Although we’ve found this tray-style hitch rack to be the most affordable one that’s easy to load and use overall, we have picks for cyclists with other needs. These include the less expensive Küat Beta hanging hitch rack, the ebike-friendly Thule EasyFold XT 2, the Saris Bones EX 3-Bike trunk rack, the Saris SuperClamp EX 4-Bike tray rack, the Yakima HighRoad roof rack, and the Inno Velo Gripper pickup-bed carrier.
Our pick
Küat Sherpa 2.0
Of the tray-style hitch racks we tested, this is one of the easiest to install and use. It’s lightweight, holds one or two bikes securely, and lets you access your vehicle even when the rack is loaded.
In performance and price, the Sherpa 2.0 stands out. Less effort is needed to mount this lightweight two-bike model on your car and to stow it away than with many other tray racks. This rack is also simpler than most to secure in the hitch, and its low height makes loading bikes easy. The Sherpa 2.0 holds most types of bikes (up to 40 pounds each). It tilts out of the way, even when fully loaded, letting you access your vehicle, and it folds up compactly.
Budget pick
Küat Beta
This hanging-style, two-bike hitch rack costs less than our top pick. It’s light and easy to install, and it folds flat for storage. But it’s not as easy to use overall.
If you have budget or storage constraints, the two-bike, hanging-style Küat Beta is a good alternative to the Küat Sherpa 2.0. Because it’s a hanging rack, it isn’t as easy to load, and you have to unload your bikes to tilt the rack down. But the Beta is solidly constructed and holds bikes securely. At only 18 pounds, it’s also one of the lightest hitch racks we’ve tested, so it’s easy to install. And unlike most hitch racks, the Beta folds completely flat, making it simple to store—hang it on a garage wall hook or stash it in a closet.
Upgrade pick
Thule EasyFold XT 2
This rack is great for carrying bikes weighing up to 65 pounds. It’s super-easy to install and load bikes onto, but it is far more expensive than our top pick.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $900.
Whether you need to transport heavier ebikes or you just want a rack that’s easy to load, the Thule EasyFold XT 2 is hard to beat. It’s expensive, but this rack can hold two bikes up to 65 pounds each, and its foldable ramp lets you roll bikes onto the rack instead lifting them. This rack is lighter than competing models, and it folds up to the size of a large airline carry-on bag. The EasyFold is also quick to install, and includes integrated cable locks. However, the EasyFold holds bikes by the frame, which some riders don’t prefer, and the clamps can be awkward to use.
Also great
Saris Bones EX 3-Bike
This upgraded model offers sturdy construction and light weight at an affordable price, making it a great value if your car can’t accommodate a hitch mount. You will have to lift your bike up higher to load it than with our top pick.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $250.
The Saris Bones EX 3-Bike is solidly built yet lightweight, easy to mount and to store, and can fit almost any car. Made of molded plastic, the Bones EX is easier to lift onto the back of a vehicle and strap on than its competitors. It remained stable even at high speeds and with quick stops. The fully adjustable legs fit over even massive factory spoilers, and the whole contraption folds nearly flat for storage. In our survey of some 20 bike clubs, the Bones garnered one of the highest ratings. As with all trunk racks, loading your bike requires lifting it higher than you’d have to with a trunk rack. (The Bones 2-Bike model, which we tested previously, is still available and even cheaper. But the EX, which also comes in a two-bike version, is a significant upgrade, especially if your car has a large spoiler.)
Also great
Saris SuperClamp EX 4-Bike
This tray-style hitch rack is lighter than most similar models, easy to use, and reasonably priced for a four-bike rack. You’ll need a 2-inch hitch receiver, though.
If you need to carry four bikes, we recommend the Saris SuperClamp EX 4-Bike. The SuperClamp EX is one of the lightest four-bike tray-style hitch racks available, and it can accommodate two bikes weighing up to 60 pounds each, plus two others up to 35 pounds each. Using a handle at the rear, you can easily fold up the rack when it’s empty, or tilt it down when it’s loaded, to access the vehicle. This rack isn’t as simple to mount as the Küat Sherpa 2.0, and like all other four-bike racks, it’s available only for 2-inch hitch receivers.
Also great
Yakima HighRoad
This one-bike roof rack is simple to install, allows easy access to your car, and holds a bike securely, with no frame contact. It’s harder to load bikes onto any roof rack, including this one, than onto our other picks.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $269.
Although they’re more expensive than trunk racks and not as easy to use as hitch racks, roof racks allow you unimpeded access to a vehicle’s cargo area, and they’re the only option for some car designs. (They can also dramatically reduce your car’s gas mileage.) Of the roof racks we tested, the Yakima HighRoad was the easiest to work with, both when mounting it and loading a bike. It holds your bike solidly by the front wheel, which we like better than fork-mount designs because the rack doesn’t contact your bike’s frame. Your vehicle does need roof rails to mount the rack onto (this is true of all roof racks).
Also great
Inno Velo Gripper
The best choice for carrying one bike in the bed of a pickup, this well-priced carrier has a simple design and is very portable.
Buying Options
*At the time of publishing, the price was $80.
Trunk racks won’t work on a pickup, and you may want to keep the hitch free for towing. The Inno Velo Gripper secures a bike to the side of a pickup truck’s bed. This position keeps a bike out of the driver’s line of sight, something we didn’t find to be true with other pickup carriers we tested. The Velo Gripper’s clamps are also compact enough that you can toss them in a toolbox when you aren’t toting a bike. The Velo Gripper is available in two versions: The RT201 is designed to fit regular pickup-bed sides, and the RT202 is designed for use with C-channel bed-rail systems.
