10 Best Bike Racks For Cars In 2022

Last updated 23. March 2022

If you’re looking to take your bike with you on long-distance car journeys, you’re going to need a bike rack; fortunately, we’ve chosen 10 of the best bike racks for cars on the market in 2021 for you to help you choose the right bike rack for you. While car mounted bike racks are hardly essential cycling gear, there isn’t really an alternative option if you’re looking to transport your bike via your car.

Most cars aren’t large enough to fit bikes inside, and bike racks can be fitted to any car for easy bike transport, making holidays or long one-way bike rides far easier than they would be otherwise, all while avoiding the hassle of taking a bike with you on public transport.

Bike racks can be confusing; they all look very similar, and it can be hard to imagine how they’d look and fit on the back of your car. Below, we’ve broken down the specifications and notable features of 10 of 2021’s best bike racks for cars to help you cut through the confusion and jargon and find the best bike rack for your personal needs.

View The Best Bike Rack For Cars Below

1. MaxxHaul (70210) 4-Bike Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack

MaxxHaul (70210) 4-Bike Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack

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The MaxxHaul 4-Bike Deluxe Hitch Mount Bike Rack is a strong, sturdy steel bike rack that mounts quickly and easily on the back of your car. Comfortably fitting most bikes, this rack has adjustable straps to keep any shape of frame safe and stable. This design of bike rack is, however, only appropriate for bikes with horizontal bars; those with slanted crossbars, such as women’s bikes, cannot be held in racks of this design.

On the other end, it is not possible to mount the MaxxHaul 4-Bike Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack onto RV-type vehicles. It is, however, a well-designed bike rack for the bikes and vehicles supported by this design; the bike rack can be easily swung down for access to the back of the car, and then swung back into place for transport, all without compromising the structural integrity of the device.

Pros:
+ Space for 4 bikes
+ Easy car access
+ Sturdy steel construction
+ Adjustable straps
+ Easy to install

Why We Liked It – The simplicity and ease of car access afforded by the design of the MaxxHaul 4-Bike Deluxe Hitch Mount Rack more than makes up for its few limitations. This is an excellent, strong, versatile bike rack for most cars and most models of bike.


2. Yakima Products Ridgeback Hitch Bike Rack

Yakima Products Ridgeback Hitch Bike Rack

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The Yakima Ridgeback Hitch Bike Rack is a 4-bike rack designed to protect your bikes in transit. Equipped with sturdy ZipStrips to fasten the bikes to the rack, as well as specially designed anti-sway cradles to keep them firmly in place, the Yakina Ridgeback is focused on preventing your bikes from banging into one another in transit, reducing the potential for damage from casual bike to bike contact.

The rack is also exceptionally easy to install to your car and comes fully assembled for added simplicity. When not in use, the Yakina Ridgeback folds away easily for relatively compact storage, and can also be folded down when in use for easy access to the back of your car without needing to remove the entire rack assembly.

Pros:
+ Easy to install
+ Space for 4 bikes
+ Easy car access
+ Versatile
+ Anti-sway cradles

Why We Liked It – The Yakina Ridgeback Hitch Bike Rack is a flexible, versatile bike rack that protects your bikes effectively and stays out of the way. It’s at its best for transporting 2 bikes, but can comfortably support 4 with no issues.


3. Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack

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The Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack is more a range of models of bike rack than a single model. Available in a wide range of sizes, the Allen Sports Deluxe is a good choice for most purposes and can be purchased in sizes to fit 3-5 bikes with a wide range of different frame diameters.

In addition to this, different types of hitch mechanism are available, offering different strengths and security levels of grip. All of these versions come with Allen’s patented lockable bike straps, keeping your bike securely in place no matter the terrain on which you’re driving.

Pros:
+ Multiple sizes available
+ Easy car access
+ Lockable bike straps
+ Easy to install
+ Sturdy steel construction

Why We Liked It – The range of options available under the umbrella of the Allen Sports Deluxe Hitch Mounted Bike Rack is large enough that there should be a model available to fit pretty much anyone’s needs and cycling habits.


4. Allen Sports Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

Allen Sports Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

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The Allen Sports Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack is far smaller and lighter than most of the competition, is designed to fold up and fit into a backpack or other bag. Light enough to carry easily, this bike rack is exceptionally easy to transport or store when not in use.

It only holds a single bike, but the light weight and small size make up for this limitation, making it an excellent choice for moving a single bike with minimal effort and added weight. Despite its small size, this bike rack is made from sturdy steel bars, ensuring that it’s durable, resilient, and long-lasting.

