10 Best Ski Racks In 2023

The Subaru Genuine is the best ski rack for any Subaru. It fits on Ascent, Crosstrek, Forester, Impreza, Outback, STI, and WRX models. However, while the part is made for Subaru models, this carrier isn’t made by Subaru themselves. Instead, it comes back to a brand we’ve already praised here: Thule. Since this is a Thule rack, Subaru owners can rest easy knowing they’re buying something with a brand name that’s synonymous with high quality.

There is a give and a take to this specific design. On one hand, Subaru owners of these specific models know they have a great choice to turn to. If you don’t have one of the Subaru models this rack is designed for, it may not fit your car. Subaru also outlines the year of the compatible cars. In short, it fits most of these 7 models released between 2013 and 2022.

For those that have a make and model Subaru that this rack fits, they can be sure that they’re purchasing a model that will fit perfectly and last them a long time. It’s also made to work for more than just your skis and snowboards. When the season is over, you can use the rack to carry the wakeboards, fishing rods, and water skis.

When you’re using this rack during the season, you can carry up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards. You can also carry a mix of skis and snowboards if you want to carry a portion of the capacity for each piece of gear. This rack has a 30” width on its loading platform, so you aren’t going to want to go over that to make sure your cargo is locked in safely.

While your gear is in this rack, you don’t have to worry about your gear getting damaged, lost, or stolen. The soft rubber lining the interior of the arms will make sure that your skis aren’t scratched or scraped by the aluminum as you drive to and from the slopes. It also has a lock-and-key mechanism to make sure that no one without a key can get your snowboards or skis out of the rack.

The Rakapak Inflatable Ski, Snowboard, and Luggage Rack is unique on this list for an obvious reason - it inflates. One of the biggest draws of an inflatable rack is that it’s made to carry a lot of weight thanks to the pressure inside of it. This particular inflatable rack can help you load cargo up to 180 lbs. On top of that, it’s bulk is made up of air rather than thick material. This makes it a very lightweight option weighing in at only a little over 5 lbs. Since this is a soft car rack, you don’t have to worry about it scraping or scratching your gear or car roof.

The Rakapak Luggage Rack is easy to install and it can be installed on almost any make and model of car or SUV. The main feature that makes this easy to install on top of your car is the set of five D-rings that can be used as anchor points. As for inflating the rack, the product comes with a hand pump that inflates the rack in just a few seconds.

You can leave the rack on your car roof as long as you want but you might need to reinflate it from time to time just like any other inflatable object. The good news is that this rack isn’t specialized in skis and snowboards and is meant to carry any outdoor adventure gear you might throw at it. When you want to take the rack down, you can use the carry bag that comes with it.

Another major selling point of this rack is that it’s an incredibly affordable option. Since it retains a high quality, it’s a good bang for your buck. This is especially true when you consider how versatile it is and how useful it is for your outdoor trips all year long.

The INNO Racks Gravity Snow Rack is similar to Thule ski and snowboard racks we looked at earlier in that it has a simple yet efficient design. INNO also has a lot of the same brand recognition as Thule. Over the last 30 years, they’ve consistently provided carefully designed and effectively implemented products that even a professional athlete could get years of use out of.

Some of this rack is made of high-grade plastic which is, admittedly, weaker than metal but it has an aluminum body that increases its durability. Not to mention, the aluminum makes sure it stays rust-free and lightweight.

This rack can hold up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards. It has wide cradle jaws with three height settings too, so you don’t have to worry if you’re using thicker skis. It also includes a lock and key, so you can be sure that your skis are safe and secure even if you have to leave them on the roof of your car for a time.

The rack advertises itself to have a universal fit, so it should go on any car or SUV you have but INNO outlines restrictions to this promise. The manufacturer does note that the rack needs an adapter to fit round bar and a long bolt kit to mount the rack on crossbars up to 2” tall. They also outline that the maximum crossbar dimensions are 3 ½” wide and 1” tall. Even with those restrictions in mind, most cars and SUVs make the cut as these measurements fit most factory crossbars as well as square, aero, and round crossbars. All in all, the installation process for this snow rack only takes about five minutes.

The inside of the security arms of this rack is made of rubber, like many of the other options we’ve looked at here. So, you can depend on them to not scratch or scrape your skis during transit.

The Rage Powersports Apex Ski and Snowboard Roof Rack is a great choice if you’re going on a trip to the slopes with some friends since it can carry 8 skis. If you’re snowboarding, this rack can carry 2 boards. Overall, it has a 22” wide carrying capacity. Like many of the other options we’ve looked at here, it has one of the most important features for a rack: rubber padding. This ensures that your fragile skis aren’t getting scratched up during transit.

