This article is for:
- Anyone searching for ways to increase the cargo capacity of his/her SUV.
- Anyone trying to find the best roof box, roof bag, roof basket, and roof rack to choose for an SUV.
- Anyone searching for the latest SUV roof cargo world.
Table of Contents
Best roof cargo boxes for SUV (roof rack required)
SportRack Horizon Cargo Box
This roof box is the perfect combination of cost-effectiveness and a great look.
Its design gives it a premium look from the outside and a strong and durable structure inside.
It is available in black, black is a timeless color that suits a lot of SUVs out there.
SportRack Horizon is made out of a combination of ABS materials that are resistant to impacts and shocks. these materials give this roof cargo box sturdiness and durability.
This durability and strength make this box the best roof storage to protect you belonging while traveling with your SUV.
SportRack Horizon is available in 3 sizes:
- Alpine: with a capacity of 11 Cu Ft and a weight of 29 lbs and capable of having skis of a length of 210 cm.>
- L: with a capacity of 16 Cu Ft and a weight of 43 lbs and capable of having skis of a max length of 180 cm.
- Xl: with a capacity of 17 Cu Ft and a weight of 44 lbs and capable of having skis of a max length of 217 cm.
But now for the big question, is this roof cargo box compatible with my SUV’s roof rack? The answer is yes, because of its high compatibility to attach to most SUV roof racks available on the market right now.
Some of the SUVs that we tested this roof cargo box on are Jeep Wrangler, Toyota Tacoma, Jeep Cherokee, Jeep Grand Cherokee.
Its compatibility is not limited to these vehicles, but these are the ones we tested in house.
And it is compatible with the majority of SUVs available on the market right now.
The shape of this roof box is aerodynamic and it is optimized to have a low fuel consumption as well as low fuel consumption.
One thing that might be inconvenient about this roof box is that it can only open from the passenger side, it is safer to use this way, away from road traffic.
But if you like to have a dual opening roof box then check the other options below.
You can store many items inside this box from skis to camping items or cargo bags to carry whatever you like.
And it comes with everything you need to get it working, and the best thing is that you’ll have a lifetime warranty with it.
We like
- The low cost.
- The Durability.
- The high compatibility with a lot of SUVs.
We don’t like
- The one side passenger opening.
Thule Motion XT Cargo Box
In our previous review of the Thule Motion XT, we praised the capacity of this high-end roof box to carry many items like skis and camping items and gear. its 110 lbs capacity allows it to free up space from the inside of your SUV to leave you with some space that is very valuable if you are camping alone.
you can sleep inside your vehicle and have enough space to have many camping gear with you like a heater or a dehumidifier.
With its measurements of 84.5” x 36” x 17”, the Thule Motion XT can fit on any SUV roof rack that you can think of.
And like the other SUV hard shell roof storage boxes on this list.
Thule Motion XT has a very sleek design. and an aerodynamic structure that allows air to go around it so it doesn’t lower the speed of your vehicle and keep the noise levels as low as possible.
Thule Motion XT is available in sizes:
- L: with a capacity of 16 Cu Ft.
- Xl: with a capacity of 18 Cu Ft.
- XLL: with a capacity of 22 Cu Ft.>
It can also carry 4 to 7 snowboards and keep them protected by its high resistance hard shell.
We like
- The security system.
- The sleek design.
- The dual side opening.
- The universal mounting system.
We don’t like
- Everything about this roof box is great, and it is the best roof box for SUVs.
Rhino-Rack Master Fit Cargo Box
We believe that the Rhino-Rack MasterFit roof cargo box is the best roof storage for SUV, it can be used to carry a multitude of camping items or luggage and protect them against harsh weather elements like snow and rain and strong wind.
It can accommodate skis and fishing poles inside it, which makes it a great option as a roof storage for an SUV.
Besides its large storage capacity, the Rhino-Rack is made from high durability materials (the ABS plastic / Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene).
Like the before-mentioned roof cargo boxes, the Rhino-Rack has a great design that was conceived to lower air resistance and by result lowers the SUV mileage, and its front side doesn’t produce any noise above the acceptable levels.
The usage of this roof box is pretty simple, twist the locking mechanism to lock or unlock it, everyone can use it without the need to go back to a usage manual, and most, it will not fail when you need it.
If you have an off-market or an ordinary roof rack, it is very likely that you can install this roof box on it, because of the fact that most roof cargo boxes (most of the good ones) can be adjusted and modified to fit on any roof rack, but you need to make sure that the crossbars of your roof rack have a min spacing of 620mm and a max of 930mm and leave the rest to the “Masterfit” technology that gives the roof box great flexibility to attach to roof racks with various sizes.