Pros:
+ Folds to a small size
+ Fits most cars
+ Compact and lightweight
+ Sturdy steel construction
+ Easy to adjust

Why We Liked It – The small size and light weight of the Allen Sports Ultra Compact Trunk Mounted Bike Rack help it to stand out from the competition. It’s rare to see a bike rack that packs down to such a small and easily portable size, even in the field of single-bike racks


5. Tyger Auto TG-RK3B203S Deluxe 3-Bike Trunk

Tyger Auto TG-RK3B203S Deluxe 3-Bike Trunk

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The Tyger Auto TG-RK3B203S Deluxe 3-Bike Trunk Bike Rack is a well-padded, sturdy trunk mounted bike rack with a number of premium features. Designed to fit most types of vehicle, including minivans and SUVs, this bike rack can securely hold 3 bikes on pretty much any journey. The body of the rack is made from durable steel tubing, coated with a layer of rust proofing to keep the rack in good condition through heavy use.

In addition, this bike rack for SUVs is well padded, ensuring that the bikes are cushioned and protected while preventing them from impacting against the body of your car, protecting both car and bike from potential damage.

Pros:
+ 3 bike capacity
+ Rust proof coating
+ Easy to install
+ Fits most vehicles
+ Padded frame

Why We Liked It – The Tyger Auto TG-RK3B203S Deluxe 3-Bike Trunk Bike Rack may not hold as many bikes as some of its competition, but it holds its cargo very securely and protects the paint on the back of your car from scratches from swinging bikes.


6. Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

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Available in sizes fitting 2, 3 or 4 bikes, the Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack is a flexible, high-end design of bike rack offering exceptional support and protection to any bikes it holds. This model of bike rack features strong, UV resistant rubber straps to hold bikes in place, and adjustable fastenings for these straps, allowing the rack to hold bikes of a wide range of different sizes.

At the bottom of the bike rack, the Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack features extra large pads where the rack meets the car, distributing the weight of the bikes over a wider area and reducing strain on the back of your car.

Pros:
+ Range of sizes available
+ Quick setup
+ Strong bike strap system
+ Extra large car pads
+ Easily adjustable

Why We Liked It – The quality and stability of the bike fasteners on the Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack is impressive, offering a high level of security for bikes of most different sizes and shapes, even when traveling at relatively high speeds.


7. BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier

BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier

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The BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier has a different design from most rear mounted bike carriers, offering support via the wheels of the bike plus a stabilizing strap over the top. This innovative design reduces wobbling far more than the wimple frame supporting arms of most bike racks, holding your bikes more comfortably in place and reducing the risk of them bumping into one another or into the back of your car.

It also folds flat against the back of your car when not in use, keeping the bike rack unobtrusive and easy to drive with. The rack only holds 2 bikes at a time, but the unconventional design and added support make this a very worthwhile purchase even despite this limitation.

Unless you regularly need to transport more than 2 bikes at the same time, the BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier is a great choice and one well worth considering.

Pros
+ Easy car access
+ Inbuilt safety reflectors
+ Anti-wobble design
+ Suitable for bikes of all shapes
+ Padded arms

Why We Liked It – Most bike racks don’t support women’s bikes with slanted frames, but the BV Bike Bicycle Hitch Mount Rack Carrier’s wheel-based fastening system provides support for even these designs of a bike. That’s an unusual feature and the BV Hitch Mount Rack


8. Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack

Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack

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The Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack is designed with a focus on simplicity and ease of use, with a number of features to keep it easy to use without having to consider alternative settings and extra features. It may only hold 2 bikes at a time, but it does not require any adjustment to hold smaller bikes, as its single default configuration is designed to fit as many different models of the bike as possible with a minimum of fuss.

This is a sturdy, easy to use bike carrier with no extra features or complex methods of adjustment, instead offering a simple, practical solution to carrying bikes with no extra thought and effort required.

Pros:
+ Compatible with a wide range of bike sizes
+ Fits most car models
+ Easy to use
+ Sturdy steel construction
+ Single configuration for easy installation

Why We Liked It – Less complex than most models of Allen bike rack, the Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack is easy to use and straightforward, making it a great entry level option for people who just want an easy way to move bikes around without having to think about the practicalities.


9. Tyger Auto TG-RK1B204B Deluxe Black 1-Bike

Tyger Auto TG-RK1B204B Deluxe Black 1-Bike

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The Tyger Auto TG-RK1B204B Deluxe Black 1-Bike bike rack may only hold a single bicycle, but it offers a high level of support and security to that single bike without taking up as much space as most multi-bike designs. It isn’t as small as some of the folding single bike holding racks available but makes up for this with a higher level of security and stability with minimal effort required to set it up.

The lower part of the frame is heavily padded, protecting your car from potential bike impacts and protecting your bike from similar damage. The frame itself features a rust-resistant coating in addition to this, ensuring that the sturdy steel remains in good condition through extended periods of heavy use.

Pros:
+ Fits most bikes
+ Easy to install
+ Relatively compact design
+ Padded lower frame
+ Rust resistant coating

Why We Liked It – The Tyger Auto TG-RK1B204B Deluxe Black 1-Bike bike carrier rack offers a high level of support to a single bike in a minimal amount of space. This is a solid, sturdy single bike design that is significantly more compact than most multi-bike holding racks, offering a good balance between size and stability.


10. Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mounted Bike Rack

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As with most Allen models of the bike rack, the Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mounted Bike Rack comes in a range of sizes; models are available to fit 2, 3, or 4 bikes, with corresponding increases in size and weight. This is a strong bike rack with extra straps to maximize stability, ensuring that your bikes stay firmly attached to the rack and that the rack stays firmly attached to your car with minimal risk of damage.

The Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mounted Bike Rack is a little more straightforward than many other Allen options, offering an easy installation process and a relatively lightweight frame along with the added stability. While not the simplest model on the market, this is a good middle of the road option for those who want good security but would prefer to avoid most of the optional complex processes of higher-end models.

Pros:
+ Range of sizes available
+ Fits most vehicle types
+ Side straps for added stability
+ Easy to install
+ Padded lower frame

Why We Liked It – A good middle of the road option suitable for most users, the Allen Sports Deluxe Trunk Mounted Bike Rack offers a high level of stability with a minimum of hassle. It may not be the lightest or simplest model on the market, but it isn’t particularly awkward or complex to use or install.


Bike Rack For Car Buyers Guide

Folding models

Bike racks can be large and unwieldy pieces of gear, and it’s important to consider what to do with them when they’re not in use. They stick out a long way from the back of your car and add a lot of weight, reducing your fuel efficiency on the road substantially and slowing your car down. As such, it’s best not to leave them attached to the car when you’re not directly using them to transport a bike. Even when detached, though, they can take up a great deal of space.

If your storage space is limited, it may be worth considering a folding bike rack. These models generally only offer support for a single bike at a time and can be rather less sturdy and long-lasting than less compact alternatives, but their compact, folding nature is the real selling point and can make a huge amount of difference to the state of your storage space.

Extra accessories

There are a couple of extra accessories you may find you need in addition to your bike rack, depending on exactly which style of rack you choose, and most of those have to do with visibility. It is vital that your license plate should be clearly visible, and certain bike racks can obscure the rear plate somewhat. If you end up with one of those, you’re going to need an extra license plate on the back of the bike rack to make sure you’re legal to drive.

Similarly, bike racks can obscure your lights and prove hard to see in the dark, requiring extra lights over the top. Even if you don’t need lights, though, it’s worth buying some extra reflectors to mount on the bike rack, ensuring it’s as visible as possible even in the dark.

How many bikes?

Most people will only need to transport a single bike. In that case, it’s worth considering smaller or folding bike racks, as reducing space and load on your car can help with fuel efficiency quite effectively. If you’re looking at transporting more than one bike, though, you’re going to want a larger and stronger bike rack.

More bikes mean more weight, which in turn means you need a stronger bike rack to support them effectively, and that tends to come with a correspondingly high weight and size requirement. If you’re only likely to transport two bikes, then buy a carrier designed for that, while a whole family of three or four at a time will require a large, heavy bike rack that takes up a lot of space and can be quite awkward.

Unfortunately, if you want to transport five or more bikes, you may be out of luck. Most models of bike rack only have up to four slots maximum, and anything else will require either costly specialist gear or a bike trailer.

Conclusion

For the most part, the bike for the car rack market is more confusing than the markets for most other bike accessories. It’s a similarly broad market to many others, with a vast range of products available, but most of the products have far more in common than they have to distinguish them. This can make the buying process difficult, with one model of bike rack looking pretty much the same as any other, and no clear winners in the field.

As such, the majority of the concerns likely to drive your decision will be focused on your personal preferences. The list above is curated to 10 of the very best bike racks on the market in 2020, but within that list, all of them are good options. With a few exceptions, any of these 10 bike racks will be a great pick for most buyers, and the list can function effectively as a simple list of names to look out for when shopping.

You can buy any of the bike racks listed above with full confidence that they’re good choices, likely to last a long time and protect your bike well when traveling. These racks are the best out there, and none of them is a bad buy at all. Hopefully, by narrowing down the vast and confusing market to 10 great choices, this list can help you to confidently make a purchasing decision and find the bike rack that’s right for your personal needs and preferences.

Amazon Recommends:

Bestseller No. 1
Allen Sports Deluxe 2-Bike Trunk Mount Rack, Model 102DN-R, Black
  • Patented design fits sedans, hatchbacks, minivans, and SUV's consult...
  • Side straps for increased lateral stability. Single configuration design...
  • Individual tie downs secure and protect bicycles
Bestseller No. 2
MaxxHaul 50025 Hitch Mount 2 Bike Rack For Cars, Trucks, SUV's,...
  • Enhanced Durability: This bike rack is equipped with a hitch adapter to fit...
  • Versatile Hitch Compatibility: Designed to be used on Class I, II, III, and...
  • Secure Bike Transportation: Transport up to 2 bikes securely with the...
Bestseller No. 3
Allen Sports Deluxe 4-Bike Hitch Mount Rack (2-Inch Receiver) , Black
  • Hitch insert fits either 1 1/4 inch or 2 inch receiver hitches (2 and 3...
  • 22 inch long carry arms individually secure bicycles with Allen's patented...
  • Folding carry arms quickly drop out of the way when rack is not in use....

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