My Cargo Racks

60-second quiz

Which ski or snowboard rack do you need?

Tell us what you carry, how many pairs, and whether you have crossbars or a hitch. You get a verdict (roof rack, roof box or hitch carrier) and up to three products whose capacity we checked on the manufacturer's own page.

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Question 1 of 6

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What are you carrying?

How this quiz works

  1. What are you carrying? Skis · Snowboards · Both
  2. How many pairs of skis or boards? 1–2 · 3–4 · 5–6
  3. How do you want to carry them? On a roof rack · In a roof box · On a hitch carrier
  4. What size is your hitch receiver? 2 inches · 1¼ inches
  5. How wide are your skis? Standard skis · Wide or powder skis
  6. How long is your longest ski or board? Under 165 cm · 165–180 cm · 181–195 cm · Over 195 cm
  7. What else matters to you? Built-in locks · A low garage · Easy to use with gloves · Room for boots and bags · None of these
  8. What's your budget? Under $750 · $750–$1,500 · $1,500+ · No fixed budget
Which ski rack type fits your situation
Your situationBest typeWhat it needs
One to four pairs, budget mattersRoof rackCrossbars
Five or more pairs, plus boots and bagsRoof boxCrossbars
Low garage or no room on the roofHitch carrierTrailer hitch
Wide or powder skisRoof rack or hitch carrier that lists your ski widthCrossbars or a hitch
Very long skisRoof box that lists a long enough maximum ski lengthCrossbars

How we pick

Every product in this quiz has its capacity, locks and limits checked against the manufacturer's own product page. We read those pages on 13 November 2026. A spec we could not find on the page counts as unknown, and the product is left out of any result that depends on it.

Capacity counts pairs of skis or snowboards. If you carry both, we size for boards, because they take the most room. Where a maker gives a range such as 5–7 pairs, we use the top of the range, so exact capacity depends on how thick your skis are. A hitch carrier that holds less on a 1¼ inch receiver is sized for the smaller figure unless you say you have a 2 inch receiver.

Owner comments come from Amazon US reviews and show the date we collected them. Prices are the US list price (MSRP), converted for other currencies. We never rank by star ratings.

Updated

Questions about this quiz

Most roof ski racks and every roof box clamp onto crossbars, so you need a set that runs across the roof. Many cars come with crossbars or have a place to fit them. If you have none and don't want to buy any, a hitch ski carrier mounts at the back instead, but it needs a trailer hitch.
A ski rack costs less, adds little height and loads quickly, but your gear rides outside the car. A roof box keeps skis, boots and bags dry and locked inside, and it holds more, but it costs more and adds height. Choose a rack for a few pairs and a box for a full car.
Measure your longest ski in centimetres and compare it with the maximum ski length the maker lists for the box. Also check that the maker lists the number of pairs you carry. If either figure is missing from the manufacturer's page, we leave that box out of your results rather than guess.
Measure the height of your car with its crossbars on, then add the height of the rack or box from the maker's page, plus a margin for safety. We don't calculate this for you. A hitch carrier mounts at the back and leaves the roof clear, so it is the safest choice for a low garage.

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