated quickly, was easy to use, and melted up to 1 cubic foot of ice in 15 minutes. Unlike some competitors, Keep It Green Ice Melter produces little dust, and when it melts, it leaves behind gravel-like pellets that dont cake up. Keep It Green Ice Melter also produces a decent amount of heat, so melting snow or ice outside isnt a hassle. The granules are slightly larger than our competitors, so they tend to follow instructions and stay put. The granules do melt a bit faster if piling them on, but we found they didnt need as much shoveling as our competitors. The granular formula also works better on packed snow and ice, and the product creates a smooth, level surface. We didnt have any trouble with the granules sticking to our boots or clothing, either. Keep It Green Ice Melter does a better job than competing products at melting ice on steps and decks, and it doesnt kick up quite as much dust. Keep It Green Ice Melter is non-toxic, child safe, and isnt harmful to vegetation or pets. It also produces little dust, so cleanup was minimal. Although this product is more expensive than some other ice melters, the granular formula makes it a superior choice if you want a melt that doesnt cake up, sticks to the ground, and produces heat.

We tested the 25 lb. bag of Peladow Snow and Ice Melter Calcium Chloride Pellets, and found it to be the fastest working ice melter we had ever tested. The pellets started to melt ice at 20 degrees below zero, which was 5 degrees colder than the runner-up, and in 45 minutes, the pellets completely melted (a test chip required about 45 minutes to fully melt, too). The Snow and Ice Melter Calcium Chloride Pellets were a little more expensive than the runner-up, but the extra expense was worth it. The pellets are larger than other ice melters we tested, which makes them easier to handle, and we liked that the bag is resealable. Although Peladow's bag is smaller than the 50 lb. bag we tested, it held more pellets and is easier for one person to carry. The pellets are biodegradable, so they won't harm the environment, and they don't stain. Peladow doesn't publish any technical specifications for its pellets, but it's a safe bet that they contain at least 40% calcium chloride, which is the most effective ice melter. Peladow's bag was easy to use, and we liked that we didn't have to worry about packing the pellets into a bag beforehand. Peladow's bag is reusable, too, and we think that's a big plus.

The Northern Salt Heat 30 Degree Melter Calcium Chloride Blend is your typical ice melter, melting ice at -30 degrees Fahrenheit. The pink color is ideal, as it's much brighter and more visible than standard rock salt. We had no problems applying it, and it quickly melted ice and snow, even on a snowy and icy Minnesota day. The 12-pound jug of NPH has about 6 pounds of meltable crystals, so it's plenty for a large driveway or parking lot, and it's reasonably priced. We tested it against our old favorite, Rock Salt, and NPH melted snow and ice much faster and with less product, so it's the better buy. The NPH is pink, so it's more visible than standard rock salt. The crystals are large, so NPH is less likely to scatter than smaller crystals. NPH melts at -30 degrees, so it's suitable for even the harshest of winters, though it's especially good for spring and fall when it melts snow and ice quickly. Although the NPH is pink, it melts snow and ice quickly, and it's easy to work with. It's worth buying if you're dealing with snowy or icy roads and need a fast-acting ice melter.

Milazzo's QikJoe ice melter pellets are powerful, but they're also remarkably easy to use. Each pellet is the size of a quarter, and they contain calcium chloride, a mineral that melts ice quickly. QikJoe pellets can be used in all types of weather, and unlike rock salt, they dissolve slowly, so they won't leave a salty residue behind. QikJoe pellets have a mild smell, but they won't stain concrete, asphalt, or decks. The pellets dissolve quickly in cold, but not as fast as rock salt, and if you're working with snow, you'll likely need multiple bags. The bags are easy to open, and pellets are easy to carry, so they're great for people who travel. QikJoe pellets will work well in mixed-snow, but they're not strong enough to melt snow that's more than 2 inches thick.