Best Car Roof Rack 2024 – Top 6 Picks (Reviewed & Tested)

After the long quarantine time due to the Covid-19 virus, people would long for many outdoor activities. Can you guess what those activities are? It is believed that, for some people, It must be travelling with their friends or families.

Going on a vacation with the family has never been easier thanks to cars and the invention of Google Maps. However, when preparing for the trip, we always want to bring many things, not only necessary things like apparel and food and drinks but also entertainment kinds of stuff or equipment such as bicycles, kayak, etc. Sometimes the car is big enough for the whole family, but not all the luggage, gears and toys. In order to carry as many things as possible, a special tool must be applied to the car, which is these car roof racks.

In this article, we focus on the 6 best car roof racks that are suitable to install on car roofs for cargo that you will never regret buying.

Types of Roof Racks for Car

The way that roof racks attach to your car is various and the vehicle’s manufacturer, under most circumstances, chooses the roof rack for your car. Nevertheless, the style of crossbars is up to you and you get the right to decide whether a “through” bar style or a “flush” style. Your decision shouldn’t be made hurriedly, but need to be under careful consideration from the purpose of using, brand preference and the look you want them to have. It is our pleasure to help you decide the best car roof rack for your needs.

Fixed Point Racks

Fixed point roof rack on the roof is an easy way to attach roof racks to your vehicle. This rack is factory threaded fasted down points that are typically located on the outer edge of the roof.

Pros: Reasonable load limit and neat design

Cons:  Inflexible in the location of car roof rack

Raised Roof Rail

Raised roof rail is a factory fitted raised rail that runs front to back on your vehicle’s roof

Pros: High load limit and flexibility in the placement of the racks. Contact with paintwork is zero.

Cons: Some rails are not long enough and are located towards the rear of the vehicle. Always have a look at the maximum load rating recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

Solid Rail

Solid roof rail is sometimes considered a more modern version of the raised roof rail

Pros: Low profile, very neat, no contact with paintwork, and adjustable positioning of racks.

Cons: Some rails have a tendency to be at the rear of the vehicle and lack length. Always have a look at the maximum load rating recommended by the vehicle manufacturer.

Door Mount (Clamp Mount)

Its clamp is positioned at the top of the doorframe and foot directly lies on the paintwork.

Pros: A common style used when the vehicle’s manufacturer offers no other available styles.

Cons: Touch paintwork, load limits are typically lower.

Gutter Mount

Gutter mount roof rack becomes less common as rain gutter loses its attraction in the eyes of vehicle manufacturers.

Pros: High load limits and easy to install

Cons: You may have to purchase some extra accessories

Things to Know Before Buying a Roof Rack

It is essential that you consider as many factors as possible before buying one roof rack for your car.  Roof Rack Guide as below is a good source for you to get a hang of what the best car roof rack is and choose the most suitable one.

Capacity

Capacity is usually what comes to people’s mind first when looking for their best car roof rack. The maximum weight holds a lot of significance since people want to be assured that their things are kept safe without the risk of falling down or cracking. It is advisable to own a roof rack that is well-engineered to bear the heavy load. It should be at least 125lbs.

Weight

Apart from the weight a roof rack can support, people also care about its own weight. Therefore, people should read the guidelines as to the weight this product put on the car. Another important factor is the weight distribution of the roof rack. Carrying 150lbs of evenly distributed weight is different from carrying the same weight but being focused on a small area, which sometimes is related to the resistance of the car

Shape

Shape is also an aspect worthy of consideration to buy your best car roof rack as there is a vast array of shapes and styles. Knowing that roof racks are different from each other will motivate you to search more in buying a roof rack that lives up to your wish in terms of both look and usage. Often, roof racks for sporting equipment, such as bikes, are more popular. However, roof racks designed for cargo boxes can be useful in maximizing your vehicle’s capacity

Make the right decision for what you intend to carry with your car.

Durability

Because of direct exposure to outdoor conditions like sunlight, wind, and rain, anything that is placed outside of your vehicle should be designed to endure the extremities. The best car roof racks must be very durable and able to withstand the harsh weather conditions to last for many years. If they could look like brand new after a long time of buying, you did buy the right roof rack.

Other Features

Figure out how and from which end it opens in case of a box. You might want a handle for ease of gripping and operation, particularly if you’re vertically challenged as things are on top of your head, on the car roof. In light of your vehicle design and how you reach the carrier, you can decide to buy a box that opens from the back or side. Last but not least, it is common knowledge that people prefer a car roof rack that locks for your keeping of valuable belongings. Moreover, the carrier is preferred to be hard-shelled and won’t let water in or your soft-sided bag to be waterproof.

Top 6 Best Car Roof Racks Reviews

PRODUCTS	MODEL	FEATURES	CHECK PRICE
	CargoLoc 2-Piece 52" Aluminum Roof Top Cross Bar Set	-	Check Price
	Rage Powersports Apex Side Rail Mounted Aluminum Roof Cross Bars	-	Check Price
	SportRack Complete Roof Rack System	-	Check Price
	Summates Universal Roof Top Cargo Rack Cross Bars	-	Check Price
	AUXMART Universal Roof Rack	-	Check Price
	Roof Rack Crossbars by StayThere	-	Check Price

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Since car roof racks became immensely popular, many people are looking for a set of quality but also have a reasonable price. That’s the reason why CargoLoc 2-Piece 52″ Aluminum Roof Top Cross Bar Set stands first in the list. CargoLoc 2-Piece 52″ Aluminum Roof Top Cross Bar Set has a simple design with 2 pieces of 46 inches car roof racks, which are made of two high-quality rigid aluminum bodies. These car roof racks are lightweight (only 8.6 pounds each) but still ensures the load capacity up to 150 lbs so you will never have to worry that these car roof racks cannot carry all your accessories.

