# 1
Yakima SweetRoll Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Excellent product, easy install, secure on the crossbars, a bit lower ride height and a simple rolling mechanism. A significant improvement over my older Yakima Handroll racks.
The Sweet Roll will not support my Old Town Topwater 10.6. The brackets spread out on the crossbar under the weight. This year I will try a Yakima Big Catch. The Sweet Roll works fine with our Old Town Loons.
# 2
Yakima JayLow Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Great product and great customer service! Very easy to install, but I highly recommend to watch the installation video first. We used typical black office clips to clip the excess straps down since they came untangled when driving. Also, I recommend to purchase locks for the racks since we are concerned someone may steal them because they are so easy to take on and off.
The product seems great but I have not figured out how to get it safely attached to my bars. I have an Agricover Adarac on the bed of my truck and the crossbars are 1-1/2 x 1-1/2 inches square. I thought this would work well since it's for up to 3-1/2 x 1-11/16" crossbars, but it isn't secure on these. I'm going to try and figure out an alternate method for attachment though. Thule Hull-a-port Pro's are the perfect (mounting) solution but don't seem to be made any longer.
# 3
Malone J-Pro2 Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed Arms - Clamp On
Super easy to install, quality built, rock solid paring with crossbars. Zero doubt about safety. Could not ask for a better product. Worth every penny. And they fit perfectly with the Malone crossbars for my 2019 Equinox. Customer Service via chat helped me find the one and only pair that would fit those crossbars. So glad I found etrailer.
I'm writing this review after one year of ownership. I bought two sets of these J-hooks alongside a Malone Airflow 2 roof rack for our 2009 Subaru Forester. I use them to haul a 10ft and 12ft kayak simultaneously. They've done an excellent job and have held up on both short 20-minute drives to local lakes as well as on 10-hour road trips. I'm very satisfied with the combination of the rack and these carries. My only complaint is that you also need to buy the "Aero Style Crossbar T-Slot Fit Kit for Malone Kayak Carriers" pack separately for each set of J-hooks. This part allows you to more securely fasten the hooks to your roof rack. I wouldn't have been comfortable taking kayaks on a road trip using the J-Pro2s without this extra ability to secure them down. I wish the two items came together instead of having to buy them separately. That said, they do the job exceptionally well, so it's not a dealbreaker in my eyes.
# 4
Swagman Contour Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
The product is of good construction but probably due to how it fits on my crossbars it needs additional support. The crossbars for my Honda Pilot are wide blade type and these racks seem more appropriate for narrower square type crossbars. Even with the rack fastened very tightly, the rack can twist back and forth. Last year on a trip across Montana the wind was pretty gusty and it caused the front one to pivot quite a bit and we had to pull off and apply a ratcheting strap over the kayak and under the factory rails to ensure it was held tight and wouldn't move again. This year on the same trip we had bad winds but had a roof rack mounted behind these racks giving it support on the tall side. We had to strap it real good to make sure it didn't move. If we hadn't had that additional support behind it and add'l straps we probably would have had more problems. I think if the top metal bracket had a wider channel to fit our crossbars it would be much more stable. The way it is now it just sandwiches 2 metal plates between my crossbar which allows it to pivot under stress.
Loved the racks, seem very durable. Only downside was that the groove made for the crossbeam was quite a bit smaller than my crossbeams, but they still secured down great. You'd have to have a pretty funky set-up for these racks to not work on your vehicle. Having all the straps/tie-downs included was awesome too. Reccomend!
# 5
Yakima Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style w/ Rollers - Clamp On
Looks good. Fits good. My truck is tall. I am small. The rear roller rack makes loading the kayaks easy enough. I have not traveled with them yet.
The rollers with the saddles work perfectly for loading and unloading the kayaks. My only complaint is that the screw clamps either vibrate loose or do not grip the rack well. They have fallen off a couple of times, luckily, they fell into the bed of my truck.
