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When transporting your gear on the road, it’s important that your equipment be secured to your vehicle. If ropes or make-do fastenings on your cargo were to come loose, you could end up causing a roadway accident. Instead, attach those objects to your vehicle with the best ratchet strap you can find—ensuring you, your cargo, and others on the road make the journey safely.
These handy straps wrap, hook, or clip to your vehicle’s roof or truck bed and tighten with a ratcheting mechanism, allowing you to apply enough force over an item to hold it in place for the long haul. A trustworthy ratchet strap is versatile, capable of securing a kayak to an SUV, a refrigerator in the bed of a truck, trailering an ATV to camp, and more.
Our Top Picks
There are an array of ratchet straps and tie-downs on the market. With so many to choose from, how can you pick the best ratchet straps for your needs? Keep reading for recommendations on top-performing ratchet straps in various categories and choose the best model for your needs.
Best Overall
BISON GEAR Ratchet Tie Down Straps
If you use your vehicle to haul gear, deliver equipment, or for other cargo-related purposes, this four-pack of Ratchet Tie Down Straps from Bison Gear is a great choice. These brightly-colored straps are easy to see in the bottom of a toolbox or truck bed, and at 20-feet long, they can hold down gear in a range of sizes. They have rubber-coated, galvanized steel S-hooks, so they’re weather-resistant, and less likely to scratch your vehicle or your gear. The ratcheting handles have durable rubber grips that make them easier to hold on to as you tighten them.
Best Bang for the Buck
AUGO Ratchet Tie Down Straps – 4 Pack
You may not need the most heavy-duty straps on the market. If you’re just looking for a solid set of ratchet straps, this four-pack from AUGO is up for the job. These 1-inch ratchet straps are 15-feet long, long enough for hauling gear in truck beds or trailers. But they’re not so long that they’re a hassle to work with on a roof rack. These straps have rubber handles to make operating the ratchets easier, and rubber-coated S-hooks to protect your vehicle from scratches. The 1,500-pound breaking capacity makes them suitable for light-duty uses. The kit also comes with a set of bungee cords.
Upgrade Pick
Rhino USA Heavy Duty Vehicle Tie Down Kit
The Rhino USA Heavy Duty Vehicle Tie Down Kit includes the accessories to strap your gear, ATV, or UTV securely in your trailer or truck. The Tie Down Kit comes with 2-inch wide straps that are 8 feet long, with a breaking strength of 11,128 pounds. These straps are up for heavyweight jobs. This kit also comes with heavy-duty axle straps you can wrap around your ATV or UTV’s axle or motorcycle’s forks. The straps have T-shaped handles that are coated with non-slip rubber so you can get a firm grip when you’re tightening them. The Rhino USA kit also comes with a handy tote bag to keep the strap components stored in one place.
Best Heavy-Duty
Everest Premium Ratchet Tie Down
The Everest Premium Ratchet Tie Down is a commercial-grade product, with extra long straps and a 10,000-pound breaking capacity. That’s about four times the breaking strength of the average tie down. This ratchet tie down’s 27-foot straps can secure large tool boxes, logs, and other big items. Their length makes them ideal for use on flatbed trailers. The large, double J-hook latches easily and attaches onto truck-bed cargo eyelets and trailer rails. The strap is reinforced with extra stitching, so it will last longer and resist fraying. There isn’t a rubber coating on the aluminum-oxide ratcheting handle, but it’s still weather- and corrosion-resistant.
Best for Motorcycles
RHINO USA Ratchet Straps (4PK)
This 4-pack of RHINO USA Ratchet Straps is a dependable kit for hauling your motorcycle, dirtbike, ATV, UTV, or golf cart. The set of 1-inch-wide ratchet straps has a maximum breaking strength of 1,823 pounds. The set also comes with four axle straps to wrap through motorcycle forks or around golf cart axles to keep them attached during transport. The anodized ratchet is weather- and corrosion-resistant, and has an ergonomic, padded rubber handle. The S-hooks attach onto truck-bed eyelets and hooks, so your cargo stays in place when you hit a bump in the road.
Best for Kayaks and Canoes
Malone Auto Racks SpeedLine Mini Ratchet Tie-Downs
When hauling longer items like canoes and kayaks on your vehicle roof, ratchet straps can block your view and flap in the wind when you drive. The Malone Auto Racks SpeedLine Mini Ratchet Tie-Down system does neither. It comes with four 24-inch grab loops for hanging on to your kayak, and 12 feet of paracord for tying it to your bumper or trailer hitch. Coupled with two self-locking mini ratchets and two strong carabiners, you can put enough tension on the tie downs to hold your boat firmly in place. Since this system uses paracord instead of a wide, nylon strap, you’ll be able to see out of your windshield with minimal obstruction.
Best for Cargo Tracks
DC Cargo Mall Store E Track Ratcheting Strap Tie-Down
If your truck, trailer, or van has a set of E-Tracks, these ratchet straps from the DC Cargo Mall Store can be a great addition to your system. These 2-inch straps are 20 feet long and have a breaking strength of 3,000 pounds. That’s less strength than some other 2-inch straps, but that’s a trade-off for the quick-clip design. This kit comes with four straps, each with a sturdy, thumb-activated E-Track spring fitting that lets you secure oddly-shaped cargo in a variety of ways. If you don’t have E-Tracks but are interested in trying them out, you can find them here.
Best for Hunting
RPS Outdoors Ratchet Tie Down Straps
If you’re hanging a tree stand or strapping down a ground blind for hunting season, it’s not ideal for brightly-colored ratchet straps to stand out from the forest. These 1-inch ratchet straps from RPS Outdoors are 10 feet long, a good size for wrapping medium-sized trees or strapping gear to your four-wheeler, without a ton of unused strap trailing behind you. These straps have a breaking strength of 2,500 pounds. You get a set of four, enough to hang a few tree stands or tie down all four corners of your UTV.
