Best Jack Stands For 2021

If you’re going to work on your car, odds are you need a pair of jack stands. Maybe your truck has enough ground clearance that you can reach the oil filter from underneath without them, but to be able to pull the wheels off and work on the brakes, jack stands are an absolute must. 30 years ago, most jack stands were thin stamped metal and had a height-adjustable securing pin. That design changed

Best Overall

Torin Big Red T43004 Aluminium Jack Stands

Sale

$62.69

(-$4.10) (7%)

Why We Picked It

To work on a truck or large SUV, you need jack stands with both increased weight capacity and taller maximum height. It goes without saying that you want them to be safe, which, these days, means an additional locking mechanism. Pin-through-tube-design 5 and 6-ton stands are available from Omega, Sunex, AFF, and others, but they’re expensive. The Torin T46002A uses the toothed-post design with a locking pin that prevents the teeth from slipping. It’s got a 6-ton capacity, nearly a two-foot maximum height, and it’s very well-priced.

Pros & Cons

Low cost
6 ton (12,000 pound) capacity, 15 3/8-in to almost 24-inch range
Has pin that secures the toothed lifting post from sliding

A handful of users, about 2%, report quality control issues

Best High-End Jack Stands

Esco 10498 Jack Stands

Why We Picked It

The Esco 10498 is a pin-lockable 3-ton (6,000-pound) set of stands with some great features, including a triangular base for stability, and a flat top with an integrated rubber pad.

Pros & Cons

Low cost (for what you get)
Has pin that secures toothed lifting post from sliding
Wide, stable four-legged base

Cost
Lowest position may be too high for some cars
Some users report wobble in the post at the highest positions

Best Budget Jack Stands

Pro-LifT T-6903D Double Pin Jack Stand

Sale

$49.99

(-$20.00) (40%)

Why We Picked It

The Pro-LifT T-6903D doesn’t have a pair of sliding tubular shafts and a locking pin that goes directly through them like the Torin T43004. Rather, it uses the toothed-post design with an added pin that fits up against the tooth for the selected height, making the kind of failure that the Harbor Freight stands suffered much less likely. And it’s less than half the price of the Torin.

Pros & Cons

Low cost
Has pin that secures toothed lifting post from sliding
Wide base

Locking pin doesn’t go through the body of the shaft
A small number (<1%) of reviews report inconsistent welds

Best Truck Jack Stands

Torin Big Red T46002A Steel Jack Stands

Why We Picked It

Pros & Cons

Low cost
6 ton (12,000 pound) capacity
15 3/8-in to almost 24-inch range
Has pin that secures the toothed lifting post from sliding

2% of reviews report quality control issues

Best Road Trip Jack Stands

NOS NAJS3T Aluminum Jack Stand Ratchet Style

Why We Picked It

If you’re road-tripping a vintage car and need to be able to, say, crawl underneath and wire up a hanging exhaust with a coat hanger, you need to travel with a small light floor jack and a set of jack stands. On the one hand, the Torin T43004s are a good fit since they’re aluminum and have detachable bases that reduce their packed size, but the relatively small size of their bases is concerning if you need to use them on a surface that may not be a laser-leveled garage floor. The NOS NAJ3ST is a more conventionally-styled four-legged aluminum stand with a toothed lifting post. Note that it does not have a locking pin—common before the HF recall—but if the floor jack is left in place as a backup (which you should always do anyway), personally I’d go with its larger, more stable base over the locking pin.

Pros & Cons

3 ton (6,000 lb) capacity
11.5 to 16.5-inch height range
10-pound weight

Price
No locking pin

Bestselling Jack Stands on Amazon

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Bestseller No. 1

BIG RED T43202 Torin Steel Jack Stands: 3 Ton (6,000 lb) Capacity, Red, 1 Pair

Lightweight jack stands are used to support your vehicle after lifting with a jack; Wide pyramid foot base provides added strength and stable support
Constructed of high-grade forged steel with a welded frame design for durability, it handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, SUVs, and light duty trucks
Adjustable height ranges from 11-1/4" to 16-3/4" with a 3 ton (6,000 lb) load capacity