# 6
Swagman Exo Aero Rooftop Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
I have (2) Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 kayaks and was looking for something better that the cheap J-Shape kayak holders that I purchased elsewhere. Unless you are tall enough to lift the kayaks and install them from the side, the loading of a kayak on it's side is unwieldy and somewhat frustrating to keep the kayak from flipping to a horizontal position. I am using the factory racks with crossbars on my 2006 Toyota Highlander. I was looking for a solution that would allow me to load 2 kayaks with the keel down. Using a large bath mat to protect the paint I was able to load the kayak by myself and I am 5'6". The one thing that they could improve is that the rubber pads on the wings are very tacky. Once that you set the kayak onto the wings, the kayak will not move back and forth. You will find it very hard to move the kayak front to back once it is set in the cradle. This is a good thing since the kayak could slide off should a strap fail. The Pungo 120 has multiple angles so the contact with the wings are very minimal. The rubber does keep it in place before strapping them down. Once you load the kayak onto the wings, it will stay where it is.. it is a kind of a struggle to move the kayak.. a solution is to throw large beach towel on the wings before loading your kayak and you can position the kayak with ease. Once you have centered your kayak, lift the kayak one end at a time and remove the towel. Bow and stern tie downs are necessary to completely secure your kayak. The wings are 28" across and will rise 6" above your crossbars that you attache them to.
Bought two sets for two boats. Installed on a 2020 Forester and will be able to carry two boats side by side. Sturdy racks and easy to assemble and install and will be easy to remove when not in use. They will also fit on truck racks so the ease of install/removal will be a real plus. Side by side mount on this vehicle required placing the racks a little more outboard than I like but should not cause any problems. I will strap the boats to the crossbars as suggested in the instructions for additional stability. PS. one set was returned merch. Got a better price and can't tell that it was ever out of the box. Yay me.
# 7
Rhino-Rack SUP and Surfboard Pads w/ Tie-Downs for Crossbars - Universal - 33-1/2" Long - Qty 2
These pads worked well on our Yakima RailBar Crossbars- Item #Y00448-0449 that we also bought from etrailer around 2020/2021. Not sure if etrailer carries the exact Yakima Crossbars anymore, but think they have a similar model. Both the pads and crossbars work well to haul our kayak on our 2019 Subaru Forester. etrailer's customer service rocks! We had a lot of questions purchasing both items and they were great to talk to!
The product came quickly and was so easy to install on my existing roof rails! It is absolutely perfect to fit many needs above and beyond my kayaks and paddle boards. They look so good on my new 2019 Jag F-Pace I might leave them on all the time.
# 8
etrailer Kayak Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
Brought home a new kayak yesterday using this J cradle for the first time. Easy to set up and load. Two complaints: not impressed with the strap buckles - had to tie knots to secure. And the 3-inch bolts weren’t long enough to easily attach the cradle to my Rhino Rack crossbars, so I had to replace them. Also got my finger pinched pretty good adjusting the cradle knobs - my fault for not being more careful, but just saying …
Great product for the price - The cradles were very easy to mount (and lay flat once folded). The videos were helpful in showing how to set the straps in the most efficient way. I test-drove my car today with my fishing kayak on top on a 80-mile round trip (a mix of freeway, country road and dirt tracks). The kayak was perfectly still, no particular wind noise and I was able to muscle to kayak up the roof and take it down on my own (it's a 52 lbs boat). I really recommend that product and I'm glad I went for J-Style cradles!
# 9
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
First experience with purchasing from etrailer. Absolutely felt that my order was personalized which is a nice touch. The Rhino Rack S512 folding JStyle Kayak holders arrived boxed impeccably with no damage whatsoever and the price was great! Fantastic first time experience. Looking forward to using them. Thank you.
Sturdy cradle and easy to install. Difficult to keep tie down strap looped over top of "U" bar while trying to get it over the kayak, keeps slipping down. We made a channel out of foam to keep the strap in place and now it is easy.
