The 9 Best Outdoor Non Slip Stair Treads
Updated by · How we research
Grit tape, screw-down strips, rubber mats and aluminum treads compared for wet, icy outdoor steps, with the LifeGrip Anti Slip Treads as the low-cost pick. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Building codes allow the steps on a stair to vary in height by only about three-eighths of an inch, so a thick rubber mat on some steps and not others can create the very trip it was meant to stop. This guide is for homeowners with wooden porch, deck or concrete steps that turn slick in rain, frost or snow.
Editor's Notes
October 26, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Editors:
Peel-and-stick grit strips now lead, because the LifeGrip Anti Slip Treads cover a whole flight for little money and go down in an afternoon. For steps that get shoveled, we'd spend more on the GripStrips Anti-Slip Treads, which screw down and have no glue to fail.
BirdRock Home, Slip Guard and Palos Designs are gone from sale. Handi-Treads lost its price and stock here, so it moved to Special Honors, where you can buy it from the maker. SlipDoctors is now a long roll you cut yourself, and LifeGrip's old roll gave way to its pre-cut strips. The MBIGM Grip Tape Treads stay, now in the wider strip.
No maker publishes a measured friction figure for these, so we leaned on install rules: adhesive temperature limits, what each needs underneath, and whether it screws, glues or just lies there. We also checked the residential building code on step heights and searched recall records for each brand.
Earlier notes
November 5, 2020, by Gia Vescovi-Chiordi:
We made quite a few changes to this list for our latest update, removing about four items to make way for new selections. We wanted to keep the balance between thick, flexible mats that require no screws or adhesive, tape options, and heavy-duty units that can be screwed down.
When the Zicoto Clear became unavailable we took the opportunity to recommend the LifeGrip Traction, a reliable tape selection that sports a glow in the dark strip for extra visibility in low-light conditions. This is also a good choice for areas you'll be navigating at night, but be aware that they have to absorb light to function, so once the sun sets they will eventually dim unless recharged. If you're looking to add more safety features to dark areas, consider investing in some step lights or rope lights to help illuminate the space.
Also added to the ranks today is the Grip Strip All Weather, a hardy choice that can serve as a more budget-friendly alternative to the Handi-Treads NSTR-191, which is sold as a single unit and can add up quickly when outfitting an entire staircase. The Birdrock Home joins the Palos Designs Scrollwork as an aesthetically-pleasing design, while the Rubber-Cal Mats has been updated to reflect models with a circular pattern rather than diamond plate.
It's important to remember that you should regularly inspect your tread to make sure it's in place and undamaged. All of the options here are meant to withstand inclement weather, whether you're in a desert with plenty of intense sunlight or frigid, snowy conditions. That being said, even when you're getting something industrial grade, it can still degrade depending on where you place it and the climate you live in. Also keep in mind that black rubber mats can get hot in the sun and hurt bare feet and animal paws.
July 3, 2019, by Karen Bennett:
Just about every trip outside tends to involve climbing or walking down some stairs. And it’s not without risk, since every year 1 million Americans suffer stair-related injuries, according to reports. Some non-slip treads will provide additional grip for feet (or paws) for extra safety, especially during rain or snow.
The Zicoto Clear joins the list in this update, as an affordable option that works indoors or out on many types of flooring, including wood and laminate. These 15 sticky strips will adhere strongly and come with a roller so you can eliminate air bubbles when you’re installing them. When used outdoors, they can be cleaned with a spray from the garden hose. (Indoors, they’ll wipe clean with a moist rag or paper towel.) They’ve been used in spots like backyard wooden bridges, which can get very slippery, as well as smooth wooden staircases. While they’ll help to prevent slipping, they don’t have a sandpaper-like finish that can be rough on bare feet as well as little hands and knees.
The Bungalow Waterhogs retains its top spot as a popular choice available in different dimensions and a handful of neutral colors. They come in a set of four and are made in the United States using polypropylene fiber, which won’t gather mildew or rot. The rubber backing is eco-friendly, consisting of 20% recycled materials. To clean them, simply shake or vacuum them to remove loose dirt. They can also be sprayed with a hose and line-dried.
Leaving the list today is the Tape King Step, which comes up short against the elements, as it can loosen and peel when hit with rain or snow.
