These Expert-Recommended Ski Racks Will Get Your Gear Safely To The Mountain

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We’ll be the first to admit it: Skiing requires a lot of stuff. Skis, boots, bindings, poles, fancy heated mittens, special socks, helmets, and on and on. It’s a lot to try and jam into the trunk of your car, especially when much of that gear is soggy, wet, or frozen. Enter: the ski rack. By putting your skis or snowboards on your roof, in a roof box, or on your trailer hitch, you’re able to get the bulkiest, toughest pieces of gear out of the way, freeing up space in your vehicle, keeping the rest of your gear dry and warm, and simplifying the packing process dramatically.

But it’s not quite that simple. There's a variety of ski racks out there, with the most popular style being one that mounts to your car’s roof bars and clamps your skis up high. Or there’s the roof box: a storage container that mounts to your roof bars and encloses your skis and whatever other gear you pack inside. And finally, hitch-mounted ski racks carry your skis back behind your vehicle, making them a little easier to reach and keeping them from reducing your car’s gas mileage as much.

Regardless of which way makes the most sense for you, choosing a dedicated ski rack will go a long way toward making your day of skiing more pleasant. Here’s how to choose the best one for you.

Best Ski Racks

• Best Overall Ski Rack: Thule SnowPack Extender Ski Rack

• Best Budget Ski Rack: AA Products 33-Inch Aluminum Universal Ski Roof Rack

• Best Ski Rack for Vehicles with Trailer Hitches: Tyger Auto Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard Rack

• Best Featured Ski Rack: Kuat Grip 6 Ski Rack

• Best for Lots of Gear: Thule Motion XT Alpine

What to Look for in a Ski Rack

Types

There are three primary categories of ski racks—all offering pros and cons—in different price ranges. The most popular type, the clamping roof-mounted rack, attaches to your roof cross bars and closes on the tips and tails of your skis or snowboard to secure them. These racks leave your skis exposed to the elements (even if they are incredibly secure) and don’t allow you to store anything else with them. The upside for this type of rack is that it’s relatively inexpensive, easy to use, and takes up minimal room on your roof. Most of them (but not all) will lock to your cross bars and come ready to mount. Keep in mind, though, that you will need crossbars on your roof to use any of these (either factory-installed or aftermarket).

Pack Up For Powder Days: Best Heated Socks • Best Men's Ski Jackets • Best Men's Puffer Jackets • Best Ski Goggles • Best Women's Ski Jackets • Best Ski Gloves

Roof boxes are another popular option for carrying skis and do double duty giving you more storage. These boxes also attach to your roof bars, like the clamp racks, but open and close completely, allowing you to store more than just skis—think boots, poles, clothing, and whatever else may fit. Roof boxes are more expensive, will take up more room on your roof, and may put a bigger dent into your fuel economy. These come in a lot of different sizes, but you can often find boxes designed specifically for skis—they’re often long and skinny. Just double check the length of your skis against the length of the box you’re looking to purchase

A third (and probably least-popular) option is the hitch-mounted ski carrier. This carrier inserts into your vehicle’s trailer hitch (you obviously need to have one, or you can buy an aftermarket receiver) and holds your skis vertically behind your vehicle. They’re out of the wind and don’t impact fuel economy as much, but might block access to the back of your vehicle.

Capacity

You’ll also need to consider the number of skis you want to carry—most come in 4 or 6 ski sizes, but there are others. That size represents the maximum number of skis it can carry, but you can always carry less. The more skis a rack can carry, the more space it will take up.

How We Selected These Ski Racks

The racks and boxes represented here suit a wide range of skiers and snowboarders: everyone from the single person or who only needs to store a pair as quickly and cheaply as possible, to the family heading to the slopes with 6 pairs of skis and in need of the greatest efficiency possible. I’m recommending the best options, after years of experience and testing, for the most common use-cases. I primarily looked for ease of use and durability, as well as feature sets and hassle-free installation, comparing racks that I’ve tested personally to those that have been used extensively by other folks. We update this list every year with the latest and greatest, so you can be sure you’re getting the best.

SnowPack Extender Ski Rack

Thule’s SnowPack line is a tried-and-true design of a ski carrier. A well-tested clamping design sandwiches your skis between two grippy rubber pads at the tip and tail.

The Extender version takes that a step further, adding a sliding base that allows you to slide the whole rack out closer to the edge of your car, making it easier (and less risky for your paint) to load and unload skis.

33-Inch Aluminum Universal Ski Roof Rack

For those who are just getting into skiing, you’re not going to be required to spend hundreds of dollars on a rack before you’ve even gotten your lift ticket.

This AA Products rack will set you back less than $100 and is just fine for getting your skis to and from the mountains. The aluminum rack mounts to almost any type of crossbar, features big buttons for opening it with gloved hands, and locks to your roof (although if a thief had the time to spare, they could remove the entire rack with your skis).

Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard Rack

If you’re goal is to keep your skis off of your roof (or you don’t have roof crossbars) then a hitch-mounted ski rack might be a better fit.

Racks like this one from Tyger Auto mount to your vehicle’s hitch receiver and stand skis up straight behind you. This rack will tilt down, which makes it easier to still be able to access your liftgate, trunk, or tailgate.

These aren’t as easy to load as horizontal options, but should take a smaller toll on fuel economy and prevent you from needing to climb up high to get your skis.

Grip 6 Ski Rack

If you’re looking for features, the Grip 6 has them all. The giant handles on the ends make closing and locking the clamps easy, and it has a built-in sliding feature similar to the Thule.

The rubber grippers use a tread-like pattern, boosting friction, and the mounting system makes them easy to remove from your roof bars when the winter ends.

Motion XT Alpine Roof Box

If you’re looking for a ski carrier that can haul more than just skis, a roof box is the ultimate versatile option. Load the Motion XT up with your skis, boots, poles, even jackets and ski clothing during the winter (Thule’s “Alpine” models are specifically designed to be long and skinny, for skis) then when the weather warms, fill it with camping gear, bike helmets, and more.

Plus, whether it's snowing or raining, a box will keep everything dry and shielded from the elements.

SnowPack Medium

The Thule SnowPack line is one of the oldest on the market, and the medium-sized version is as much ski carrier as most people will need.

Its simple clamshell design features a burly rubber bumper, making it possible to load thicker skis or snowboards with ease. The aluminum frame is durable and comes with “extension feet” that raise it higher above the roof of your car, in case you have skis with particularly big bindings.

This rack is pricier compared to rival racks with the same features, but the longevity of this model line and its solid build quality may be enough for shoppers looking for a solid, durable rack to have for years to come.

Switch 4

Most of us, unfortunately, can’t go skiing every day. The Kuat Switch, therefore, is designed for the days when you’re just going about your regular daily life.

When not in use, pull an easy-to-use tab to rotate the rack 90 degrees toward the rear of your car. This reduces the rack’s head-on profile and cuts back on wind resistance, noise, and gas use.

When you are loading it with skis, the Switch is as reliable as anything else I've recommended. A large button makes it easy to open and close, locks are integrated, and the clamping rack is well-built and secure.

Gravity Ski Rack

For couples or single people who don’t need to tote a crew’s worth of skis to and from the mountain, or anyone who may need to save some roof space for something else, the INNO Gravity is small enough to get the job done. It has only about 14 inches of usable space, allowing you to keep it tight to one side of your roof. The button, however, can be a little bit hard to press to release the clamp.

Should I look for a roof rack that not only transports my skis, but lets me to haul different gear, too, like my mountain bike?

Any reputable roof rack or system of cross bars will be able to accommodate a ski carrier, bike carrier, box, or just about any other accessory.

Before purchasing accessories, think about how much you want to have on your roof at a time: If it's a trip where you want to bring both your skis and your bike (or you just don’t want to remove the bike rack in the winter), you might need a smaller ski carrier to fit them both. You won’t be able to fit a bike in a roof box, but one of a roof rack's biggest benefits is its versatility to carry skis in the winter, camping gear in the summer, or whatever else you want.

Some brands, like Thule, offer all kinds of rack systems and various setups for whatever sort of equipment you're looking to haul. If you've got a set of Thule crossbars, for example, it may be easiest to find a ski rack, roof box, or bike rack from that same brand for the simplest mounting and rack exchanging between seasons.

Does my type of vehicle factor into which type of ski rack is best? If I have a compact car versus an SUV, for instance?

The first thing to consider is whether or not you already have (or are willing to install) a roof rack or trailer hitch. If you already have one and not the other, that might be what determines the type of ski carrier you get.

After that, it’s less about the type of vehicle you have and more about how you would like to store and retrieve your skis. If you have a tall vehicle, maybe it’s too difficult for you to place your skis on the roof, so you might opt for a hitch rack, for example.

Is it better to get a larger capacity ski rack right from the start so I can take friends along without worrying about how we’re getting our gear to the mountain?

That’s certainly not a bad idea. If you anticipate having friends with you on a powder days, it would definitely make sense to size up, as long as you have the space for a larger rack.

Do I need a different type of rack for skis versus snowboards—or do these typically fit both types of gear?

Most ski racks will handle snowboards. Keep in mind, you’ll probably be able to fit fewer snowboards on your rack than you might skis.

Also consider how much space is between the rack and the roof of your vehicle. If you’re loading snowboards in upside down (or base-to-base), keep in mind that their bindings are thicker and could come in contact with your car’s roof. Either take them off or look for accessories for your ski carrier to raise it up slightly.

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