The best tow straps for all kinds of vehicles
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Searching for the top tow straps for your vehicle in 2022? Take a look at our favorites, and learn more about them in our in-depth buying guide! Imagine that you’re in the middle of nowhere and your car suddenly stops working. Sure, you can try to call a towing service, but that’s not always possible. Not to mention that towing services cost a lot of money, so what can you do? Should you push your car home? Well, no — obviously.
Instead, you should consider using a tow strap to get your vehicle moving. We’ll be taking a look at some of the most durable tow straps in 2022 that you can pick up today and make your life easier. Buckle up, and let’s take a look at our favorite tow straps and learn more about them down in our buying guide.
Top tow straps worth considering in 2022
Rhino Basic Tow Strap: Recommended
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Anyone that loves outdoor adventures should have a top-quality tow strap on hand — you never know what might happen when you’re out on the road. This Rhino model is, without a doubt, one of the top choices out there. This strap is made out of an 80 percent polyester and 20 percent silk material combination that can provide you with a high-quality, long-lasting experience. This tow strap has impressive stretching capabilities, and you’ll be able to use it as both recovery and general towing strap. This tow strap can handle a break strength of up to 31,518 lbs, so you should be good no matter what you have to tow. The thing that sets this tow strap apart, though, is its durability. If you want to spend your money on a product that’s top of its class, then this tow strap is the one for you.
Pros
High break strength
Easy to attach
Lifetime warranty and money-back guarantee
Cons
Some users experienced transport issues
GearAmerica Tow Strap: Great pick
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Next up we have a premium GearAmerica tow strap, and this bad boy is available in a few different dimensions. This tow strap is great for cars, trucks, SUVs, and ATVs, so no matter what you need to tow this strap has got you covered. This tow strap also has double-reinforced loops and total-protective sleeves to successfully handle the high tension and wear that occurs at connection points. You can use this tow strap in any weather conditions (-40°F to 215°F), and its massive 45,000-pound minimum break strength and 15,000-pound working load limit means that this tow strap is great for heavy-duty jobs, from towing to recovery to winch extension and more.
Pros
Several size options are available
Heavy-duty, dependable design
Lifetime warranty and storage bag included
Cons
The attachment process can be difficult
JCHL Heavy-duty Tow Strap: Another option
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This JCHL tow strap is a heavy-duty towing strap with a maximum breaking capacity of 15,000 pounds, making it a great choice for all vehicles, including heavy-duty pickup trucks and SUVs. The strap itself is abrasion-resistant, and its high-visibility orange color helps with towing safety when you’re on the job. This tow strap is manufactured from durable, heat-resistant polyester material and it can successfully withstand the pressures of towing without displaying any visible signs of wear and tear. It’s also weather-resistant, and you can extend the lifetime of this tow strap by taking care of it and performing regular maintenance.
Pros
Great for all types of vehicles
Heavy-duty heat- and weather-resistant design
High-visibility orange color for added safety
Cons
The tow strap is fairly short
ALL-TOP Tow Straps: Great value
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The ALL-TOP tow strap can provide you with an exceptional towing performance at a reasonable price, and what’s better than that? This strap has a 35,000-pound break strength and is completely weather-resistant, providing you with a tow strap that you’ll be able to use for some time. This tow strap can help you out in a pinch, and its nylon construction provides it with 22 percent more stretch than a polyester tow strap can. Speaking of its material, it’s made from military-grade nylon and can withstand extreme temperatures, from 350°F to -60°F. This tow strap comes with a heavy-duty storage bag and hassle-free replacement — if you have any issues with your strap, simply contact the manufacturer and receive a replacement free of charge.
Pros
Hassle-free replacement and lifetime warranty
Stretchy, durable construction
High-visibility, long-lasting design
Cons
Included carrying case may smell
Motormic Tow Strap: Also consider
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Motormic makes some of the toughest tow straps on the market, and this specific model is a popular polyester strap with a bright yellow color to increase visibility. This strap is padded for extra strength and it’s been lab-tested to handle over 41,000 pounds, making it great for heavy-duty towing operations. This tow strap has a length of 30 feet to help reduce the chances of accidents, and its compact design means that it’s easy to roll up and store when you’re done using it. This is a reliable, heavy-duty tow strap, but if any issues do occur you can rest easy knowing that the company offers full customer support.
