Yakima PowderHound 6 Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack

Curated from 96 real Reddit conversations

Refreshed on: February 11, 2025

Yakima PowderHound 6 Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack

Brand: Yakima
Price: $193
Snoop Score:
8.8
Sentiment
8.0
Popularity
8.7
Technical
8.8

Snoop's Take

The Yakima Ski & Snowboard Car Roof Rack, PowderHound 6, is designed to securely transport up to 6 pairs of skis or 4 snowboards on your vehicle's roof. This heavy-duty rack is compatible with most vehicles equipped with roof crossbars, making it a versatile choice for winter sports enthusiasts. Consumer feedback highlights the product's large, easy-to-use access button, with one user stating, "once it's locked down, it's among the most solid and sound installs I've seen." Additionally, users appreciate its secure and lockable design, emphasizing that it protects their gear during travel and prevents damage. Many customers have reported flawless performance on long drives, with one reviewer noting, "I have a Yakima power hound 6 that just worked flawlessly on a 4 hour drive through snow." Overall, the Yakima PowderHound 6 is highly recommended for those seeking a reliable and efficient solution for transporting winter sports equipment. With strong positive feedback regarding its ease of use and performance, it stands out as a top choice in its category.

Not for you? Check out our other rated Ski & Snowboard Racks

Thule vs. Yakima Ski/Snowboard Mounts

Positive Feedback

Summary: Thule’s look better (opinion), mount easier, and come with all the hardware you need in the box instead of charging extra like Yakima for a part that’s out of stock often.

Negative Feedback
Product
8.8
Yakima PowderHound 6 Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack
Ski Trips for Families
10 / 10
Solo Snowboarder
10 / 10
Mixed Gear Transport
10 / 10
Winter Sports Road Trips
10 / 10
See how this compares to all Ski & Snowboard Racks

What it does well!

Key strengths users can’t stop talking about.
Large, easy-to-use access button
Thule vs. Yakima Ski/Snowboard Mounts
great idea around drilling the racks!!
Yakima HD bars and Timberline Towers Went with the 60” bars over the 55” and happy I did so.
Anyone have an opinion?: Thule vs Yakima racks?
Secure and lockable design
I prefer the Yakimas, but I also use T-slot mount, not the "clamp over" type. Lower-profile, still plenty of clearance for any ski/showboard I have.
Solid and sound installation once adjusted
once it's locked down, it's among the most solid and sound installs I've seen.
It's a fairly easy system to remove/reinstall once you get everything adjusted where it needs to be to fit perfectly.
Flawless performance during long drives
Best Ski Rack for OEM Crossbars? Hey, finally grabbing a ski rack but first time nabbing one, previous car I just folded down a seat.
I have a Yakima power hound 6 that just worked flawlessly on a 4 hour drive through snow.
Versatile for multiple uses
The Yakima ski rack doubles as an excellent fishing rod rack
Can’t wait!
Keeps boards from getting dinged up
it is definitely worth it plus it keeps you board from getting dinged up in the car
Snowboard racks are definitely worth it. Love my Rhino Rack setup on my WRX.
Convenience of using a rack instead of folding seats
100% worth it. You can use the ones you have now.
Happy with Yakima product
I've been using my Yakima and I love it.
Versatile for multiple skis and boards
I fit 4 boards and a pair of skis. I bet I could fit another pair of skis, but not another human in the car.
We can fit 3 snowboard easy (mine is wide). Working to work yesterday I saw someone positioning their boards in a way I never thought of.
Positive experience with Yakima racks
I have Yakima racks on my 2014 and love them, but I've had them for years so I don't know about the price.
Whisper quiet operation
The other racks are very likely to make extremely annoying whistling noises, but the fat cats are whisper quiet.
Reliable performance over seasons
Held out perfectly fine.

Where it needs some work!

