The Best Kayak Roof Racks For 2024

Sara Ryan By, Sara Ryan
Updated
Best Kayak Roof Racks
Best Kayak Roof Racks

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: TMS® 2 Pairs Kayak Carrier

This top-quality kayak carrier is designed to accommodate kayaks up to 36 inches wide and 75 lbs. With a versatile steel design and a wide-mouth J bar, this carrier is the perfect choice for kayakers who want to keep their kayaks safe and secure. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: IKURAM R Kayak Roof Carrier

The IKURAM R Kayak Roof Carrier is a high-quality kayak carrier that provides maximum protection for kayaks and stand-up paddle boards. It comes with designs quick raises and folds design to give a better experience. Read Review

3. Best Adjustable: DRSPORTS Kayak Carrier

DRSPORTS Kayak Carrier is a versatile and sturdy solution for carrying your watercraft. With a double folding J bar and adjustable cradles, this carrier ensures safety and minimizes vibration during transportation. Read Review

4. Best Easy To Use: Mrhardware Kayak Rack

Make it easy to transport your kayak with the Mrhardware Kayak Rack. Its simple, easy-to-install mounting hardware design uses two pieces and comes equipped with an EVA sticker to protect your car bar from scratches. Read Review

5. Best Design: IKURAM R Kayak Carrier Rack

IKURAM R Kayak Carrier Rack is a versatile and durable solution for carrying your kayaks or standup paddle boards. With its quick fold-down design and Native Paddle Holders, this carrier is convenient and easy to use. Read Review

If you’ve got a kayak, you need to have a roof rack for it. Most kayakers will tell you that having a roof rack is one of the first things they add after buying their first kayak. Why? Because not only does it give you the ability to transport your kayak from place to place with greater ease and convenience, but it also gives your kayak some extra protection in case it gets damaged or stolen while you’re not using it.

In addition, if you have the proper kind of roof rack for your kayak, it will be simple for any family member to get into it. This will make it possible for everyone in the family to go kayaking whenever they want, regardless of their experience level.

We think the best kayak roof racks of the 2024 is TMS® 2 Pairs Kayak Carrier. With a versatile steel design and a wide-mouth J bar, this carrier is the perfect choice for kayakers who want to keep their kayaks safe and secure. However, to provide the reader with a wider variety of alternatives, we recommend adding the IKURAM R Kayak Roof Carrier if you are interested in purchasing another appealing one. Here are the buying guides that we specially made for you guys. Follow all the words below for successful shopping!

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 TMS® 2 Pairs Kayak Carrier
Our Score:
9.7
TMS

The TMS® 2 Pairs Kayak Carrier is designed to mount to virtually all crossbars and load bars on the market, ensuring that you can use it with most vehicles. The carrier secures the kayak on its side, reducing the amount of space required on the load bar, making it an ideal choice for people transporting multiple kayaks. The steel design is durable and provides excellent carrying strength, while the adjustable padding helps protect the kayak from damage.

It also comes with a wide-mouth J bar, making loading and unloading the kayak easier. The quick on/off hardware ensures that installation and removal are quick and hassle-free, and the optimally sized J-style carrier leaves plenty of roof space for other gear. The surface rust-resistant coating and hardware provide a longer product life, and the carrier includes all the necessary mounting hardware and two straps. However, the instructions may not be very clear, so you can find more information on Youtube or a website to know better how to use it.

TOP Choice #2 IKURAM R Kayak Roof Carrier
Our Score:
9.6
IKURAM R

The IKURAM R Kayak Roof Carrier is the perfect solution for kayakers and stand-up paddleboard enthusiasts looking for a high-quality, versatile, and easy-to-use roof rack. The carrier is designed to provide maximum protection for your kayak or paddle board, thanks to its oversized, thick, and all-weather rubber saddles and padded upright. The TopGuard padding ensures that your kayak will not rub against the roof of your car and get damaged, making it the best-in-class protection solution.

Additionally, it has multiple carrying functions design, which allows you to carry up to two kayaks or stand-up paddle boards. The oversized padding and acrylic fabric sleeves can be transformed from a J-cradle to different configurations to maximize your roof space. The Native Paddle Holders also come standard, allowing you to position your paddles while transporting your kayaks perfectly.

This carrier is designed to be easy to mount, fitting to square, and most oval-shaped factory-installed cross rails quickly and easily. The kit includes everything you need to transport one kayak vertically on the roof of your car, including bow-stern safety tie-downs and two 25x2800 mm heavy-duty straps with a break strength of 750 lbs. The only drawback is that the rack can be a bit flimsy but is still sturdy enough to use.

