Winter car checklist: driving kit and best buys
Don’t get caught out once the temperatures drop. We’ve picked out 10 great bits of kit to see you safely through the colder months
The cold weather is going to be hard on you and your car. The long hours of darkness, freezing temperatures, wet weather and corrosion-inducing salt on the roads will take their toll. But there are products that you can use now to minimise the damage and make driving in the cold months safer and less stressful. Here are our top 10 recommendations.
10 winter product essentials
Winter tyres
While you can see our pick of the best all-season tyres here, for the ultimate grip in low temperatures you need a specialist design. Winter tyres use unique tread patterns and compounds to ensure they don’t harden when it gets chilly, and maintain performance in cold water and on snow.
The Continental WinterContact TS 870 was our pick of the winter designs in our 2024 winter tyre test. Changing tyres for the seasons is not a cheap option, but doing so will cost less than your car insurance excess and increased premiums if you have a bump in the snow.
Car headlight bulbs
Winter means you're likely to be driving in the dark, so it will be safer and less tiring if you can see clearly. Fitting upgraded replacement car headlight bulbs will give you brighter, more defined and longer beams.
We test a variety of bulbs, and our winner for the twin-filament dip and main beam H4 fitment is the Philips RacingVision GT200. We also rated replacement HID units for drivers who may need to change the xenon bulbs. Philips’ Xenon X-tremeVision gen2 was the clear winner in this category.
Car de-icer
If you're unable to keep your car under cover, removing the ice off the windows in winter is a dreaded morning ritual. De-icer fluids are safer than using warm water, because they won’t risk cracking your glass and won’t freeze again on your car or the road surface.
Any de-icer should be able to do a decent job, but we would recommend stocking up at the supermarket if you see it on offer. We also suggest that you look out for plastic bottles with trigger nozzles, because these generally offer better value for money and are more targeted than products in aerosols. The flatter shape also means they should fit in your car’s door bin.
Wiper blades
We expect a lot from the strips of rubber that keep rain off our windscreens, and the winter weather is hard on wiper blades. They degrade gradually, so you might not even notice that your blades are struggling. But a new pair can make a big difference and is likely to cost less than £20.
Our tests involve checking the blades’ cleaning performance after they come out of a freezer to see if they remain pliable and judder-free in use. Bosch’s AeroTwin has been a long-time favourite among our testers, with Simply Wipers offering a good option for drivers on a tighter budget.
Screenwash
You don’t want to find out your screenwash reservoir is empty or the fluid is frozen when you are on the motorway trying to peer through a smear. Now is the right time to start topping up your washer bottle with a winter dilution to increase resistance to freezing.
If you’re using a ready-mixed product, check the temperature rating and ensure that it is a winter formulation. In our tests, Prestone’s Extreme Performance Screen Wash kept cleaning and resisting ice even at minus 18 degrees Centigrade.
Mini car battery jump packs
The long, dark and damp nights mean your car’s electrics will be working hard. At the same time, the battery will be less effective, because the chemical reaction in the cells will be slowed by colder temperatures. That’s why it’s sensible to carry a jump starter pack in your glovebox. These units are smaller than a paperback, but make old fashioned jump leads obsolete.
Most also have USB charging ports, giving you extra capacity to top up your phone or torch if you break down or get stuck in extreme weather. Our test winner is the MSC Overland 10Ah QC Jump Starter & USB Power Bank.
Glass cleaner
In the winter, the sun is lower in the sky right at the times of day when we commonly drive. Add in the dazzle from car headlights when it’s dark and you’ll soon become annoyed by dirt and smears on the inside of your windscreen.
Getting the glass spotless will have clear benefits, so we recommend keeping a microfibre cloth in the car. For a more thorough clean you may need to use a dedicated glass cleaner. In our tests, Bilt-Hamber’s Trace-Less was the most effective product.
Antifreeze coolant tester
Most of us will never think about the liquid in our car’s radiator, but if the coolant – or antifreeze as it is often known –isn’t at the right concentration, then it could cause catastrophic damage in cold weather.
Testing, topping up and renewing the coolant is part of a regular servicing regime at garages, but drivers who prefer the DIY route will need to test the mixture using a specialist tool. These cost as little as £10 and take a sample of fluid from the coolant reservoir. After testing, our winner was the Draper 35807 Anti-Freeze Tester.
Head torch
If you're working on your car after dark, you will need light. Using a head torch lets you keep both hands free while ensuring the beam is always shining where you're looking.
We check for products that offer the best illumination with the longest run time. Our pick is the Nightsearcher ZOOM 580R Rechargeable Spot-to-Flood Head Torch. But for a cheaper option, try the Core Lighting CLH200 Rechargeable Sensor LED Head Torch.
Wax or ceramic coatings
Freezing grime and lashings of salt on the roads might make it seem like a never-ending task to keep your car clean over the winter months. But investing a little extra time now and adding a protective coating to your paint will pay dividends later.
A layer of traditional wax or a ceramic sealant will protect the shine, but also ensure that rain and dirt will find it harder to stick to the paint. In our tests we have consistently found Bilt-Hamber’s Double Speed-Wax to be great value, and its protection should be enough to see you shining through until spring. For a longer-term, but more expensive, option, Sonax Profiline Ceramic Coating Evo is our choice.
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