Best Surfboard Roof Racks: Carry Your Board Safely and Conveniently

The Curve Lockdown is a soft roof rack with a difference. Instead of being just a pad and a strap, this innovative design features extendable foam padded loops, which surround the board at both ends. Wrapped in its “cocoon,” the board can be strapped to the roof either directly through the doors or via roof rails, so it won’t shift or flap around in the wind. 

Both the straps and the loops are cushioned with one-inch of foam padding and a soft neoprene lining, offering maximum protection for your surfboard and your car roof. The extendable loops should hold one longboard or a maximum of three shortboards. You can adjust the tension on the straps with the zinc cam-buckle, which is super strong and plastic coated to protect it from corrosion. 

However, it’s a little tight for comfortably carrying more than one board. It’s also a little complicated to install, particularly if you’re used to regular soft racks. And, like all soft racks, you’ll experience some noise and vibration, but the manufacturer advises that twisting the straps to increase the tension should resolve this issue.

This portable surfboard roof rack is perfect for carrying 2-3 surfboards on the roof of your car or SUV. The pads are 19 inches wide and have universal compatibility as long as your vehicle doesn’t have a permanently installed roof rack. The rack comes with two soft pads that each have straps for securing it to your roof.

The strap material is heavy-duty and capable of withstanding highway speeds. The entire rack is user-friendly and only takes minutes to install on the roof of your car or take off when not needed.

Unfortunately, the stitching on this rack isn’t as durable as the rest of the materials, which can lead to it coming undone. The straps also make a loud, buzzing noise when you drive at faster speeds.

This hard rack from INNO describes itself as having a universal mounting system, but buyers should be aware that this is in relation to the type of roof rails you have. It cannot be mounted directly onto the roof like a soft rack, but it does fit easily onto most factory-fitted rails using the included clamp-on hardware. 

This surf rack will carry up to three shortboards or two longboards, which can be easily loaded onto the innovative floating strap system and secured via a ratcheting mechanism. Tension can be increased for extra stability with the use of integrated hand knobs, and the whole thing can be securely locked with the included set of keys. The ability to leave your boards on your car without the risk of theft is a massive plus, and it’s genuinely easy to install. It’s a total pain to remove, however, and we suggest that this rack is used as a permanent addition to your vehicle.

Be aware that this model requires a minimum crossbar length of 31.5 inches, so it may not be suitable for some crossbars. However, extra-long bolts are available to increase compatibility as much as possible. It’s also not wide enough to carry SUPs, according to the manufacturer, which has other models available that are specifically designed to do so.

One person can easily install the HandiRack Universal Inflatable Soft Roof Rack Bars, which are compact enough to store in your vehicle's trunk. The bars can accommodate a surfboard, kayak, SUP, canoe, and snowboard, and have a load capacity of 175 pounds. These cross bars take just five minutes to install and don't require any tools or drilling.

Since these bars are inflatable, they cushion the load. They fit a variety of vehicles, including Jeeps, Subarus, Toyotas, and Volkswagens. You can use these bars with bare roofs, factory side rails, and panoramic roofs. They have an aerodynamic design to minimize drag and wind noise. Included in the package are two twin bars, a HandiPump, two tie down straps, two bow and stern lines, a storage bag, and an owner’s manual. Users report that the rack is tough, durable, and easy to remove between trips.

One downside is that the bars can lose pressure if you're driving up and down mountainous terrain, requiring you to re-inflate them every so often. Also, they may produce minor water leaks after a rainstorm.

If you're a fan of water sports, the IKURAM Kayak/Surf/Ski Roof Carrier Rack is a great option. This J-Cradle rack accommodates surfboards as well as stand-up paddle boards and kayaks up to 42-inches wide and 185 pounds, making it a versatile choice. It fits round, square and most oval-shaped, factory-installed cross rails. This is a great rack because it features a fold-down design, which helps with overhead clearance in parking garages.

The rack has thick, padded rubber saddles to protect your equipment from getting damaged. It comes with bow-stern safety tie downs and heavy-duty straps. The rack is made of aviation-grade aluminum alloy that is lightweight and rust-resistant. It's also less expensive than a Yakima or Thule system.

The biggest complaint about this rack is that the instructions are not very good, so assembly can be a bit of a challenge. It may also be a little overkill if you only plan on using it for a surfboard and not a kayak.