The best grit bags, compared.
Top pick: Darlies brown grit, 23 kg title – Highest score at 76: a de-icing title and 4.6 from 787 reviews at about £17.99. Best value: Darlies white grit, 25 kg – About £16.90 for a stated 25 kg, the lowest saved shelf price. Score 66, and no BS 3247 line. Updated October 2026.
Grit, for a UK winter path or drive, is rock salt you spread so ice does not bond to the surface. National Highways spreads mined rock salt in grains no larger than 6 mm, not stone chippings. Horticultural grit, poultry grit and sandpaper are different products. Brown bags are mined salt with dirt that can add grip and will mark floors. White bags are sold as the cleaner option. A pet-friendly line is not a safety test, and a BS 3247 bullet is not a certificate. Check the job on the title, the colour, one agreed weight, and whether a standard is named. Those checks are in the [grit buying guide](/hub/diy-supplies/grit/sub/grit-buying-guide). GOV.UK says you may clear a pavement if you are careful. Do not use water, and do not take salt from a public grit bin. How much to put down is in [how to spread grit](/hub/diy-supplies/grit/sub/grit-how-to-spread). For a spray or a ready mix rather than a sack, use the [de-icer comparison](/hub/diy-supplies/de-icer).
Grit, for a UK winter path or drive, is rock salt you spread so ice does not bond to the surface. National Highways spreads mined rock salt in grains no larger than 6 mm, not stone chippings.
11 products checked · 48 hrs invested · +18,400 readers
Swipe for more
1-2 of 3
Personal buying guide
Question 1 of 2
What matters more once the ice has gone?
The Darlies brown bag is sold as rock salt for ice and snow at £17.99, with 23 kg in the title and 25 kg on the product dimensions line. Across 787 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.6, the largest count in this set, which is why it is the top pick among these de-icing bags. Reviewers say it melts ice on drives and paths, including a report from Northern Ireland, and one describes a multi-day effect so they spread less often. The same reviews treat the sandy residue as grip on a steep tarmac drive and as a mess if you walk it indoors. One buyer found the bag about 2 to 3 kg light and received a partial refund. Delivery can arrive after the ice has gone, and one first parcel went missing. A buyer who used it on weeds said deep roots needed a repeat and that gravel changed colour after about three months. The listing prints questions about pets, residue and gravel and does not answer them.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the most-reviewed de-icing title in this set and will accept brown residue on a drive.
Less suitable: You need one agreed net weight, clean indoor floors, or an answered question on pets.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this bag 23 kg or 25 kg?
The title says 23 kg. The product dimensions line says 25 kg. The saved listing does not say which figure is the net weight. One review says the bag was about 2 to 3 kg light and that the seller gave a partial refund.
Does the listing say it leaves a residue?
The bullets do not. A residue question is printed with no answer. Reviewers describe a sandy residue on a tarmac drive and say not to tread it into the house.
Does the listing mention BS 3247 or pets?
Neither. There is no BS 3247 line. A pet-friendly question is printed and not answered.
The Laeto bag is a stated 20 kg brown rock salt at £16.99, titled as a weed killer for patios and driveways, while the bullets describe de-icing, a slight residue compared with white grit salt, and use in a spreader. Across 310 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.4, but most saved comments are about weeds rather than ice, so this bag is neither the top pick nor the best value. Reviewers report weed control on gravel and paving, sometimes for weeks, and some also used it on a church path, front steps and a drive. The bullets say the salt conforms to BS 3247, yet the saved file has no certificate, grade or moisture figure. One bag arrived soaking wet, an order of two arrived as one, and a reviewer wanted a door mat before going indoors. Another said it kills the soil as well as the weeds. One review in the file describes a medical gel and does not describe this salt, and the printed pet question is unanswered.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You already want brown rock salt and will read the de-icing bullets, not only the weed-killer title.
Less suitable: You need the job written as ice in the title, a certificate for BS 3247, or an answered pet question.
Specifications
Common questions
Is this sold as de-icing grit?
The title says brown rock salt weed killer for patios and driveways. The bullets describe de-icing, a slight residue compared with white grit salt, and the material field says Grit Salt.
Does the listing prove BS 3247?
The bullets say the salt conforms to BS 3247. The saved file has no certificate, no grade and no moisture figure.
What does the listing say about pets?
A pet-friendly question is printed and not answered. A different bullet says the salt is non-toxic and will not harm the environment. That sentence is the listing's claim, not a test.
The Darlies white bag is a stated 25 kg de-icing rock salt at £16.90, the lowest saved shelf price in this set, with no second weight on the listing. Across 512 amazon.co.uk reviews the line is 4.2, and that price is why it is the best value here. Reviewers say it melts ice on paths, drives and a slope, and that the white colour avoids the brown footprints they associate with ordinary grit. Some say a thin spread is enough and that the grains are less chunky than other rock salts they have used. One buyer says the contents are salt and sand, not the salt the title led them to expect. Another reported the bag about 20 per cent light, and the seller refunded the difference. A sodden outer pack with a seeping inner bag led one buyer to throw the contents away. The listing asks about pets, driveways and melting speed and does not answer.
Pros
Cons
Best for: You want the lowest saved shelf price and a white bag so tracked salt is less obvious indoors.
Less suitable: You need a pure-salt claim, a BS 3247 line on the listing, or a bag that arrives dry every time.
Specifications
Common questions
What weight does the listing claim?
