I use a roof rack for carrying stuff that won’t fit into my small car, but I don’t like leaving the rack mounted when it isn’t needed. HandiRack is a storable, compact alternative to a rigid rack.

A pair of inflatable pads, constructed of sturdy nylon fabric, carries the load. Each pad has two separate air tubes and fill valves. A web belt straps each pad to the top of a vehicle. Five D-rings provide anchor points for tying the load to the pads.

The HandiRack mounts quickly. Open the car doors (or back windows in the case of a two-door car). Lay each pad across the roof, pass the webbing through the door openings, engage the buckle, and snug up. Close the doors and then inflate the tubes by either blowing into the valves or using the hand pump that’s supplied.

On my compact car, the fastening straps passed through the passenger compartment at the level of my forehead–a minor annoyance tolerable for short trips. Also, this strap might interfere with some shoulder harnesses, as it did in my car with an automatic shoulder restraint.

The rack can carry up to 176 lb.  In use, it didn’t generate any objectionable noise or vibration, and a load of boards felt secure at speeds of 50 to 55 mph.

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