Rightline Gear Sport Jr Waterproof Rooftop Cargo Carrier for Top of Vehicle, Attaches With or Without Roof Rack, 10 Cubic Feet, Black

Why it's worth it

The Rightline Gear Sport Jr holds about 10 cubic feet — two carry-ons and a couple of soft bags. Its SZIP waterproof zipper is the most convincing closure design here, and the compact shape sits properly on a sedan roof.

If you drive a Prius, a Civic, an older coupe, this is the bag that actually fits. Ten cubic feet doesn't sound like much next to a 21-cubic-foot carrier, but it's the right size for two people on a long weekend, and it doesn't hang past the edges of a small roof. Owners have run it on everything from a Kia Spectra to a two-door Acura and reported a clean fit.

The zipper is the part worth paying for. On most roof bags, the zipper is the leak path — water wicks between the teeth in sustained rain no matter how good the fabric is. Rightline's SZIP design adds a secondary waterproof membrane behind the closure to block that route. Combined with welded seams, it's why owners who've driven through winter storms across the Midwest report opening the bag to dry gear.

From our review of 6 waterproof roof cargo bags, by Ben Carter, Tech Editor

What we like

• +If you drive a Prius, a Civic, an older coupe, this is the bag that actually fits
• +The zipper is the part worth paying for
• +The shell is UV-protected PVC semi-coated mesh, which matters if the bag lives on your roof through summer trips rather than in…
• +Expect the first install to take a while

What to know

• –Ten cubic feet is about two soft carry-ons
• –The included car clips don't fit every door frame
• –There's no anti-slip mat in the box and no lock