The Best Ski and Snowboard Racks of 2024-2025 | GearJunkie Tested

The hardest part of any ski day is getting your gear and friends to the hill. We’ve all got fond memories of being jammed in the back of a car with skis poking around our heads on the annual pilgrimage to the mountains. That’s where ski and snowboard racks come in. Luckily, a sweep of convenient options is available: Hitch or roof mounts, compact or extended, and modularity for year-round use — so you can find the perfect rack for your crew and wagon.

If you’re concerned about long-term aerodynamics, check out the Küat Switch 6, which folds down 90 degrees when it’s not in use. Powder hounds can look to invest in the Yakima FatCat EVO 6: the elbow hinge expands for wide skis and snowboards. Or maybe your greatest concern is not getting road ick on your apparel during the load process: the Küat Grip 4 slides out for easier roof access. But if you’ve got the car loaded with mini skiers, you might opt for a ground-level hitch rack with a cargo box to stash all your other gear, too: the modular Yakima EXO SnowBank ExoSystem Snow Mount via the EXO SwingBase.

We tested the most competitive design at a wide range of price points. At the end of the list, read the Buyer’s Guide or jump to the Price & Value summary. Still weighing your options? Consult our Comparison Chart. Otherwise, take a look at our awarded racks for the 2024-2025 season.

Editor’s Note: We updated our Ski and Snowboard Racks buyer’s guide on October 30, 2024, to include a new award, How We Tested, and a Price & Value section.

Every piece of gear we’ve tested from Küat elicits the same thought: “Wow, they really thought this through!” It’s obvious that Küat gear is designed by people who use it, from the pleasing aesthetic to the granular details that make it easier and more convenient to use. And the Küat Switch 6 ($249) is no exception. The sleek design, ease of installation, and affordable price tag make this rack the best we’ve seen.

We all probably keep our ski and snowboard racks on our vehicles all winter long. While we wish to be driving to the ski hill daily, we spend more time with our racks unloaded. This roof-mounted design folds down 90 degrees from vertical to horizontal. When facing down, the Switch rests flush to the roof for a low-profile, aerodynamic orientation, which is perfect when you’re commuting around town or on the highway. Just flip it up when it’s time to hit the slopes.

A sigh of relief: The rack comes ready to go with no assembly needed. Pulling the provided tools out of the box, the rack installs quickly and easily. Also, the universal security mounts are compatible with round, square, or aero bars. While the Switch 6 offers up space for six skis or four snowboards, you could downsize to the Küat Switch 4 ($219) if you only need space for four skis or two snowboards. We found the sizing to be accurate, even when using wider skis or snowboards.

One of our testers did have an issue with one rack not locking into the upright position when unloaded, but it didn’t dock the rack’s performance while holding gear. Another one of our choice designs, the Küat Grip 4, slides out to help you reach your equipment. While the Switch lacks those features — you need to reach over the roof to load/unload — the affordable price tag and bombproof construction hike the score for this design.

For security, the Switch 6 comes with an integrated ski lock and secondary crossbar lock, so you don’t have to worry about leaving your gear no matter where you park. We found that the keys and tools were best-in-class with quality construction. They were even donned with plastic grip covers and key rings for daily use. Plus, with an aerodynamic roof rack, who doesn’t like to save on fuel costs while also keeping road grime off their prized jewels?

Searching for the best highway security without breaking the bank? The Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier #576 ($202) is your righthand man. While unpacking the box, we found this carrier comes fully assembled with tools. Our shoulders were also happy that the lightweight design — 8.8 pounds — made it easy to lift and install this universal mount onto the rig’s crossbars.

One large button (unlike the Küat Grip 4, which uses a lever) and locking mechanism makes the arm easy to lock and release, even with gloved hands. We appreciated the ease of use, especially during squalls and arctic temps.

Keeping the goods safe, the ski lock comes with a set of simple metal keys and a lock core. You could invest in an aftermarket upgrade called MasterKey, a customized lock core for this rack and other Rhino-Rack products that you purchase in the future. That way, the same key will be compatible across all of those locks and storage solutions. Yakima likewise provides an upgrade for personalized key-lock integration, called Same Key System (SKS).

While this Rhino-Rack #576 is packed with a handful of thumbs-up features for the price, there’s no crossbar mount lock. Meaning, anyone with the right tool could remove the entire rack from your car while the skis are locked on. We also found the materials of the rack to be a bit flimsy including the universal crossbar mount, but the rack will stay put and hold your gear, no problem.

We also found that the capacity hit its claim of six pairs of skis or four snowboards. And there’s a 5-year warranty. If saving bucks is a priority, this service-worthy roof rack is a good option for the price and will get your gear to the mountains.

Do you love powder, and does the girth of your skis grow each season? This ski and snowboard rack stands out for its ability to hold fat sticks and boards. The Yakima FatCat EVO 6 ($379) has proven itself to be one of our favorites out there. The FatCat boasts the widest range on the market with a claim of six pairs of powder skis — with up to 136 mm-width tips — or four snowboards. Our tester is a snowboarder who rides wide snowboards (for big feet), and found that this Yakima could fit four powder boards just fine.

Another standout feature for us was the DoubleJoint hinge, which pops up like an accordion when being closed over thick or stacked skis and boards or a full load. Basically, the FatCat’s interior hinge bends at the crease and then pops up, extending at that joint to add space for stacking gear and nestling ‘em as close as possible to the inner hinge. A normal rack’s clamshell single-hinge bends like a human elbow. The downside of the expandable hinge is it does use heavy springs and, therefore, can be a bit harder to close when fully loaded.

