Understanding the Ice Grip Symbol: What It Is, Why It Matters, and Who’s Using It

Winter driving always brings the same challenge: slippery roads, stressed drivers, and tires that either rise to the occasion… or don’t. Over the years we’ve seen the industry introduce different markings to help customers understand what a tire can actually do in winter conditions. Most people already know about M+S and the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake. But there’s a new symbol that’s beginning to show up on winter tires — the Ice Grip Symbol.

This symbol is still fairly new, but it represents a real shift in how tires are being tested and marketed. Here’s what it means, when it came out, who’s using it today, and why you and your customers should care.

A Quick Look Back: Why a New Symbol Was Needed

For decades, the standard winter markings didn’t tell the whole story.

• M+S simply meant the tread pattern met basic geometry for mud and light snow.
• 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake (3PMSF) added a true performance standard, but it only measured snow traction — specifically acceleration on packed snow.

What these symbols didn’t measure was ice. And let’s be honest… ice is what scares people most.

Drivers can navigate snow. Ice is where accidents happen.

That gap is what led to the creation of the Ice Grip Symbol.

When the Ice Grip Symbol Came Out — And What It Actually Means

The ice grip standard was officially introduced in 2021. It was created to certify that a tire delivers verified braking performance on pure ice, not just snow.

To earn the symbol, a tire has to go through independent lab testing and perform noticeably better on ice than the industry’s control tire. In simple terms:

3PMSF = tested on snow

Ice Grip Symbol = tested for braking on ice

This is the first time the industry has attempted to standardize and certify ice traction, rather than leaving it to marketing claims.

Who’s Using the Symbol Today

Because the Ice Grip Symbol is still new, not many manufacturers have adopted it yet. At the moment, the leader is:

Nokian Tyres

Nokian has been the most vocal supporter of the new symbol and has already applied it to several of their flagship winter products, including:

• Hakkapeliitta R5
• Hakkapeliitta 10 (studded)

Nokian pushed early for stronger winter testing standards, so it makes sense they were first to embrace it.

Other brands will almost certainly join over the next few years, especially as consumers and retailers begin asking about it — but for now, Nokian is paving the way.

Why the Ice Grip Symbol Matters

From a consumer standpoint, the Ice Grip Symbol removes a lot of guesswork. Someone who lives in a region with freezing rain or black ice now has a way to identify a tire that’s proven to stop better on slippery surfaces — not just “winter approved” in a generic sense.

For tire shops and sales teams, this symbol offers a few important benefits:

1. Clear differentiation

Not all winter tires are equal. The Ice Grip Symbol helps you explain the difference between:

• a tire that works in snow
• and a tire that’s actually engineered for ice

2. Easier customer education

Most winter-tire conversations revolve around fear of ice, not snow. This symbol lets you speak directly to that concern.

3. Stronger value story

If you sell safer, better-tested products, customers feel better about spending more. This label gives you a believable, third-party certification to point to.

4. Better for markets with unpredictable weather

Regions like the Pacific Northwest, Northeast, Midwest, and parts of Canada often see a mix of wet roads, freezing temps, and surprise ice storms.

For those customers, ice braking often matters more than deep-snow traction.

Final Thoughts

The Ice Grip Symbol is still new, and adoption will take time — but the value is clear. For decades we’ve had markings for mud, for snow, and for “maybe winter-ish.” Now we finally have a symbol that tells drivers something meaningful about the surface that causes the most accidents: ice.

As more brands begin feeding tires into this testing standard, you’ll see this symbol become a bigger part of winter tire conversations. And for shops that want to stand out by focusing on safety and education, it’s a powerful tool.