Bestseller No. 2

Pro-LifT T-6903D Double Pin Jack Stand - 3 Ton, 1 Pack

Sturdy stamped Steel Construction with 3 ton capacity
High quality cast ductile iron ratchet bar
Double locks mechanism with both handle locks and mobility pin

Bestseller No. 3

BIG RED T46002A Torin Steel Jack Stands: Double Locking, 6 Ton (12,000 lb) Capacity, Red, 1 Pair

Double locking jack stands help support vehicles after lifting with a jack; Handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, jeeps, ATV's, UTV's, and more
Features a lifting range of 15-3/8" to 23-13/16" with a 6 ton (12,000 lb) load capacity; Saddle has a large surface area that provides better contact with the load being supported
Constructed with heavy-duty steel and is industrial welded for quality and long term durability; Removable locking support pin provides added security that increases safety by 200%

Bestseller No. 4

510 Reviews

Torin AT43202B Steel Jack Stands: 3 Ton (6,000 lb) Capacity, Black, 1 Pair

Lightweight jack stands are used to support your vehicle after lifting with a jack; Wide pyramid foot base provides added strength and stable support
Constructed of high-grade forged steel with a welded frame design for durability, it handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, SUVs, and light duty trucks
Multi-position ratchet bar has a sawtooth design, allowing for quick height adjustments that lock into place

SaleBestseller No. 5

TCE 3 Ton (6,000 LBs) Capacity Double Locking Steel Jack Stands, 2 Pack, Blue, AT43002AU

Double locking jack stands help support vehicles after lifting with a jack; Handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, jeeps, ATV's, UTV's, and more
Features a lifting range of 11-1/4" to 16-3/4" with a 3 ton (6,000 lb) load capacity; Saddle has a large surface area that provides better contact with the load being supported
Constructed with heavy-duty steel and is industrial welded for quality and long term durability; Removable locking support pin provides added security that increases safety by 200%

Bestseller No. 6

8,526 Reviews

Amazon Basics Steel Jack Auto Stands, 3 Ton Capacity, 1 Pair

Pair of 3-ton jack stands with 6,000-pound capacity total (when used together)
Self-locking ratchet means no locking key is necessary; meets ASME PASE-2014 Safety Standard for Portable Automotive Service Equipment
Stand can be raised or lowered to the height needed; self-locking ratchet for ease of use

Bestseller No. 7

5,354 Reviews

Pro-Lift T-6906D Double Pin Jack Stand - 6 Ton, 18x12 Inch (Pack of 1)

Sturdy stamped Steel Construction with 6 ton capacity
High quality cast ductile iron ratchet bar. Lifting range from 16 in. to 23-1/2 in
Double locks mechanism with both handle locks and mobility pin

SaleBestseller No. 8

1,099 Reviews

BIG RED T43004 Torin Aluminum Jack Stands with Locking Support Pins: 3 Ton (6,000 lb) Capacity, Red/Silver, 1 Pair

Lightweight jack stands for supporting vehicles after lifting with a jack; Handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, jeeps, ATV's, UTV's, and more
Constructed of high-grade aluminum; Removable locking support pins provide added security and stability and is equipped with 6 locking positions
Adjustable height ranges from 10-3/4" to 15-5/8" with a 3 ton (6,000 lb) load capacity; Saddle has a large surface area that provides better contact with the load being supported

SaleBestseller No. 9

3,061 Reviews

BIG RED T43002A Torin Steel Jack Stands: Double Locking, 3 Ton (6,000 lb) Capacity, Red, 1 Pair

Double locking jack stands help support vehicles after lifting with a jack; Handles a wide range of vehicles including small cars, jeeps, ATV's, UTV's, and more
Features a lifting range of 11-1/4" to 16-3/4" with a 3 ton (6,000 lb) load capacity; Saddle has a large surface area that provides better contact with the load being supported.Saddle Diameter:3.35 inch
Constructed with heavy-duty steel and is industrial welded for quality and long term durability; Removable locking support pin provides added security that increases safety by 200%

Bestseller No. 10

Pro-LifT T-6902D Double Pin Jack Stand - 2 Ton, 1 Pack

Sturdy stamped Steel Construction with 2 ton capacity
High quality cast ductile iron ratchet bar
Double locks mechanism with both handle locks and mobility pin

Methodology

Working on brakes or performing other work beneath the car requires raising the front or rear with a floor jack, then setting the car on a pair of properly-rated jack stands. Selection criteria included safety, size, cost, user ratings, capacity, and height range. The jack stands selected all list ASME/PALD or ANSI/PASE certification on their website, range in cost from about $32 to about $110 per pair, and all have locking pins except the NOS NAJ3ST.

