8 Best Canoe Racks For A Jeep Wrangler
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If you own a Jeep Wrangler and like to go canoeing, you should take a look at the best canoe racks for a Jeep Wrangler. Canoe racks are a convenient way to transport canoes and other gear like kayaks, snowboards, skis, or anything that is too large to fit in the vehicle. Unlike standard roof racks, a canoe rack can provide better support for canoes due to their unique shape and features.
Table of Contents
What’s the best canoe rack for a Jeep Wrangler?
The 8 best canoe racks for a Jeep Wrangler include:
- Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series
- Thule Portage Canoe Rack
- Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack
- Malone Foldaway-5™
- Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack
- ARTIPOLY Roof Rack
- Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier
- Thule Hullavator Pro
All of the canoe racks can work well to securely attach a canoe to the top of your Jeep Wrangler. Some of these racks have advanced designs that allow you to break them down when they’re not in use.
Aside from being able to hold canoes in a streamlined manner, these racks are great solutions for minimizing space in and out of your Jeep Wrangler so you can ride comfortably and avoid road obstructions as much as possible.
8 Best Canoe Racks For A Jeep Wrangler
Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series
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Since many canoes have a wide and round construction, having a rack with more minimal and open-ended characteristics might work better for certain canoes.
The Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series is a flexible canoe carrier that should be adaptable to most crossbars on a Jeep Wrangler’s roof.
These carriers are great if you have other vehicles you want to use to carry your canoe.
The core design of the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series consists of curved pieces that should fit snugly to a standard canoe shape.
Compared to other Jeep Wrangler rack solutions, the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series can be purchased for a reasonable price at several online and offline stores.
Rhino-Rack is a popular brand in the automobile rack market and has a positive track record for providing well-crafted products that are helpful for cargo.
Besides canoes, the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series can be used for other water crafts such as kayaks, surfboards, snowboards, and paddle boards.
The four saddles on the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series come with padding to help secure and protect your canoe.
The pads can be especially useful when your Jeep Wrangler is driven over bumpy surfaces and making hard turns.
The padded saddles can prevent your canoe from getting scratched due to shifting and sliding on the road.
The saddles on the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series also have the ability to be rotated 180 degrees.
This rotation capability allows canoes and kayaks to be mounted on their side.
Side mounting allows Jeep Wrangler drivers to have more flexibility when it comes to cargo space management on the roof.
The Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series comes with accessories that will help you fully secure your canoe.
Unlike other rack systems, you won’t have to buy additional straps and other tie-downs to perform a complete canoe mount.
The Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series comes with cradles and two 18-foot straps to tie down your canoe to mounting areas.
Rather than searching for third-party straps and tie-down accessories, owners of the Rhino-Rack Nautic 570 Series are able to use accessories that fit the dimensions of this particular canoe carrier.
There is less guesswork when it comes to getting the right tie-down supplies.
If your canoe is too oddly-shaped for the supplies that come with this carrier, you might opt to buy additional tie-down accessories to cover unsecured areas.
If you need another mounting area to tie down your canoe, you can look into adding a tow hitch to your Jeep Wrangler if you don’t already have one.
The tow hitch can be a secure mount you can easily tie a rope or strap around to secure one end of your canoe.
Thule Portage Canoe Rack
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The Thule Portage Canoe Rack is another minimalistic canoe rack that can fit well with a Jeep Wrangler roof rack.
This canoe rack is relatively straightforward to install and use for mounting many canoe sizes and types.
Since it can be used for many universal roof racks, the Thule Portage Canoe Rack is a good buy for people that plan to transport their canoe on more than one vehicle.
The Thule Portage Canoe Rack is as easy to take off of a vehicle roof as it is easy to put on.
The main components of the Thule Portage Canoe Rack are very durable and weather-resistant.
You can depend on this canoe rack to transport your canoe on many trips in a variety of weather conditions.
The areas of this canoe rack that come in contact with your canoe and padded to protect your canoe from scratches and excessive movement.
The sides of the Thule Portage Canoe Rack are ramped to make it easier to load your canoe.
When you buy this canoe rack, you will also receive sturdy tie-down accessories to secure your canoe to your Jeep Wrangler.
Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack
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The Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack is the final canoe rack on our list that has a minimal design meant specifically for canoes.
Though there are other rack systems that can accommodate more types of water vessels and equipment, simple canoe racks like the Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack tend to be easier to use with canoes.
Yakima specializes in many types of cargo systems for motor vehicles, bikes, and camping, so they are well-qualified when it comes to developing racks.
Like the canoe racks mentioned above, the Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack can fit well on universal rack systems.
If you plan to use the rack on a vehicle other than a Jeep Wrangler, you should be able to transfer this canoe rack to the other vehicle rather easily.
The Yakima KeelOver Canoe Rack comes with high-quality straps and hardware for tying your canoe down to mounting areas.
This rack is made with over-molded rubber that provides durability and stability for your mounted canoe.
The rubber padding can also protect the roof rack on your Jeep Wrangler from getting scratched.
Malone Foldaway-5™
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The Malone Foldaway-5™ is a fantastic folding carrier that can be used for canoes, kayaks, paddle boards, and other similar-sized items.
This folding carrier allows drivers to minimize the space on their Jeep Wrangler roof.
When the carrier is not in use it can be folded flat to allow for more clearance space above the vehicle.
The center bar on this carrier can be raised to place two kayaks or canoes on a Jeep Wrangler.
Since there is less space in this carrier’s upright slots compared to the canoe racks above, canoes using the Malone Foldaway-5™ must be small enough to fit the slots.
