X-BULL Car Roof Cargo Bag Rooftop Cargo Carrier 100% Waterproof Top Luggage Bag for All Vehicles

The title on this carrier says 100% waterproof. That is the supplier's wording rather than a test result, and the sober way to buy any soft rooftop bag is to treat it as water-resistant and pack accordingly. What X-BULL does describe in useful detail is worth having: a three-layer 900D PVC shell, a covered zip, and 595 litres of room.

What that waterproof claim is worth

Coated PVC sheds rain well enough; the weak points on this type of bag are the seams and the zip line. X-BULL says the zip is an upgraded waterproof type under a widened cover, measured by the supplier at 4.7 inches, meant to stop water tracking in. Four hours of highway rain is a harder test than a downpour in a car park, and no standard or test method is named. Bedding belongs in a liner whatever the label promises; clothes and camp gear will be fine.

Straps, mats and the paintwork underneath

Reinforced adjustable straps hold the bag down and anti-skid pads sit between it and the roof, which is as much about grit as grip - a loaded bag shuffling on a dusty roof will polish through clear coat over a long trip. How many straps come with it, and where they anchor, is not published, so compare the photos against your own crossbars before ordering. A bag lashed through open door frames is a different proposition from one clipped onto a rack.

Key features

• Coated PVC shell: 900D fabric in three layers, resistant to tearing.
• Widened zip cover: 4.7 inches across the flap shielding the zip line, per the supplier.
• 595 L of room: takes bulky, light gear off the back seat.
• Non-slip pads: reduce scuffing where the base meets the roof.

Specifications

• Stated capacity: 595 L
• Fabric: 900D PVC, three layers
• Zip: supplier describes it as waterproof, under a cover it measures at 4.7 in
• Mounting: adjustable reinforced straps with anti-skid pads; quantity and anchor points not stated
• Bag dimensions: not given in the supplier data
• Weight limit: not published
• Waterproof claim: the supplier's, unattributed to any standard - budget for water-resistant

Check your roof before you buy

• Every vehicle carries a roof load limit in its handbook, and every rack has one of its own. The lower of the two governs, and it includes the rack plus the empty bag.
• Anything on the roof changes overall height - measure the loaded vehicle and remember that figure at low garages and boom gates.
• Retighten the straps after the first stop, and again any time the bag has been opened.
• Wet gear sealed inside a coated bag stays wet, so unpack and air it at the other end.

Bought with clear eyes about what a fabric carrier does and does not do, it is a lot of space for the money.