Are jack stands safe?

If used correctly and not overloaded, they’re safe. Always use jack stands on a level concrete surface. The main dangers come from a) using them on asphalt and having them sink into it, particularly on a warm day, and b) pushing and shoving the car (for example, when installing a transmission) and setting up a resonance that can cause the vehicle to topple off the stands. The safest way to use jack stands is to raise the vehicle with a floor jack, set it on the stands, then leave the floor jack in place as a back-up.

How do jack stands work?

There are two designs. Pin-locking stands like the Torin T43004 shown have a tubular lifting post that slides inside another tube, and a series of holes through which you can insert a pin, which both locks the post in place as well as supports the actual load. Ratcheting stands instead use a toothed post, a rotating “pawl” that automatically slides under the next tooth when the post is lifted, and a release lever that must be moved to lower the post.

What was the Harbor Freight jack stand recall?

In 2020, Harbor Freight recalled 1.7 million of their 3-ton, 6-ton, and 12-ton Pittsburgh-brand jack stands due to concern that, if the load on the jack shifted, the “pawl” could disengage and cause the load to drop. Eleven people reportedly received non-life-threatening injuries. Some of replacement stands were later recalled. Safety-consciousness generated by the publicity caused a revival of interest in tubular pin-locking stands, as well as incorporation of locking pins into ratcheting stands.

How are jack stands rated, certified, and tested?

Jack stands manufactured after 2015 are rated in pairs. Thus, a pair of 3-ton (6,000-lb) stands will together support 6,000 pounds, or 3,000 pounds each. Standards are set by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). You may see these standards listed as ASME PALD (Portable Automotive Lifting Devices) and ANSI PASE (Portable Automotive Service Equipment). Stands must be tested to 200% of the rated capacity for ten minutes. After the load is removed, the stands must not have a permanent reduction in height by more than 1/8-inch. Testing allows a manufacturer to claim certification of a product line, but neither ASME nor ANSI actually test jack stands, and the manufacturer doesn’t test each individual set of stands sold.

How do I know what weight rating I need?

Look up your vehicle’s weight in the owner’s manual or online. Divide it by two to get the approximate weight over the front or rear wheels. In theory, that is the approximate minimum weight rating of the pair of stands you need. However, a) you never want to use the minimum needed weight rating, and b) you need jack stands that will reach the underside of your vehicle and have a base wide enough to give you the appropriate amount of stability. For example, if you own a 6,000-pound truck, half the weight is 3,000 pounds, and even a pair of 4,000-pound jack stands exceeds that, so on paper, they will support the front of the car, but the odds are the maximum height of a 4,000-pound pair of jack stands won’t even reach the truck’s higher frame rails. In short:

Buy 2-ton (4,000-pound) jack stands only if you have a small light vehicle.
Buy 3-ton (6,000-pound) jack stands for a medium to large vehicle or a medium SUV.
Buy 5 or 6-ton (10,000 or 12,000-pound) jack stands if you will be routinely working on a truck or large SUV.

Where under my car do I put the jack stands?

Unfortunately, owner’s manuals rarely say where jack stands should be used. On older cars with exposed frame rails and subframes, it’s common to set the front of the car on the frame rails, and the rear of the car on the subframe. However, on modern cars, those components are often hidden by plastic under-cladding or occluded by suspension components, in which case the jack stands can usually be placed under the jack pads on the sides of the car. If in doubt, consult an enthusiast web forum for your make and model car. In fact, consult two to make sure they agree. Not everything you read online about cars is accurate.

Do I need two stands or four?

Most automotive repairs can be accomplished with one pair of stands (e.g., two stands). Brakes, for example, are typically serviced by jacking up the front of a car, setting it on stands, replacing the front brakes, then repeating the process at the rear.

Do I need anything else?

Yes. You need a floor jack to lift the car and set it into the stands. See Forbes Wheels’ Best Floor Jacks for 2021.

Best Jack Stands For 2022

Methodology