If your canoe is too big, you might not be able to secure it properly to this carrier in the unfolded position.
You might be able to fold the carrier down and secure your canoe to the top of it.
As far as the construction of this carrier goes, it has heavy-duty parts, corrosion-resistant steel, and thick padding to protect your canoe, vehicle, and roof rack from damage.
These durable materials also help to keep your canoe and other objects in place while your Jeep Wrangler is on the road.
When you purchase the Malone Foldaway-5™ roof carrier, you will receive load straps, tie-downs, and foam pads to help secure and reinforce your canoe mount.
Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack
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The Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack is another J-style folding rack that can be used to carry a canoe on your Jeep Wrangler roof.
This is an excellent rack for transporting different types of equipment including canoes, skis, surfboards, and kayaks.
The materials on this carrier rack are strong enough to withstand extended use in many weather conditions.
The Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack is constructed with solid aluminum alloy that is waterproof and anti-corrosive.
You can place two kayaks or canoes in this rack that are each up to 42 inches wide.
The kayaks or canoes can each weigh up to 220 lbs to be securely mounted to this rack.
The rubber saddles on the Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack are large and thick to give your canoes and kayaks excellent protection.
The saddles are also weatherproof, so they probably won’t experience much damage over a long period of time.
The Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack comes with strong straps and a buckle to help secure your equipment to your Jeep Wrangler.
When the carrier rack is not in use, it can be folded down easily to improve aerodynamics and fuel efficiency.
This carrier rack has several parts for tie-downs, so you can add your paddles and other equipment to your roof and make more space for occupants riding inside.
ARTIPOLY Roof Rack
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The ARTIPOLY Roof Rack has all the features needed to easily bring canoes, kayaks, and other items with you on your Jeep Wrangler.
Though the maximum weight capacity for this rack is less than the Epomaking Roof Carrier Rack, the ARTIPOLY Roof Rack can still carry a solid 165 lbs.
Aside from canoes and kayaks, you can bring along skis, paddle boards, camping gear, oars, and surfboards.
You probably won’t be able to fit all those items on your roof at once, so be sure to manage your roof space and mounts accordingly.
The ARTIPOLY Roof Rack is designed to fit many aftermarket and factory crossbars, so it should be able to fit your Jeep Wrangler just fine.
Installing the ARTIPOLY Roof Rack is a generally simple process that usually doesn’t take long to complete.
The bar in the center can be quickly raised and folded without any tools or complicated steps.
You can adjust the center bar to be raised up to 180 degrees to accommodate the sizes of your equipment.
The materials of the ARTIPOLY Roof Rack are made with aviation-grade alloys that are lightweight, durable, and rust-resistant.
You should be able to use this rack repeatedly through rain and other weather conditions.
The components that touch your canoe or kayak are made with rubber and foam, which gives your solid protection from damage during transport.
The protective materials can also reduce friction that can cause damage to the hull of your canoe.
Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier
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The Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier is another great item for canoe transport from Yakima.
This rooftop carrier has a lower weight capacity than the J-style racks above, but it can be a great rack option for your Jeep Wrangler due to its toughness and securing capabilities.
The Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier can fit up to 2 kayaks or canoes in a stacked position up to a combined 110 lbs.
This is a very flexible rooftop carrier that can fit many types of automobile roof racks and crossbars.
If you have a universal roof rack on your Jeep Wrangler, the Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier should fit on top just fine.
Like the other J-style racks, this rack can be folded up and down quickly and easily.
You can easily install this rack after you open and remove it from the box.
It will already be assembled and won’t require any tools to install it to your Jeep Wrangler.
The standard installation time for the Yakima JayLow Rooftop Carrier is about 10 minutes.
Thule Hullavator Pro
When it comes to convenience and advanced technology, it’s hard to beat the Thule Hullavator Pro.
The Thule Hullavator Pro is a premium rack system that can make it easier for you to secure, lift, and lower your canoe.
For Jeep Wrangler drivers heading out to canoe by themselves, the Thule Hullavator Pro has the mechanics to let you mount and dismount a canoe without anyone else’s help.
The Thule Hullavator Pro has a gas-assist struts with enough power to boost 40 lbs of a canoe’s weight.
It has two arms that can extend 3 feet below the mounting area on the roof of your Jeep Wrangler.
The lowered arms make it easier for you to attach your canoe since you don’t have to extend your arms to the top of the vehicle.
You can also get a closer view of the attachment areas to canoe since they are closer to you.
Being close to the mount points should allow you to mount the canoe more securely.
When it comes to a large and rounded vessel like a canoe, you need to make sure each section is as tight and secure as possible.
To help protect your canoe from scratches and other damage, the Thule Hullavator Pro has padded support at 8 points of contact.
This support should give your canoe well-rounded coverage as your car moves and forces the canoe in multiple directions on the road.
To accommodate the wide dimensions of a canoe, the Thule Hullavator Pro comes with cradles that can be moved as far apart as you need.
These cradles should stand up well to wet weather since they are resistant to corrosion.
Since the cradles are important contact points for your canoe, it’s important for them to be durable and remain intact to support your canoe.
The frame of the Thule Hullavator Pro has corrosion-resistant steel and aluminum construction, which makes it a good fit for the heavy-duty Jeep Wrangler.
Thule Hullavator Pro is capable of lasting many years without significant deterioration.
High-quality tie-downs for your canoe’s bow and stern are included with the Thule Hullavator Pro.
