Ever tried fitting a canoe in the back seat?
We agree it’s the worst. To help all our canoe heads out there who’ve faced this problem we’ve listed out the 8 best canoe roof racks on Amazon.
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8 Best Canoe Roof Rack 2021:
| Canoe Carriers | Rating |
|---|---|
| Rhino Rack Canoe Carrier, Folding J-Style | 10/10 (Editors choice) |
| Rhino-Rack Nautic Canoe Carrier | 10/10 |
| Thule Portage Canoe Rack | 8/10 |
| IKURAM Kayak/Canoe Carrier Rack | 9/10 |
| XCAR Folding J-Bar Canoe Racks | 9/10 |
| RaxGo Folding Canoe Roof Rack | 8/10 |
| Onefeng canoe Roof Rack | 9/10 |
| Mrhardware A01 Canoe Roof Rack | 10/10 |
We’ve all made the novice mistake of trying to fit our canoe in the back of our trucks, SUVs or cars. And honestly, it does not end up pretty. The best way to avoid your canoe flying out of the rear of your car is to safely secure it to your car.
These canoe racks for cars can help do just that. Check out our list of the eight best canoe carriers on Amazon.
1. Rhino-Rack Canoe Carrier, Folding J-Style:
What we love
- Carries paddles as well: The cradles have a special built-in mechanism that allows you to transport your paddles with the same ease you’d have while transporting your canoe.
- Ready to Use, comes already assembled: The folding J style canoe rack does not need to be assembled at all.
- Universal: The J cradle works with just about every roof rack, it can even be attached to your car’s roof racks.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Lightweight material | ❌ Requires some assembly |
| ✅ Premium Quality Foam | |
| ✅ Sturdy |
2. Rhino-Rack Nautic Canoe Carrier:
What we love
- Universal: Can fit a number of different water sport paddles and boards, ranging from canoes and kayaks to just about anything that falls in the same category.
- Innovative: Comes with an interesting rotatory feature that makes the adjustment and fastening a whole lot easier; innovative design
- Can be used in a variety of ways: while some caution needs to be taken while using the rhino nautic, you can mount your canoe on just about any vehicle with this, albeit will require a bit of creativity.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Universal | ❌ Requires some assembly |
| ✅ Comes with adjustments for rear end attachment and side end | |
| ✅ Innovative and New Features |
3. Thule Portage Canoe Rack:
What we love
- Works with a slide on roof racks mechanism: The reason the Thule portage canoe racks works so well is that it happens to have an easy slide on the mechanism that enables it to be attached to your roof racks.
- Strong Grip: While some simple assembly is required for this canoe rack.
- Works well with Thule square bars: The Thule canoe rack works well with the Thule square bars or any bars in general.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Best Canoe Carrier/rack | ❌ More towards the expensive side |
| ✅ Easy to use | |
| ✅ Innovative shape |
4. XCAR Folding J-Bar Canoe Racks:
What we love
- Comes with Aluminum Lock Design: The XCAR canoe racks are rustproof, lightweight and long-lasting.
- Accommodates Kayaks/Canoes/Subs: Build to be durable and adjustable.
- Premium and long lasting Foam: the J bars come equipped with premium foams.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Carries even the largest canoes | ❌ Slightly pricey |
| ✅ Adjustable size | |
| ✅ Premium Components |
5. IKURAM Kayak/Canoe Carrier Rack:
What we love
- Has Top Grade Padding for Protection: Comes with excellent top-grade padding which enables you to safely transport the canoe without fear of damage to the canoe’s guniwheel brackets.
- Durable: A canoe rack would be utterly useless if it couldn’t keep your canoe in place as you drive your truck, the IKURAM does exactly that.
- Lightweight and Strong: Despite being made of extremely light material (which keeps the hood or rear of your car safe,) it still manages to carry immense loads up to 70 kg.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Simple to use | ❌ Cannot carry more than one canoe |
| ✅ Light weight material | |
| ✅ J shaped cradles |
6. RaxGo Premium Canoe Roof:
What we love
- Comes with Premium Straps: The special polyester ropes that come with the two J shaped cradles enables you to securely fasten your canoe to the hood of your car.
- Easy assembly for novices and adventurers: Comes with clear cut instructions. It is recommended to use these with any pre-installed bars.
- Sturdy and long lasting: Comes with black powder coated steel cradles, making it long lasting and rust proof.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Premium Straps | ❌ Does not come with 4 clamps |
| ✅ Easy to read instructions | |
| ✅ Black powder covered metal |
7. Onefeng Canoe Roof Rack:
What we love
- Comes with Protective Padding: Comes with 4mm protective padding keeps the roof of your car safe from any scratches or damage.
- Wind Noise and MPG: The onefeng sports saddle has been known to show no visible problems with MPG and does not contribute to any wind-noise as most roof racks do.
- Works with Kayaks/subs as well: It’s flexible cradles work well for subs and kayaks as well.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Stable and can be used with any crossbars | ❌ Does not come with mats for extra protection |
| ✅ Considerably cheap | |
| ✅ Easy to use and adjust |
8. Mrhardware Canoe Roof Rack:
What we love
- Comes with Two cradles: This super cost-effective canoe rack comes with two roof rack cradles which can easily slide on to just about any bars.
- No assembly required: The Mrhardware A01 has been specially designed for simplicity.
- A special canoe rack for SUVs: Designed to fit SUVs, it makes your travel easier enabling you to transport kayaks up to 30 meters wide.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| ✅ Comes with two cradles | ❌ It might be difficult trying to use this for rear end attachment |
| ✅ Does not need any special assembly and does not have many lose parts | |
| ✅ A canoe made specially for SUVs |
After much deliberation, we at canoe surfer have reached a consensus and have finally decided on the best canoe roof rack/carrier on the market.
We recommend the Rhino rack canoe carrier because of a number of reasons;
- It’s considerably cost-effective keeping in mind the many features it offers.
- Rhino racks have been known for their high durability and high-quality products, this canoe carrier is no different. It can last about two to three thousand trips without breaking or losing its padding on an average.
- The rhino rack canoe carrier does not need any complicated assembly, which can be a hassle if you have to do it every time you take your canoe or kayak to the lake.
FAQs:
1. What is a canoe carrier?
A canoe carrier is a simple device used to carry canoes across long distances preferably on the roof of cars, trucks or SUVs. Canoe racks for cars are available on Amazon and are required for safe transportation of canoes.
2. How do you use a canoe carrier?
The canoe roof rack that you buy will probably come with a step by the step instruction manual. For most canoe carriers you simply have to attach your cradles to the bars on your car and then fasten your canoe and paddles to them. However, if this is your first time using a canoe roof rack or a canoe carrier be sure to buy one that does not require any assembly.
3. Do canoe carriers affect MPG and wind noise?
Some canoe carriers can affect mileage, but the effect is really small and is expected when you’re carrying a boat on the top of your car. Canoe carriers, however, do not cause wind noise.
4. Can I use a canoe carrier without bars?
Some simple canoe carriers or canoe racks can be used without bars. However, the best canoe roof racks in the market do call for the presence of bars. Hence, it’s best to use a canoe carrier with the bars if you hope to avoid any damage to the roof of your car and to the canoe itself.