Best Ratchet Straps For Securing Your Gear

1. Editor's Choice: Mac’s Custom Tie Downs Ratchet Strap Utility Pack

When you’re packing for a trip, you want your stuff strapped down and safe with the best and that’s where Mac’s Custom Tie Down’s come in clutch. Their Ratchet Strap Utility Pack comes with the following:

• 4 6’x1” ratchet tie down straps
• 4 1”x18” soft loop extension straps
• 4 velcro strap bands
• 1 compact duffel storage bag

The ratchet straps are some of the strongest in the business having a 2,800 lb claimed break strength (per ratchet strap), each with vinyl coated S-hooks stitched into the strap. The stitching to secure the strap webbing is said to be some of the strongest you can get with Mac’s “double-box” stitch. Mac’s also claims that their ratchet assemblies are some of the easiest to use with a patent pending “EZ-release” design. With so many features and positive reviews, we purchased a set to put to the test ourselves. 

Now I can’t give you an exact number of how many ratchet straps I have laying around my shop, but there are quite a few that I’ve purchased in the past for various reasons. This gave me the opportunity to see the differences between the quality of the Mac’s to others purchased at lower price points. Upon opening the package and doing my initial inspection, you can tell that the quality of these ratchet straps are second to none. When I put the Mac’s ratchet body next to a lesser known brand, you can easily see the difference in the quality. The body of the Mac’s ratchet strap is larger and just feels solid where the budget brands feel weaker and for lack of a better word, flimsy. 

How most ratchet straps feature a permanently attached S-hook, the Mac’s unit isn’t any different. Where there is a difference is in the size of the hook and how it’s attached. The Mac’s ratchet strap features a ⅜” thick, vinyl coated S-hook attached to the strap webbing with their double-box stitching. The black stitching on the black strap makes it hard to see in photos, but rest assured in person you can see how well that hook is secured and can tell that you don’t need to worry about it failing. The soft loop extensions are made of the same material and feature the same stitching, so you know that you can secure your load with confidence when cranking down.

To put them to the test, I loaded up my rig with an ice chest inside the cargo area of my Jeep Grand Cherokee, while I was going to secure other camping essentials on my roof rack. The soft loop extensions easily went into the tight anchor points that are installed in the cargo floor, ensuring that my lunch and drinks weren’t going to be spilling all over the back regardless of how bumpy the trails get. As for the camping gear (stove, chairs and tent) on my roof rack, the Mac’s products are perfect to get the job done. Since the rails on my roof rack are a large diameter, I also utilized the soft loop straps to secure the S-hooks in place. Tug on the strap to take up the excess slack, and then crank on the ratchet assembly a few times to cinch down the gear and I was good to go. 

Wondering what those 4 velcro strap bands are for? Bundle up your excess strap webbing and use the velcro bands to hold it in place so you don’t have straps flailing around like those wacky waving arm deals you see at car dealerships. 

When it’s time to take down your gear, the Mac’s ratchet straps have the best release action of any ratchet strap I’ve EVER used. While many products may claim that their releases are easy, it’s almost always the exact opposite. Not with these. When you open the ratchet lever to the release position, simply pull on the strap and it easily unwinds from the ratchet assembly. No tugging or yanking necessary. 

I don’t want you to think that light weight cargo is the only thing I’ve secured with my testing. In addition to my love of wheeling in my Jeep, I also enjoy riding both ATVs and UTVs, and have used these ratchet straps to secure them while trailering with no issues. 

When you get home and start putting all your gear away, Mac’s makes staying organized easy with the zippered duffle bag that comes in this kit. It’s got plenty of room to easily store all 4 ratchet straps and soft loops, and is compact enough that you won’t mind keeping it in your rig as a permanent fixture for future use. Simply put, this is one of, if not the best ratchet strap kits I’ve ever had my hands on.

2. Runner Up: Rhino USA Ratchet Tie-Down Strap Kit

If you’re looking for a good set of ratchet straps, but can’t or don’t want to spend as much as the Mac’s ratchet strap kit, the Rhino USA straps are a good option. If you think the name sounds familiar, Rhino USA makes numerous products for the off-road community such as kinetic ropes, tow straps, and traction boards just to name a few. With that said, you know that this isn’t some off-the-wall company making junk products. 

Just like the Mac’s ratchet strap kit, the Rhino USA kit comes with the following items:

• 4 8’x1.6” Ratchet tie down straps w/ integrated safety clips in the S-hooks
• 4 17”x1.7” Soft loops
• 4 Velcro straps
• 1 High-quality drawstring storage bag

To see if the product was as good as people leaving reviews claimed, I got my hands on a set. Furthermore, I wanted to see how well they stacked up against the top choice from Mac’s Custom Tie Downs. By the numbers, the Rhino USA ratchet straps dominate over the Mac’s. With a claimed maximum breaking strength of over 5,000 lbs, a strap that is ½” wider, and cost that is about ⅓ less than those from Mac’s, the Rhino USA ratchet straps should be the clear choice.

When you put the two side-by-side, there are a few immediate things that stand out. The most obvious is the strap width, but when you look at the ratchet assemblies there is a noticeable difference. The Rhino USA ratchet assemblies are larger, leading to the claim of being the stronger of the two. The materials used between the two look vastly different, but until we put the Rhino USA ratchet straps into action, we don’t know if that makes a difference. 

Just like the Mac’s products, I used these straps to secure various gear in the cargo area of my Grand Cherokee (WJ) and on the roof rack. Rhino USA straps did a great job of securing my ice chest when using the D-ring hooks I have as anchor points. The safety clips ensured that they S-hooks weren’t coming off when in use and even when loosened up to open the cooler for a quick drink break on the trail. 