FatCat is also Yakima’s attempt at a quieter, more aerodynamic design. Thus, you can drive around with the rack unloaded without worrying about excess noise or air drag. Plus, its sleek black design looks good on a variety of vehicles.

This rack is compatible with the brand’s Same Key System (SKS), which lets you use one set of keys for all your Yakima products. But the keys don’t come on a key ring and feel flimsy compared Küat’s keys, which are topped with rigid heads and a key ring. Regardless, this rack has both ski locks and crossbar locks, so you don’t have to worry about theft. Our only other gripe? We did have a hard time getting the rack to close and lock when fully loaded.

But if you’re going ham underfoot, the FatCat EVO 6 is a choice grab for powder hounds. This setup maximizes space like wide planks maximize float on a pow day.

Looking for a hitch ski rack but still want full access to the trunk? The best hitch racks tilt or swing away, allowing access to the hatch. But many only swing away with a narrow window for you to grab a few things. The Yakima EXO SnowBank ExoSystem Snow Mount ($1,926) is the only arrangement we’ve found that will swing away a full 180 degrees to provide unrestricted access to the back of your ride. This modular system stacks four separate pieces: the EXO SwingBase ($589) and EXO TopShelf ($459) serve as the skeleton, where the EXO SnowBank ($349) mount is added up top and the EXO GearLocker ($529) cargo box sits at the belly as a bonus gear stash.

Knowing that the car can now comfortably fit youngins and kits, the configuration process becomes a lot more streamlined. And as we expected from Yakima, these parcels all feel high quality and made to last. What’s more, this compound lets you haul skis, snowboards, and more, all without having to lift them above your head.

The EXO GearLocker lets you pile in an additional 180 L of gear like helmets, boots, backpacks, shells, and more. Those odds and ends are totally enclosed from the elements but within easy reach when pulled over. We hit a minor roadblock with the GearLocker’s lid, which wouldn’t fully open when it was mounted to the SwingBase with the TopShelf installed above, but there was still enough cleft to get inside. Plus, the box can quickly be detached and lifted off the rack to fully yawn the lid.

Like Lego bricks, the EXO System can clip together in a customized way. If all you want is to get your skis to the hill, you’ll only need the SwingBase that attaches to your hitch, plus the SnowBank mount, which clamps around the skis and snowboards. But without the TopShelf, your ski gear is closer to the road, where it can catch grime or dings from debris. We prefer a more elevated position. The EXO system also offers other storage attachments, including the EXO DoubleUp bike carrier or BackDeck, so you can use the system year-round.

While there’s a lot to love about this hitch rack, we were bogged down with the number of keys needed to guard the full system. Seven locks felt like a lot: each pair of wings on the SwingBase and TopShelf, plus the ski rack’s arms and the GearLocker lid. We love the security shield, but we’d definitely opt for the SKS (same key system) for this arrangement to have the same cores across all the limbs.

An eight-pack runs a hair over $100. Not for the faint of heart, the extreme durability of this rack comes with added pounds. This was the heaviest rack we tested, and we needed two people to mount it to our vehicle. We’d also like to see an upgraded hitch lock design to prevent theft of the entire rack from the hitch. You know, if a bodybuilder was on the loose.

Without hesitation, this masterpiece is the most robust construction of those we tested. We’re pretty confident that this carrier could last through a decade or more of heavy use. Match bombproofness with ultimate versatility and the option for year-round use, and the price seems justified.

This tier of customization and configuration is ideal for parents with kiddos or a five-person crew. If you’re eager to move gear outside the cabin, and if you can shell out the money, this fleet — the EXO SwingBase, EXO TopShelf, EXO SnowBank, and EXO GearLocker — won’t disappoint.

Elevating roof racks to the next level, the Küat Grip 4 ($429) deserves stadium applause. Not only does this rack look amazing with its glass metallic powder coat, but it also has the function to back it up. Two features are unique to the Grip: the GripLock rubber and its slide-out design for easy loading.

To a basic degree, a ski rack is supposed to do one thing: hold your skis or snowboards safely on your vehicle. One-of-a-kind GripLock rubber lines the inside of the base and swinging arm, which is meant to pad and grab your bases and top sheets without damaging them.

The supreme interlocking padding, which reminds us of cartoonish teeth gaps, still accommodates hard goods of varying length, width, and shapes. We also found the rubber teeth offered a better grip on our equipment compared to a normal ski rack with a singular lengthy piece of rubber. It looks cool, too!

One inevitable downside of roof racks is that you need to lean against your dirt-smattered or wet vehicle to fully reach the rack. Küat aimed to solve that problem with the Grip. Once the rack is unlocked and the arm swings open, you can hit a release tab for the bottom tray to slide two feet out. So, the rack moves away from the roof and partially hovers above the ground.

This handy feature makes loading and unloading much easier and keeps your fit clean. The Grip also utilizes a large, oversized handle (instead of a button) to open the rack. After you turn the key in the lock, you need to slide a horizontal tab to fully unlock the rack: the slider is flanked with pictorials that easily confirm if the tab is locked or unlocked.

The Flip Mount system, which sits at the base of the rack, was easy to install and use. It included a crossbar lock — to lock the attachment point between the ski rack and vehicle — and a ski lock to bar the goods sandwiched in the rack. These were also our favorite keys: They came on a key ring (unlike every other rack’s opener) and had plastic-coated heads, which were more comfortable and easier to grab in cold weather or with gloves on versus a metal key sans ring. It’s the simple things.

