In the König range the same tyres can be covered both by Consumer snow chains both Professional snow chains. Which one should a person owning an offroad vehicle choose between the two? That all depends on the usage.

König Consumer snow chains are designed to maximize the easiness of the fitting process, that means that the product design aims to provide more understandable and easier to mount snow chains. On the other side, Professional snow chains have been developed with performance, endurance and resistance in mind.

So, if a user needs to equip his/her Jeep, Land Rover, Nissan or Toyota with a pair of snow chains, what's the best product to choose? Quick-to-fit snow chains or ultra resisting and performing ones? That all depends from what the user wants to get from them!

Consumer snow chains

If the vehicle is mainly driving ON-THE-ROAD, like to reach the favorite ski-resort or a cozy chalet in the Alps, then we would suggest using quick-to-fit CONSUMER snow chains such as the XG-12 Pro, XD-16 and XD-16 Pro. These chains are providing the proper performance and resistance level for the vehicle and tyres while offering a more comfortable fitting process which gets completed without moving the vehicle.

Apart from the design, Consumer snow chains are featuring a wider material variety compared to the König Professional snow chains. Materials such as PP, nylon and PE make the handling operations more comfortable when it’s cold outside.

Also, in terms of colors, König Consumer snow chains are featuring a unique color coding philosophy based on the red: the components of the chain which needs to be handled/hooked are marked with a red color. This color coding makes the fitting process more understandable and highlights the crucial chain components with a standing-out color, clearly visible in a white snowy ground.

Now it’s time to have a closer look at the König Consumer snow chains models destined to SUVs and 4x4 vehicles in general.

König XG-12 Pro

The König XG-12 Pro is the only 12mm-thick snow chain in the market with double approval for light vehicles (V5117 and EN 16662-1:2020) and also heavier vehicles (V5119). This has been possible thanks to some specific technical details making this chain sensibly sturdier than the other 12mm SUV chains available out there. Short-pitch chain links, welded traction bars positioned at the center of the cross-section, inner flexible cable with a thicker steel core and reinforced inner side connections with flat endings. All these technical aspects made this chain way stronger than the other 12mm chains available.

Apart from being different in terms of resistance and durability, the XG-12 Pro features the König ATC (automatic tensioning and centering) combined with the patented Micro-Adjust technology. Thanks to this this combined system, the König XG-12 Pro gets automatically tensioned and centered while driving, requiring just one car stop to get the complete fitting.

If the vehicle is equipped with clean alloy wheels, these chain models provide a specific rim protection system Wheel-Shield Level 1 rim protection system. That means that all the chain components which might get in touch with alloy wheels are manufactured in soft-touch anti-scratch material and side hooks are protected through a specific set of nylon bumpers.

To summarize, the König XG-12 Pro is the perfect chain for SUVs driving to the mountains in wintertime and for those Vans and Motorhomes which are affected by radial wheelhouse clearance limitations preventing them to use the more classical 16mm snow chains. Furthermore, the XG-12 Pro is today the snow chain with more approval by BEV manufacturers.

König XD-16

The König XD-16 inherits all the tradition of the historical König T2 No Problem which has been the preferred choice for 4x4 and Vans users since the 90s!

As the König XG-12 Pro, the XD-16 has obtained the double approval for light vehicles up to 3.5t (V5117 and EN 16662-1:2020) and heavier vehicles above 3.5t (V5119).

But, compared to the König XG-12 Pro, it’s designed on a 16mm thickness platform with a more standardized diamond design, which makes the König XD-16 a very classic and timeless product.

The König XD-16 features a manual tensioning system requiring one stop to fit the chain and make it active and a second car stop after driving some hundred meters to re-tighten the chain by hands. Anyway, the XD-16 is designed with a double spring system placed around the locking device, acting as pre-tensioning system compared to the very standard manual tensioning snow chains.

The tensioning precision on the König XD-16 is guaranteed by the Micro-Adjust device providing a click every 8mm of tensioning.

