Quick verdict
A case of two 20-pound bags of Sure Paws, a ready-to-use ice melter that North American Salt sells as a sodium chloride alternative, gentler on paws, skin, concrete and plants, with a no-stain formula and a maker's rating to minus 15 degrees F. It suits a household with dogs in a cold-winter state that wants one melter for the walk, the steps and the drive. The caveat is that the active ingredients are not named in the listing, and paw-friendly melters are slower on thick ice than calcium chloride.
Strengths
- Maker rates it effective to minus 15 degrees F, colder than rock salt
- Pitched as gentler on paws, skin, concrete and vegetation
- No-stain formula for the carpet when tracked in
- Ready to use straight from the bag
- Two 20-pound bags cover a northern winter for most walks
- From an established US salt and deicer producer
Weaknesses
- Active ingredients are not named in the listing
- Coverage per bag is not stated
- Slower than calcium chloride on thick ice, as paw-friendly melters tend to be
- Still a chloride product, so not for concrete under a year old
The overall YardToolLab Score is out of 100. Section scores are out of 10.
Who this ice melter is for
A household with a dog that goes out the front door four times a day has a specific ice-melt problem: rock salt on the walk ends up on paws, then in the dog, then on the carpet. Sure Paws from North American Salt is sold as a sodium chloride alternative that is gentler on paws, skin, concrete and plants, rated by the maker to keep melting down to minus 15 degrees F. This listing is a case of two 20-pound bags.
This review is based on the maker’s published specifications and on recurring owner feedback. We have not run this product ourselves.
What you get
Two 20-pound bags, 40 pounds total, of a ready-to-use granular melter, model 56720. The listing describes it as fast-acting, soft on paws, effective to minus 15 degrees F (minus 26 degrees C), and formulated not to stain carpet when tracked indoors. North American Salt does not state the active ingredients in the listing, only that the product is an alternative to sodium chloride; melters marketed this way are typically built on magnesium chloride or a blended chloride with a coating, so check the bag if a specific chemistry matters. Coverage per bag is not stated.
Melting speed and the cold rating
The maker’s two performance claims are that it starts working immediately and that it remains effective to minus 15 degrees F. Plain rock salt stalls well above that, so if the claim holds, this is a melter for a real northern winter rather than a mild one. Treat the figure as the maker’s rating under ideal conditions; in practice, every melter slows as the temperature drops and works best spread thin before the freeze rather than thick after it. Owners of paw-friendly melters as a group report slower action than calcium chloride on thick ice, and the fix is time and a light second application, not a heavier first one.
Paws, concrete and plants
Gentler is the right word, and it is the maker’s word; no chloride melter is harmless. The claim is that Sure Paws is softer on pet paws and skin, on concrete and on vegetation than conventional salt, which matches what magnesium-based alternatives generally deliver: less drying of paw pads, less scaling of cured concrete, less burn along the lawn edge. It still should not go on concrete under a year old, and a dog that eats snow where melter has been spread should be discouraged. Rinse or wipe paws after a walk during a thaw, when the melter is in solution and most likely to cling.
Spreading and tracking indoors
The granules go straight from the bag, by hand in a glove or through a handheld spreader. A thin, even scatter is enough; a paw-friendly melter is wasted when it is piled on. The no-stain formula addresses the second complaint about ice melt in a dog household, the white crust and the footprints on the hall rug. North American Salt claims this one helps prevent stained carpet when tracked in. It does not claim the granules vanish, so a mat at the door still earns its place.
Storage and the two-bag case
Forty pounds across two bags is enough for a walkway, steps and a modest driveway through a northern winter for most households, and the second bag is the one that matters in February when stores have sold out. Keep the open bag sealed; melters pull moisture from the air and set into a block. Store off the garage floor and away from the car, since any chloride dust that settles on a vehicle will find the rocker panels.
Alternatives to Consider
Safe Paw is the chloride-free option for households that want to avoid salts altogether, at a higher price per pound and slower melting. Morton Safe-T-Pet is a direct competitor with a similar pet-first pitch. For a driveway where pets do not walk, a calcium chloride pellet melts faster and colder, and a bag of each is a sensible split: Sure Paws on the dog’s route, the calcium chloride on the apron.
Verdict
Buy the Sure Paws two-pack if dogs use the walk, the winter gets properly cold and a melter that is kinder to paws, concrete and the hall carpet is worth a little patience on thick ice. Skip it if there are no pets and the only goal is the fastest melt on a shaded driveway, where calcium chloride wins.
Full specifications
North American Salt 56720 Sure Paws Ice Melter, 20 Pound Bag, Pack of 2 FAQs
The listing says only that it is a sodium chloride alternative. Melters sold this way are typically built on magnesium chloride or a coated chloride blend. Check the bag if a specific chemistry matters for your pets or your concrete.
That is the maker's rating. Every melter slows as the temperature falls, and it works best spread thin before the freeze rather than piled on after. Expect it to take longer than calcium chloride on thick ice.
North American Salt describes it as gentler on paws and skin than conventional melters, not harmless. Wipe or rinse paws after a walk during a thaw and discourage eating snow where it has been spread.
Coverage is not stated in the listing. For most households, 40 pounds spread thinly handles a walkway, steps and a modest driveway through a northern winter; a long shaded drive will use more.