# 10
Thule Hullavator Pro Kayak Roof Rack and Lift Assist w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Universal Mount
Bought a pair of these to go on 59" rhino rack bars on our Outback Wilderness and am really pleased. I left the bars full width - they are not a head banger on the car - and mounted the Hullavators as far outboard as possible which means the kayaks clear the side of the car and wing mirrors without folding them in. I did have to modify one Hullavator to make the Hobie Lynx fit (36" wide Lynx = 36" max Hullavator width)
2018 Ram 2500, wanted a way to travel with 2 sit on top kayaks, With my wife and i in our late 60's it was taking a LONG tome to get the kayaks on the roof of the bed cover. With these i can do it with a short stool. Also carrying the kayaks upside down keeps the top cleaner and stops the water from getting trapped in the kayak (and raining down on me when I unload them).
# 11
Rhino-Rack Crossbar Pads w/ Tie-Downs - Universal - 21-1/2" Long - Qty 2
I love this rack! I don't think I'll ever take it off my car. Cool and functional. I've used it for my snowboard in the winter and my surfboard and camping gear in the summer.
The product very well made.. I have owned for a year now.. stays in place.. protects my paddle board
# 12
Lockrack Adjustable XL Watersport Carrier - Canoe, Kayak, or 2 SUPs - Side Loading - Universal Mount
The keys are an issue (wish they were metal), but everything else is great! I go sunrise kayaking only and hate putting straps on with cold hands at 3:30 in the morning. I have a Nissan Pathfinder and was able to put this on with another set of Malone J-hooks so that I can have a second kayak when I go with someone. Once the fear subsides of it possibly falling off, you realize how quick and easy this thing is to use. It takes me 1 minute instead of 9-18 minutes to get my kayak up and secure. I have tested it at 75mph without any jiggling or issues. I sat on this in my shopping cart forever and finally pulled the trigger. If you kayak at least 10 times a year or are going at high speeds for extended periods of time in warm weather, totally worth it. If not, well, there are cheaper options out there.
Rec'd earlier this week, so today i will install. The item was obviously a return. The logos are nearly scratched off in places, all the items were loosely thrown in the box, and the 10mm wrench and hex key were missing. i think everything else is there. The keys should be a bright color instead of black, some spray paint will fix that. Anyhoo, i am a little disappointed.
# 13
Malone SaddleUp Pro Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
My kayak holder works exactly as it should. All parts were included and it was an extremely easy set up. etrailer’s customer service department was on top of everything and extremely helpful in placing my order.
# 14
Thule Stacker Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Clamp On
We needed a better way to haul around 3 kayaks and after looking at a number of options, we settled on the Thule Stacker setup. Installation is simple and the stackers provide a sturdy option for hauling multiple kayaks. One of the best features is that they fold down when you don't need to use them. My shopping experience with etrailer was smooth and shipping was prompt.
My wife uses these to carry two small kayaks in the roof of her Subaru. They work great and we very happy with the purchase. She also likes finding her car easier in the parking lots, even with the carriers folded down.
# 15
Thule Hull-A-Port Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Fixed - Clamp On
This product is excellent. I have transported my kayak on these J Hooks several times going 70+ mph down the highway. It never moves. The bolts that come with it are short. If you have a thick roof rack, you will need longer stainless steel bolts. Make sure you you orient the blue straps with the buckle on top so you can pull down to tighten it up.
I think the Thule Hulaport kayak racks are the best, most secure way to transport your kayaks. I had these on my Xterra and hauled two kayaks up to Cape Bretton park in Nova Scotia, Canada from Connecticut, USA no problem. We were even able to store gear in the kayaks for the trip. I’m so excited to have them for my Crosstrek. Highly recommend these!