Areas to watch—feedback on possible improvements.
Additional parts sold separately
Summary: Thule’s look better (opinion), mount easier, and come with all the hardware you need in the box instead of charging extra like Yakima for a part that’s out of stock often.
I cannot find any T slot bolts for this rack, I have the same and the square head needs to me 19-22 mm.
Concern about equipment getting dirty
I don’t ski or snowboard, but my initial concern would be getting road crud, gravel, or chemicals on my equipment.
Too big and looks silly
Too big and looks silly.
Concerns about security and theft
Are snowboard racks worth it? I've recently bought a yakima fresh track 4 rack and I am considering returning it.
Limited carrying capacity
Rack does everything I need it to do (except carry a fifth board!), can't really say much more or less about it.

Compare On All Talked About Dimensions

Product NameImagePriceScoreCompareSee DetailsBuy Now
Yakima PowderHound 6 Ski & Snowboard Roof RackYakima PowderHound 6 Ski & Snowboard Roof Rack$193
8.8
DetailsBuy
Leader Accessories Car Ski Snowboard Roof RacksLeader Accessories Car Ski Snowboard Roof Racks$79
8.2
DetailsBuy
Just-V 33'' Aluminum Universal Ski Roof RackJust-V 33'' Aluminum Universal Ski Roof Rack$109
8.1
DetailsBuy
VEVOR Universal Car Roof RackVEVOR Universal Car Roof Rack$83
8.1
DetailsBuy
Thule 91725B Universal Ski & Snowboard RackThule 91725B Universal Ski & Snowboard Rack$183
7.6
DetailsBuy
TOPOWN Folding Hitch Ski RackTOPOWN Folding Hitch Ski Rack$99
7.4
DetailsBuy
BRIGHTLINES Improved Universal Roof Ski Snowboard RacksBRIGHTLINES Improved Universal Roof Ski Snowboard Racks$119
6.9
DetailsBuy
AA Products Inc. 33'' Aluminum Universal Ski Roof RackAA Products Inc. 33'' Aluminum Universal Ski Roof Rack$83
6.0
DetailsBuy
Thule SnowPack Extender Ski/Snowboard RackThule SnowPack Extender Ski/Snowboard Rack$479
5.8
DetailsBuy
Thule SnowPack Ski/Snowboard Rack, LargeThule SnowPack Ski/Snowboard Rack, Large$378
5.6
DetailsBuy
BrightLines Ski Snowboard RacksBrightLines Ski Snowboard Racks$119
5.6
DetailsBuy
ECCPP Universal Ski/Snowboard Roof RackECCPP Universal Ski/Snowboard Roof Rack$75
5.1
DetailsBuy
OCPTY Roof Rack Ski CarriersOCPTY Roof Rack Ski Carriers$108
5.1
DetailsBuy
Yakima Fatcat 4 Evo Ski/Snowboard CarrierYakima Fatcat 4 Evo Ski/Snowboard Carrier$255
4.9
DetailsBuy
Tyger Auto TG-RK1B707B Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard RackTyger Auto TG-RK1B707B Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard Rack$289
4.4
DetailsBuy
JOYTUTUS Spare Tire Ski Snowboard RackJOYTUTUS Spare Tire Ski Snowboard Rack$349
4.4
DetailsBuy
Savvycraft Ski and Snowboard Rack for Car Roof RackSavvycraft Ski and Snowboard Rack for Car Roof Rack$169
4.2
DetailsBuy
ARKSEN Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard RackARKSEN Folding Hitch-Mounted Ski/Snowboard Rack$199
3.9
DetailsBuy
Rage Powersports Elevate Outdoor SKI-6 Roof RackRage Powersports Elevate Outdoor SKI-6 Roof Rack$79
3.3
DetailsBuy
ECCPP Universal Ski Roof CarrierECCPP Universal Ski Roof Carrier$63
2.3
DetailsBuy

Core Power Plays

The specs and strengths that make it shine.
Preference for T-slot mount type
I used the Yakima T-bars to attach my BigCatch system from Yakima.
Discussion about skiing days and experiences
Solid season
Pretty OK year for having two small kids to wrangle.
What ages?? This is amazing.
And we're lucky to have grandparents nearby to help with our three year-old on the days that mom wants to come skiing too.
Discussion about Yakima Fatcat6 compatibility and dimensions
The older Fatcat6 (non-evo) are 36 in wide and fit well with the traction boards on the R1S.
Thanks for the detail!
Did you have to buy separate T-bolts to mount direct to the rack without the clamp mounts?
yes, there is a yakima channel adapter kit.