Pros
A strong, durable strap helps prevent collisions
Easy to roll up and store
Built to withstand high tension and wear
Cons
Some reported they arrived missing parts
Buying guide: Tow straps
Is this your first time purchasing a tow strap? If the answer is yes, then you might have a pretty hard time selecting the right one for your vehicle. But don’t fret, because we’re here to make things easier and help you make an informed purchasing decision. In our buyer’s guide, we’ll be looking at some key things you should keep in mind when shopping around, average prices of tow straps in 2022 and the actual process of installing a tow strap. Make sure you read until the end — this way, you won’t miss out on any priceless information.
Things to consider when shopping for a tow strap
Material
The main thing you should be paying attention to when shopping for a tow strap is its material — you need to make sure that the tow strap will be able to stretch without breaking.
There are several different materials that you can choose from, but a great option is nylon material, which is extremely durable and very flexible.
Load capacity
The next thing you’ll want to keep in mind is load capacity. This is the total amount of exertion that a tow strap can successfully handle before breaking.
Generally speaking, it’s recommended to go for a strap with a weight capacity of 20,000 pounds or more, as this will let you easily tow most vehicles without a problem.
Compatibility
It’s important to select a tow strap that will be a perfect fit for your vehicle’s hardware. Even though many tow straps are completely universal, you should double-check this information on the product page.
How much do tow straps cost?
Are you interested in purchasing a new brand-new tow strap for your vehicle? You can expect to pay anywhere from as little as $25 up to $130+ for a quality strap. The price will vary depending on the material, total length, and the brand that manufactures it.
How to attach a tow strap to a vehicle
If you don’t know how to use a tow strap, then don’t worry. In this section, we’ll take a step-by-step look at the entire process.
A. Equipment
Before you start attaching it, you’ll need to unpack the tow strap and perform a quick visual inspection to ensure that there aren’t any visible tears.
B. Verification
Next, make sure to verify that the specific tow strap you currently have will be able to handle the actual payload weight of your vehicle — this is extremely important.
C. Locate the tow hook
Once you confirm that everything looks okay you can start with the attachment process. Make sure that you find the hook of the vehicle you’re planning to drag (it will normally be somewhere on the front bumper).
If you can’t seem to find it, contact your local mechanic for advice — don’t try to attach the tow strap to anything else. Not only can this cause permanent damage to your vehicle, but you might also injure yourself while towing.
D. Connect the tow strap
Now start by attaching the tow strap to the first vehicle. If you’re using a model with a loop at the end you should place the loop through the hook.
E. Move the other car
With the tow strap attached, you now need to move the second car and park it close to the first one (the vehicle that’s being towed). Grab the other end of the strap and attach it to the functional car by following the same process as above.
F. Set the first car in neutral
Go to the first vehicle and shift the gears into neutral. Once the vehicle is in the neutral position, slowly drive the second car to see whether the tow strap is installed correctly. If everything works, simply continue with your journey.
Try to avoid any sudden movements, as this can cause serious damage to both vehicles. If you happen to experience too much resistance, be sure to double-check that everything has been correctly hooked up.
Note: Don’t forget to activate your hazard warning lights to signal to other drivers that you’re towing the car and you can’t go faster than your current speed.
G. Be careful when stopping the car
If you want to stop, you’ll need to do this gradually. This is extremely important if you’re towing a vehicle downhill. Don’t just press the brake hard — if you do, you may cause additional accidents.
H. Unhook everything
Make sure that you unhook everything once you arrive at your location. Don’t forget to store the tow strap back in your vehicle — you never know when you might need it again!
How we found the highest-rated tow straps online
There are hundreds (if not even thousands) of tow straps out there, but we wanted to find the top ones and nothing less. When making our list we considered the following things:
Customer reviews — By looking at many consumer reviews, we were able to see the main advantages and disadvantages of a given product and eliminate a lot of low-tier tow straps.
Construction material — Throughout our search we paid special attention to the overall quality of a tow strap’s material (durability, elasticity, and reliability).
Product value — We made sure to choose reasonably priced tow straps and nothing that wouldn’t be worth your money.
Brand — The last thing that we paid attention to was the brand that produces the tow straps, as some brands have a much better reputation than others
Tow Straps FAQs
Q: Are tow straps the same as recovery straps?
Recovery straps are mainly used to evacuate a stuck vehicle, while tow straps are employed on a free-moving vehicle. Most manufacturers combine these functionalities into one strap to offer you more versatility.
Q: Can I use the same tow straps for any vehicle?
Many tow straps have a universal fit, so as long as the vehicle meets the load capacity of the strap you shouldn’t have anything to worry about — simply attach the strap securely to the hook and start towing.
Q: How many tow straps do I need?
This comes down to personal preference. One tow strap should be enough, but if you want to be on the extra-safe side then purchase two — this way you’ll have a spare tow strap in case anything happens to your other one.