# 16
Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading
As all Thule products the Thule universally mounted canoe carrier is great. It came with all required items for safe and easy canoe transportation. There are two straps with pull to fasten for the canoe down, two tie down ropes for each end with nice pull tight and release mechanisms for the cord as well, along with two straps to fasten to the canoe ends used with the pull to tighten cords. The Chevy traverse cross bar had to have the plastic end caps removed for use with Thule canoe carrier. This was because my canoe took up the entire cross bar width to allow for Thule mounts. It is not a big deal to remove the plastic end caps. They only provide a finished stream lined look. Happy and Safe Canoeing
After retiring my 1999 Chevy Silverado 4x4 pickup, I purchased a 2017 Subaru Outback as a replacement vehicle. To transport my 1981 17 foot QT17C Alumacraft canoe on the factory installed roof rack crossbars that came with the Outback, I selected the Thule Portage Canoe Carrier w/ Tie-Downs - Gunwale Brackets - Side Loading - TH819 to do the trick. With one previous transport of the canoe sitting directly on the Outback roof racks, I realized those Outback roof racks were not as durable as the racks on my truck so I sought an improvement to avoid future scuffing and scratching. I did some advance research online and couldn’t be more pleased with this purchase from etrailer.com. I now have a quality product at the right price and these gunwale brackets are a simple solution for this veteran canoe man. The padded brackets grip the canoe and stopped the scratches. The high-quality load straps are nice with the rubber pad that covers the buckle and they easily snug the canoe tight to the racks. I’m also impressed with the bow/stern tie downs that have a very nice ratchet and clip on one end and I secured the supplied hook with a bowline knot to the other end of the ¼ inch rope. The Outback did not have convenient anchor points on the front or back of the vehicle for tie down locations but I found a good solution there as well by ordering the Thule Bow/Stern Tie-Downs - Qty 2 - TH530. This works well with the tie downs I mentioned previously. One limitation to be aware of with the Subaru Outback roof racks and this product is the width of your canoe. My 17-footer measures 34 inches at its widest point at the portage yoke. I had to place the four brackets up tight against the inside roof mounting to achieve the spread and accommodate the canoe placement. The canoe ended up fitting like a glove on the padded brackets. When placing the strap to hold the canoe down to the crossbars, I ran the strap through the vehicles tie down points and then under the crossbars for added security. Total product installation time including securing the canoe can easily be achieved in approximately 20 minutes. I look forward to many more years of safe and happy canoeing. I give etrailer.com an excellent rating for the entire ordering and shipping process on top of the high level of satisfaction with the products I purchased through them. Their customer service and price ensured me that I’ll do more business with them in the future.
# 17
Rhino-Rack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - J-Style - Folding - Clamp On
The Rhino-Rack 2 Kayak Carrier I ordered from etrailer was easily reviewed and ordered from their website and ALL communication relative to order confirmation and extreme detail included in their tracking was nothing short of phenomenal! The items were packaged with care and arrived intact. These fit our basic Lexus crossbars and is the perfect product for carrying our two (2) kayaks. My hat goes off to the great folks at etrailer -- It doesn't get any better than this!!!
These work great and I was able to install them on the OEM rack for my truck. The only downside is that the threads for the clamp hang down a little too close to the roof for comfort.
# 18
Inno Locker Watersport Roof Rack w/ Crossbar Pads - Locking - Clamp On
Heavy duty. Easy enough to install. Instructions aren't great, but you can figure it out. The crane is a good idea in theory, but could use some design refinement as it only lifts just enough to tuck a paddleboard underneath. The rachet system is great and the rubber coverings for the wires are super helpful for preventing scratches.
This company couldn’t make these products any easier to setup! Had my roof rack built and installed in roughly an hour (double checking on measurements). I’ll gladly do business again if I need any trailer/roof rack needs. Quick to email notifications for updates as well.
