MAXSA Metal Gripped Escaper Buddy Traction Boards 2-Pack Review (2026)

How the metal grips work

Each Escaper Buddy board pairs MAXSA's raised plastic tread pattern with metal traction plates set into the ends of the board. According to MAXSA, the raised tracks keep tires from spinning across the board's surface while the metal plates bite into the board and the ground underneath, adding grip that plastic-only boards cannot match in truly slick mud or glare ice. The tread also runs on both sides of each board, so there is no wrong way to set one down in a hurry, which matters when you are kneeling in mud trying to get a wheel unstuck before dark. This two-sided, dual-material design is the main reason MAXSA sells this as a step up from its all-plastic traction mats.

Build, size and weight

MAXSA builds the boards from high-impact polypropylene, a material the company describes as lightweight, durable and strong enough for any type of vehicle, reinforced at the ends with the metal traction plates. According to MAXSA's own listing, each board measures 34 inches long, 9 inches wide and 2.75 inches thick, with a total weight of about 15.5 pounds per board, so the metal hardware adds noticeably more heft than an all-plastic mat of similar size. Each board also includes four mounting holes, letting you bolt the pair to a roof rack, bed rail or garage wall for storage instead of leaving them loose in the trunk. The bendable polypropylene body is meant to flex under a tire rather than crack in cold weather.

Using the boards for recovery and digging

Beyond traction, the flat handle-like shape of each board doubles as a digging tool for clearing sand or mud away from a tire before you set the board down, which saves packing a separate shovel for minor recovery jobs. Selling them as a 2-pack means both drive wheels on one axle can get a board at the same time, which is usually what actually frees a stuck vehicle rather than working one wheel at a time. That said, these are recovery aids for a soft-stuck vehicle rather than a substitute for a winch or tow strap; a vehicle buried to the frame or hung up on a rock or stump will need more than traction boards alone.

Storing and transporting the boards

The added weight from the metal plates is the main trade-off campers should plan around. At roughly 15.5 pounds each, a pair adds close to 30 pounds to a roof rack or cargo box, more than an all-plastic traction mat of the same footprint, so a roof-mounted mount or under-seat storage in a truck is worth considering over a light rooftop bag. The metal teeth that give these boards their grip can also scratch paint, plastic trim or other gear if the boards are tossed loosely into a trunk after a muddy recovery; a dedicated storage bag or the mounting holes for an exterior rack keep the metal edges away from painted surfaces during transport.

Who should choose the metal-gripped version

Campers who regularly deal with genuinely slick conditions, such as wet clay, packed snow or ice on a forest road, get the most benefit from the metal grip plates, since that is where plastic-only traction boards tend to spin in place. Weekend car campers who mostly worry about soft sand at a beach campsite may not need the extra weight and paint risk the metal plates bring, and could be just as well served by an all-plastic Escaper Buddy mat from the same lineup. For anyone who tows a trailer or drives a heavier vehicle down rough access roads, the combination of digging-tool handles, mounting holes for rack storage and dual-sided tread makes this 2-pack a reasonable piece of standing recovery gear.

Frequently asked questions