Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

They're basically all the same: a ratcheting mechanism that advances one tube from within another and then locks in place using a single tooth. The difference between the brands is the diameter of the tubes and quality of the ratchet. Having said that, this ratchet suffices and the tubes are thick enough to be rigid. I can mount this in the bed and push pretty hard on it without it moving or getting loose. This brand's downfall, however, is that the ratchet is too difficult to DIS-engage... The tab you have to pull backward to disengage the teeth is much too small. You have to put some pressure to engage the ratchet FURTHER (half a tooth) so you can pull the tiny tab backward and then slide the inner tube into the outer. That's a pain. It's hard to grip because it's too small (see picture). It would have been better if they had spent 10 cents more and either made the tab a bit larger or simply put a rubber sleeve over it. The ubiquitous cargo orange straps you buy at HF have a rubber sleeve over that tab and are a cinch to dis-engage.