In general, it’s wise to consider the following factors when shopping for the best roof cargo carrier: Use Single-side : These cargo carriers only open on one side, typically the passenger or driver side of the vehicle. Load it evenly. Even weight distribution of gear is crucial. Experts recommend tying down stowed items to keep your gear from sliding around inside the pod. Dual-sided : The best rooftop cargo carriers open can open from either the driver side or passenger side for easy access.

After the product round ups I’ve added helpful guidance on what to consider when choosing the right roof bag for you and the key differences between a roof box vs roof bag. What Size Car Roof Bag Do I Need? After weeks of swapping carriers, comparing data, and researching the field, the Institute whittled its list of the best rooftop cargo carriers down to these top six—one for almost every driver and vehicle on the road today. Of course you can find some roof bags that are cost more than roof boxes and vice versa but generally the bags can save you money. Although car roof bags are by nature not as weatherproof, many current ones do offer a good degree of protection against the elements. This review includes three types of cargo carriers: hardtop, softshell, and basket. A hardtop carrier will provide the most protection, but it’s the heaviest. A softshell bag can still be waterproof, but it may be less aerodynamic and more challenging to load. You can leave a basket carrier on your vehicle, adding a little drag, but you will need a net or bag to secure your loads.

6. Load Height

Someday soon, we at the Hearst Autos Gear Team intend to perform a test of our own on rooftop cargo carriers; stay tuned for that. In the meantime, here's what testers, scientists, and editors at the Good Housekeeping Institute discovered when they set out to determine the Best Rooftop Cargo Carriers. The Fivklemnz] went through daily snows and melting that week. I traveled through four states, strong sustained winds with 40 mph+ gusts most of the way, torrential rain and mud being splattered. … My items stayed perfectly dry, and the bag is in perfect condition, just a little muddy.”

Yes, you can put a cargo box on a roof basket. The Arksen roof basket is compatible with many roof boxes, including the Arksen-brand roof box. How do you secure a cargo bag to the roof? The straps provided are utterly useless. I resorted to heavy-duty bungee cords, and everything stayed put. I’ll use it again but with bungee cords. The straps don’t stay tight, and the ends don’t stay put. You have to pull over and retighten and retie everything every 50 miles.”

If you overload the cargo carrier, it will come with considerable problems in situations where you have to take sharp turns. The weight of the carrier is important from two perspectives. Adding a carrier to the top of your car will create extra drag, which can reduce your car’s fuel efficiency. Once each rooftop cargo carrier was installed, we took it for an extended test drive to determine how much drag it caught. Rooftop carriers that produced the least amount of noise and drag scored best in this category. The Roof Master] worked out perfectly. The only bummer is that the included roof protector left a weird faint pattern that still won’t go away. The bag itself held up great and was easy to get on and off. Nothing leaked even the tiniest bit.” Cargo carriers are getting better and more popular every year, but too many are difficult or unwieldy to mount, add too much weight or drag to the vehicle, or are impossible to access with convenience. So until we can perform our own evaluations of rooftop cargo carriers, we turned to the people we know and trust: the Good Housekeeping Institute. How GHI Tested Rooftop Cargo Carriers This casing also goes a long way to protect your belongings from harsh weather conditions and moisture.

It's also important to remember that your vehicle's roof load capacity has to include the weight of the bars and the box before you consider the contents. What Capacity Roof Box Do I Need? Being a Thule, it has been tested to withstand impact, is streamlined and fits a wide range of crossbars thanks to its simple twist-to-close mounting system. This isn't the most premium design in the Thule range—something reflected in the price—but it is made in the USA, the textured finish helps conceal dings and daily damage and the slender width also means there's space left on the roof for other mounts, such as a slimline basket or bike mount. Even SUV owners may run out of room for that fifth or sixth suitcase. Folding rear seats to expand cargo space isn’t always an option with a full load of passengers. Lightweight cargo carriers strap to the top of your vehicle, store bulky items and easily fold away when not in use, unlike hard-shell rooftop cargo carriers. A good cargo bag adds storage options without adding unnecessary weight—many vehicles cap rooftop load at 150 pounds—but remains sturdy enough to handle whatever wet or snowy weather. Look for a cargo bag that will be lightweight, waterproof and sit securely on the roof. The last thing a driver wants to see in their rearview mirror is an unsecured cargo bag sliding off the top of their vehicle.

Disadvantages of Roof Boxes

Though the job of a rooftop carrier is basic — hauling a bunch of gear from one point to another — you’ll need to balance the following factors to find the perfect model for your needs. Some people who have a roof box leave it on the car but two things to mention: they greatly increase fuel consumption and might be a problem with low bridges (depending where you live!) Price

Depending on the type of cargo you plan to carry, you can select a carrier that is specifically made for your needs. For example, if you want to carry lightweight items that can even be larger in volume such as sleeping bags, a roof bag can be all you need. Do also remember that while bigger means more capacity, it doesn't always mean better for your vehicle. Bigger cargo boxes have a greater impact on fuel economy and create more road nose, plus they leave less space on the roof bars for other items. If you don’t need a massive box, don’t get one. Which Key Features Are Worth seeking Out?Thule is a more expensive brand, but sometimes it is worth it. This is an example of you [get what you pay for]. If you want 100 percent confidence with your stuff on top of your car driving 70 mph down the highway, this is your rooftop cargo box.” Another reason for the high marks from owners is protection from the elements. The RoofPax rooftop cargo carrier is outfitted with double waterproof closing zippers, waterproof dual seam technology, and water-repellant double coating.