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Cargo Boxes

Thule Force 3 Review

Thule's sensible-money box, and the one that quietly replaced the Force XT people are still searching for.

By Janet H.Last reviewed September 25, 2026
A matte-finish hard-shell cargo box mounted on roof crossbars

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If you have been searching for a Thule Force XT, this is the product you are looking for. The Force XT range was replaced by the Force 3, which is why listings and comparison articles disagree with each other depending on when they were written.

The Force 3 sits between the entry Pulse and the flagship Motion 3: dual-side opening, a wide size range, and hardware that is good rather than exceptional. For most buyers that is the right place on the curve.

Quick picks

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up below. Scores are our editorial judgment on published specifications — not a star rating, and not a product we claim to have tested.

#ProductBest forScorePrice
1
Representative photo of a matte black hard-shell cargo box mounted on crossbars
Thule Force 3Dual-side opening and a genuinely wide size range at mid-tier money — the default sensible choice.
Most buyers, most vehicles8.3

Prices checked September 25, 2026. Product photographs are representative stock images, not the exact unit. Affiliate disclosure.

#1 · Most buyers, most vehicles

Thule Force 3

Representative photo of a matte black hard-shell cargo box mounted on crossbars
Representative photo — not the exact unit.

Dual-side opening and a genuinely wide size range at mid-tier money — the default sensible choice.

Type
Hard shell
Opening
Both sides
Sizes
Roughly 300 to 610 liters, five variants
Replaces
Thule Force XT
Finish
Matte
Mounting
Quick-mount clamps

What works

  • Size range covers small crossovers through to large SUVs
  • Dual-side opening, which not everything at this price offers
  • Matte shell hides the scuffs a gloss box shows
  • Thule's dealer and spares network stands behind it

What doesn’t

  • Hardware is a step below the Motion 3's
  • The large sizes are heavy empty — check your roof limit arithmetic
  • Still costs meaningfully more than the value brands

Our scoring

Usable space8.5
Mounting9.0
Weather sealing8.5
Low profile7.5
Value8.0

8.3overall

What changed from the Force XT

The Force XT was discontinued and replaced by the Force 3. The practical consequences for a buyer today:

  • Reviews and comparisons written before the change describe the XT. The shapes and sizes are broadly comparable, but the hardware is not identical.
  • New-old-stock XT boxes may still appear at a discount. That is a real option, with a real caveat: spares support for a current model is better, and a cargo box is a ten-year purchase.
  • The Force 3 range added smaller entry sizes, which matters if your vehicle has a short roof or a modest weight limit.

Which size to buy

Do the weight arithmetic before you look at volume. Published roof limit, minus crossbars, minus the empty box, equals what you can pack.

Then check two measurements. Your bar spread must sit inside the box’s stated mounting range — the larger sizes want more spread than a small car can give. And your garage height must clear the vehicle with the box fitted and loaded.

Our SUV cargo box roundup translates volume figures into what actually fits inside them, and the vehicle pages carry the published roof limit for each vehicle we have verified.

Common questions

Is the Thule Force XT still available?
It has been replaced by the Force 3. Remaining XT stock may still be on sale at a discount, which can be a good buy — just weigh it against better spares support for a current model on something you will own for a decade.
Force 3 or Motion 3?
The Motion 3 has better mounting hardware and a low-profile XL that clears garages the Force does not. The Force 3 does the same core job — dual-side opening, good sealing, a wide size range — for meaningfully less. Most buyers are well served by the Force.
What size Force 3 fits my car?
Work it out by weight first: your published roof limit minus your crossbars minus the empty box. Then check that your bar spread meets the box's minimum, and that your garage clears the loaded car.

Sources

Not sure it fits your car?

Our vehicle pages carry the published roof load limit, the roof type by model year, and what actually mounts to it — cited, and honest about what the manufacturer does not publish.

See what fits your vehicleAll cargo boxes

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