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There’s no arguing that skis just don’t pack up well. They’re long, bulky, and simply can’t be made to fit in small spaces.
When I made my first trip across the country as a skiing professional, I had to break down and buy a ski roof rack because there was no way my skis were going to fit inside the old Subaru along with all my belongings to live and work for 5 months.
So whether you live in Denver and have a short commute to the resorts or if you’re traveling across the country to get to your destination, a ski rack will free up valuable space inside the car.
Many compact cars are simply not big enough to carry skis anyway, unless you stick them out the window (not a recommended solution). Adding a car rack is often the only solution to these issues.
Best Ski & Snowboard Racks
| Thule Pull Top Ski and Snowboard Carrier | Yakima FatCat Locking Ski and Snowboard Rack | Thule SnowPack Roof Mounted Ski and Snowboard Carrier | |
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For more of my ski gear recommendations, have a look through these popular Outside Pursuits guide links: Travel Bags, Ski Boot Bags, Storage Racks.
Quick Answer: The 7 Best Rated Ski & Snowboard Roof Racks
- Thule SnowPack Roof Mounted Ski/Snowboard Carrier
- Yakima FatCat Locking Ski and Snowboard Rack
- Thule SnowPack Roof Mounted Ski and Snowboard Carrier
- Rhino Rack Ski Carrier
- Inno Racks Gravity Snow Rack
- TMS J-Bar Ski and Snowboard Roof Rack
- Thule Force Cargo Box
Let’s take a look at the top rated ski racks, then well talk about how to choose one for you. Full reviews and our buying guide is below.
Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack Reviews
#1 Thule Pull Top Ski and Snowboard Carrier
Remember that Thule ski rack I told you about earlier? The one that has accompanied me across the USA several times?
This is the one.
I can’t really say anything bad about this roof rack other than the slight annoyance that accompanies a drop in gas mileage but that will a problem with any ski rack.
Locking mechanisms on both rocks mean security for the skis and the racks are bolted to the car using a special Torx bit with an internal security hole so it’s hard for people to just unscrew the rack and take everything.
One nice touch is the oversized push buttons for unlocking allow you to do it with gloves on.
These racks have worked well for me for years and you can carry up to 4 pairs of skis or 2 snowboards at a time – or a combination thereof. Thule is the standard for roof racks, and offers a lifetime warranty against defects. I think it’s the best ski roof rack for the money!
#2 Yakima FatCat Locking Ski and Snowboard Rack
We mentioned earlier that it might be difficult to access ski racks on taller vehicles but Yakima has largely solved that problem with the Fatcat roof rack.
Each of these racks has a lockable button using the SKS locking system so you’ll have one key which locks all four racks on the car. They’ve made the push buttons extra-large as well for easy access when wearing gloves.
The Yakima Fatcat can accommodate the wider “fat” skis that have become popular. In total, you’ll be able to take along the standard 4 snowboards or 6 pairs of skis.
This might be the best ski rack, especially considering it’s overall convenience and ease of access.
#3 Thule SnowPack Roof Mounted Ski and Snowboard Carrier
If you’ve got a particularly large and clunky set of skis or snowboards, there’s a chance they won’t fit in traditional roof top carriers.
Sometimes the bindings have clearance issues with the top of the car. Sometimes the skis and boards are so thick the carrier won’t close and lock around them.
Thule’s SnowPack rack solves both of these issues with an internal self-adjusting spring system which adapts to any thickness of skis and boards.
Video: Overview of the Thule SnowPack.
The included adjustable height feet also allow for adjustments in roof clearance so there won’t be any fitment issues with your car!
The adjustable height also allow you to protect the top of your vehicle against scratches and gouges. The SnowPack also has oversized push buttons for unlocking allow you to do it with gloves on.
#4 Rhino Rack Ski Carrier
So you’re ready to hit the slopes and do some shredding? The Rhino Rack is a bargain priced solution to get your skis and snowboards there!