This Grip 4 also comes in three different color combos, and we love to see the pizazz: black metallic with gray anodize, gray metallic with orange anodize, and pearl with silver anodize. You can find the perfect match for your ride. The premium slide-out feature is matched with one of the easiest-to-grab release handles and legible locks, making this roof rack a breeze to use even with mitts on.

You can also upgrade to first-class legroom with the Küat Grip 6 ($498). The only downside with this rack is the price, but you get a top-shelf ski rack that you’ll want to leave on your car all winter long. And next winter. And the winter after that.

If you don’t bike in the summer, peruse other options. As a pair, the Thule Tram ($380) and Thule Apex XT Swing ($700) is a great hitch-mounted ski and snowboard rack with all the features one needs — plus the rack arm smoothly swings open and away from the tailgate for hatch access. For mountain bikers, a conversation of the scheme lets you use the hitch rack for your wheels when the snow melts. The dual-piece system branches off the brand’s bike-rack swinging base, the Apex XT Swing. The Thule Tram is the extra accessory that allows you to convert the bike rack for winter-gear use. And at nearly half the price of the Yakima EXO SnowBank constellation, this setup won’t leak your savings. Maximizing the check, you can use this rack year-round.

With an uncommon blueprint, the Tram has a vertical A-Frame carry system. The topmost portion of the rack has horizontal arms that open and close like a clamshell around the hard goods. Down low, the bottom section of the rack has two horizontal arms with ultra-soft, plush rubber strips where the base rests, and friction helps hold everything in place once the top arms are shut and cinched. There’s a dual lock with a single key, which is in step with the Thule One-Key System. Our gloved hands were happy for the ergonomic push button to open and close ‘er up.

While this hitch rack didn’t involve lifting our gear overhead to the crown of our car like a roof rack, loading skis and snowboards vertically did take a few tries to get used to. But we were able to adapt quickly. The assembly and install were fatiguing due to Thule’s pictograph-only manual, which took time to decipher. We also needed a few extra tools that were not provided in the box: a T20 hex key and a Phillips-head screwdriver.

We love the versatility of Thule’s take on transforming a bike rack into a ski rack. Holding 4 bikes in the summer and up to six skis or four snowboards in the winter, this dual-piece stand can do it all. We really dug the mount at the tow hitch.

Even on a Subaru Outback with a tight bumper clearance, we were able to easily open the swing arm and lock, providing unhindered access to the vehicle’s boot. The Tram and Apex XT is a solid investment for a 360-day rack for your revolving ride adventures, be it on bikes, skis, or snowboards.

Also joining the no-sweat-to-load crowd is the Thule SnowPack Extender ($450). Much like the Küat Grip, Thule has innovated its own slide-out system, making loading and unloading this roof rack much easier than the typical hoo-ha. Compared to the Grip, this Thule doesn’t extend as far but provides enough reach to make a big difference in the process.

With the SnowPack, we didn’t need to lean against or crawl up the side of the vehicle — and our 5’9” tester could stand on the ground versus the running board. Beyond the jazz, Thule has been making roof racks for years and is known for high-quality goods.

The Extender has the rest of the glitter one would expect: Ultra-soft rubber arms that grip without scratching your gems. Oversized push buttons for smooth open-and-close with gloves on. High roof clearance for substantial bindings. Integrated ski and crossbar locks that implement the Thule One-Key System. Plus, the ability to fit most factory and aftermarket crossbars.

The crossbar — which runs the width of the roof from the driver to passenger side — is what a ski rack mounts to. Don’t let that confuse you with the roof rails, which come on most vehicles and stretch bumper to bumper, perpendicular and underneath the crossbars. They are what the crossbars mount to.

The biggest downside we found with the SnowPack was the installation time and instructions. Thule is based in Sweden, sells racks across a myriad of languages, and provides instructions with illustrations only. No text. We found that the pictures were hard to follow, flipping an otherwise easy installation into a drawn-out, dramatic one. Also, when fully loaded up, the locking mechanism felt flimsy when we tried to crank it closed.

All considering, Thule puts all its ski and snowboard racks through extreme testing, including simulations for wear-and-tear, crashes, and exposure to elements like severe cold and heat, to ensure their racks can withstand whatever Old Man Winter throws at them. Available in a six-ski scope, the SnowPack Extender is really a solid option for getting your gear to the groomers.

Simple and straightforward, the Gravirax GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack ($899) is the easiest hitch rack to use out of all the ones we tested. Maxing out at four pairs of skis, this hitch rack comes ready to mount straight out of the box. This version of the rack consists of four heavy-duty plastic tubes with an open top. It utilizes gravity to hold your skis in the rack. Heavily made-over for 2024-2025, the Gravirax is now made to be adjustable, allowing the user to choose between 72 rear hitch configurations — yes, 72. Meaning the rack can account for a rear-mounted tire or even completely circumnavigate the tilt feature to enter the trunk. The new design also weighs 10 pounds less than the original. We are currently testing this version and will keep you updated but the rest of our findings remain:

We found this rack is perfect for the family of skiers who want to quickly transport their skis short distances. Around ski towns, we see these racks a ton on full-size SUVs running shuttles. Loading involves placing a pair of skis into the tube, and that’s it! Even the kids can help. There’s no messing with locks, opening or closing racks, or lifting skis to the roof of your vehicle.

A simple pin is all you need to remove to tilt the rack away from your vehicle, gaining access to the main cargo compartment. No sweat: It’s easy to tilt down and back up when fully loaded with one person. On lower-clearance vehicles, the rack can hit the ground when fully tilted, so be aware that the materials are gritty. The assembly was also a breeze compared to all the other racks in our guide. Only one bolt was needed to secure the cargo holder in the hitch receiver.