TOP Choice #3 DRSPORTS Kayak Carrier
Our Score:
9.5
DRSPORTS

DRSPORTS Kayak Carrier has a double folding J bar design that minimizes vibration and noise, which is especially helpful when traveling on rough roads. The adjustable cradles can be set to the perfect angle to fit the different thicknesses of watercraft, making it a versatile solution. The ratchet tie-down strap, ratchet rope, and anchor loop are all included, making it easy and quick to load your kayak, canoe, surfboard, or SUP paddle boat.

The universal design is constructed out of high-strength steel, which results in the product being both lightweight and long-lasting. During transportation, the kayak is protected from damage caused by rubbing thanks to the 0.3-inch-thick soft cushions attached to each bar. Moreover, the installation process is uncomplicated and quick, and a step-by-step installation guide is provided for your reference along the way. The only con with the DRSPORTS Kayak Carrier is that the rubber gaskets can sometimes be ripped. However, this can be easily remedied by purchasing a replacement gasket.

4 Mrhardware Kayak Rack
Our Score:
9.4
Mrhardware

For your convenience, this item includes not one but two different sets of mounting hardware and a ratchet rope that is ten feet long. The carrying strength and kayak protection can be customized thanks to the adjustable padding with the sturdy steel design. However, it would be best if you remembered that it could not be installed on circular crossbars with a diameter of fewer than 1.2 inches. This is the only disadvantage of this product.

The wide mouth on the J bar makes it simple to load and unload items, and the quick-on/quick-off hardware ensures that the bar can be installed and removed quickly. Thanks to the rust-resistant coating and hardware, durability is increased, leading to a longer product life. Because it can carry kayaks with a width of up to 36 inches and a weight of up to 100 pounds, the carrier is an excellent option for people who enjoy paddling kayaks.

5 IKURAM R Kayak Carrier Rack
Our Score:
9.2
IKURAM R

The product's design allows it to be quickly raised to its original position or folded down when not used. To further improve the available headroom, the J-bars have a handy front-release handle that enables you to lock them at various angles. The Native Paddle Holders, which are the ideal accessory to help you position your paddles while transporting kayaks, are included with the purchase of this product as a standard feature.

The product comes with two of these holders. The oversized, thick, and all-weather rubber saddles, and the padded upright, effectively prevent the kayak from rubbing against each other and becoming damaged. In addition, the extra-long padded contact points offer an additional layer of protection and a firmer grip while transporting the product. Because of its multiple-position design, oversized padding, and acrylic fabric sleeves, this item can transport up to two stand-up paddle boards or kayaks. Although the enclosed straps have the potential to be broken, The IKURAM R Kayak Carrier Rack is still a reliable and versatile solution for your kayak transport needs.

6 XGeek Kayak Roof Rack
Our Score:
9.1
XGeek

This product comes with the J bracket that can accommodate a 42-inch wide, 72 kg/158 lb kayak, making it suitable for a wide range of watercraft. The luggage rack is constructed from high-quality anodized aviation-grade aluminum alloys, making it both lightweight and durable. The aluminum alloy tube also has a thickness of 2.2mm, ensuring the rack can withstand regular use and the elements.

One of the most significant features of the XGeek Kayak Roof Rack is its ability to protect your car roof from scratches. The screws used to fix the rack in place are designed not to scratch your roof, thanks to their length and anti-vibration design. Additionally, the quick fold-down design allows you to adjust the rack's angle easily, making it suitable for a wide range of kayaks, skis, surfboards, small canoes, and more.

The XGeek Kayak Roof Rack is also designed to fit a wide range of crossbars, including round, square, and oval-shaped factory-installed options. The kit comes with everything you need to transport two kayaks vertically on the roof of your car, including double paddle holders for added convenience. Even though the bolts may be too long, they are quickly addressed with a little adjustable. Overall, the XGeek Kayak Roof Rack is an excellent option for a high-quality, versatile, and easy-to-use kayak roof rack.

7 Onefeng Sports Kayak Roof Rack
Our Score:
8.9
Onefeng Sports

If you're looking for a high-quality kayak roof rack, then the Onefeng Sports Kayak Roof Rack is an excellent option. The black aluminum frame and rust-resistant stainless hardware ensure that this roof rack will last for years to come, and it is designed to be easy to use and adjustable to fit your specific watercraft. Whether you're taking a kayak, canoe, ski, or paddleboard on your roof, this roof rack is the perfect solution for stable and secure transport.

The rack is adjustable, allowing you to set the saddle's angle from 0 to 180 degrees, making it easy to load and unload your kayak or canoe from either side of your vehicle. The maximum load capacity is 135 lbs, which is plenty for most kayaks or canoes. The 'no scratch' tie-down straps are also a great feature, as they are soft and rubber-coated to prevent any damage to your paint.

This product is easy to attach and can be done in seconds, so you won't have to waste time struggling with complicated installation processes. The rack fits a range of crossbars with a maximum width of 4-1/3 inches (11cm), so it will likely fit your vehicle. The only drawback is that the heads of the bolts may be larger than what you are used to. However, this should not be a significant issue if your vehicle has standard crossbars.

