The Best Double Kayak Roof Racks

1. Thule Hull-a-Port Aero
2. Thule Compass
3. Inno Dual Kayak Rack
4. OrionMotor Tech Soft Sided Carrier

There are four main options for transporting two or more kayaks on the roof of your vehicle. Click the jump to link below to see our recommended product and to find out more detail about each double roof rack type.

• Two Sets of Individual Carriers
• Stackers
• 2-in-1 Kayak Racks
• Pads or Soft Carriers

All of these options have unique strengths and weaknesses so it is up to you to choose the one that fits your situation the best.

Standard Anti-Theft Locks: Finally, I mean finally Thule included anti-theft locks standard with Hull-a-Port Aero. The One-Key locks located on the front of the bottom arm are easily accessed and a breeze to operate. Short of cutting the crossbars off the roof these racks are impossible to remove without the key.

T-Track Integration: The Aero is Thule's newest J-cradle and with it comes the integration of the latest technology. The crossbar field is moving away from traditional, solid round or square bars towards aero bars with top tracks. The Aero is designed to fit in the T-tracks right out of the box. T-tracks makes for easier installation, removal, and improved aero.

Stylish Look: The Hull-a-Port Aero's all black paint job and aerodynamic lines gives it a minimalist, sophisticated look. Matching sturdy construction with sleek design Thule found the sweet-spot between form and function.

Adapter Required for Older Crossbars: Progress often requires slowly phasing out the old way of doing things. The Aero's out-of-the-box T-track design requires the purchase of an adapter (sold separately) for square or round bars. T-tracks are superior to traditional bars so if you have not yet bought crossbars I would consider the Thule Aeroblade or Yakima Jetstream.

Price Tag: The Aero matches its rival the Yakima JayLow in price as the most expensive J-cradle on the market. It is a premium product that does everything you need and looks good doing it, but you are paying 30-40% for the look and novelty.

**You must buy two sets of this rack to hold two kayaks**

2-in-1 kayak carriers are like Chili's restaurant menu - they take a swing at every food option people want. The Compass is good at all things but not the best at anything. However, it made it on this review because it is the best 2-in-1 kayak carrier currently on the market.

That is not saying too much since there really aren't that many competitors, but Thule always strives for the best. This kayak carrier is fine option for casual kayak haulers. Something more robust would be a better decision for frequent kayakers as this rack lacks stability of  it's  less flexible brothers like the Thule Hull-a-Port Aero.

The good thing is that you only need a single set to carry to kayaks, which makes this option very flexible. A hidden perk is that the movable tower can accomodate those with several kayak shapes. Some kayaks need a little more or less tilt. You can't get this out of standard folding J-Rack because they usually have only two locking positions - up or down.

All in all this is a good choice of kayak rack for those who occasionally need to haul additional kayaks. Maybe you kayak solo most days and sometimes you want to bring a friend along. This is ideal for that situation.

I love the Inno Dual Kayak Stacker as many of my other posts will reveal. Of all the kayak carrier types, stackers leads the pack in multi-kayak transportation. The Inno reigns king amongst men because in a world where all stackers are the same; this peacock has feathers. 

Foam and plastics succumb quickly to weathering so most stackers do not have padding at all. The Inno Dual Stacker comes with thick removable padding meaning you needn’t remove the stackers every time you finish a commute, just slip the padding off and place it in the car.

It has a sturdy metal construction, which folds at the twist of a knob to provide additional clearance when not in use. This is not unique to the Inno, but a necessary feature nonetheless.

The Inno features the only stacker to come with kayak cradles to cushion and hold the kayak during transit. These adjustable pads independently affix along the crossbar to conform to any kayak width. Kayaks are secured to the roof rack in two additional locations than with other stackers. The competition has the kayaks resting directly onto the crossbars, which can lead to oil canning, hourly stops to check straps, and difficulty loading kayaks on slick crossbars. 

The unit fits most crossbar system but requires an additional piece for round crossbars. 

Loading a kayak without a roof rack system is not ideal. It is extremely important to take care when loading something onto your car both for you safety and that of others.

Now if you read around on the internet you will come across tons of different ways to strap kayaks onto your the naked roof of your vehicle. Most of them involve a pool noodle or foam block and ratchet straps.

These methods can work, but not they don’t provide a large margin of error.

If you most do it, the best way is with a pair of OrionMotorTech’s soft sided carriers. These are soft sided roof racks designed for hauling anything from kayaks to snowboards.

These pads are lightweight, anti-vibration, and come with aero-dynamic heavy duty straps. The universal fit works on any vehicle and they weight rated up to 165lbs. 

No other soft-sided or temporary carrier can handle such a load. This makes them perfect for dual kayak application.

Either lay both kayaks side by side if you roof is wide enough or stacker the kayaks one on top of each other. 

This setup is quick and easy to use at a price so reasonable you’ll wonder why anyone would use pool noodles!

There are a slough of options when considering how to carry two kayak rack, but the best options are to use two sets of J-Cradles or a Stacker set.

J-cradles are designed to carry a single kayak at a 45 degree angle. These save on roof space, but will run your budget up because you need to purchase two sets.

Stackers are the best option in my opinion, but either will work. They are vertical towers that bookend the kayaks on one side and provide a tie down slot to securely strap the kayaks. They are made for hauling anywhere from 1-4 kayaks so you have added flexibility with this style of carrier.

If you go the stacker route, be sure to place the towers in the middle of the car. This better distributed the weight on the vehicle and allows the two kayaks to counter balance each other. (Think holding a gallon of milk in each hand as opposed to only one).

Loading two kayaks onto a naked roof is risky to say the least. It is better to spend the money and protect your car/boats and others on the road. If you are going to do it anyway, use a soft sided rack like OrionMOtorTech Soft Sided.

These are specifically designed for cars without roof rails. The built-in feature will make it easier and safer to use than DIY alternatives.

Be sure to use plenty of straps and bow/stern tie downs!