Coming in at half the price of some of the better known brands, this rack will get your equipment there safe and sound.
While they do of course lock, you don’t want someone taking off with your expensive gear, I would have liked a bit better locking design. Fully loaded the lock can be a little tricky to operate. That being said it’s not a reason that your shouldn’t buy this rack.
The rounded design gives it a more aerodynamic airflow for a quieter ride and improved fuel efficiently.
The release mechanism is easy to operate, even with thick gloves on. What I particularly like is they offer it in three sizes so you can get the exact capacity you need. Everything from 2 pairs of skis and 1 snowboard to 6 pairs of skis and 4 snowboards.
Bonus feature? If you like to fish, the Rhino Rack will carry your fishing poles as well.
#5 Inno Racks Gravity Snow Rack
Apparently fat skis are becoming popular (have you noticed?) because ski racks are increasingly accommodating of thick skis and bindings.
I like this rack from Inno which features a streamlined and thin profile for minimal impact on gas mileage – great for longer trips!
With a built in locking system and universal mounting system that will secure easily to most any square, round crossbar, also works with most factory installed racks.
The Inno Gravity rack should fit just about any roof rack. Like the Thule racks, you’ll be able to hold up to 6 skis or 4 snowboards.
There’s really nothing wrong with saving a few bucks as well because Inno has priced these racks a little bit lower than the competition. When brands compete, you save!
#6 TMS J-Bar Ski and Snowboard Rack
Departing from dedicated ski roof racks, we’ll take a look at a slightly different option. While this rack is going to take more time to strap down your skis and boards securely, it does allow for one thing the others don’t – versatility.
If you’re a multi-sport athlete and don’t want to change the roof rack every time you go somewhere new this might be a good consideration. You’ll be able to carry skis, snowboards, kayaks, and even canoes and surfboards on the car with just one rack.
Using ratchet straps or great command of knot tying (don’t tie them wrong!) you can really accommodate just about any type of sports equipment on these J-shaped roof racks.
The big downfall is that they may be too tall for many low-profile garage doors so please don’t rip them off when you pull in! This TMS J-Bar is probably the best snowboard roof rack.
#7 Thule Force Ski & Snowboard Roof Cargo Box
Ok, our last solution is not a rack, it actually requires a rack to use it but it is in my opinion the best way to transport your skis and boards.
The Thule cargo box steps up protection and storage capacity significantly. The Force comes in 5 different sizes that can accommodate at its smallest size, the Alpine it will carry 5-6 pairs of skis or 2-3 snowboards.
The Force XXL will carry 10-12 pairs of skis or 6-8 snowboards.
While the Thule Force Cargo Box is not cheap, it has several advantages over just using a ski rack. Believe it or not the aerodynamic shape does not decrease your gas mileage as much as a ski rack.
The Force Cargo box will carry plenty of additional cargo like your bulky ski boots, poles and other ski gear.
Video: Features the Thule Motion but its essentially the same as the Force.
It actually quieter than most ski racks as well due to the airflow around the box. You could leave it on year round and use it to carry your fishing, camping or hunting gear.
A feature I find very useful is the fact that it opens from either side, passenger or drivers side and it will stay open while you are loading or unloading gear. A user friendly feature.
The Force locks securely so you can leave yours ski or snowboards overnight and the cargo box requires no tools to mount!
Literally all you have to do is line up the “grippers” to the rack and turn the knob to clamp it down. Nothing complicated and you can mount it in a few minutes.
The Force Cargo Box is compatible with most any rack, whether factory or 3rd party. This is the best ski roof box solution.
Ski & Snowboard Rack Comparison Table
Author’s Expertise / Why You Should Trust Our Reviews
I started writing online for my own outdoor sports blog in 2010. Right out of the gate I landed opportunities to test gear for Road ID, Hydrapak, Wolverine, Helle Knives, Pearl Izumi, and GU Energy. Those were the days when growing a no-name blog was easy. Today niche blogging is a different story.
