If you require a quick answer, the best car ramps are the KATSU Set, which are portable ramps that provide up to 17 cm of lift and are suitable for most vehicles. However, if you require a low profile alternative, the Laser 5669 set is the best for sports or lowered cars because they provide a long and gradual approach to avoid your bumper scraping against it.
To rate the car ramps within this article, we based our recommendations on testing, our experience, plenty of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we took into consideration included the construction quality, maximum lift, compatibility (width for the tyres), maximum weight capacity, warranty and value for money.
Best Car Ramp Overview
- Best Overall: KATSU Heavy Duty
- Best Low Profile: Laser 5669
- Best Budget: Sealey Low Entry
- Best Hydraulic: Arebos XXL
- Best Hydraulic Runner-Up: SwitZer Metal
- Best Metal Budget: Rhyas 2T
Below is a list of the best car ramps that are constructed of plastic or metal and are ideal for home garages.
The Best Car Ramps
1. Best Overall: KATSU Heavy Duty Car Ramps
By far the most popular set of plastic car ramps available in the UK is by the KATSU brand. They offer both a standard and low rise set that are both made from high quality synthetic plastic for maximum durability.
In terms of the dimensions, they provide a lift of 17 cm from the ground and are suitable for tyres up to 280 mm wide.
- Very portable and easy to setup
- Extra wide construction
- Anti-skid base
- Provides 17 cm of lift
- They may not be suitable for low cars
Overall, the KATSU Car Ramps tick all the boxes in terms of performance and affordability. They are perfect for oil changes or inspections and they are also suitable for most vehicles on the UK roads.
2. Best Low Profile: Laser 5669 Ramps
If you require a set of car ramps that lift the car slightly to allow enough room to get your trolley jack under, the Laser 5669 set are the perfect solution. They have a long and gradual approach that provides up to 6.5 cm of lift, which is ideal for gaining access to the jacking points with a jack.
- Constructed of a durable polypropylene
- Can be used as caravan levellers
- Lightweight and easy to transport
- Long and gradual approach that makes it easier to drive onto
- Capacity of 5,000 KG per pair
- The 6.5 cm of lift may not be enough for oil changes or other types of service work to your car
The Laser Ramps are the best option for lowered, classic or sports cars that struggle to get trolley jacks underneath. Although they may not be suitable for servicing your car, they serve a purpose for low cars and they won’t disappoint.
3. Best Budget: Sealey Low Entry Car Ramps
Another set of low car ramps that are made from polypropylene is by the highly reputable Sealey brand. As with the Laser alternative above, they are designed to be driven upon and allow easy access for any trolley jacks to get under
- Ideal for low cars
- Capacity of 3 tonne per pair
- Anti-skid base
- Built by a reputable brand
- Only provides 6.5 cm of lift
Overall, the Sealey CAR3000LR are an excellent all-round set of car ramps that are built to a high standard. They are very similar to the Laser alternative above but these ramps only provide 3,000 KG capacity per pair as opposed to the 5,000 KG capacity of the Laser car ramps.
4. Best Hydraulic: Arebos XXL Car Ramp
If you plan to perform regular servicing or other more involved tasks, the Arebos XXL Hydraulic Car Ramps are a great option. Unlike the plastic car ramps, these ramps feature built-in hydraulic jacks, which means that once your car is on the ramps, it can be lifted from 27 cm to 37.5 cm.
- Load capacity of 2,000 KG per ramp
- Overload valve for additional safety
- Easily height adjustable to best suit your requirements
- High quality steel construction
- 245 mm drive-on width
- Most expensive car ramps within our roundup
To conclude, the Arebos XXL ramps are a high quality, professional set of hydraulic car ramps that certainly won’t disappoint. They aren’t the cheapest but they offer so much more functionality than the alternatives and due to the extra heavy duty construction, they should last a very long time.
5. Best Hydraulic Runner-Up: SwitZer Metal Car Ramps
Another set of hydraulic car ramps that is worth considering is the SwitZer set, which offers very similar features. Apart from the colour and a slight decrease in the lifting capacity, the main difference is that the SwitZer ramps have a shorter approach, which means that they may be less compatible with low or sports cars.
- Lifting capacity of 2,000 KG
- Heavy duty steel construction
- Suitable for tyres up to 245 mm wide
- Lifts from 27 to 37.5 cm
- Non-slip platform
- May not be suitable for low cars
If want a cheaper set of hydraulic car ramps to work on your car and aren’t worried about the steepness of the approach, the SwitZer ramps are the better option. However, for the small added cost, we would personally opt for the Aerbos XXL alternatives primarily due to the fact that they can be used with a greater range of cars.
6. Best Metal Budget: Rhyas Metal Car Ramps
Another relatively affordable set of metal car ramps is the Rhyas pair, which are suitable for holding cars up to 2 tonnes. A unique feature of these car ramps are the increased number of crossbeams (10 on each ramp), which are designed to further increase stability as you drive onto the ramps.
- Lightweight for metal ramps (5.3 KG each)
- Max lift of 22 cm
- Heavy duty construction
- Powder coated red finish
- Max weight capacity of 2 tonne
- The angle of approach is relatively steep
Overall, the Rhyas Metal Car Ramps are well-made and easy to drive onto with the additional crossbeams. Considering the low price tag, you simply cannot go wrong with these metal ramps.
How We Rated
Whether we need to lift a car for an oil change, trolley jack access or to load it onto a trailer, car ramps are an essential tool for the job. In terms of our experience of using them, our first set was primarily designed for the “average” car but as we own multiple low/sports cars, we also bought another set that features a low profile design.
As you can see in the image, the Laser Ramps we own (which we recommended above) provide a long but gradual approach onto the ramp and this design prevents the bumper from scraping as the car drives up the ramp.
However, if you require a taller set of ramps for better access underneath your car, you can always use planks of wood at the approach of your ramps to lift your car up enough so that it doesn’t catch on the ramps.
In terms of our testing, we’ve tried and tested a range of metal, hydraulic and plastic car ramps over the years. As shown in the images below, we have been using the ramps for oil changes as well as sorting out the wheel bearings on an old Mercedes 190E with our hydraulic set of ramps. They are very versatile and a great tool to keep in the garage.
As well as our testing and experience of using a variety of car ramps, we also based our recommendations upon hours of research and a number of factors. Some of the factors that we considered included the construction quality, maximum lift, compatibility (width for the tyres), maximum weight capacity, warranty and value for money.
Conclusion
From changing your engine oil to making it easier to get a trolley jack under your car, all of the recommendations above are more than ideal and are also suitable for all budgets.
If you want a portable set for your home garage, the plastic car ramps are by far the best option. However, if you prefer the sturdiness of a metal construction, there are plenty of ramps to choose from. To avoid disappointment, we strongly recommend that you check the dimensions of the ramp to ensure that they are compatible with your car.
For further information regarding any of our car ramp recommendations, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.