The title says 25 kg. This saved listing has no second weight on a dimensions line. One review says the bag was about 20 per cent light and that the seller refunded the difference.
Does the listing say the salt is pet friendly?
No. A pet-friendly question is printed and not answered. The bullets do not claim a pet-safe formula.
Is BS 3247 printed on this bag's listing?
No. The saved bullets and technical details do not mention BS 3247.
Scores use the saved amazon.co.uk star line and review count for these three sacks. They are not a lab test and they do not measure melting speed. The star rating is scaled to 70 points. The review count is scaled to 30 points and does not rise past 2,000 reviews. The top pick is the highest score among bags whose titles say ice. Best value is the lowest saved shelf price, and it is a different listing. A BS 3247 bullet is not a certificate. A weed-killer title stays without either label. Neither label means the best grit in the UK.
Star line
70%Amazon stars are divided by five and scaled to 70. A 4.6 line scores higher than a 4.2 line. The figure is the saved amazon.co.uk rating, not a melt test and not a purity test.
Review count
30%The count is divided by 2,000 and scaled to 30, and it does not rise past 2,000 reviews. The brown Darlies bag has 787 reviews, the largest count in this set, which is why that de-icing title leads the score.
You are choosing a sack so ice does not bond to a path or drive. The three amazon.co.uk listings stored for this page run from about £16.90 to about £17.99. Rock salt is not stone chippings, and it is not horticultural grit. The top pick is the Darlies brown bag when you want the largest review count on a title that says ice. Best value is the Darlies white bag, the lowest shelf price, when footprints indoors matter.
Grit, in UK winter use, is the salt you spread so ice does not bond to a path or drive. National Highways says its gritters spread rock salt, not stone chippings, mostly from UK mines, in grains no larger than 6 mm. Horticultural grit, poultry grit and sandpaper are different products. Sand and ash add grip and do not melt ice. Pre-wetted salt is what National Highways spreads with brine, and it is not in a retail sack. Urea and acetate de-icers are a different product.
Only Laeto's bullets name BS 3247. The saved file has no grade, moisture figure or certificate. The Darlies listings do not mention the standard. Salt is more effective before ice packs, which is the BSI timing point, not a test of these bags.
GOV.UK says you may clear a pavement if you are careful, you should not use water, and you should not take salt from salting bins. In England and Wales the highway duty is the authority's, so far as reasonably practicable. It is not Scots law.
A pet-friendly question is printed and not answered. A non-toxic line is marketing. The RSPCA treats licked salt as a poisoning risk. Wipe paws, and call a vet the same day if a pet eats salt. Do not induce vomiting.
The job on the title is the claim you can hold the seller to. Ice, snow or de-icing belongs on a winter bag. The Laeto title says weed killer for patios and driveways. Its bullets say snow and ice, and most of the 310 saved reviews discuss weeds. Buy that bag for ice only after you have noticed the split. Colour is the next check. The white Darlies bag is the one reviewers say avoids brown footprints.
Using the title weights, the white bag is about £0.68 per kilogram at £16.90 for 25 kg, the brown Darlies bag about £0.78 per kilogram at £17.99 for a stated 23 kg, and Laeto about £0.85 per kilogram at £16.99 for 20 kg. The brown Darlies listing also prints 25 kg on the dimensions line. If that figure were the true net weight, the bag would be about £0.72 per kilogram. One review says that sack was 2 to 3 kg light. Only Laeto's bullets name BS 3247:2011+A1:2016.
Three typical situations, each with a recommendation from this comparison.
You want the most-reviewed bag whose title says ice and snow, and you will live with a sandy residue on the drive. The Darlies brown sack is the top pick at about £17.99, with 4.6 from 787 reviews. The title says 23 kg and the dimensions line says 25 kg.
You want the lowest saved shelf price and a white bag so tracked salt is less obvious indoors. Darlies white is best value at about £16.90 for a stated 25 kg. Reviews praise fewer brown footprints. The line is 4.2 from 512, and one buyer says the contents are salt and sand.
You can lift 20 kg more easily than 25 kg, and you will read the bullets rather than the title alone. Laeto is about £16.99. The title says weed killer. The bullets say de-icing and name BS 3247, with no certificate in the file. Most saved reviews discuss weeds.
The top pick is the Darlies brown sack at about £17.99. It scores 76, the highest here: a de-icing title, 4.6 from 787 amazon.co.uk reviews, and reviews that report melting on drives and paths. The title says 23 kg and the dimensions line says 25 kg, and one review says a bag was about 2 to 3 kg light. Best value is the Darlies white sack at about £16.90 for a stated 25 kg, the lowest shelf price, with a score of 66. Reviews praise fewer brown footprints. Laeto stays without either label: the title says weed killer, the score is also 66, and a BS 3247 bullet is not a certificate.
Darlies brown grit, 23 kg title
Highest score at 76: a de-icing title and 4.6 from 787 reviews at about £17.99.
Darlies white grit, 25 kg
About £16.90 for a stated 25 kg, the lowest saved shelf price. Score 66, and no BS 3247 line.
Editorial
Peter F. is the editor for DIY & tools at productscompared.co.uk. Comparisons in this category are checked against amazon.co.uk listings, review evidence and public UK sources.
Guides on what to look for, how to use a product, and common mistakes.
Public UK sources first, then the amazon.co.uk listings compared on this page. Updated October 2026.
This page contains affiliate links to amazon.co.uk (tag pcuk26-21). If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures already stored for this set. This is not a laboratory test.