In 2012 I left Central Wyoming College with a degree in Outdoor Education and Leadership. Soon after, I was on a month-long expedition with the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Outdoor Educator Course which helps would-be outdoor guides ascend from “aspiring” to “inspiring”.
Between here and there I’ve participated in and spoken at length about outdoor pro-deal programs for companies like Patagonia, Smith Optics, Giro, Therm-a-Rest, Platypus, MSR, Columbia, and many more. I still work closely with tons of outdoor gear companies to review and analyze products. If you have a product opportunity you’d like to discuss, please review my guidelines and contact me here.
After several seasons of guiding backpacking trips and working as a certified Alpine Ski Instructor at Deer Valley Resort in Park City, UT for several seasons, I had to move on. As any educator will tell you – teaching doesn’t pay the bills very well.
In 2016 I began building my freelance writing career as readers and other bloggers reached out to me for help with technical outdoor sports content strategy for online businesses. Within weeks I was overloaded with requests for freelance writing and my new career blossomed.
2018 saw the launch of Hike With Less, my ultralight backpacking partnership program with Dustin Walker.
How to Choose the Best Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack
- How Many Skis Will You Carry?
- Can I Carry a Snowboard?
- Security
- Versatility
- Attaching the Ski Rack to Your Car’s Rails
- Cargo Boxes vs Ski & Snowboard Racks
- FAQ’s For Ski Racks
- Conclusion
There are several key factors to look out for when picking a ski roof rack but, luckily, they’re all pretty easy to understand.
How Many Skis Will You Carry?
Ski racks for cars come in a myriad of different carrying capacities. From one to four sets of skis or even more – you can find a roof rack to fit your needs.
If you’re planning to travel with a partner or the family make sure to consider their needs as well. Don’t forget that your buddies might want to ride along on a powder day.
Can I Carry a Snowboard?
If you have friends or family that decide to snowboard instead of ski, you may want to find a rack that can accommodate a mixture of both skis and boards when choosing a rack.
Most larger or wider ski racks can also accommodate snowboard but just double check before committing to a purchase.
Security
You’ll definitely want to be able to lock your ski rack. While this won’t prevent the most motivated thieves, it does mean you can stop at the grocery store on your way home without having to worry about someone walking off with your brand-new set of $1000 skis.
Versatility
If you are a multi sport person like myself who enjoys skiing but also kayaking and paddle boarding a consideration is how many racks do you need?
You could end up buying multiple racks.
One solution is the TMS J-Bar rack, while not an ideal ski rack it does the job. But it allows you to transport your kayak, SUP or surfboard as well. Saving you time and money with only one rack.
Attaching the Ski Rack to Your Car’s Rails
When you buy your ski rack you’ll want to double check the size and shape of the clips that attach to your rails. For the most part ski racks are pretty much universal in their fitment. These racks are designed to fit any rails.
In order to make that work they usually come with quite long screws which allow for a huge range of adjustment. If they’re not long enough, though, you could always take them to the hardware store and ask for longer versions of the same screws.
Before commiting to a purchase, measure the height and width of your car’s rails. Then compare these to the specs from the manufacturer to be sure that they will fit out of the box.
Cargo Boxes vs Ski & Snowboard Racks
Ski and snowboard racks are made to hold skis and snowboards efficiently and quickly. Cargo boxes are meant to hold just about anything that can fit in them.
If you want a cargo box for camping, biking, paddling, and hiking, perhaps buying one would be worth your time. As long as the cargo box is long enough to fit your skis and snowboard, you can use it for winter and summer activities and save money overall.
However, cargo boxes are a lot bulkier, heavier, and have a greater fuel efficiency impact on your car. So, if you only want to fit skis and snowboards on your roof it’s probably easier and better overall to just stick with a dedicated ski and snowboard carrier.
I will say a rooftop cargo carrier is nice to stash boots, boot bags, clothes, etc. You can get get out of the car to free up space for passengers.