Special Honors
Amstep Series 500 Extruded aluminum treads with a bonded abrasive top, made to go over worn concrete, wood or metal stairs at homes and businesses. Amstep fastens them mechanically rather than with glue and offers them in eight colors. They're sold through the maker for a project, not by the pack. amstep.com
Dino Grip Non-Slip FRP Stair Treads Pre-formed fiberglass treads with a gritted top that wrap over the front of each step, available with a yellow edge so the nose stands out. Dino Grip sells them in long lengths that can be cut to fit, which suits wide commercial or community stairs. dinogrip.com
Handi-Treads Made in the U.S. from aluminum, these screw-down treads come in several lengths, and the maker offers a lifetime residential warranty. They sat on this list for years, but the maker's own store is now the dependable place to buy them. handitreads.com
Tape, Screws, Rubber Or Fabric
Screw-down strips and plates in plastic, aluminum or fiberglass have no adhesive to fail.
Outdoor treads come in five broad types, and the right one depends on the weather your steps take and how much work you want to do.
Peel-and-stick grit strips are a plastic film coated with the same aluminum oxide grit as sandpaper. They're the cheapest fix and go down in minutes, but the glue is the weak point. Edges lift on painted, sealed or rotting boards, and a metal shovel can catch them. Handi-Treads, which sells aluminum treads and calls its own guide self-serving, puts outdoor tape life at six to 12 months. Treat that as a maker's estimate, not a test.
Screw-down strips and plates in plastic, aluminum or fiberglass have no adhesive to fail. They cost more per step and need a drill, but they handle shoveling and salt. Full-width fiberglass covers such as ComposiGrip go further, covering a whole worn step.
Rubber treads grip well when wet and cushion the step, but they can curl or slide unless glued or screwed down. Fabric-topped mats such as WaterHog trap mud and water, which suits a covered porch better than an open stair.
Fitting Treads Without Creating A Trip
A tread changes the step under it, so fit matters as much as grip. The International Residential Code lets the tallest step in a flight exceed the shortest by no more than three-eighths of an inch. A thin grit strip barely changes that, but a quarter-inch rubber mat on some steps and not others can. Treat every step in the flight the same way.
Cover the front of each tread, where the ball of the foot lands, and keep the front edge visible. Contrast helps: a dark tread on a light step, or a colored nosing, makes the edge easier to see at dusk.
Work stairs follow OSHA's walking-surface rules, which set step dimensions but no slip-resistance number. The National Floor Safety Institute writes slip-resistance standards and certifies some mats. No tread replaces a handrail, and loose mats on a steep stair are a hazard of their own.
Putting Them Down And Getting Through Winter
Tape needs a clean, dry, bare surface and mild weather, roughly 50 degrees or warmer, to bond. Scrub off dirt and mildew, let wood dry for a day, and press each strip down hard, edges first. Round the corners with scissors so a boot can't catch them.
Screw-down strips go in at any temperature. Use the screws supplied, or stainless ones on treated lumber, and pre-drill hardwood. Concrete needs masonry anchors.
Rubber mats should be glued with an exterior construction adhesive or screwed down, and lifted now and then so the wood underneath can dry. Rubber and fabric both trap moisture against boards, which can speed rot on older steps.
In winter, no tread melts ice. Grit and cleats bite through a thin glaze, but shovel first and use a plastic blade on tape. Before buying, check the CPSC recall database; none of the brands here had a recall when checked.
How we researched this
We compared 20 outdoor stair treads and strips across six types, read the makers' pages and install directions for the 9 finalists, checked the residential building code and OSHA's stair rules, and searched the CPSC recall database by brand. We found no independent lab test of outdoor stair treads, so the rankings rest on construction, mounting method and documented limits.
Frequently asked questions
What can I put on outside steps to stop slipping?
Peel-and-stick grit strips are the quickest and cheapest fix. Screw-down plastic or aluminum strips last longer and survive shoveling. Rubber treads work too if they're glued or screwed down. Keep a sturdy handrail either way.
Do non-slip stair treads work on ice?
None of them melts ice. Grit and raised cleats bite through a thin glaze, but thick ice still needs shoveling and an ice melt. Use a plastic shovel on tape, since metal blades can peel it.
Will grip tape stick to painted or composite steps?
It bonds best to clean, dry, bare surfaces. On paint, sealer or some composite boards the edges can lift sooner. Screw-down strips are the safer choice for those surfaces.
Do rubber stair treads need to be glued down?
Outdoors, yes, or screwed. Loose rubber can shift on a wet step. Some packs need construction glue bought separately, and others are sold to lie loose, in which case outdoor carpet tape helps.
Can stair treads make steps less safe?
They can if they change step heights unevenly or have curled edges. Treat every step in a flight the same, trim corners on tape, and replace treads that lift.