More To Consider

8 PIRIPARA Kayak Roof Rack
Our Score:
8.8
PIRIPARA
9 HODIAL Kayak Roof Rack
Our Score:
8.6
HODIAL
10 SMOOL  Folding Kayak Roof Rack
Our Score:
8.4
SMOOL

Which Criteria Do Our Experts Advice To Consider When Purchasing Of best kayak roof racks?

According to our experts, you should understand some sides of the product to get the finest one. Like others, best kayak roof racks of 2024 might include many factors for you to take into account. For that, each among best kayak roof racks will have unique features and challenges as well to consist of.

The focus on the following features of best kayak roof racks is highly recommended, given they have come together with tech-evaluated certification:

Rack Height

To load or tie down kayaks, you must be able reach the roof rack. You will find some racks higher than others. Make sure that your roof rack is accessible from the right height or you have an alternative way of lifting yourself, like a step stool.

Cradle Or Saddle

Protection is dependent on the design of the contact point between kayak and carrier. Kayaks are often awkwardly designed and lengthened. The style of the saddles or cradles will have an impact on how your kayak performs in various driving conditions. You will prefer aluminum and steel with lots of padding.

Padding

Padding on kayak carriers is essential for protecting the kayak's surface during transport. A kayak carrier typically has padding on the bottom to protect it during transport. While foam blocks offer more protection than thicker padding like foam blocks it can be difficult to fold the carrier (if possible) or store the cradle. You can add padding around the buckle protectors and factory crossbars/mountingbolts.

Price

Kayak roof racks can be much more affordable than kayak trailers but still come at a cost. Be realistic about your budget and stick with it. To safely transport your kayak, you don't necessarily need to buy the best kayak roof rack. You can actually get just as much use out of a lower-priced roof rack than if you spend more.

The Number Of Kayaks

Roof racks can hold one kayak while some others can accommodate two. Look for racks that can accommodate your transportation needs, so you have the ability to take as many kayaks with you as possible.

Type Of Kayak Roof Rack

You can choose from many different types of roof racks for kayak cars. Each one offers advantages and disadvantages. These are the main kinds:
J-cradles are used to carry kayaks along their sides
To transport kayaks upside down, saddles
Foam blocks are lightweight,, and great for short trips
You should not have any trouble choosing the right kayak car roof rack. Are you still unsure where to begin? It's easy! These are our top five kayak roof racks that we have tested and recommended.

Load Straps

Without proper support, kayaks may move on carriers. Most kayak carriers come with basic straps or tie-downs to secure the various points of the kayak to the rack. You can purchase either included straps or built-in ones for kayak carriers. Others come as a separate unit so that you have control over the securing supports to be used with kayak's forward and stern tie downs.

Vehicle Make And Model

No matter what size vehicle you have, there is a kayak rack for it. You must ensure that your roof rack will fit and securely attach to your vehicle. You should also ensure that the roof rack you plan to buy will attach securely to your car's existing roof bars.

FAQs

What type of kayak roof rack should I use?

The type of kayak roof rack you should use depends on the type of roof your vehicle has and the size and weight of the kayak you are carrying. Soft racks, J-style racks, and stacker racks are some of the most common types of roof racks for kayaks. Make sure to read the instructions for your roof rack carefully, and if necessary, consult with a professional to make sure you have the correct roof rack for your vehicle and kayak.

Do I need to use straps to secure my kayak?

Yes, you should always use straps to secure your kayak to the roof rack. Straps help ensure that your kayak is safely secured to the roof rack and will minimize the risk of your kayak slipping or falling off while you are driving.

How do I clean my roof rack when I'm done using it?

After using a roof rack, it's important to clean it to prevent rust and corrosion. First, remove any dirt and debris that may have accumulated on the roof rack. Then, use a hose to rinse off the roof rack and let it air dry. Afterwards, use a cloth to wipe the roof rack down with a mild soap and water solution. Finally, apply a protective coating such as wax or silicone to the roof rack to help prevent rust and corrosion.

Right now, you can catch up with the most updating best kayak roof racks news and description. As aforementioned, our post is supported by the research and analysis using high technology. Thus, the details given to you are essential and valuable.

All of your feedback and responses are accepted. So please don’t hesitate to contact us and ask for help. You’re welcome to get in touch with us!


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About Sara Ryan

Sara Ryan

Sara Ryan is a freelance writer for CampFireHQ and avid diver. She first discovered her love for diving while on vacation in the Caribbean and has been hooked ever since. Sara loves exploring new dive sites and observing the fascinating creatures that live beneath the waves. As a native of Colorado, Sara enjoys spending her free time hiking and camping in the beautiful Rocky Mountains. She also enjoys writing about her adventures in diving and wildlife conservation.

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