FAQ’s For Ski & Snowboard Racks
Q: How do I add or remove the special screws on my roof rack?
A: Because most roof racks are meant to lock your expensive skis and snowboards, the screws which hold them on to your rails need to be secure, too. Otherwise, someone could just unscrew them and walk away with the whole thing, right?
Yeah, and nah.
The screws are usually called tamper proof screws, and most often they’re internal tamper proof torx screws. When you get your roof rack there will be a specialized wrench in there which you can use to screw and unscrew the rack to your roof rails.
If you lose this screwdriver you’re… well, screwed. But, it’s not over! You can buy tamper proof bit sets from just about any hardware store.
Which really begs the question… are they that secure? Not really.
Q: Is there a chance that my skis or snowboard could fall out of the rack?
A: Not really, honestly.
There’s pretty much zero chance of this unless you mess something up. Before you leave on your trip, you should check that the rack is securely locked. Try pulling up and jiggling the top bar to make sure it’s latched. Then lock the rack.
If you’re super worried, you can use a lanyard tied from the skis or snowboard to the rail. If they somehow got loose, the lanyards would save them from crashing to the road.
If you’re worried about the screws coming loose on the rack where it attaches to the rail, use some threadlocker like Loctite. That will stop the screws from accidentally vibrating loose.
Q: I don’t have roof rails, can I still use a ski rack?
A: Many cars don’t come with roof rails – the front-to-back mounting system for attaching roof boxes, racks, and cargo containers. If this describes you, don’t worry because you’re probably just fine.
There are many aftermarket solutions to adding roof racks and rails to your car.
Many custom shops will install permanent roof rails on your car but, if you don’t like the idea of holes in your car, you can also add clip-on style roof racks like this one.
Q: Will a car ski rack affect my gas mileage?
A: Unfortunately… yes, it will. I noticed about a 2mpg highway drop in gas mileage when using my Thule ski rack with two sets of skis attached over the course of more than 1000 miles of highway driving.
This is why I usually remove my ski roof rack when not in use as it really can add up to lost gas money over the long run.
The short of the matter is that anything added to the outside of the car is going to affect gas mileage and skis and racks are no exception.
Q: Can I reach my skis?
A: While this may seem silly for many of us, having a ski roof rack on a taller vehicle such as an SUV or truck may mean that vertically challenged individuals among us cannot reach their skis!
Make sure that a roof rack is a good fit for your vehicle and your abilities because a roof rack isn’t always the best solution.
Conclusion
Most ski roof racks operate under a similar principle – a lobster claw inspired design which sandwiches and pinches your equipment securely in a horizontal position.
For many skiers, one or two pairs of skis is plenty but most roof racks we’ve reviewed will accommodate up to 6 pairs of skis and 4 snowboards – plenty for a full car of people.
If you’re looking to minimize the overall impact on your gas mileage, be sure to choose a slim and streamlined roof rack. For those looking to carry gear for many sports, you might consider the J-shaped multi-use roof rack.
Whatever you settle on, make sure your equipment can be securely locked so that no one walks off with it in the parking lot!
I hope this guide was helpful for finding the best ski and snowboard roof rack to fit your needs. If you want to comment or recommend a roof rack I didn’t include, please use my contact form to get in touch.
Have fun and be safe out there!
How We Researched
To come up with the best ski and snowboard roof racks we researched a variety of sources for reviews such as REI, Backcountry, Moosejaw, EVO along with our own personal experience.
We also consulted online magazines for product research and reviews to get as much unbiased information as we could. To help weed out fake reviews we used Fakespot.com to make sure we only looked at genuine reviews.
With so much quality gear available, we had to narrow it down based on what we felt were the best options were for the price. The author, Casey Fiedler was a full time ski instructor for Park City and The Canyons in Utah.
To help narrow down the selection he used his personal experience along with recommendations from fellow ski instructors.
After extensive research, we came up with our list to help you choose the right one for you.
Sources
Notice:
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