Opening it from both sides is possible, a great option when traveling even if it doesn’t seem so when you’re thinking about buying a roof box, dual side opening allows you to pack and unpack your roof box much faster in comparison to one-side opening ones.
We like
- The universal mounting system.
- The low noise levels.
- The dual side opening.
- The universal mounting system.
We don’t like
- We like everything about this roof cargo box.
Best roof cargo bags for SUV (AKA Roof box without roof bars)
Many people don’t have roof crossbars, in that case, they have two choices, either buy a pair of crossbars or get a roof box that can be mounted without roof bars
KEEPER 07204 Black Premium Waterproof Cargo Bag
This is the best roof cargo bag to have if you don’t have crossbars on your SUV, an easy storage boost for any SUV needed in an Overlanding trip.
The KEEPER 07204 can improve the cargo capacity of an SUV by an extra 15 cubic feet of space. this extra cargo space is completely waterproof and can resist many weather elements like rain and snow, and also the harmful sun rays that can change the colors of your luggage.
It is also suitable for small sedans and pretty much any vehicle with a limited cargo capacity.
Being a soft shell roof bag, the Keeper 07204 can contain many items with different shapes and sizes, and when you finish with it. you can fold and store it anywhere in contrast to hard shell roof boxes that need special tools and a large place dedicated to their storage.
You can use the included straps to attach this roof bag to the roof rails of your car without the need for any roof rack.
The dimensions of the Keeper 07204 are approximately 44x34x17.
Rightline Gear 100B90
RoofPax Car Roof Bag roof storage for SUV
Reese Explore 1041100 Rainproof Car Top Carrier
Vault Cargo Roof Bag
Best roof cargo baskets for SUV
Rooftop Cargo Basket by ROLA
Rola is an Australian company known for its high-quality SUV accessories. it manufactures different types of products for more than three decades.
Rola roof racks are stylish, compatible with a large number of SUVs, quiet, have a high durability, and very innovative.
In this list, I chose to include the Rola V-tex rooftop cargo basket, the reasons for this choice are many.
This roof basket will free up your SUV’s interior cargo space to allow you to carry more storage. you can put the most valuable items in the trunk of your SUV while leaving everything else on the roof basket.
The V-tex cargo basket is 48” long and it is engineered in a way to reduce its noise emissions. while the vehicle is at high speed, and the result is a better traveling experience.
The durable construction of this roof basket allows it to withstand most of the shocks that can occur while traveling (placing heavy cargo, heavy rooftop tent, etc…).
A good choice for all road trips. V-tex is coated with a finish to protect its steel structure from weather elements that can corrode it and also to improve its design. while its structure is strong and considered heavy-duty.
The adjustable brackets of this SUV cargo basket gives it more compatibility to attach to most SUV crossbars.
If you have more cargo to carry, you can expand this roof basket by using the 59505 V-tex expanding part to have more roof storage on your SUV.
Rola offers a five-year warranty with this roof basket, a great thing to have for the price.
The dimensions of the V-tex Rola roof basket are 33.5″ L x 45.75″ W x 7.75″ H (including packaging), it weighs 57.8 lbs and it can carry a max weight of 130 lbs.
YAKIMA LoadWarrior Rooftop Cargo Basket Roof storage for SUV
Yakima is a brand that produces some of the most advanced and durable accessories for SUVs and sedans. They manufacture roof cargo boxes, roof racks, and roof baskets.
When Yakima creates a new product, it gathers all the feedback they receive from clients to improve their existing products. and innovate new ones with a higher quality than any other company.
And for roof baskets, we chose the LoadWarrior, a cargo basket that needs roof bars (roof rack) to install. and no worries, this cargo basket can attach to pretty much any roof rack available.
The LoadWarrior can carry a wide range of cargo, from bikes to skis and Kayaks, roof boxes, cargo bags and many more types of cargo.
What we like about this roof basket is its ease of installation.
We installed it on our SUV (a Jeep Wrangler) in less than 15 minutes. even if it’s your first time handling a roof cargo basket, you can attach it to the roof of your SUV in 25 minutes.
Noise is a serious (and annoying) problem while transporting cargo on the roof of an SUV, and not exclusive to roof baskets. this problem can happen also when you carry a roof box or a rooftop tent.
To solve this issue, Yakima included a custom wind fairing to cut noise emissions at high speeds. but if you still get some noise you can check our guide on how to reduce the noise of racks.
This is a steel basket, which means that it is prone to corrosion. that is why it has a cover that protects it against water and the other weather elements.
LoadWarrior’s shape allows it to accommodate different types of cargo. This is the main reason it is the best roof basket for SUVs.
And what makes this basket even better is a lifetime warranty, not 2 years, not 5 years, a lifetime warranty.
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