Permanent, aerodynamic roof racks are awesome. They make any vehicle much more versatile. I have moved from surfboards, wind surfers and even a new lawn mower (while in the box) on top of my car. But they can be expensive and take some effort to install. Also if you are on surf trip to lets say Florida or Costa Rica and want to rent a surf board, your only option is to rent a SUV and throw the board on top. But lets say you want a rent a car or a compact only? Well, the HandiRack inflatable roof rack definitely looks like a less-cumbersome alternative.
Since it’s strapped and inflated, rather than fixed in size, it can be used on a wide variety of cars. That means, you can share a single rack between your four-door luxury sedan and your son’s two-door piece of trash that you bought him as a first car (unless your son’s 8 years old and rides a Pocket Classic, of course) — it’s that adaptable in function.
Afraid all that air will burst when you lay something heavy on it? Don’t. Made from a dense, puncture-resistant synthetic weave with durability similar to the materials used in tires, it can hold up to 173 lbs. of your gear, making it a no-brainer solution for most cargo needs that you normally employ a roof rack for (think surfboards, extra luggage and small dead aliens).
When deflated, the rack itself can be folded down and kept in the boot (great for impulse shopping sprees that find you suddenly splurging on long, tall objects). You can also throw it in with your luggage during travel, so you can get an instant roof rack with your car rental. Each rack comes with 5 metal D-ring anchor points, adjustable webbing straps and metal safety locks for fastening.
The HandiRack is available now, priced at $90 a pair.
[Source via GearPatrol]