Can't decide?

If in doubt, please trust us with these Recommendations...

There's always a price / quality trade off when choosing a 'Best Buy' - our emphasis is on best quality in each price range. The price differences between cheap and quality boxes are, after all, insignificant when compared to most car running costs - not usually much more than a couple of tanks of fuel.

We have a "90 day exchange scheme". What this means in practice is that if your box is not as suitable for your purposes as you thought it would be, we'll exchange it for a box of comparable quality - we'll pay the return carriage. The details of this unique scheme / guarantee are shown on our Terms & Conditions pages. The bottom line is that, subject to a bit of commercial commonsense, we'll go the extra mile to make sure that you're not left with a box you're not happy with.

If you've come to this page without reading our Information pages, we suggest you have a quick read of these pages first. Then have a look at the Product Range pages where you'll find pictures, prices, and comments on individual boxes. We aim to answer most if not all of your questions, as well as guiding you to the type of box which will be most appropriate for your needs.

If after reading all of the above, and this Recommendations page, you still aren't sure which box to buy, please click here to specify your roof box requirements and return a list of suitable boxes.

In any event you certainly won't go wrong with one of our package deals, which are outstanding value for money.

Our recommendations are as follows:

Short Wide boxes - BUDGET

The Kar Rite Contour 380 (£128.95, but keep an eye out for new Bargains) has been a solid bet for many years, but the new dual side opening Farad 400 grey (£138.95) is better value at only £10 more. The Farad 400s are also available for £158.95 in metallic black or metallic grey. If you're working to a tighter budget the dual side opening Farad 320 (£119.95) is remarkably good value, especially when bought with Fapa roof bars as part of a £140 Farad 320 package deal.

Short Wide boxes - TOP QUALITY

If you don't want to carry other things on the roof apart from the box, have a look at our KAMEI 400 package deal - whichever locking Thule or Atera bars you need, (your choice), and a top quality box, from only £275!

The KAMEI Delphin 375 (£174.95) is the obvious choice, the "Best Buy" box in recent product tests, including the last Auto Express test.

Medium Long Medium Wide boxes

The dual side Farad 450s are an obvious choice, starting at £164.95, available in silver-grey, metallic silver or metallic black. We have some new Bargain Farad 450s from time to time. The new KAMEI Delphin 340Ks at £174.95 will do very well, available in right hand or left hand opening. Thule's Atlantis boxes are available in two similar sizes, the Atlantis 200 and the Atlantis 780 - also appearing in new Bargains as we approach the end of the busy Summer season. If you can't decide which we'd recommend the slightly longer and thinner Atlantis 780 which uses its extra height to boost nominal capacity. Also check out the new Autoform Explorer 380 (black, silver, metallic black, metallic silver). The KAMEI Corvara 390K DuoLifts, starting at £239.95, have a similar foot print to all these boxes, with quality and user friendly features as good as it gets. They're available in silver, titanium metallic, black metallic.

Long Thin boxes

Have a look at these four and decide which style you prefer: Autoform Explorer 370 (metallic black or metallic silver), KAMEI 300. The KAMEI 300 is 60cm wide and is proving to be very popular thanks to its looks, pricing, flexibility, quality and symmetry - you can put two of these boxes side by side even on 108cm aerobars. From time to time it's also available as a package deal. The new KAMEI Corvara 310 DuoLifts are just superb - available in silver, titanium metallic, black metallic. The Thule Atlantis 600 is a very good quality Medium Long Thin box which will appeal to people who don't want their box to stick out over the windscreen, even if they sacrifice some volume as a result.

Long Medium Wide boxes - BUDGET

In recent years we've advertised the Kar Rite Contour 450 in this space, but recommended an upgrade to a KAMEI Delphin 460 - see below, especially if you can find one in the Bargains section. This year, being short of warehouse space and having sold few Kar Rites last season, go straight to the KAMEI Delphin 460, still our own all round family-on-a-budget "Best Buy".

Long Medium Wide boxes - TOP QUALITY

Another tricky decision. 5 boxes in the short list, some with multiple colour options: Autoform Explorer 430 (black, silver, metallic black, metallic silver), KAMEI Delphin 460 (silver RH, silver LH), KAMEI 450, KAMEI Corvara 475 DuoLift (silver, titanium metallic, black metallic). Which shape do you like best?

Conclusion? Really each of these boxes is almost equally as quiet, easy to use, and useful. The one thing we can all agree on is that you can get a huge amount into each of these boxes and, what with dogs, children etc., having a box of this size makes all the difference! Most families will be able to get all they need into a box of this size and shape. You want a firmer recommendation? One of the KAMEI Corvara 475 DuoLifts; you'll be very satisfied.

I want as big a box as possible

The dual side Farad 550 is the obvious choice in the mid market, with prices from only £214.95; it's available in grey, metallic black or metallic silver. At the top end, the Thule Atlantis 900 is a cracker, but the downside is size and weight for single person handling. It's the same story for the Thule Spirit 820 boxes (black, glossy black, metallic silver, pepita glossy). It's therefore worth giving serious consideration to using 2 boxes; most of these 2 box deals provide a greater capacity than one box, usually at a similar price, but with much easier handling, and the flexibility to change the set up as the family grows up and requirements change.

The Best Box

What in our view is the overall Best roof box on the market today? All things considered - especially bearing in mind quality, reliability, and ease of use, but also individuality and all round smartness - it's still the KAMEI Delphin 460, available in left or right hand opening format. We've had one of these in our staff 'pool' for almost 7 years now, driven it all over the UK and continent at high speeds in both summer and winter, seen it scrunched inadvertently (and hard) into a multi storey car park (and rubbed off the white paint with white spirit), frequently overstuffed it and just as frequently been amazed that we can still shut the lid and push home the locking bolts! It looks almost as good now as it did when it first came out of the carton, and is strong, secure and completely reliable.

Our Runner Up is the KAMEI Corvara 475, now starting its second summer season, and now with dual side opening and a 75kg loading limit. These are tops for style, sophistication, build quality and user friendly features, available in 3 colours. Families looking for boxes which are large enough but also flexible enough for the medium term, e.g. leaving roof space for a couple of bike carriers, need look no further than one of these two.

Don't forget about our 90 day exchange scheme - just in case you aren't convinced that you got the right box first time.