# 19
Rhino-Rack Nautic Stack Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Post Style - Folding - Universal Mount
've previously used the Yakima Kayak Stacker (old style), which worked fine but I always worried the straps would slip off the hook at the top while I was loading boats. They also didn't fold down, so had to be removed after use unless you wanted to look odd and cause a whistle while you drove down the road. They didn't have a universal attachment option, requiring adapters depending on the style and make of your crossbars. More recently I got the Thule "The Stacker", which is a superior solution. You thread the strap through a closed loop at the top, so you don't worry about straps slipping off while you're loading boats. They fold down after use and have a universal style attachment that fits around most styles and makes of crossbars. Good stuff. I really like the straps that come with these, as there is a rubber cover that slips over the metal cam buckle to protect your car's paint while you're tossing the strap over your boats to strap everything in. In order to shuttle our boats for river trips, we needed stackers to fit on both our cars, so it was time for another set. I had never heard of Rhino Rack before, but the lower price than Thile caught my eye, so I read about them and decided to give them a try. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack used a closed loop at the top, which I liked better than the Yakima or Malone options, and came with the hardware necessary to install them into the C-channel of my Malone aero crossbars, which I wanted to try. I remember that with the Malone stacker, you had to buy the C-channel mount hardware separately. I really like the Rhino Rack Nautical Stack. They are a single post design, unlike the loop style of the Thule "The Stacker". I don't know if this cuts down on vortex drag, but it definitely saves you a couple horizontal inches up where the boats stack. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack has textured rubber strips on either side of the post, which I believe is intended to cut down on vortex drag, but is also quite helpful in that boats tend to slip much less when you're just leaning them up against the post as you load up before you strap them. That's smart. The Rhino Rack Nautical Stack feels really solid. The mechanism for folding them down and locking them upright is easy to use and feels solid. Installation instructions were good. I tried to install into the C-channels without removing the rubber tubing in my Malone aero crossbars, but couldn't get the little squares to slide into the slots with the rubber tubing in place, so had to cut the tubing, slide the Nautical Stacks into place, then cut down some of the tubing I had removed and replace it in the remaining unfilled crossbar slot. That's not a knock on the Nautical Stack; just a tip in case you're trying to do the same kind of install I did. The one area in which I was less impressed was the tie-down straps that come with this kit. The metal cam buckles have no covering at all, so I'll probably still use my old Yakima and Thule straps instead and use these as backups. But overall, I think these are going to work at least as well, if not better, than the Thule option, and for quite a bit less money.
My wife and I purchased the Rhino Rack Nautic Stack to transport 4 kayaks. We considered similar products by Yakima and Thule, but the acceptable weight limit for the Rhino Rack was there deciding factor. Each of our kayaks weighs 38lbs, and the Rhino Rack was the only item that could handle this load. We were very pleased with etrailer's service and advice. George was extremely helpful. I would highly recommend buying the hood anchors and an extra set of the down straps. The tire down straps are far superior to ratchet-type tie downs that you buy elsewhere - they are strong and SOOO easy to use. I highly recommend the Nautic Stack and etrailer. P.s. we use a bike lock for the Rhino Rack and for our kayaks and they work great for overnight theft protection when we take the kayaks out of town.
# 20
Malone SeaWing Kayak Roof Rack w/ Tie-Downs - Saddle Style - Clamp On
Easy loading with a secure tie-down. This is the kayak carrier you should get the first time. I've used flat bars with foam pads - they deform the hull of plastic boats. I've used J-hook style carriers which work well and hold the boat securely without hull deformation, but they increased the windage and are too hard to load on the top of a 4WD pickup. The Malone SeaWings let me slide the kayak on from the rear of the cab while standing in the pickup bed. I use an old bath mat to protect the cab and I can have the boat loaded and tied down in about 5-10 minutes. I also think the load is much more secure than any of the other carriers I've used, especially if the tie-down strap is wrapped around the load bar. The design of the SeaWing puts the main load out on the curved portion of the hull rather than across the flatter area of the bottom and totally avoids deforming the hull. In 90-100 degree heat this is very important to me. Great product. I'll probably get a second pair so I can load two boats on the truck.
We are very pleased with this product. My wife's 12.5" and my 17" kayaks are easy to load, tie down and, hold them both securely for highway speeds. Once we are at the launch site, kayaks are just as easily offloaded. Great design, simple and elegant.
What our customers are saying:
"I received this order yesterday. Thanks for the outstanding service. I appreciate it! Thanks, Alex"