Hardy: Roof bags are made from heavy-duty waterproof and UV-resistant fabrics. Those designed and produced by reputable manufacturers are able to cope with both sunny and wintery conditions for a long time. Cons: The loading point of a rooftop cargo carrier tends to vary between manufacturers. Below are the most common iterations: Rear: Sometimes considered a budget feature, rear-opening cargo carriers can sometimes be harder to load depending on the vehicle. The RoofBag is another bargain buy that will serve certain types of travelers well. It costs hundreds less than most box carriers on the market while still providing a generous 15 cubic feet of storage. Plus it's much easier to store when not in use compared to a bulky rooftop pod (18-inch diameter storage bag sold separately). 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

Made from 80% recycled plastic, with internal bracing to minimize wobble from such a large lid, it's a two-person job to install, but the fixings shouldn't cause any difficulties, as they just slide over your roof bars, and clip securely from the inside. After installing each rooftop cargo carrier, we loaded it with test cargo and took it for a road test, noting the amount of noise the product produced and how much drag it added to our vehicle. Many customers say the Arksen is easy to assemble and attach to their vehicle. We found the cargo carrier less cumbersome than the larger Thule or the multi-strap system most cargo bags use. Sizes:63 x 38 x 19 inches | Weight:28 pounds | Capacity:18 cubic-foot | Access: Rear | Load capacity: 100 pounds 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.

Sizes:88.5 x 25.5 x 12.5 inches | Weight:30 pounds | Capacity:11 cubic-foot | Access: Passenger side | Load capacity: 110 pounds With so many options out there, how did Good Housekeeping choose the six that made this list of the best rooftop cargo carriers? The answer is simple: research. Soft cargo bags are great for people who do not want to always have the cargo box mounted on the roof of their car, or are limited for space at home,” explains Mike. “It is worth spending the extra on a cargo bag that will be waterproof and also durable.” Remember You're Carrying A Cargo Roof Box Open/close mechanism: The access on box carriers can be one-sided, dual-sided or rear. Dual-sided is the most versatile, allowing the box to be opened from either the driver or passenger side of the vehicle. This might be helpful for city dwellers who park on the street. One-sided and rear access is the norm on budget models.

Like our review team, a few people deem the strap system less than ideal. Some find it necessary to use their own bungee cords. One customer says their bag wore away after one trip. While this didn’t appear common, the material of the Roof Master is less robust than some of the other bags we tested. The Yakima SkyBox 21 is absolutely enormous. The brand says the 21 cubic-foot capacity is enough for five people's camping gear (and skis up to 215cm in length). In reality, if you need more storage space than is on offer, you either need to buy a van, a trailer or edit your gear before traveling. In general, it’s wise to consider the following factors when shopping for the best roof cargo carrier: Use

Disadvantages of Roof Boxes

We've thoroughly research and tested a vast assortment of rooftop storage options to discover the best rooftop cargo carriers, baskets and bags for your needs. And to bolster our research with expert insights, we also sat down with Mike Kreis, an REI sales and service specialist, for his invaluable advice on how to buy and use the best rooftop cargo carriers. There's quite a few compromises compared to a hard-sided design, but for the price, you won’t find a more convenient way to haul a huge amount of gear, even in bad weather.