The 11 Best Roof Racks for Any Car (and Every Sport)

The best roof racks are the ones we trust. They need to stay secure to your car (without damaging it) and grip your skis or kayak so your gear doesn’t blow off your roof at highway speeds. All this must happen above your head where you can’t see it. That makes a quality rack a worthwhile investment in protecting your gear and preserving your peace of mind.

What to Consider in a Rack

Once you’ve decided a roof rack is the best option for carrying your gear, the next step is to find the type and style that meets your specific needs. Start with the basics. “The best roof rack will be the one that fits your car and properly carry your (equipment),” said Kevin Lau, a rack specialist who works at REI’s Marlton, New Jersey location. After that, you want to consider a rack’s ease of installation, how easy it is to load and unload gear, the roof rack’s security features, and whether it will impede access to your vehicle (either by potentially blocking doors, windows or trunks from opening).

Lau recommends looking for racks that include locking systems, because they make it easy to secure your equipment without having to use an additional lock and cable. If you’ll use your rack in the winter, go with one that has large and easy-to-push buttons so you can operate them while wearing gloves. Many racks have torque limiters on the clamps that prevent you from over tightening them and denting or otherwise damaging your vehicle. If you can afford it, go with a rack that comes with padded straps or mounts to protect your gear and your car. Lau also recommends looking for racks that have all or mostly metal parts. Those will last longer than ones with a lot of plastic hardware.

How to Pick a Rack That Fits

If your car has factory-installed roof rails, the simplest option is to look for a rack that is compatible with them. Most brands will have online search and recommendation tools to show which of their racks are compatible with your car.

If your vehicle lacks roof rails, find a rack system that includes its own crossbars. Thule and Yakima are the most popular and have options to fit most vehicles, so we focused on them here. Other brands offer more specialized, or more affordable options—they just might not fit every vehicle so make sure you double check their compatibility.

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Depending on the types of equipment you want to carry, you might find different styles of racks to hold it. For example, rooftop bike racks can hold your ride with arms that clamp over the front wheel or frame, or by attaching through your front hub with the wheel removed.

Although the hub-mounted options are the most secure, they require adapters to fit different hub standards and require you to remove your front wheel. Racks that clamp to your frame offer more versatility but can scratch your frame and might not work with some full-suspension mountain bikes. Options that use arms to clamp over your front tire are the most popular for a reason: They’re easiest to use and accommodate a wide variety of bikes without extra adapters.

Racks that haul canoes, kayaks and other water-sports equipment also come in several varieties. Better ones have features like rollers that help with loading. If you’re only going short distances or will use your rack infrequently, you might be able to use an inexpensive (but less secure) pad-style option. Those slide on to existing roof rails or sit directly on your roof and stay in place with straps that run through your windows.

Lastly, you might consider a basket rack, which allows you to carry a lot of odd-sized gear. It’s a good option if storage is more important than carrying any specific type of equipment.

How We Selected

As a snowboarder, a cyclist, and enthusiast of all things outdoors, I’ve used and tested many of the racks on this list, as well as enough other versions to know what works and what doesn’t. To supplement my own experience and research, I consulted REI retail specialist Kevin Lau, an expert when it comes to selling the right rack for customers. We also sought advice from our colleagues at Bicycling, who have been testing all types of racks for decades. Lastly, we looked at consumer reviews to see what customers reported about each rack’s installation, ease of use, and long-term durability.