This rack is highway-safe, but a clamping hitch or roof rack is more secure for covering significant mileage and highway speeds, in our opinion. The downside: This rack only holds skis — sorry boarders! But the brand offers a modular sleeve attachment, the Gravi Steel Snowboard Sleeve ($199), with a max of two per rack. Each sleeve is built to hold one snowboard. The rack also doesn’t have any integrated locks if you need to leave skis unattended in the parking lot or at the gas pump.

Per popular demand, they also launched the Gravirax Waterproof Adjustable Cover ($79) to keep road grime off your skis in addition to keeping snow out of the tubes, which is compatible with a cable lock. Obviously, a material cover could still be cut through for the valiant. Sans jacket, we see issues with road grime, as well as the potential for the tubes to collect snow during a pow day while you’re out making turns. So we’re excited about that progressive solution.

Overall, the GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack is a great ski rack for swiftly and handily getting your downhill or Nordic skis to maintained trails. With a rock-solid backbone, you could keep this on your car year-round and probably use it as a bumper (but please don’t do this). You could also part with more bills for the six-ski or 10-ski model. But the current cover can only umbrella the GR4, or the GR4 and snowboard sleeves, or the GR6 sans sleeves.

Simplicity is the name of the game when it comes to the Yakima FreshTrack 4 ($249). This lightweight roof rack offers an affordable way to get four pairs of skis or two snowboards, side by side, to the powder stash. A universal mounting system that works with round, square, factory, and most aerodynamic roof racks, plus a tool-free clamp design, makes for an elementary install.

We love the integrated SkiLift attachment that vertically lifts the roof rack a few inches on one side, making the silhouette triangular versus flat, to give greater clearance for tall bindings on skis or for sandwiching snowboards. Just remember you need to install a fixed fin for the function, which is stationary versus collapsible on the fly.

The rack also comes with integrated ski locks that use Yakima’s Same Key System (SKS), so you can use one key for all the brand’s equipment, like if you bought a second ski rack for a different vehicle. This rack does have ski locks for shackling skis or snowboards to the rack, but unlike the Yakima FatCat EVO 6, there is no crossbar lock. This means anyone with a hex wrench and 10 minutes could swindle the entire pod.

Chiefly, the FreshTrack 4 is soft on our savings account and mellow to use for flying gear to and from the hill and we welcome the compatibility with most automobiles.

Proving a fresh angle on ergonomics, the INNO L INA951 ($300) offers an uncommon two-sided roof rack design targeting roomier vehicles and shorter loaders. Traditional roof racks usually have two lengthy clamshell arms spanning the roof, so you might need to stretch pretty far to get the skis or snowboards snuggled into the elbow. Alternatively, this INNO rack has two shorter clamshell arms with the elbows facing each other in the center of the roof. They open toward the running board on each side of the car. While you need to load from both sides, you shouldn’t need to lean so far to get the goods tucked in.

The distance between each clamshell is adjustable, so the central gap between the arms can widen or narrow to match the appropriate width of your vehicle, allowing you to strategically place the arms of the rack closest to the edges of the vehicle for easier use.

This customization really shows when you’re using a deeper or taller rig, like a full-size truck, as you don’t have to scramble halfway up the body to load or unload. Just walk around the other side or, even better, load your skis while your passengers load theirs.

While we liked the design, we felt the materials were more basement-level, including the hardware and the rack body. This was the only rack where we experienced the bolts strip during assembly, resulting in a lower rating for the install process. The clamp design, while universal for mounting, didn’t feel as secure as other roof racks in part due to a flimsy plastic handle that’s used to tighten the rack to the vehicle’s crossbar. To fully crank down the attachment point, a lot of leverage was needed to close the plastic handle, which bowed under force. Nerve-wracking.

But if you’re careful with the threading and clamping, and you don’t live in a location that gets hectic winter conditions or you won’t be using your rack at a high volume — say, a few times a season — this would still be a really functional, load-friendly design to consider for sporting your skis or boards. And it should hold up just fine in milder climates.

Boosting the entry barrier, this INNO rack does include both integrated ski locks and crossbar locks, so you don’t need anxiety about this rack being stolen. It also sits a bit higher on the roof, giving ample room for steeple bindings or double-stacking boards. Lastly, it’s nice that you can order spare parts directly from INNO for any of the rack pieces, which might come in handy if you strip a few bolts like we did.

Scroll right to view all of the columns: Price, Carry Capacity, Ease of Install, Rack Type, and Locks.

The folks behind GearJunkie spend a lot of time in the mountains. From daily resort rips to cross-country ski laps, we love taking our skis and snowboards to the corduroy. Like most skiers and snowboarders, we often use our vehicles to get to the start point. We’ve mounted our roof and hitch ski racks onto sedans, SUVs, trucks, and everything in between.

Our lead tester and photographer is Eric Phillips, an avid skier and snowboarder based in Crested Butte, Colorado. Phillips — who’s also an automotive enthusiast and specializes in our motors content — has used a plethora of vehicles and racks to get his gear to the snow in all types of weather. That includes short ticks to his local hill and multi-day powder missions. Tinkering on vehicles is one of his favorite hobbies, and ski racks are the perfect accessory for life in a ski town and for a powder hound.

Phillips is an avid skier and snowboarder based in Crested Butte, Colorado, and used these racks for road trips statewide and trips to Crested Butte Mountain Resort and Telluride Ski Resort. The test vehicles included a Subaru Forester, Toyota Tacoma, and Ford F-150.

