Best Ratchet Straps: Keep Everything Cinched Down

Make sure you snap the strap and say “that’s not going anywhere” to guarantee your load is secure.

byChris Teague|
Best Ratchet Straps: Keep Everything Cinched Down

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BYChris Teague/ LAST UPDATED ON July 24, 2023

When you load something onto a trailer, it’s a common assumption that it will arrive at your destination. But that doesn’t happen without preparation and can actually fail if you secure your load incorrectly. Ratchet straps, however, are great tools to ensure your gear stays where you put it before you set off.


Yet, depending on your application, the right ratchet strap may not be the one you picked up from your local Ace Hardware or ordered off Amazon. You may need an axle strap or an extra-long ratchet strap to handle a large load, or something entirely else to handle a motorcycle. The good news is that there’s a strap for every load, and we tested a number of them! So let’s take a look at the best ratchet straps on sale today.

Best Overall
RhinoUSA Retractable Ratchet Straps

RhinoUSA Retractable Ratchet Straps

Summary
The coolest advancement in ratchet strap tech.
Pros
  • Easiest ratchet ever
  • Comes already built
  • Solid working limit
Cons
  • Not cheap compared to others
  • Spool has to be tightened before first use
Best Value

Husky 500lb 4-Pack Ratchet Straps

Summary
Easy to work with, cheap to buy, works all the time.
Pros
  • Inexpensive
  • Easy to find
  • Easy to use
Cons
Can fray over time
Best Heavy-Duty

RhinoUSA Heavy Duty Ratchet Tie Down Kit

Summary
Heavy-duty and ready to go.
Pros
  • Solid working limit
  • Great breaking limit
  • Easy to use
Cons
Not retractable
Jonathon Klein

Summary List

Our Methodology 

We looked through hundreds of ratchet straps currently available for sale, considered their maximum load limits, cam mechanisms, and customer assessments against our own expertise, which included decades of experience securing cargo on trailers and automobile roof racks. e also had managing editor Jonathon Klein test the two RhinoUSA ratchets straps, and the Husky one to see what’s what. He put them through their paces.

We considered those ratchet straps that came from well-known, high-quality brands and those that came from new or lesser-known manufacturers. Above all, we prioritized safety, as towing a motorcycle or other valuable cargo is stressful enough without worrying that your load will come loose on a highway.

Best Ratchet Straps: Reviews & Recommendations

Specs

  • Break Weight Limit: 403 pounds
  • Operating Weight Limit: 1,209 pounds
  • Webbing Length: 10 feet

Pros

Easiest ratchet ever

Comes already built

Solid working limit

Cons

Not cheap compared to others

Spool has to be tightened before first use

“Whoa” was all I could utter after finding out about RhinoUSA’s retractable ratchet straps many moons ago. They are, putting it lightly, a quantum leap in ratchet strap technology which has been stagnant since the tech was pushed out so long ago. But these are incredible and essentially act like ratchet strap seatbelts reducing the overall need to do the laborious work of cinching the straps tight or needing a second person to help you.

RhinoUSA’s retractable straps are killer pieces of kit, and come in a 1-inch wide by 10-foot spec, along with a 2-inch wide by 10-foot spec. They’re rated for a working load limit of 403 lbs, but a max break strength of 1,209 pounds, which is more than enough for most loads and motorcycles. It also comes with soft shackles for those motorcycles that need tying down. And you’d better believe, I put that to the test. Bikes are notoriously difficult to tie down by yourself, but these straps make doing that an absolute breeze since all you need to do is push a button and everything is ready to rock.

I will note that when you get them, you’ll want to pull on the retractable end when it’s locked in place to really pull tight the rest of the webbing. That way you don’t go to tighten it on first use and find it wiggling down the road. But it’s a minor quibble.

Managing Editor, Jonathon Klein

Specs

  • Break Weight Limit: 500 pounds
  • Operating Weight Limit: 1,500 pounds
  • Webbing Length: 12 feet

Pros

Inexpensive

Easy to use

Integrated soft shackles

Cons

Can fray over time

I’ve been using Husky ratchet straps for a while now. First out of pure necessity, and second now because I like and trust the straps. I’ve had a few sets, including those above until I accidentally used them for a sharpish load and frayed them enough where I sought another set. But these straps have handled multiple motorcycle loads, all manner of 2x4s, sheets of plywood and drywall, refrigerators, garbage, and more without issue.

The straps are rated for 500 pounds of a working load and come in a 1-inch wide by 12-foot long spec. Integrated soft shackles are also a nice touch, as it reduces the fussiness of other add-on versions and makes hooking up motorcycles quick and painless. They’re also incredible bargains, as I often find they’re on sale and can usually pick them up for less than their current price of $10.

I will say, if you’re working with higher poundages, there’s a good set of these Husky’s that come with a 1,000-pound working limit. So Harley movers take note. That said, how Husky packages them is annoying and you have to use a screwdriver to remove them from the packaging.

Managing Editor, Jonathon Klein

Pros

Solid working limit

Great breaking limit

Easy to use

Cons

Not retractable

While these aren’t the dope retractable RhinoUSA ratchets—a burlier 2-inch set is available, but isn’t as strong as these—these heavy-duty units are still some seriously great kit. Coming in a set of four, these traditional heavy-duty ratchet straps are built for a beating, including strapping down gear and vehicles, including motorcycles and UTVs like my personal Can-Am.