Hidden Hero Hacks

Unexpected tricks and side‑door uses you’ll love.
Discussion on storing gear in trunk vs. roof rack
Just curious, why don’t we store ski/snowboard in the trunk or gear tunnel?
Creative solutions for securing skis
I have a Yakima roof box and want to keep skis/ snowboards from rattling around while driving.
Yoga blocks are great for this, they usually come in pairs, and you can cut slots into them that insert your skis.

Buyer’s Cheat Sheet

What to check before you click ‘Add to Cart.’
Discussion on preferences for roof vs tow hitch racks
Reading some older posts about grime being worse on tow hitch mounted ones but having a hard time justifying a roof only setup as we probably won't use the crossbars/box for anything else.
Nothing worse than having salt and grime hit your boards while you’re driving 70+ down the interstate.
I went from crossbars + clamp down racks to ski box and haven’t looked back since.
The roof box is safer, much better protects my gear, and actually gets better gas mileage on my car than with a rack.
Discussion on other ski rack brands
The Yakima Fatcat line are very sleek, low profile and fit aero bars nicely.
I have a Thule that I had on my Impreza and now my Crosstrek.
Roof box for the win
Curiosity about compatibility with Rivian vehicles
Perfect. Is the Yakima sold by Rivian the same as an off-the shelf Yakima, or does it have bigger attachment points to allow it to fit on the cross bars?
Comparison of Thule and Yakima brands
They are both MUCH better than OE crossbars, and you can't go wrong with either.
Where is this? Here Thule is the premium provider while Yakima is the budget choice
Discussion on accessories and setup
Nice! For some reason, I thought it was the other way around.
If you're going to mount accessories like that, you're probably looking at separate mounts with wide overhang crossbars.
Suggestions for buying used racks
Check out an rei garage sale. Else they have a sale twice a year.
Discussion on used equipment options
You can probably find a slightly older used box for that much and I think you’ll be way happier.
Thanks for the input! I don't know why I haven't thought of it before, but I'll definitely look into purchasing used equipment to see what they have out there before making a final decision.
I got a skybox 16 for like 225.
Comparison of older vs newer models
Pretty quick to get on and off, although I kept them on for most of winter.
The newer one is a bit easier to mount but that's about it.
Preference for hitch vs roof rack systems
Trailer hitch rack? Picked up a new car and would prefer to go with a hitch based system rather than roof rack (garage height), any suggestions?
While I'm sure some other people make dedicated options for this, we only have options from Thule and Yakima for hitch ski carrying.
Don't bother overpaying for the dumb specialized hitches. They are superbly overpriced.
Discussion on vehicle clearance for hitch racks
Would the fulltilt be sufficient enough clearance to go on the back of Wrangler with the spare tire?
It will clear your rear spare and allow access to the back door as well.
Exploration of alternative rack options
It is easily removable, fits any car, and can be used for a wide variety of equipment (skis, snowboards, kayaks, etc.)
Discussion on preferences for ski racks vs. roof boxes
Opinions on ski racks. My wife and I just purchased a new 2015 Subaru Outback and of course my first thought is...what ski rack are we attaching to it.
I hate having my gear covered in road grime. I'm getting a box this year.
Since you just got a brand new Subaru Outback (good choice) , don't be cheap and get ugly, ineffective racks. You will not regret a box.
Strongly recommend a box. There are reasonably priced options, it protects your skis from road grime and salt, it holds your poles as well as your skis, has a higher capacity, and can be used for road trips and stuff to store everything else.
Comments on Yakima and Thule products being similar
They're about the same. At basically any given price point where Thule makes something, there'll be a competitive Yakima product that is almost indistinguishable.
Preference for roof bins over racks
Get a roof bin/coffin. You can pick up a decent Thule from Dicks for around $250 on sale usually.

Cautionary Callouts

Know the pitfalls before they catch you off guard.
Experiences of stolen ski gear
super disappointed and hoping they turn up somehow.
Let us know if you get them back, hoping for your sake you will!
I’ve never left my gear unlocked since
they posted them on Craigslist like 2 days later

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