Recovery boards don’t have to cost $300. The XTM Black Recovery Boards are BCF’s own boards: a pair in tough black polymer with a shovel end and plenty of mounting points, for $200. We’ve used them in soft beach sand and slippery mud to see how they compare with the big names.
What’s in the box
A pair of black recovery boards, each 980 × 285 × 55 mm, moulded in one piece from heavy-duty polymer. The top has rows of teeth, one end of each board is marked “Shovel” for digging, and there are several moulded mounting holes along the boards. XTM-branded leashes help you pull them back out after a recovery.
What we like
- Teeth grip in sand and mud
- Shovel end for digging
- Slim 78 mm stack
- Plenty of mounting holes
- Leashes included
- $200 a pair
What we don’t
- Black gets very hot in the sun
- Ramp isn’t the steepest
- Heavy when caked in mud
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Brand | XTM |
| Material | Heavy-duty polymer |
| Colour | Black |
| Weight | 6.4 kga pair |
| Size | 98 × 28.5 × 5.5 cmeach |
| Stacked | 78 mm for the pair |
| Included | Leashes |
Build
Each board is one moulded piece, so there are no joins to come apart, and the teeth are part of the mould: they took the spin of a tyre without shearing off, which is where cheap boards often fail. The polymer is strong but flexes a little, so the board follows uneven ground under the car instead of cracking on a rock. The black hides mud marks and scuffs well, but it also gets very hot in the sun.
In a recovery
Wedged under the tyre, the teeth bite into the tread and the board becomes a ramp that gets the car moving. In deep, soft sand they gripped quickly and we drove out without the wheelspin that only digs you in deeper. The ramp at the end isn’t as steep as on some premium boards, so give the tyre a good start by digging in front of it. That’s where the shovel end helps: you always have to clear some sand or mud first, and this means one tool less to carry.
Carrying them
For their size they’re easy to handle, and stacked the pair is only 78 mm high. The moulded mounting holes take the usual roof rack pins, so you can fix them to a roof rack, a spare wheel mount or a tray and tighten them down so they don’t rattle. At 6.4 kg a pair they’re heavier than the TRED GT, and caked in wet mud they get a lot heavier again.
XTM or a premium board?
The XTM boards do the job for less money. The Maxtrax MK2 and the TRED GT are longer, Australian made and come with a lifetime warranty, and the TRED is lighter, but both cost more. At the cheap end, the X-Bull Gen 2.0 is lighter still and costs less than half, but it’s shorter and stiffer. Our recovery tracks guide compares all five we’ve tested.
Here’s how the four boards we’ve tested compare:
This one XTM |  Maxtrax MK2 |  TRED GT |  X-Bull Gen 2.0 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Width | 285 mm | 330 mm | 312 mm | 310 mm |
| Stacked | 78 mm | 85 mm | 84 mm | 108 mm |
| Length | 980 mm | 1150 mm | 1085 mm | 910 mm |
| Pair weight | 6.4 kg | 6.8 kg | 5.5 kg | 4.7 kg |
| Price paid | $200 | $319 | $229 | $75 |
| Our score | 8.4 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.8 |
Conclusion: XTM Black Recovery BoardsConclusion
The XTM Black Recovery Boards are strong, flexible boards with useful extras: a shovel end, plenty of mounting points and leashes, and a pair stacks to just 78 mm. They gripped well in sand and mud. The black gets very hot in the sun, they’re not the lightest and the ramp isn’t the steepest. We paid $200 for the pair, and for that they’re dependable boards that work when you need them.
Dependable boards that gripped well for us in sand and mud.
The shovel end helps you dig, there are plenty of mounting holes and leashes, and a pair stacks to just 78 mm. The black gets very hot in the sun, and the ramp isn't the steepest.
- 4WD tourers
- Beach & picnics
- Weekend trips
Yes. I paid $200 for a pair that grips in sand and mud, with a shovel end and a slim stack. The black gets very hot in the sun.
