Best trolley jacks 2026
Which of these heavy lifters is the best all-rounder?
The complex electronics on modern cars may deter the DIY mechanic, but there are still plenty of tasks a confident amateur can tackle. For most of these jobs you’re going to need to get the car in the air with the help of a jack and axle stands.
Our previous tests have focused on entry-level jacks, where the emphasis is on a keen price rather than user-friendly design. This time we’ve gone upmarket, with designs costing around double the price. The extra investment means they are much better to use and easier to carry around – either in the garage or a car.
Usually dubbed racing or aluminium jacks, these are kinder to the user and car, with a long handle that doesn’t need to be removed to raise or lower the car, a wide saddle to minimise risk of damage, plus light weight. So which is the one to raise the bar for your DIY tasks? We tested six to see which can do the heavy lifting.
How we tested
We measured and weighed each jack and checked to see how low and high they would go. We assessed the saddles, looking for a rubber pad to protect the car’s components, and checked the instructions, looking for key safety advice that should be repeated on the jack. We measured how many pumps it took to reach 20cm – a typical sill height – plus the force required to lift a light sports car. The final factor was the price.
Clarke Racing 1.5 Tonne Aluminium Garage Jack CTJ1500QL
- Price: around £126
- Rating: 5.0 stars
- Contact: machinemart.co.uk
Used - available now
2024 SEAT
Ibiza
21,721 milesManualPetrol1.0L
Cash £14,976
2022 MG
HS
18,686 milesAutomaticPetrol1.5L
Cash £14,897
2022 MINI
Convertible
31,491 milesManualPetrol1.5L
Cash £14,697
2022 Kia
Niro
47,432 milesAutomaticPetrol1.6L
Cash £14,497We feared we’d have to rely on price to separate the three jacks from Clarke, Hilka and Draper because they are clearly very closely related, but the tests with the sports car revealed differences. While closely matching each other elsewhere for reach, weight and saddle design, we were surprised to find the Clarke required much less effort to lift than the Draper, and was easier to manoeuvre than the Hilka. Add in the lowest price by close to a tenner and it is our pick of the 1.5 tonne options.
Sealey 1.5 Tonne Aluminium/Steel Trolley Jack with Rocket Lift RJAS1500
- Price: around £139
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: sealey.co.uk
The box might claim this jack is “primarily aimed at the motor racing enthusiast” but it will work just as well at home as the pit lane. At first glance it may appear different from our Clarke, Draper and Hilka lookalikes, with its twin front wheels rather than roller, but the rest is very similar, with the same 370mm reach and just under two pumps needed to get it to 20cm. The wider stance aids stability and although the overall weight is around a kilo more, you don’t feel it when moving it.
Halfords Advanced 2 Tonne Aluminium Trolley Jack
- Price: around £220
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Contact: halfords.com
If your jack is going to spend its life in the garage rather than the boot, look no further. This one is a step up from these rivals because it can lift two tonnes rather than 1.5 and is altogether bigger, weighing in at more than three kilos heavier. Its longer handle meant it required the least effort to lift our test car and despite its greater size, the largest saddle on test went a couple of millimetres lower than rivals. When we tested this jack, it was discounted to £160, but even at full price it deserves a place in your workshop.
Hilka 1.5 Tonne Racing Jack
- Price: around £137
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: screwfix.com
While looking very much like our winner, this Screwfix-sourced jack just didn’t feel the same. The wheels and roller moved less easily on the garage floor, and the handle was notchy when switching between raise and lower. It also required the full two pumps to reach 20cm, while rivals reached it in just under that. The instructions also referred to a cover plate, which was not identified. The basics are all present, though.
Draper 1.5 Tonne Aluminium & Steel Jack TJ125AS
- Price: around £134
- Rating: 4.0 stars
- Contact: drapertools.com
The car lift test proved problematic for this Draper, which did everything else as well as our winner. It lifted the sports car readily, but needed noticeably more force than the similar Clarke or Hilka; while they required 9kg, the Draper needed 14kg. Not a huge amount, and that may have been improved with a squirt of oil, but we have to test samples as they are supplied. It bridged the price gap between its lookalike rivals and was marginally the lightest of the three.
Sealey 1.5 Tonne Aluminium Low Profile Trolley Jack with Rocket Lift TJA1550
- Price: around £170
- Rating: 3.5 stars
- Contact: sealey.co.uk
While these units are commonly known as aluminium jacks, all have some substantial steel elements – except for this Sealey, which really is all alloy. As a result it’s the lightest on test, although only by less than a kilo. It also means it is the second most expensive, which is always going to hurt in such a tightly packed field. It uses a similar super-stable twin front wheel set-up to its stablemate, although the saddle is slightly smaller. It also required a similar effort in the car lift as the Draper.
Verdict
more than half of our jacks clearly share parts, so splitting these products wasn’t easy. But the easy-lifting Clarke with the keen price secures the win. Sealey’s variation on the aluminium and steel design takes second place, while third goes to the big Halfords jack, which is still worth considering at its full price, although the discount is no longer available.
Did you know you can sell your car through Auto Express? We’ll help you get a great price and find a great deal on a new car, too.
