Ski carriers tested

With the grey days of January looming, many of us will be looking to escape to the piste. If you have your own set of skis, you’ll need a carrier to transport them easily on your car.

A sports box will do the job, but they’re pricey and a pain to store when not in use. A ski carrier is easier on the wallet, and can be kept in the boot when not in use. The most common type clamp on to roof bars, so you’ll need to add the cost of them if you don’t have a set already. Prices for roof bars start from around £75, but our current favourite set is the Thule 769 Rapid, which costs £125.

When buying a ski carrier, consider what you need to carry. Six pairs of skis is the maximum for most cars, but do you need to carry snowboards too? The type of ski can also affect your choice, as ones with tall bindings can touch the roof. So which holder is your ideal winter break companion? We tested 10 to find out...

The test

We didn’t want a fight with a ski carrier to spoil our trip, so we looked for ease of use at every step. We wanted something that was simple to put together, fit to the bars and place skis in. With cold weather in mind, we also wanted to be able to load and remove skis with gloves on. The ability to adjust the height to accommodate large bindings and compatibility with aero roof bars were also taken into account. Security had to be considered, too, along with price (excluding any delivery charges).

Top tips

1. Make sure your roof is clean before you fit your roof bars, to avoid scratching it.

2. When loading skis into the carrier, take care to ensure the bindings of the upturned ski don’t touch the roof. Bindings vary in size, so just because the first set fits, it doesn’t mean your other skis will be fine.

3. Fit the skis in the rack with the upturned tips facing backwards: this should help to reduce wind noise on the move.

Verdict

The combination of a keen price with easy fitting and loading secured the top spot for the Atera Nova 4, which does pretty much everything we want from a carrier. It’s no surprise, then, that its equally well priced bigger stablemate, the Nova 6, takes the runner-up spot and is our pick of the big carriers. For the ultimate ease of use, though, look no further than Thule’s excellent Deluxe 727 – but you pay a healthy price for that great design.

1. Atera Nova 4

2. Atera Nova 6

3. Thule Deluxe 727