To secure the cargo such as a camping store and chairs on top of my roof rack, the Rhino USA ratchet straps had the same issue of securing to the rail as the Mac’s units. This is where the soft loops would come into play. There is one difference between the ones from Rhino and the Mac’s soft loops. Being 1” wide and having S-hooks with no safety clips, it was easy to get the straps placed and cargo secured. Because of the 1.7” width of the soft loops from Rhino USA, you’re essentially trying to shove over 3” of strap into the S-hook with a safety clip that makes it a bit restrictive. Am I really nit-picking something like this? Yeah, I am. The bulkiness of the straps just make them a little more complicated to work with. 

Now onto the operation of the ratchet assemblies. When tightening the straps, the ratchet assemblies work flawlessly. You can crank down on them to your heart’s desire, or at least till you start crushing the items you’re trying to keep in place. When it comes time to release them, that’s a different story. When you pull the ratchet lever to the release position, you’ll get the quick pop as the tension releases BUT when you pull on the strap to get it to unroll even more, these seem to hang up. This means you need to hold the ratchet lever in the release position and yank or tug on the strap to get more slack. Again, this isn’t a major issue, but when compared to the Mac’s ratchet strap, they just don’t operate as effortlessly.

When you’re done, you can also store all the pieces in the supplied drawstring bag. This is convenient to keep everything together, but the quality again isn’t as good as what you’ll get from Mac’s. Are these straps bad? Not at all. In fact I’d gladly use these to secure any items that I plan to take on my next off-roading adventure. After reading this, you might find that the examples that I’m giving are very minute and nit-picking, but you also might say that this is reflected in the price you pay when compared to our top choice. 

3. Best Budget Pack: Horusdy Ratchet Straps

If you’re really on a budget and need to get some straps to secure your cargo loads, these ratchet straps might be just what you’re looking for. The pack consists of 4 ratchet straps with 1” wide flexible webbing, heavy-duty rubber-coated S-hooks, and a claimed load capacity of 733 lbs each. Additionally, the pack also includes 2 bungee cords to help secure other items that you don’t have enough straps for. With 4.5 stars from 88 ratings, they seem to be good for light duty applications for the price you pay.

4. Cargo Control 1.5”x15’ ratchet straps (10 pk)

When you’re beyond hauling camping gear and might need a trailer to haul a sizable load, this set of ratchet straps might be for you. These ratchet straps have a claimed break strength of over 4,000 lbs., and are 15’ long so you can easily cinch down an oversize load in the bed of your truck or on a trailer. From experience, the beefy J-hooks aren’t always the most secure unless you have anchor points like D-rings, so getting a set or two of strong soft loop extenders would be a good purchase to go with these.

5. Augo Soft Loop Tie Down Straps

While not ratchet straps, having a strong set of soft loops to use with your ratchet straps is never a bad thing. It’s pretty obvious since our top two suggestions both come with them. As stated in the review, the Rhino USA soft loops are 1.7” wide and seem a little bulky, which is why we’re recommending these 1” wide ones from Augo. Available in 12” and 17” lengths, these straps have a 1,500lb load capacity and help to make securing your loads easy when anchor points are hard to come by.

Is one type of ratchet strap hook better than another?

Ultimately what it comes down to are the anchor points that you have at your disposal. The two vinyl coated S-hook styles (on the left) are preferred when you don’t want to scratch the surface of the cargo you’re wanting to transport. A downside of the type with a safety lock is that you may be limited to the anchor point based on the thickness of the metal where you’re trying to anchor. If you’re using soft loops, this shouldn’t be a problem.

Another style that is popular for securing loads are the Flat Snap Hooks. These are designed to keep the hook in place even when you get slack in your strap, and are in my opinion one of the strongest hooks you can use to secure cargo. The downside of these is that you need an anchor point that can fit inside of the closed section to use them. If you have good D-rings installed on your trailer, utilize E-track attachments or even soft loop extensions with D-rings, you should be good to go.

The last style we’re covering are the metal double J-hooks. Normally found on heavy duty ratchet strap systems, these J-hooks provide plenty of strength but like the Flat Snap Hooks, are best utilized with D-rings, O-Rings or strong trailer rails. Most hooks I’ve seen like these are zinc coated protecting them from the elements but don’t offer any protection to a vehicle (ATV, UTV, or MC) frame from being scratched during use.

When choosing my ratchet straps, what are important features to look for?

The most important feature to look for are the breaking strengths of the straps you’re considering. Just like in my review of the top two ratchet straps, I was using them to secure some basic gear that goes with me when wheeling, but I also use the same straps to transport some ATVs and UTVs that I have. This means that the straps I have must have the breaking strength necessary to properly secure those heavier loads. This means ratchet straps that have strong S-hooks, strong webbing and even quality built ratchet assemblies.

Once you know that they meet your weight requirements, then you can focus on the finer things like ratchet operation.

How to maximize the life of your ratchet straps and parts associated with them?

I can take a lesson from the advice that i’m about to give here. Most of us just chuck the straps into a pile in the back of your rig when done with them. Wet or dry, dirty or clean, we all likely need to treat our straps better. If your ratchet straps get covered in dirt and mud during transport, take some time to give them a quick rinse to get the dirt off of them. While you’re doing this, take a quick minute to check the webbing for any tears that might have happened. Once they’re clean, give the ratchet mechanisms a quick squirt of WD-40 or some other lubricant to prevent rusting and ensure proper operation.

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