We deep-dive into the installation, opening and closure systems, materials, locks, and more so that you don’t have to mess around. We’ve weighed dozens of racks against these standards.

A ski and snowboard rack should be easy to load, unload, open, close, and lock. We also want our rack to be ergonomic, sleek, sturdy, quiet, durable, secure, well padded, and grippy against our gear. We pay attention to the ease of installation, aerodynamics, weight, crossbar and hitch locks, versatility and modifiability, after market accessories and upgrades, and overall functionality.

For this guide, we timed each rack installation and rated them as easy (<15 minutes), moderate (15-30 minutes), and difficult (30+ minutes).

Many of the ski and snowboard racks featured here have been with us for many seasons. Even after regular exposure to the elements and racking up miles on rough roads, they’re still going strong. Whether you’re a downhill skier, snowboarder, Nordic skier, or somewhere in between, we’re confident you’ll find a rack to help get your gear to the mountains. As new racks roll out, we’ll be sure to keep testing and update our list to reflect the current market.

All styles of ski and snowboard racks provide the benefit of keeping your sharp edges away from the car’s interior while keeping the seats open for passengers — and skis away from their heads.

Two styles of ski and snowboard racks dominate the field. The first is roof racks, which mount on the roof of your vehicle using factory or aftermarket crossbars. The second is a hitch rack, which connects to your rig with the hitch receiver.

If you can’t or don’t want to lift gear overhead, and price is no object, choose a hitch ski and snowboard rack. If you want to save money and aren’t concerned about lifting your gear or potentially getting sullied by the car’s dirty body, then a roof rack is for you. Getting your gear on the roof also keeps it away from road grime.

Read more of the pros and cons below, as well as the style differences within each category.

Roof racks have the benefit of nestling your gear lengthwise along the pinnacle of your vehicle, keeping them away from road grime. The list of contaminants is pretty extensive, spanning unburnt fuel, tar, salt, grease, and cement dust, to name a few.

Another advantage of roof racks is that they don’t comprise access to the primary cargo storage.

Roof racks are generally less expensive and weigh far less than hitch racks since they require fewer materials.

Depending on the height of your vehicle, one downside is that roof racks can be a physical stretch to load and unload. Loading often involves lifting skis or snowboards above your head and then fully extending your arms to place the gear on the rack.

Certain conventional designs offer a sliding feature to bring the loading zone further to the edge of the vehicle. But in general, hitch racks are considerably easier to load.

They are often single-purpose, whereas hitch racks are more often modular, so you can convert the base to hold bikes in the summer with additional accessories.

Some roof racks with skis loaded can hinder the hatch from opening, depending on the length of the vehicle and the gear.

While one of our favorite ski and snowboard roof racks can flip down for aerodynamics — the Küat Switch 6 — and a quieter ride, most roof racks stick up and dock fuel efficiency. Like wind blowing through sails, some can add noise to your car ride, such as a mild whistle.

Hitch racks for your skis and snowboards attach to the vehicle beneath the back bumper using a factory or aftermarket hitch. Our consensus is that hitch racks are much easier to load and unload, as they are much closer to the ground and don’t involve lifting your snow equipment overhead.

Under the umbrella are two styles of hitch racks: swing-arm or swing-away and tilt. The subcategory refers to how the rack can be repositioned so that you can access your cargo space in the vehicle.

Tilt racks like the Gravirax GR-4 Hitch Mounted Ski Rack can allow the rack to lean back at an angle, enabling you to open a hatchback or drop down a tailgate. This makes it possible to lean in and grab a backpack, parking lot grill, cooler, or let your dog hop out. Tilt racks are often more lightweight and less expensive than swing-arm racks.

While they are dipped away, they don’t offer completely unrestricted access to the rear of the vehicle.

Swing-arm or swing-away racks utilize a heavy-duty arm that can be locked into a fixed position behind the vehicle while you’re driving. But it offers the ability to unlock and swing the rack away from the rear of the vehicle to get to all your luggage.

Generally, a swing-away operation tends to move the rack further from your ride than a tilt hitch rack. This yields greater access to the primary storage space of the vehicle. It also moves the rack out of the way, so that you can more easily pull out heavy or cumbersome items.

Our favorite swing-away rack is the Yakima EXO SnowBank Exo System Snow Mount. The excellent structure swings a full 180 degrees away from your vehicle, giving you unobstructed access to whatever’s back there.

Hitch racks are heavier-duty and have more moving parts than roof racks. The benefit? They can hold considerably more weight than roof racks and offer more versatility. Most swing-away ski and snowboard hitch racks can be converted for summer use, including the ability to carry bikes, cargo boxes, and more.

While many hitch racks and roof racks can hold around 4 snowboards or skis, some hitch orientations can bring more along. The Gravirax GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack has a 10-ski model. But hitch racks usually max out at 2 snowboards whereas roof racks can fit up to 4 snowboards.

Most importantly, hitch racks are much easier to load, unload, and generally operate compared to roof racks. You don’t need to lift your skis or snowboard overhead or, for some, climb onto a tire or seat to reach the locking mechanisms.

Broadly speaking, hitch racks for skis and snowboards come with bigger price tags than roof racks. Robust and more materials come at a cost.

Additionally, hitch racks are often heavy and can be hard to install or move alone.

Otherwise, the downside of hitch racks is that dirt, muck, salt, and other road grime can build up excessively along the back of a vehicle (and your gear) compared to the roof, especially if a rack is low to the ground. This is due to the air vortex that occurs behind a vehicle as it moves through the air, sucking grime from the road and swirling it behind the vehicle. Greater clout leads to the issue being exacerbated for vans, trucks, and SUVs.

