The decision to buy or rent a rooftop cargo carrier depends on your frequency of use and storage capabilities. If you frequently travel and lack storage, buying could be cost-effective long-term; however, if occasional use and storage are concerns, renting might be more practical.
Should You Buy or Rent Rooftop Cargo Carrier?
If you are going somewhere with a lot of cargo, a rooftop cargo carrier can help you to store all the cargo with ease. Rooftop cargo carriers are also suitable for any kind of vacation trip; you can even go fishing and camping with these. They are not so expensive, too, according to the features they are providing.
Different kinds of rooftop cargo carriers are available out there, made out of different materials, and come in different sizes and designs. So you can easily find a good one whether you are looking for a rooftop carrier to carry from a few small suitcases to several snowboards or fishing rods.
If you are on a tight budget but you need a rooftop cargo carrier for your trip, then you might be thinking of renting a rooftop carrier instead of buying one. But the question is, “Is that really the most efficient thing to do?”
The answer to this question actually depends on several factors. So we recommend you to read this article fully, and we hope that it will help you make the decision.
How Many Trips Per Year Do You Take? Rooftop Cargo Carrier Rental
If you go on trips frequently, we recommend buying a rooftop carrier instead of renting one because it will be more cost-effective. Rooftop cargo carriers are available at a price range starting from around 50 dollars to several hundred dollars. But if you rent a rooftop carrier for three days, that will almost cost you the same, and at the end of the long run, buying a roof box will cost you less.
If you want to buy the perfect rooftop cargo carrier for you, you have to research what type of carrier will be best for you according to your budget. You should check the size capacity, the installation process, and the material used in making the carrier. If you go on a trip only once a year or less, then leasing a carrier will be best for you. Otherwise, it is better to buy a cargo carrier.
How Is the Carrier Attached to the Vehicle?
The process of attaching the carrier to your car is also an important thing to consider. Moreover, many rooftop carriers need a roof rack to be attached, and some can be attached with or without any roof rack. So of them, just use a rope or strap to tie the carrier to the top of your car.
If the cargo carrier you liked requires a permanent roof rack, but you do not want to add one on top of your car, then you should look for something else and find something that does not demand you to make any permanent change to your car.
If you previously have a roof rack installed on top of your car or are going to install one, you can either purchase or lease the carrier. You should also consider other factors before you make the final decision. But you should always remember to check the manual provided by the manufacturer to determine whether a roof rack is required or not. If you do that, you will not face any problem, and there won’t be anything surprising after you get the carrier itself in your possession.
If you are searching for something that does not require you to have a roof rack, there are still many options available to either buy or rent. The leasing companies have many kinds of products that do not require any roof rack so that you can easily choose to lease one for your roof rack-free car.
How Much Stuff Will You Be Bringing with You?
Another thing you should consider before you buy a rooftop cargo carrier is what you want to carry with that? Different types of carriers come in different sizes, which are measured by cubic feet. You can easily find carries available with ten to up to 30 or more cubic feet of storage capacity.
Large cargo carriers can be very expensive, but you can lease them at an affordable cost. The carriers with 20 to 30 cubic feet of storage capacity are generally soft roof bag types of carriers; besides, some hard shell roof cargo boxes also. You can carry a lot of items with these. If you need a big cargo carrier and need to use it even a few times a year, it will better for you to buy a rooftop cargo carrier instead of leasing one.
A good quality and large enough cargo carrier can be expensive, but you can buy it for around under 100 dollars. When renting a cargo carrier, you have to pay more for the bigger and most high-quality one. So you should buy your own cargo carrier as your need and test.
How Will You Store the Carrier When it Isn’t Being Used?
When you plan to buy a rooftop carrier, you also have to think about what you will do with it when not in use? If you install a cargo carrier on top of your vehicle, it will affect your car’s gas mileage. You will have to pay more money to fill up your tank, so you should remove the carrier when not in use. But the question is what to do with the carrier after removing it from the roof of your car?
If you buy a soft cargo bag type of carrier made from polyester or some type of plastic, it will come with a storage bag to easily store it. But if you buy a hard shell cargo carrier, it can be a little hard for you to store it because you have to have a good place to hang it when not in use. You can install a rack on your garage or shed on the walls so that you can hang the carriers there.
If you want a soft type of cargo carrier, it won’t matter if you lease it or buy it. But if you choose a hard-shell rooftop carrier but do not want the hassles to find a place to store it, you should just go ahead and lease it instead.
-our editorial board has reviewed this article and has been approved for publication according to our editorial policy.
Best Seller List of Roof Cargo Boxes:
Last Update : 2025-06-30
