Other sections in this guide
- Overview
- Best Buy roof boxes
- Other roof boxes on test
- Roof box features
- How we test roof boxes
- How to buy a roof box
Sat navs, tyres and accessories Other roof boxes on test
Autoform Nova 380 XR Silver
Which? test score: 69%
Typical price: £205
This elegantly simple sliver box from Autoform only just missed out on being chosen as one of our Best Buys.
It was let down by being slightly too difficult to fit to a car’s roof bars and too easy to steal from.
The box was only accessible from the right side but the gas struts made opening the lid smooth and easy, and the lock was easy to operate.
The interior was bone dry after our rain test and the exterior withstood the extreme temperatures we exposed it to without so much as a whimper.
The box survived the impact test well, though there was more movement of the contents than some other models.
Halfords 250L Black ?
Which? test score: 68%
Typical price: £100
Halfords' own-brand effort isn’t that far away from being a Best Buy. It lost marks for being ever so slightly leaky, easy to steal from and rather time-consuming to set up on your car’s roof.
The capacity is small at only 185 litres, but if you don’t envisage carrying a great deal of extra luggage this might suit you.
The lid opens forward from front edge so it can be loaded from either side of the car, which could be handy if you need to access it by the roadside.
It’s a tough cookie, too, standing up well to extreme temperatures and our impact tests.
Thule Atlantis 900 ?
Which? test score: 67%
Typical price: £335
With 419 litres of usable space, the Atalantis 900 was by far the largest roofbox we tested. This is great if you have lots of things to fill it up with, but all that bulk means that you going to have a large space to store it in during the off season.
Aside from its size, this box is simple to manage. It opens from either side for easy access and is straightforward to attach to your car’s roof rack.
A few drops of water sneaked through the seals during our rain test, but the box was very resistant to extremely hot and cold conditions and tough enough to cope well with our impact test.
Karrite Contour 470
Which? test score: 67%
Typical price: £145
Despite being called Karrite this box is actually made by Thule. With a 328-litre capacity this box is one of the larger ones we tested, so you should be able to get lots inside as long as you don’t exceed the 50kg weight limit.
The main problem with the box was that the clamps are difficult to access on one side, so fitting it to your car is rather fiddly.
Our impact test didn’t do much damage to the box itself, but there was too much movement of the contents inside for our liking.
Rain resistance is excellent, though, and the box easily withstood the extreme temperatures we exposed it to.
Halfords 470L Silver
Which? test score: 66%
Typical price: £200
Halfords' own-brand 470L Silver is something of a behemoth, with space inside for 329 litres (or 60kg) worth of gear.
No moisture entered the box during our rain test, so whatever you put inside will stay nice and dry even in a downpour. We also experienced no problems when checking its resistance to extreme hot and cold conditions.
The 470L withstood our impact test well, with virtually no exterior damage and very little forward movement of the contents.
The worst thing about this box was how fiddly it was to attach to the roof bars of the car because of difficultly accessing bolts.
Hapro Probox 430
Which? test score: 65%
Typical price: £170
Just how many times can you get the word ‘pro’ in a name? At least twice it would seem, but names alone don’t convince.
During our impact test one the Probox’s straps used to secure luggage actually broke: neither a box for rough and tumble nor one for professionals.
The straps were also difficult to secure because the buckle is placed in the middle, making it hard to reach and tighten. The lid was also too flexible to open easily. The box is a gift to criminals, too.
On the plus side, the Probox didn’t leak at all in our rain test and withstood all our temperatures tests with ease.
Halfords Exodus 360L Carbon
Which? test score: 61%
Typical price: £240
It may have a biblical sounding name, but the Exodus would not be a good roof box for Noah. During our rain test it allowed in a good deal of water at the front and more through the lock.
The box itself was pretty simple to attach to your car’s roof rack, though it sits a bit too close to the roof to access the clamps easily.
It dealt reasonably well with our impact test and had no problems coping with extreme temperatures.
The carbon-fibre-effect black model we got is nice to look at, it has a swoopier and more sophisticated appearance that many of the other designs.
Farad Faradbox N2
Which? test score: 56%
Typical price: £165
The Faradbox N2 can be opened from both sides so you can easily access your gear. You get 287 litres of storage space, and though it’s straightforward to set up, it’s takes rather a long time.
Unfortunately, the box let rather a lot of water in during our rain test, and in our impact test the one of the straps that secures luggage broke, which left baggage poking out of the front. It’s also easy for thieves to break into.
In short, there are better roof boxes than this available, so look elsewhere.
Thule BackUp 900
Which? test score: 56%
Typical price: £180
This unusual design works in conjunction with Thule’s EasyBase tow-bar mounted system. So before you get going you effectively have to set up two different pieces of equipment, making the whole process rather time consuming, though good instructions make this easy.
Because the box is mounted on the rear of the car it’s easier to access than other types, and at 329 litres it’s pretty big, too.
The Backup 900’s main failing is that it leaks badly, as it has a lot of holes in it to allow for different configurations. Stickers are supplied to cover these up, but they don’t do a good enough job.
Taking it out in some bad weather is akin to pimping your ride with a paddling pool.
Auto-Plas 415 A354 Travel Store
Which? test score: 48%
Typical price: £120
The Travel Store is the worst roof box we tested. The instructions were poor, which was really bad for a box that requires some assembly when you first get it. Once constructed, fitting this roof box to the car was time consuming because of hard-to-access bolts and easily lost washers.
When we finally had it up and running and performed the impact test, the box was quite badly damaged, with the contents poking out of the front.
The positives were that, at 308 litres, this is a pretty capacious box that did well in the rain test, but it was lacking in other areas. Not recommended.