Hitch-mounted racks hold your cargo directly in this vortex, which leads to dirty skis and snowboards after driving at highway speeds. If you live or drive somewhere where they salt the roads, this could lead to rust forming on the metal ski edges.

That’s one reason why we suggest configuring the Yakima EXO SnowBank Exo System Snow Mount with the EXO TopShelf, so that the skis and snowboards can be more elevated above the ground.

One of the first things to consider when choosing a winter gear rack is how many skis or snowboards you typically take with you. Racks generally carry anywhere from four to six skis or two to four snowboards, so you have some options. Some designs carry even more. The max quantity we’ve found is 10 skis (in the 10-ski model of the Gravirax GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack) plus two snowboards with the aftermarket sleeves.

Generally, a snowboard takes up the same room as 1.5 pairs of skis, meaning a rack that can hold 6 pairs of skis can only hold 4 snowboards. You can mix and match both skis and snowboards on one rack, but your carrying capacity will go down.

Remember, you can always carry fewer skis than a rack’s capacity, but never more than a rack’s capacity. And you never know when you’re going to pick up a few more buddies to ride with.

Some hitch racks have optional add-ons that will add more ski or snowboard capacity to the rack. Roof racks do not have aftermarket add-ons for capacity.

Both types of ski and snowboard racks in our guide require certain criteria from your vehicle to securely mount the racks.

Roof racks require factory or aftermarket crossbars to be on or installed onto your vehicle’s roof prior to rack installation.

Crossbars usually come in square or round shapes. They extend from the driver’s side across the roof to the passenger side and are what a ski rack mounts to. Don’t let that confuse you with roof rails, which are standard on most vehicles. Roof rails reach vertically, toward each bumper, and perpendicular to the crossbars. Roof rails are what crossbars mount to.

Most racks offer universal crossbar compatibility, but some, like the Yakima FatCat EVO 6, are designed to work with Yakima-specific crossbars.

If your car doesn’t have crossbars, don’t worry. They are fairly easy to install yourself like in our DIY guide, or have your local auto shop install them for you.

Hitch racks require your car to have a hitch receiver on your vehicle, which is where the hitch rack can bolt into place. Vehicles usually come with a hitch receiver, which is a metal tube that is mounted to the frame. But don’t worry, aftermarket hitches are very common, and you can find one for almost every make and model. Most are DIY installs, but a reputable auto shop can help you install one properly.

Hitches generally come in 1.25-inch and 2-inch sizing. It’s important that you verify the size of your vehicle hitch receiver prior to purchasing a rack. A larger, 2-inch hitch can carry heavier loads, which is great if you plan to carry a swing-away hitch rack. It’s also worth noting that some racks come with an adapter to fit either size.

One thing to note is that even with a hitch installed on your vehicle, the rack might not always function perfectly. For example, the Yakima EXO SwingBase hitch rack would not open on our tester’s Subaru Outback with an aftermarket hitch installed because it was too close to the bumper, but the rack worked just fine on our Ford F-150 and Toyota Tacoma.

Most of the ski and snowboard racks in our guide are relatively easy to use, but each has tradeoffs.

Hitch racks are often easier overall as they don’t involve lifting skis or snowboards above your head and then fully extending your arms to place them on the rack. You don’t need to risk getting filth on your clothes, which can sometimes happen with a roof rack.

Locking a roof rack involves reaching even higher or potentially stepping on the tire or a seat with the door open to reach the rack, so that you can pull down with enough force to engage the locking mechanism.

Some smart racks now offer a sliding feature to bring the loading zone beyond the edge of the vehicle and above the ground. However, operating a roof rack always involves some level of reaching up.

Hitch racks bring the loading zone from the top of the vehicle down to chest height or lower, meaning you won’t have to get on your tippy toes or climb your vehicle to reach the rack with your equipment. They also can swing open to allow complete use of your rear hatch. Some roof racks with skis loaded can hinder the hatch from opening.

Certain roof rack release buttons are larger or more ergonomic than others, which we find are easier to operate with gloved hands.

Pads are the rubber material that comes into contact with your skis or snowboards along the base and top sheet. Nearly all the racks in our guide use a rubber pad to secure your skis in place, whether that’s on the hitch or roof.

Most of the pads are either curved or rectangular in shape, and a single strip stretches from one side of the arm to the other. The rubber compresses around your skis to grip them and prevent movement once the arm is shut.

We were impressed with the GripLock rubber on the Küat Grip 4. The GripLock rubber uses a zipper-like layout with alternating rubber teeth that fit together flush when the rack is closed. We found the grip to be superb, and it gripped skis and snowboards tighter than other designs, no matter how wide or narrow.

There are two main types of locks when it comes to ski and snowboard racks. Locks that secure the entire rack system to your vehicle, known as crossbar or hitch locks, and locks that secure your equipment to the rack, known as ski locks.

Overall, locks play an important role in deciding which rack is best for your needs. Do you plan on living on the road or keeping your skis and snowboards on your vehicle for extended periods of time? Go with a roof rack that has an integrated crossbar lock. If you’re just doing day trips to the ski resort and won’t have gear camping overnight on the rack, you may not need to invest in a rack with integrated locks.

Being able to lock the rack when your skis or snowboard are inside is an important component. Not only does it prevent your skis or snowboards from being stolen, but it can also make sure the rack doesn’t pop open when you’re zooming down the highway.

Most racks in our guide integrate the lock into the closure function, essentially requiring the rack to be locked before you drive away. The only rack without a ski lock is the Gravirax GR-4 Hitch Mounted Ski Rack.

