Roof Bag vs Roof Box – Best Comparisons 2022

Vehicle roof cargo bags

Many people certainly fancy vehicle roof cargo bags because they can carry their items around more easily. Roof bags can be so spacious that they are capable of providing nearly 18 cubic feet of storage space.. This means that they offer as much storage space as vehicle roof cargo boxes.

One key benefit that the roof bag provide for vehicle owners is the ability to easily pack and store them after use. Simply pack up the bags and fold them neatly into small blocks and stash them away in a box or a small enclosure in your vehicle. 

Roof bags are highly beneficial since they can be unfolded and mounted easily onto your vehicle. Then again, to mount your roof bag, you do not have to buy a roof rack for your vehicle.

One other advantage of using a roof bag to transport your item is that they come in flexible tarpaulin materials. This means that you can store various items with odd shapes. 

It is usually impossible to store oddly-shaped items with roof cargo boxes. Moreover, as a plus to people on a budget, roof bags are easily affordable.

There have been important advancements in the design process of vehicle roof bags. You now have ergonomic and anti-weather features to enhance the user experience. Additionally, due to their storage location in your vehicle (on the roof), many roof bag products now come with security features.

Vehicle roof cargo boxes

Unlike roof cargo bags, roof boxes are more rigid and non-flexible vehicle rooftop storage boxes. They can be used to securely move your items from point A to B. Moreover, many roof cargo boxes are supplied with secure locks to help vehicle owners securely store their valuables and lock them. 

This way, they are guaranteed the safety of their items. Many roof boxes are made with hard and shell casing which create more secured features. With rigid roof boxes, people will have no idea what it is that you are carrying.

The good thing about your cargo box is the fact that it feels much like an additional trunk in your car. With the cargo box, your items will be safe from weather effects like rain, snow, sun, wind, moisture, dry air, and so on.

Additionally, when you use cargo boxes to transport your items, they will easily protect your items from impact as you travel. This way, it works as an extra trunk storage system for your vehicle. 

With roof boxes, you can easily choose the amount of extra cargo space that you need. Many of these cargo boxes can provide storage volumes of nearly 22 cubic feet.

Roof bags vs Roof boxes – The Differences

Now that we have been able to establish the advantages of the roof bag and the roof box, there are obvious differences between both products. 

This is the important information that you will ever need to make that essential purchasing information to avoid any buyer’s remorse. The differences between the vehicle storage roof bag and the storage roof box are as follows:

The need for a vehicle roof rack

With roof bags, you do not need to install a roof rack. Whether you have a roof rack or not, you can still easily mount the roof bag. However, this is not true for roof boxes as you will need a vehicle roof rack to easily mount your roof boxes. 

Roof boxes are preferred because they increase the storage space capacity of the vehicle. In some cases, your roof box may not be compatible with the roof rack in your vehicle. This is why you need to check for compatibility between your roof box and the roof rack in your vehicle.

Space

In terms of storage spaces, it stands to reason that both the roof bag and the roof box offer nearly the same capacity. It is important to know that roof bags only provide a space allowance of 18 cubic feet at most. However, with roof boxes, you get nearly 22 cubic feet more space. 

If you need more space, then it is better to choose a roof box. A roof box offers more space and they can also be offered in several sizes. This means that you get to choose from various size offers that are offered by the makers.

Security features

In terms of security, roof boxes seem to have more advantages when compared to roof bags. Roof boxes are rigid and come with locking systems. Since their external casing is made from strong and durable material, they offer more security for your valuable items.

A roof bag may not be as secure. Even though they are now produced with locking systems, they are made from a flexible material. 

This means that anybody can get closer to your bag. They can then feel it by touching it. They may then decide to slit it open because of what they might have felt from their touch. 

People can easily feel for valuables by touching your roof bag. And if they are interested in what they have felt, they could get any sharp object to slit your roof bag open while you are away. 

This way, they can easily make away with any item that they want. Therefore, if you need more security on the rooftop of your vehicle, then the obvious choice is to stick to the roof boxes.

Storage ability

When you are looking to buy a roof box or a roof bag, you should think about a good material to store it. With the roof bags, you can easily fold out these storage materials into small enclosures or shelf spaces. 

Roof bags come with more versatility, which means that they can easily be folded and stored in any given shape. However, this is not the same case with roof boxes.

When your roof box is not in use, you will need to look for a nice spot in your car to store it. You could leave it behind in the garage. You may choose to stash it away in your vehicle trunk if there is enough storage space. 

If you leave it on the roof of your vehicle at all times, you should know that this could be a problem. They can become problematic when travelling underneath low overhanging structures and bridges in the road.

Cost

The cost factor is an important comparison when considering buying a roof box or a roof bag for your vehicle. For car owners who have budgeted large amounts of money for this, roof boxes might be suitable for them. 

On the flip side, it may be better to go for the roof bag. This is good when you do not have enough money to spend on additional vehicle storage spaces.

However, you can also find cheaper roof boxes in the market. Some roof boxes have just the same retail recommended prices as roof bags. 

Then again, you have high-quality and expensive roof bags that cost just as much as roof boxes. At this point, your scale of preference should be satisfied by trading cost versus requirements.

Roof bag versus roof box: The final verdict

There is usually a final verdict when comparing the roof bag versus a roof box for your vehicle. This final verdict that is based on what you need. 

This means that before you can choose between a roof bag and a roof box, you will need to consider your requirements against the given factors like:-

• Cost
• Storage capacity
• Security features
• Storage when not in use
• Compatibility with your vehicle.