Thule 630 Ranger 90 soft, folding roof box / cargo bag review
Thule Ranger 90
I purchased a Thule Ranger 90 soft, folding roof bag / cargo bag to fit the roof bars of my vehicle. I needed extra space on occasional trips so I wanted a relatively low cost solution. Also, as the roof box was not intended to be a permanent feature on the vehicle and I don’t have a lot of storage space in my garage, I had to find a product which was easy to fit and remove from the roof bars and occupies a minimum amount of storage space.
By chance, whilst researching the market for a small, low cost hard roof box, I happened upon the Thule Ranger 90. Prior to finding this product, I was not aware of and had not considered a soft, folding roof box as a solution to my needs. Considering the handling requirements of a hard roof box when physically fitting and removing it from the vehicle (which I would typically be doing by myself) a soft textile roof box was instantly appealing.
Further research into the Thule Ranger 90 product showed that with a 340 litre storage capacity and weighing 7kg, it would provide the extra storage space I required in a manageable weight for me to lift on and off the roof bars by myself. The fact that this roof box could be rolled up and stored in a comparatively small space meant that my main criteria for a roof box would be satisfied.
I considered the drawbacks which were mainly around robustness and security of a soft roof box compared to a hard roof box. Obviously a textile roof box is far easier to break into that a hard plastic roof box but security was not a significant issue for my intended usage and the padlocked zipper was enough for my needs. The ability of the Thule Ranger 90 to withstand general wear and tear was more of a concern but after having used it for many long trips fully loaded with items including a baby pram / stroller, shopping, holiday luggage, fishing equipment etc..etc…I’m pleased to say that the tarpaulin material of this roof box is indeed robust.
Installation is simple with four snap lock u-clamps securing each corner of the roof box to the roof bars. A zipper runs around three sides of the box which allows flexible access from either side of the vehicle or the back. Adjustable straps allow the box to be tailored to the size of the load being carried.
Overall, I was very pleased with the Thule Ranger 90 roof box, it sits neatly in the corner of my garage and takes me 5 or 10 minutes to secure to the roof bars of my vehicle when I need to use it.