X-BULL New Recovery Traction Tracks Sand Mud Snow Track Tire Ladder 4WD (Barbie Pink, 3gen)

These are super solid traction pads. I've been able to roll my 2025 Tacoma over them without issue. The mounting hardware works well enough, took about 10 minutes total to get the mounts installed.Not that they're on the truck for looks but I've had a few people comment on how good they look.Obviously we all hope we won't need something like this out on a trail but I'm extremely confident these will help me get unstuck if the situation arises.

The industry standard for recovery traction devices is MaxTrax...and they are totally awesome. They'll also cost you around $300 or more. The X-BULL version cost me $59 on Amazon for the pair. Do the math...I can burn through 5 sets of X-BULLs before reaching the $300 MaxTrax price point. Are they are as durable as the top tier product? Of course not...but if you are looking for a product that you may need off-road only once in a while (or just as peace of mind)...then perhaps you don't need to spend the $300 for the best product on the market.I've rarely needed to use a traction pad after decades of off-roading in sand along the Texas coast/beaches, gumbo mud in Southeast Texas, rocky slop trails in Virginia and Pennsylvania, or on the rocks in Moab (I actually stacked a couple of rocks instead). Inevitably, you may need to use this set to self-recover or use them to help a fellow off-roader out of a tough spot. At this price ($59), you can almost call them a disposable item. The X-BULL is so much better of an option than my 'younger man' days of shoving logs, sticks, pieces of lumber, etc. under your tires to give you just enough bite to sling muddy rooster tails on your buddies helping push you out (ah! the good ol' days - thanks buds!).They are tough, well made and will serve their purpose in multiple settings. To avoid UV deterioration (which also affects the MaxTrax by the way), I keep them inside the vehicle. The X-BULLs do not stack as cleanly as MaxTrax, but that's not a huge factor for me. Plus, they came in a cheap black zipper bag with a carrying handle, which will likely never survive the first time you try to shove a muddy or abused pair back inside...but it's a nice touch. So be prepared - if you store them inside - it could get messy...but typically if you have to take these out, you are probably messy already.I feel the need to remind customers purchasing traction devices, you are buying these to run over - typically in gnarly terrain - to get you out of a jam, unstuck, or over a difficult approach. You will scuff ANY brand up even if you run them over in your driveway or spin out your tires on them. Traction pads are meant to be another tool in your off-road kit that can be used to solve problems on the trail. HINT: Winches, snatch straps, tow ropes, jacks, etc. are also other tools that can aid in recovery.Look online for a review video by some great overlanding Australian YouTubers - "Which is the best 4x4 Recovery Tracks" (08 FEB 2020) who did "tests" on all the various types of traction devices on the market. The X-BULLs held up to some of their ridiculously brutal trials. Did they win? No. Were they the worst? Not even close. They held up sufficiently to be highly competitive all-around in my opinion, and extremely affordable for the average off-roader who'd rather spend $300 on more important upgrades to their rigs.MaxTrax are unquestionably the absolute best...but to me, these XBULL's are the 'everyman off-roader's - more than good enough!'Happy trails!

Updated 12/28/22: The company reached out regarding my experience with trying to exchange the boards, and they were very kind and helpful. I still haven’t used the boards, but the customer service was great.I purchased the black recovery boards after hearing great things from a friend who recently needed to use his set. I didn’t want to spend hundreds on the big name option, so this seemed like a good alternative. However, when my set arrived they appeared used and/or damaged in production or shipping. Some of the knobs were broken off, and there were chunks missing on the sides.This wasn’t a big deal for me - I reached out to the company for next steps/replacement. Seemed like an easy exchange. Unfortunately, the company never responded and completely blew me off.I was able to initiate a return through Amazon after I explained the company wasn’t responding, so the issue is (thankfully) resolved. I’m sure the boards work great (seemed sturdy, good recommendations).

I have always liked X-Bull traction boards since I got the smaller version of these a few years ago. While I haven't had to use this set yet, they seem to be of the same quality as my other set and I would use them in an emergency situation without any hesitation. Should things change, I will update my review to reflect my experience!