Ski racks keep vehicle interiors clean and uncluttered, giving you more room for passengers and cargo. Most importantly, ski and snowboard racks are much safer than carrying gear inside the cabin. Skis and snowboards have sharp edges that can be extremely dangerous in the event of a car accident.
Compared to ski boxes, ski and snowboard racks are lower profile and less expensive. They are a popular option for occasional use, or for people who have no room to store a full size ski box.
We hope this guide will help you find the right ski and snowboard for your needs. Please contact us if you have any questions.
Types of Ski and Snowboard Racks
There are a few different styles of ski and snowboards racks:
- Crossbar mounted ski racks for vehicles with existing factory or aftermarket roof rack crossbars.
- Hitch mounted ski racks for use on compatible hanging style hitch bike racks.
Crossbar Mounted Ski and Snowboard Racks
Crossbar mounted ski and snowboard racks are simple and easy to use. After attaching a pair of racks to your crossbars, place your skis or boards on to the rubber platform, clamp down the rack, and lock it. Skis and boards lock into the rack, and the rack itself locks to the crossbars.
How many skis or snowboard do you need to carry?
Ski and snowboard racks can be purchased in two sizes: one larger size to fit up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards and another smaller size to fit up to 4 pairs of skis or 2 snowboards. Due to varying widths of skis and snowboards, the recommended capacity of each model is a guide only. In practice, we sell many more large ski racks than small ski racks because the price difference is minimal.
For carrying 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards, the most popular options are the Yakima Fat Cat 6 Evo, Thule SnowPack 6, or Thule Snowpack Extender. All of these ski and snowboard carriers have wide bases to fit modern fat skis and snowboards. All include universal mounting hardware so that they can be fit to round, square, aerodynamic and factory bars.
If you only need to carry up to 4 pairs of skis or 2 snowboards the most popular options are the Yakima Fat Cat Evo 4 or the Thule SnowPack 4. These carriers also have universal mounting hardware so that they can be attached to round, square, aerodynamic, and factory bars. Small ski racks are best for fitting next to a roof top cargo box or other accessory, but if you have excess room you are always best off sizing up.
How do crossbar mounted ski racks fit my vehicle?
Most roof mount ski and snowboard carriers are designed with universal mounting hardware that can fit securely around most crossbar systems including round, square, aerodynamic, and factory bars. Some newer styles of ski racks are compatible with T-slots on top of aerodynamic crossbars for flush mounting. Essentially, if you have a set of crossbars on your vehicle you can mount a ski or snowboard carrier on to it.
If you don’t have a set of crossbars installed on your vehicle, check out our roof racks.