After spending your hard-earned bread on a ski roof rack, the last thing you want is your rack to get stolen from your vehicle. That’s why integrated crossbar locks are an important aspect of a ski rack.

The racks we’ve tested without these locks are the Gravirax GR-4 Hitch Mounted Ski Rack (which attaches via hitch receiver), and the Yakima FreshTrack 4 and Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier #576, which affix to a crossbar. Even with the ski lock engaged, anyone with a simple set of tools, a few minutes, and muscle would be able to remove the entire rack from the vehicle.

Several brands offer aftermarket upgrades to unify and customize the key cores between your equipment. We recommend the investment for ease of use and not needing to manage as many keys, especially if you have a collection of racks or accessories.

Brands with universal key-and-lock-core upgrades include:

We liked that the Yakima FreshTrack 4, Yakima FatCat 6, and Yakima EXO System all have the SKS upgrade option. As does the Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier #576.

We were most impressed with the locks and keys on the Küat Grip 4 and Küat Switch 6, which came on a sturdy key ring and with sturdy plastic-coated heads for easier grip with gloves on and in the cold.

Most other racks offered rather meager metal keys with no reinforcement or key ring.

One of the biggest pains with ski and snowboard roof racks is opening and closing them in cold and snowy conditions.

Opening the rack with gloves involves first unlocking the ski lock, then pressing the release button or pulling the release handle.

Our favorite design was on the Küat Grip 4, which uses a handle to open the rack as opposed to a button. We never had problems opening this rack, even with heavy-duty mittens in freezing conditions.

Closing the rack, on the other hand, takes a lot more effort and usually involves stepping up — for shorties, maybe onto the tire or running board of the vehicle — to be able to reach the open rack’s arm and fasten it down.

When fully loaded, certain roof racks can take a bit more grit to clamp down. Most roof racks have a multi-stage closure mechanism, meaning you’ll need to firmly press until you hear two or three clicks.

We found that with the ski and snowboard hitch racks being closer to the ground, they were much easier to close and lock into place than any of the roof racks.

The easiest rack to open and close overall was the EXO TopShelf, which are the arms that secure skis and snowboards on the Yakima EXO SnowBank Exo System Snow Mount. This was because the orientation of the rack was horizontal, and we could easily reach it while standing in our winter boots.

Locking Mechanism

It’s worth mentioning that the Gravirax GR-4 Hitch Mounted Ski Rack has no locking, opening, or closing mechanism. Skis rest vertically inside the tubes like bats hanging in a cave. Also, we were disappointed with how hard it was to close and lock the Yakima FatCat EVO 6 and the Küat Switch 6 when those two roof racks were loaded to their scripted volume.

Extender bars are a more modern feature emerging in the ski and snowboard roof rack space. These inserts are like stilts, extending the vertical space between the car’s roof and the rack.

The higher gap allows room for bulkier ski or snowboard bindings. One rack we tested, the Yakima FreshTrack 4, has an optional extender bar that places the rack at an angle, taking a triangular form, to create more space for bindings.

If you plan on stacking snowboards — one facing up and the other facing down — you’ll need enough ceiling for the bindings. When bindings rub the roof, that can cause excess wear, scratches, or dents on both.

If you have low-hanging crossbars or large bindings, we recommend going with a rack that has extender bars.

Assembly refers to the time from opening your package to having the rack ready to install. Some racks in our guide like the Küat Switch 6 come ready-to-go straight out of the box with no assembly required! You gotta love time-savers. Most other racks require some sort of assembly, though, so grab your mocha.

Certain designs, like the Thule SnowPack Extender, required 30 minutes of assembly before the rack was ready to install. That’s on the higher end of a build. If you do plan on storing your rack in the original box during the off-season, keep in mind the assembly times. You’d need to disassemble the rack to fit it back into the original box.

Installation comes after the rack assembly. This step refers to the time needed to mount your ski rack on your vehicle.

We rated the installation of each ski and snowboard rack between easy, moderate, and difficult based on how long it took to install the rack. The other factor was the comprehensiveness of the tools provided. If we needed to hunt down tools, that was a shortfall.

Easy installs took 15 minutes or less, from the unboxing to having the rack fully mounted — including the assembly. Now, that’s pretty good. A moderately challenging installation lasted anywhere between 15 and 30 minutes. Difficult installs were 30 minutes or more. Ouch.

While some installations required more elbow grease, all the racks in our guide can be assembled and installed at home without the help of a professional. Just make sure to read the instructions thoroughly before you start and follow each step. Also, install your ski rack before it starts snowing or do it in a garage to avoid making your installation harder.

Of all the installation tools included with racks, the Küat Switch 6 and Küat Grip 4 had the best quality. On the other hand, the INNO L INA951 tools felt very economically made. They flexed when tightening, causing our tester to have one go flying. This was also the only rack where we experienced a bolt stripping during the install.

Our longest installation time was 46 minutes for the Thule SnowPack Extender, partly due to the absence of the required tools. A T20 bit and Phillips-head screwdriver were needed per the instructions but not provided. Keep this in mind if ordering this rack. The instructions were also not the most clear, because they lacked text.

For those who want the best gas mileage, this section is for you!

Generally, hitch racks are more aerodynamic than roof racks, which means they support better gas mileage. Even the most aerodynamic roof racks get worse gas mileage than hitch racks. Roof racks lead to drag caused by wind hitting the rack as it flows over your vehicle.

Hitch racks have less drag because they sit behind the vehicle in a pocket of reduced wind and drag. The more you can get your gear behind your vehicle and out of the wind, the better aerodynamics your rig will sport.