The working limit is 1,736 pounds, but the break limit is over 5,000 pounds, which is within the realm of nearly everything most folks use ratchet straps for. In fact, it’s probably over what most folks use them for. RhinoUSA offers them as a kit, which includes soft shackles to ensure nothing is damaged during transit, and even comes with a storage bag and velcro tie to keep all the excess webbing secured while in transit.

At the time of writing, you can pick this set up for just $59.90 for a set of four, which feels like a screaming deal. And maybe RhinoUSA will see that everyone wants the retractables and built a set that has the specs of this HD set? Fingers crossed.

Managing Editor, Jonathon Klein

Specs

  • Break Weight Limit: 1,500 pounds
  • Operating Weight Limit: 500 pounds
  • Webbing Length: 10 feet

Pros

Ergonomic handles make using the straps less difficult

Vinyl-covered S-hooks protect your vehicle from scratches

8 straps

Cons

10-foot length of these straps is not long enough for large items

Not as durable as other ratchet straps on this list

Filling a roof rack full of bags for a college student or a family road trip does not require the strongest ratchet strap on the market; it just requires a bunch of ratchet straps to secure the various suitcases and duffel bags that you need to make sure are still there when you arrive at your destination. Enter Stanley’s S1000 ratchet straps.

The Stanley’s are perfect for such scenarios as the set includes eight 10-foot-long ratchet straps for light-duty work. The operating limits for these ratchet straps are still fairly burly, set at 500 pounds with a break limit of 1,500 pounds. This set has vinyl-dipped S-hooks that will not scratch your vehicle easily and ergonomic plastic ratchet handles that are perfect for all your everyday needs.

Best for Transporting a Car

Vulcan Axle Tie Down Ratchets

SEE IT

Specs

  • Break Weight Limit: NA
  • Operating Weight Limit: 3,300 pounds
  • Webbing Length: 9.5 feet

Pros

Designed for use in tight spots

Rated for a wide variety of vehicles

Reasonably priced

Cons

Clips can fail sooner than expected

Some report the straps fraying more quickly than expected

Can be confusing to unbox and install

Even if you’ve got the best trailer in the world to transport a car, you’ll want to secure it to the trailer with axle ratchet straps. The car’s emergency brake and transmission will do their best to hold it in place on a trailer, but the bouncing motion and movement of the rig on the road mean that you’ll want to crank it down to keep it on board. 

The Vulcan Axle Tie Down straps work well for these applications because of their clever design that allows the straps to be fed through wheels and into tight spots so that your car is secure no matter how much bodywork or low ground clearance get in the way. They are great for hauling almost any vehicle, including a car, truck, ATV, or UTV.

Our Verdict

Why haven’t you bought the RhinoUSA retractable ratchet straps yet? Seriously, how could you not? Are you telling me that you haven’t had an issue strapping something down by yourself and cursing the gods? Come on. They’re a solid deal and make using ratchet straps easy enough my 3-year-old can do it.

What to Consider When Buying a Set of Ratchet Straps

To begin with, you need to know the approximate weight of the items you are transporting and securing with the ratchet straps. If that weight is higher than the operating limits of the straps you’re considering, you need to find different options. 

If you have ever ridden a spinning carnival ride, you may have experienced feeling like your effective weight, or your inertial momentum is much greater than your weight when you are not moving. This is because your inertial momentum is a product of your mass and the square of your distance from the central axis of the ride. Your cargo experiences the same thing if your vehicle and your trailer go into a turn on the highway. As a result, if you use ratchet straps with an operating weight lower than the weight of your cargo, and you make a sharp turn, you could find yourself snapping them because the inertial momentum of your cargo is now much greater than your cargo’s mass at rest. 

Next, you need to consider your cargo’s dimensions as it relates to how you will secure it to a trailer or your vehicle. If you are securing an ATV that is three feet tall and four feet wide, you will need ratchet straps longer than 10 feet (as you need at least seven feet of webbing to go up over the ATV, three feet to go down the other side, and whatever length of webbing it will take on top of that to link your ratchet strap to its anchor). 

Finally, consider the materials used to make the ratchet strap as it relates to where you live. If you live in the Pacific Northwest of the United States and Canada, you need straps that will not rust if you have to drive through a rainstorm. If you live in the sunny Southwest area of the United States, you do not need to worry about rust, but you do need to worry about the webbing breaking down beneath the harsh sunlight. 

FAQs

You’ve got questions. The Drive has answers.

Q. How do I know when it is time to replace my ratchet straps?

A: Like most things used outside, ratchet straps break down over time. If you find, even with lubricating the cams on a regular basis, that they're jamming, that is a good sign that the cams are breaking down and you need new straps. Also, frayed straps mean that you can no longer count on them to be able to handle their initial operating loads. When you see frayed webbing, it is time to replace your ratchet straps. 

Q. When should I use loop straps?

A: If you are transporting a prized motorcycle, the last thing you want is for the cam of a ratchet strap to rub up against a custom paint job on the peanut tank. Loop straps should be used whenever you are towing something that could be damaged by the metal on ratchet straps. 

Q. How do I use these straps with my trailer or vehicle?

A: For trailers and pickup trucks, you want your ratchet straps to hook into the eye bolt anchors in the bed of the trailer or pickup. You may need to install eye bolt anchors if you do not have them already, especially if you are transporting a motorcycle or ATV. For a car or SUV, you want to be able to thread the webbing through a roof rack of some sort.

Why Trust Us

Our reviews are driven by a combination of hands-on testing, expert input, “wisdom of the crowd” assessments from actual buyers, and our own expertise. We always aim to offer genuine, accurate guides to help you find the best picks.

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