The König XD-16 features a rim protection system (Wheel-Shield Level 2) offering a slightly lower protection compared to the XG-12 Pro (Wheel-Shield Level 1), anyway the parts which by definition might get in touch with the rim are protected with a specific set of nylon bumpers.

König XD-16 Pro

After understanding the main features of the König XD-16, what about the XD-16 Pro then?

It’s a matter of sizing. The XD-16 is available in sizing starting from the size 190 (14” wheels – very old school 4x4 vehicles and Vans) up to size 267 (i.e., 265/70R17), although the biggest size is the 266 covering Mercedes G-Class, Jeep Wrangler and Toyota Land Cruiser 200 tyre sizes. If we switch our system into the Imperial one, we can say that XD-16 covers tyres up to 32” of diameter.

What if a consumer has a 33” or 35” tires? That’s what the XD-16 Pro comes for.

The König XD-16 Pro is the bigger sister of the XD-16, and it has born to covers tyres up to 35” of diameter.

Same design, same features, same construction but just sensibly bigger.

Considering this marked increase in size, the XD-16 Pro is too big to be placed on a nice and fancy plastic box like the XG-12 Pro and the XD-16: the XD-16 Pro comes packed into a nylon bag made in RPET (recycled plastic).

All These Consumer snow chains are the ideal mates to bring you to your winter destination. They provide the traction and safety consumers need to drive on winter roads and even if they are not experts in mounting processes, they can easily carry that out with no stress.

Thicker links perform more than thinner ones, anyway we confirm that the König XG-12 Pro, XD-16 and XD-16 Pro shine well enough on different tyre profiles, including winter, 4seasons and All Terrain tyres. At the same time, on Mud Terrain tyres, the performances of the XG-12 Pro, XD-16 and XD-16 Pro may not reach the expected levels as the ultra-deep tread embed the chain links making them less effective against the ground.

So, what are the proper chains to be fitted on specialistic Mud Terrain tyres such as the BF Goodrich KM3, the Maxxis Trepador and the Cooper Discoverer STT Pro? Here we’re crossing the line where Professional snow chain start playing.

Professional snow chains

When users’ vehicle is used as a true offroad machine driving in the most remote areas where ground conditions can be absolutely prohibitive, then professional snow chains are the product they should look for, thanks to their super-sturdy construction.

Professional snow chains are meant to be used by Professionals who know their business quite well. Forget color codes, soft-touch materials and flexible cable, automatic tensioning systems other consumer-oriented features. König Professional snow chains for offroad are manufactured 100% in steel to maximize the resistance and reliability.

But that’s not all. Professional snow chains are manufactured with multiple wire diameter (thinner links for lighter applications or clearance restrictions / thicker links for heavier duty conditions) meaning they can better fit deeper treaded tyres, such as the Mud Terrain ones.

We’re not finished. Professional snow chains are available with different cross-sections link configuration.

A standard link configuration is described by the alternation of a vertical link and horizontal link. That’s the concept of chain that most of the people have in mind. But for the heavier duty application, where the amount of touchpoints between chain and the ground brings noteworthy advantages, König offers the ice-breaker technology.

This technology, used by König since decades, provides an additional movable overlink bent on the horizontal link. In fact, in the standard link configuration, the horizontal link is mainly working as conjunction between vertical links which are the ones designed to provide more traction (thanks to their height). The ice-breaker technology increases the number of touchpoints thanks to the overlinks providing a more aggressive geometry against the ground, resulting in more digging power, better side handling and brilliant braking performances

Polar / Polar HD / Polar Pro

In the König product portfolio, Polar is synonym of ice-breaker technology: all the products named Polar feature cross-sections icebreaker overlinks. Let’s take a deeper look at the range.

The König Polar and Polar HD are available for small to mid-sized offroad vehicles such as the Suzuki Jimny, Jeep Wrangler, Land Rover Defender, Toyota Land Cruiser/Prado and European pickups such as the Ford Ranger, Nissan Navara, Mitsubishi L200, Toyota Hilux.