You could travel slower to increase your gas mileage while hauling gear, but we recommend going the speed limit for safety. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, highway speeds above 50 mph drastically reduce gas mileage.

You could remove your roof rack when it’s not in use, but that would also be time-consuming. and get hitch racks as low as possible on your vehicle.

Some racks, like the Küat Switch 6, can be folded down flat when not in use to improve aerodynamics and gas mileage.

Hitch racks help because the more you can get your gear low and behind your car, the more efficient your travel will be in terms of gas mileage. You can enhance this by mounting your hitch rack on a low setting or even using a drop hitch when driving taller vehicles like 4×4 trucks.

Ski and snowboard racks cost from $200 to more than $1,000, depending on additional accessories, the number of skis and snowboards that can be carried, technical features that improve ease of use and durability, and whether or not the rack is for your vehicle’s roof or hitch.

On the lower end, our most economical build is the Rhino-Rack Ski and Snowboard Carrier #576 – 6 skis ($202), which can fit six pairs of skis or four snowboards. It’s not a measly or small rack by any means. The ease of installation was moderate, and the rack doesn’t have any fancy modifications to make the loading process easier. But as a simple, straightforward design, the rack felt durable and included ski arm locks.

But adding another $50, you can get the Küat Switch 6 ($249), which holds the same quantity of goods but includes a crossbar lock, has an easier installation, is sleeker, and also flips down 90 degrees for better aerodynamics when its not in use. A little bump goes a long way: That seems like a good $50 investment.

Racks like the Küat Grip 4 ($429) are a couple of hundred dollars more. Even though cheaper racks can hold more skis — this one only holds four pairs — this one has a fancy, unique construction that helps make roof access more accessible for taller vehicles or shorter people. The bars actually slide out so that you don’t need to lean against any grime on the side of your rig. The rack also has what’s called GripLock rubber, which is super plush and grippy for grabbing your ski base.

The highest-cost ski and snowboard racks are hitch-mounted, which are easier to load and unload once they’re on your vehicle — like the Gravirax GR-4 Hitch Mounted Ski Rack ($899). Some hitch designs also can provide after-market upgrades like durable cargo boxes or can be adapted for summer-time use as a hitch bike rack, such as the Thule Tram ($380): For this setup, you also need the Thule Apex XT Swing ($700) base for an initial investment of $1,080. But if you also mountain bike, this could be a great two-for-one deal rather than owning two different rack systems. We love that the arm on the Apex swings open, so we can open our vehicle’s

The short answer is, usually. The vast majority of hitch-mounted or roof rack designs can hold either skis or snowboards. The Gravirax GR-4 Adjustable Ski Rack is a more ski-centric design that does need an additional accessory to hold a snowboard: the Gravi Steel Snowboard Sleeve ($199).

Snowboards take up more space on a rack than skis, meaning a rack that can carry six pairs of skis can only hold four snowboards. Make sure to check the carrying capacity of any rack before you purchase.

Yes! Both skis and snowboards can be stacked on your ski roof rack. Stacked refers to having a pair of skis or snowboards sandwiched with their bases together. Technically, that’s one single set of skis and two snowboards, for instance. This saves space on your roof rack as opposed to placing the equipment side by side.

We wouldn’t recommend having sticking two skis with a snowboard layered on the other side. It’s best to only stack skis with skis and snowboards with snowboards, due to the ski brakes and base compatibility.

Just make sure there is enough clearance for your snowboard bindings or ski bindings on the bottom between the rack and the roof of your vehicle, in order to avoid unnecessary wear on both. If they do hit, you can get extender bars to raise the height of the roof rack and free up space for stacking like with the Yakima FreshTrack 4.

Keep in mind, when talking about rack capacity, manufacturers are referring to a single set of skis being stacked and snowboards being situated side by side, but it’s perfectly okay to stack snowboards.

Crossbars are the bars that run from the driver’s side to the passenger’s side, across the vehicle’s roof. They are essential for mounting a roof rack.

All roof racks require crossbars for mounting. Some cars come with crossbars. Otherwise, aftermarket crossbars are very easy to install yourself along with your ski rack. They come in a set of two, and you’ll need both to mount a ski roof rack.

You’ll also want to check that the crossbar shape is compatible with the roof rack. Each brand manufacturers their own specific shapes with particular material composites and finishes. But in general, there are oval, square, heavy-duty (HD), and aerodynamic bars. Yakima, for instance, offers four crossbar styles that they’ve labeled JetStream (aerodynamic aluminum), HD Bar (heavy-duty), CoreBar (aerodynamic steel), RoundBar (oval).

Yes, you can carry both skis and snowboards simultaneously on one ski and snowboard rack.

A rack that holds six skis or four snowboards can hold a mixture of both, like three skis and two snowboards. The width of a snowboard is approximately the width of 1.5 sets of skis side-by-side.

If you want to accommodate wide skis and snowboards, we suggest checking out the Yakima FatCat EVO 6, which has a DoubleJoint hinge that pops up to accommodate fatter or stacked hardgoods.

We have all seen the pictures and heard horror stories of skis being lost on the highway after someone forgot to lock their roof rack before driving off.

Ski and snowboard roof racks, when used correctly, are one of the safest ways to transport equipment to the ski resort.

The padded arms clamp down securely on your skis or snowboards without hurting them. Highway speeds won’t harm the rack or gear, either. Just make sure to follow all the instructions during the installation process and when loading the gear. Before driving, always double-check that your rack is locked, whether there’s gear inside or not.

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