Aside from the rubber padding, this rack is made from aluminum and heavy-duty plastic. This is a good balance since even heavy-duty plastic can be viewed as a more fragile choice while aluminum is considered the best ski racks material. This blend keeps this rack durable, lightweight, and rust-free. The aluminum also lasts well through all types of weather, so you’ll have this rack for years to come.

This rack has a large button that can easily be used with gloved hands to release your gear once you get to the ski lodge. It also has a built-in lock that allows you to keep your skis securely in place if you have to leave them on your car for a period. The rack includes 2 keys which give you a backup if needed.

This rack, unfortunately, doesn’t advertise itself as universal. It fits rectangular and circular crossbars, though. Rectangular crossbars have to be 5.5” wide and 1” tall. Circular crossbars have to have a diameter of up to 1.5”. The best way to make sure that this rack will fit your vehicle is to check your user manual or measure your crossbars. Looking in your user manual is going to give you a more precise idea. With this in mind, Rage Powersports says it should fit most cars, SUVs, and trucks.

The AA Products Aluminum Universal Roof Carrier is a large rack that can hold up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards. Specifically, it has a width of 33” and you can also mix and match skis and snowboards underneath their maximum capacity.

The main portion of the AA rack is made of aluminum. This helps to make sure your rack is weather-proof and durable enough to offer you many years of use. The rubber arms help to provide a tight grip that won’t damage your winter equipment. It’s also designed to help you carry other outdoor cargo when the slopes aren’t in season. You can easily strap in water skis, fishing rods, and paddles.

This rack is easy to install and is designed to go on almost any car or SUV. Getting the ski racks into place only takes a few minutes and loading and unloading your gear. Since it has a one-button access design, you can complete the whole process without taking off your gloves. While your skis are in the rack, you can secure them against theft with an included lock and key.

If you run into any problems with this rack, AA Products Inc. offers a 1-year warranty in case of any manufacturing errors or weak durability.

The Yakima FreshTrack Rooftop Ski and Snowboard rack give you a choice between sizes. If you want to carry 8 skis or 2 snowboards, choose the FreshTrack 4 model. If you need more room, the FreshTrack 6 model holds 12 skis or up to 4 snowboards. This flexibility helps you choose what’s just right for you. It also has a ski lift attachment which is made to help add clearance for tall bindings when needed.

The design of the ski and snowboard mount is rather unobtrusive. It’s meant to be small and aerodynamic while still carrying what you need. This design means you aren’t going to lose a lot of fuel efficiency when you drive with this mount in your car.

On the topic of installation, this rack is meant to work on almost any vehicle as it accommodates round crossbars, square crossbars, factory crossbars, and aerodynamic racks. When you’re ready to install this rack, it has a tool-free design that makes it easy to put up with an installation time of only minutes. If you want to take the mount down when the season is over, the removal is just as easy as the installation. Of course, if you don’t want to take it down, this ski and snowboard rack isn’t going to suffer from being on your car all year. In fact, aluminum construction makes this a durable and rust-resistant choice.

While your skis are in their bindings, they aren’t going to go anywhere unless you take them out. For added security, Yakima has integrated the Same Key System - or, SKS - locks. This will prevent anyone who doesn’t have a key from unlocking your skis or snowboards.

Yakima offers a limited lifetime warranty on their roof racks and mounts. If you run into any problems using these ski and snowboard mounts, you can contact them for help. To take advantage of this, you’ll want to register your purchase through their website.

Finally, the SportRack Groomer Deluxe Carrier is large enough to carry anything you might need on the slopes. It can hold 4 snowboards or a whopping 6 pairs of skis. Even better, this is a model with a universal fit, so you can use it on almost any car. If you have square, rounded, or factory racks,  you won’t have a problem installing this carrier. Installation is also simple - taking it on and off your car will only take a few minutes.

You’ll also notice that this rack is pretty unassuming. It doesn’t have a lot of bulk and its design is simplistic. The reason behind this is that it's meant to add a little wind resistance to your car as possible to keep fuel efficiency high. Don’t be fooled by its minimalistic design either: this is a carrier that’s going to last you a long time.

You can also trust that your skis and snowboards are going to be safe in this carrier as well. To prevent scratches and scrapes on your vulnerable skis, this rack has soft, rubber-lined arms that will prevent your skis from touching bare aluminum. To protect your skis from possible theft, SportRack has also included 2 heavy-duty locks with the rack alongside keys to keep anyone else out. This will help you feel a little more secure while you travel with your expensive cargo. When you’re ready to take your gear off of the carrier, you can simply press a large, easy-to-see button to open the rack. This is perfect for packing and unpacking your gear when it’s too cold to lose your thick gloves.

Another great point about the SportRack Groomer Deluxe Carrier is that the manufacturer offers a limited lifetime warranty. So, if you run into any issues such as weakened durability or manufacturing errors, you can call the company to address the problem.