The product dimension is 3 x 52.5 x 5.8 inches, which can be adjusted to fit a maximum of a 46 inches span between side rails, providing comfortable room for your equipment.

These car roof racks also provide a heavy-duty clamping mechanism that helps the crossbars stay firmly attached to the existing side rails so that these bars will not be taken or fall out of the cars and cause any unwanted accidents. And also a sturdy keyed locking mechanism can be used very easily, even by women. However, that set of crossbars can only be installed on cars which have gaps between rail and roof, so if your car does not already have these kinds of side rails, you should think of other models. A limited lifetime warranty is included when you purchase these racks.

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This car roof rack is 53.375 inches long, 2.125 inches wide and 0.875 inches high, which means that the car roof racks are very thin. These car roof racks are a bit more expensive than the product 1 mentioned above but they provide bigger space for your gears thanks to their longer racks.This car roof rack set is made of high strength, lightweight aluminum, which is 11 pounds each but the two bars can bear a maximum load to 150 pounds, enough for any big toy or equipment. This Rage Powersports Apex Side Rail Mounted Aluminum Roof Cross Bars is suitable for any kind of car that has crossover rooftop side up rails that are up to 50 inches apart.

These two roof racks are fastened to the side rails by the rubber-coated clamps and can be simply adjusted by rubber knobs, which can be firmly locked so as to prevent unwanted falling and also to make sure that thefts cannot take these racks from your cars! Aerodynamic Design does a great job in reducing the noise while driving, so no worries of being bothered by the unwanted sound.

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The main factor that these car roof racks from SportRack Complete Roof Rack System is added into this list is it is suitable for almost any vehicle because it does not require any side rails or gap between side rails and your cars, unlike these two products above. You can install it directly to your bare roof. Thanks to all – in one package including load bars, hooks, locks, and every part required, these car roof racks can be installed easily even with women.

The car roof racks dimension is 50.5 x 5.8 x 3.8 inches and these bars are made of steel. Each car roof rack weighs 13.5 pounds and the two racks can carry up to 130lbs, which is a bit lower than some other products, but it can still fit any accessories or toys from bicycle to skis and kayaks thanks to its sizes and weight. The SportRack Complete Roof Rack System also provides locks and keys attached to the crossbars so as to protect your belongings from thefts.

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What makes the Summates Universal Roof Top Cargo Rack Cross Bars stand out in this list is although these car roof racks are very lightweight (only 7.8 pounds each), which ear the lightest in the list. However, these car roof racks can bear up to 200lbs, which is the best capacity in the list, so you will never regret buying those car roof racks for your cars.The reason for that is that those bars from Summate are made of High tensile strength Aluminum and also, these bars are not very long (only 47.5 inches each) but one bar is very thick (6 inches wide).

Furthermore, those car roof racks from Summate which are made of High tensile strength Aluminum are also coated with Metallic silver marine-grade powder, which makes the product look and feel sturdy. Moreover, one set of car roof racks also provides you with 1 key set for higher security, 1 Allen wrench for tightening or loosening and 2 strips for bottom fillister for installation as optional . The width can also be adjusted. However, the Summates Universal Roof Top Cargo Rack Cross Bars are only available for cars that have roof side rails so you have to be sure that your cars have side rails.

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These AUXMART Universal Roof Racks are very durable and lightweight, thanks to the material which is premium aluminum. One car roof rack weighs 12.16 pounds and one set can carry the load up to 150lbs. These car roof racks provide a perfect foundation for the installation of bike carriers, cargo boxes and other rooftop accessories. This product can fit the cars with no side rails due to the adjustable hook that can be attached to the car window frame.The dimension of one roof rack is 48.8 x 5.9 x 3.9 inches, so make sure that your car roof width is less than 48 inches. These racks can also fit cars with sunproof with suitable installation.

These car roof racks provide rubber pad at the bottom so as not to damage the car paint. Moreover, there are three different kinds of clamping included in the set, which makes it possible to fit a lot of types of window frames. These car roof racks can also be installed easily. The unique T-bolts slot design is very useful when tightly fastening your belongings, then helps lower the air-resistance and then save energy.However, these roof racks are not suitable for Kayak, so if you want to go to the beach, you should think of other options.

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These car roof racks from StayThere are added to this list because of its Aerodynamic Design (Rubber strip across the top of the cross-bar), which helps reduce the wind noise and vibration, so you will never be bothered while driving at high speed. The dimension of each rack is 55 x 5.9 x 3.1 inches. Thanks to the adjustable crossbar, these car roof racks can fit any car with the width of equal to or less than 49.5 inches between two side rails with at least 0.5 inches gaps. Although each rack is lightweight (only 8.25 pounds), the two racks can bear the load up to 150lbs so even kayaks, snowboards or skis can be loaded properly.

This Roof Rack Crossbars by StayThere also provides rubber pads on the body of the rack legs and also the inner clamp. The inner clamps can be conveniently tightened or loosened just by removing nuts by using the Allen Wrench tool. Moreover, the plastic at the end of the caps of these car roof racks also helps to protect your car’s paint. The locking system with 2 keys also helps deter the thefts. Remember to keep 2 keys in two separate places in order not to lose both! However, some say that they have difficulties in installing these roof racks.

Conclusion

Finally, we have finished with the 6 best car roof racks above. They all have pros and cons and the key feature that makes these six crossbars set one of a kind is their high load capacity and their flexibility . As a consequence, instead of trying to stuff all your necessary things inside your car and having only little space to sit and drive, now you can put all your gears and big toys on the top of your car with these car roof racks. Now It is your turn to share your opinion about your experience with these car roof racks. What do you think about these car roof racks? Do you share the same or completely contrast experience? Remember to leave your thought and ideas.