Review of Airrack Self Inflating Inflatable Roof Rack

Self inflating universal roof rack bars by Airrack which we test out on our surfboards and for other carrying purposes.

Description

Are you after a no nonsense inflatable roof rack set up for your, then look no fruther. This is the simplest in terms of set up compared to the other inflatable roof racks, because it pumps itself up, no pump required, no blowing it up with your mouth and no electric car pumps needed either. Even though this is what they are sold as, like other self-inflating products we own (mostly camping beds), we added a little air at the end by blowing in to the valve, just to make sure it was fully inflated.

airrack self inflating screw open to inflate

 

Other than this feature, it is very similar to all of the other universal car roof racks. Once inflated, open your doors, wrap around the top of the door, in to your car and secure inside, under your roof.

What we liked about the Airrack inflatable car roof rack is that it had multiple secure points on it, so you could carry very small items or much wider things. With the supplied strapping, you can secure a kayak, surfboard or three, wooden pallets, garden furniture, timber and many more things.

airrack inflatable roof rack for kayak

 

Now, what did we try and fit on top of our car with these universal roof bars? We have an extra large 3 person hard kayak at my parents, which we leave there. They live near the ocean in south Wales and we love going for a long day out on it to enjoy the sea. Our last visit there, we put the kayak on top, attached with the supplied strappings and also strapped the front and rear of the kayak, because it is very long, to the front and rear of our car. The furthest we drove was about 25 miles in one day with it on top of our little Panda, but it did incredibly well!

airrack inflatable car roof rack

 

The hardest part was lifting the kayak on top of the car with just two of us.

Once it was on, it took 5 minutes to tie in securely and we were off, driving down very bumpy, hilly, country roads and we really can’t complain. We got back to my parents and it was in the same position we had fitted it in for our return. The kayak weighs approx 60kg and the max load of 80kg for this inflatable set didn’t seem to have any trouble with it.

What Else Did We Carry?

We carried a long board surfboard with two bodyboards on top (so 3 in total). The two bodyboards were packed in a bodyboard bag and we looped the strapping through its shoulder straps for extra security.

We brought some trellace fencing from our nearby garden centre, this was only a 4 mile journey, but it seemed to carry 8 panels, which we couldn’t fit in to the car.

I think the fastest we travelled with the Airracks on was about 60mph and they were good at this speed.

Packing Away – Use On Multiple Cars

We really liked these inflatable car roof bars and to top it off, we could deflate them in a few minutes, just unscrew their valve, unstrap from the car and you can place on to any other car or vehicle you might have.

Pros & Cons

PROS:
  • Self inflating, no others we tested were
  • Really wide, can fit up to 1.2m wide on top of your car
  • Has extra secure points all along the inflatable roof bars so you can put on different size things on top of your car
  • Great price
CONS:
  • Instructions aren’t in English but not too hard to work out
  • If it rains, you may get some water in your car as it leaks through the straps, not much thankfully
  • Only fits cars with 4 doors (front and back)

Conclusion & where to buy

A really good inflatable roof rack that you can let self-inflate and strap in in just a few minutes. Will hold most things you want it to, ladders, gardening stuff, ski’s, snowboards, surfboards, paddle boards, kayaks, canoes and more!

HandiWorld HRACK HandiRack Universal Car Roof Rack; Quick Fit Heavy-duty Roof Bars; Black

£75.00
3 new from £75.00
4 used from £49.19
Free shipping
Amazon.co.uk
as of March 10, 2024 8:37 pm

Dimensions:

90cm x 12cm

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Martin Shaw
Martin Shaw

Martin is an automotive enthusiast with a deep passion for all things cars. He has spent the last decade immersing himself in the industry, reading up on the latest models, attending car shows, and tinkering with his own vehicles. Loves: family, all things cars (apart from selling them), pizza.

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