The difference between the Polar and Polar HD is “limited” to the thickness of the wire links and the side construction. Although, in this case, “limited” is a euphemism.

If the König Polar comes, according to the tyre size, with 4.50 and 5.50mm wire links, the Polar HD represents the heavier duty option of the 4.50mm version thanks to the 5.50mm wire links. So, the HD is thicker.

Additionally, the Polar HD, features welded side rings replacing the bent side hooks present on the Polar. This looks like a detail, but it isn’t at all. In fact, apart from providing a better resistance to opening stresses, the welded side rings allow the complete hardening of the entire chain during the production process. This means that the König Professional chains coming with welded side rings are subject to hardening process even on the side chains and tightening chains. With such configuration, Professionals could potentially drive for hundreds km in deep snow or mud conditions (with the tyres/chains working also on the sidewall) or tension the chains millions of times with no kind of wear on side elements. Not bad.

König Polar and König Polar HD cover a range of tyre sizes up to 32” and they use maximum 5.50mm wire links, for bigger tyre diameter the König Polar Pro plays its role.

The König Polar Pro comes, according to the tyre size with 5.50mm or 7.00mm links. Just for simple understanding, the 7mm links are the classical option for heavy trucks up to 44tons of GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass), you can simply imagine how these chains can outperform on an offroad vehicle with 2-3 tons of mass. They’re crazily performing, and they can handle all the torque and power from the drivetrain, even on vehicles with considerable engine power and torque.

The König Polar Pro represents the typical solution for 35x12.50 and 37x12.50 which have become very popular on modified offroad vehicles such as Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator, Land Rover Defender, Nissan Patrol and other offroad powerhouses. The 35x12.50 is covered by the König Polar Pro 1400 5.50mm and the 37x12.50 by the König Polar Pro 1410.

König Rallye / Rallye HD / Rallye Pro

The Rallye family is basically the lighter version of the Polar. It represents exactly the same chain but with the standard technology: in simple words, if you would remove the ice-breakers from a Polar you would obtain a Rallye.

The Rallye makes completely sense when the vehicle is equipped with shallow treaded tyres, when the user is looking for a handier chain to fit and to remove or if a more ground-gentle chain is needed. Fitting a Rallye on a Mud Terrain tyre is not bad at all anyway, there are thousands of consumers worldwide using chains with standard link technology on deeper treaded tyre. The Polar is there for those to have a more aggressive snow chain with additional digging power and superior side handling. The more the tread design of Mud Terrain tyres is extreme, the more you need the Polar.

Also in this case, the König Rallye (4.50mm and 5.50mm wire links) and Rallye HD (5.50mm wire links) are available for small to mid-sized offroad vehicles with tyres up to 32” of diameter. The HD version provides the benefits of thicker wide, welded side-rings and the complete case-hardening process on the complete chain. From 33” inches and above, the Rallye Pro is the chain to choose.

Simple, as the Polar.

König Professional offroad snow chains and mud

König Professional offroad snow chains are not just meant to be used on snowy and icy grounds. They outperform also in muddy conditions, especially when the mud is unbelievable deep.

They also represent a very useful solution on those offroad vehicles which are used as daily drivers. Sure, Mud Terrain tyres are performing great on mud and rocks but they’re quite uncomfortable in highway conditions. They tend to be quite noisy, and the most extreme designs brings some vibration with them, not providing the typical highway comfort.

Consumers using seldom his/her offroad vehicle in the mud, would not accept the compromise to have Mud Terrain tyres fitted all year round to drive at highway speeds. At this point, a offroad snow chain could be their perfect mate for their offroad adventures in muddy and slippery conditions.

Do you have any questions or doubt about this article you would like König to provide an answer to? Please feel free to get in touch via our chat or by sending an e-mail to info(at)konigchain.com