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Subaru Outbacks are one of the best rides a person can own. Their sleek design, paired with their outstanding performance, makes them the ideal pick for anyone that’s into biking.
However, loading and unloading them while taking them out on a trip can be a real struggle.
But if you want to avoid this struggle, you can invest in a bike rack. And in case you aren’t sure which product to invest in, let us help you out.
At a Glance: Our Top Picks for Bike Racks For Subaru Outback
- OUR TOP PICK: Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
- RUNNER-UP: BV 2 Bike/4 Bike Hitch Mount
- BEST BUDGET OPTION: Hollywood Racks Express Bike Rack
Comparison of the Best Bike Racks For Subaru Outback
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How to Choose a Bike Rack For a Subaru Outback
While there are a number of bike racks available on the market, not all of them are ideal for your Subaru Outback. So if you want to choose the right one, you need to keep a few things in mind before you make your final decision. Here is what you need to look for:
The Right Type
There are three main types of bike racks that you can choose from. There's a roof rack that fits onto the roof of your car, a hitch-mounted rack that fits the back of the car with a hitch, and a trunk-mounted rack that’s fitted in the trunk.
While different racks are for different sorts of bikes, the ideal rack for your Subaru Outback would be a hitch-mounted or a trunk-mounted type. Choosing one of these two depends upon your preference and convenience.
Number of Bikes
Different racks have a different capacity for the number of bikes that they can hold. Some of them are designed to hold no more than two bikes, while some can hold even four. Therefore, the ultimate choice should be able to carry the number of bikes you own and wish to carry.
Materials
The materials used to design these racks vary from one manufacturer to the other. Aluminum racks are known for their lightweight design, while steel and other heavy-duty material racks are better for greater weight carrying capacity. You can decide which one to choose, depending upon your needs.
Review of the Best Bike Racks For Subaru Outback
Now that you know the features to look for in a bike rack for your Subaru Outback, you can finally get to choosing one for yourself.
Here we have listed some of the best products for you and reviewed them so you can pick one easily.
Best Overall:
Allen Sports Premier Trunk Mounted Bike Rack
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
Users that have invested in this product have been very pleased by how well it works for them. They have reported taking their bikes out for very long drives with this unit and found it to provide the best of its functions. From its sturdy design to its firm grip, users love everything about this product.
Why it Stands Out to Us
A lot of times, users find that the bike racks they have invested in feature wide-set carry arms. This design restricts the types of bikes that the rack can carry. But the unique design of this Allen Sports bike rack ensures that you do not have to worry about this issue.
The carry arms of this unit are set at a narrow distance. This allows it to carry a very wide range of bikes. Other than standard bikes, this rack can also carry women’s and children’s bikes that are usually designed with a slimmer frame than the others.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a bike rack that works better than all standard products, then this product is the one for you. It is designed to provide you the best of all bike rack features at a price that is a lot less than those of other high-end products.
Runner-up:
BV 2 Bike/4 Bike Hitch Mount
pros
cons
What Recent Buyers Report
Those who have recently invested in this product have been highly satisfied with their product. Users claimed they had some trouble with the cycles wobbling, but once they got the hang of it, the rack worked great and provided great security for the bikes, even on longer journeys.
Why it Stands Out to Us
While most bike racks just offer you the feature of carrying your bikes securely, this product is much more than that. The reason it stands out to us is that it is packed with a number of unique features. And all of these features are not only highly functional but also really useful.
The best one of these features is the built-in reflectors. These reflectors make driving at night easier by illuminating the road more and enhancing visibility. So, it not only keeps your bike safe but helps you drive safer as well.
Bottom Line
To sum up, while this product may be slightly costlier than the first one, it has all the features that make it worth the price. It is a highly functional unit that will provide you with more features than any other standard bike rack. If you want to invest in the best, then you need to look no further.
Best for the Money:
Hollywood Racks Express Bike Rack
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
Users admit that they were dubious about how well this rack would perform, given its low-end price range. However, they also claim to have been highly surprised by how well it actually worked. They said that the rack might not have had many features, but it performed its key function exceptionally well.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Most bikes have fancy features that make them unique, but not this one. What makes this unit stand apart from the rest is the material it is made of. Unlike other racks that are made out of mostly aluminum or steel, this one is made out of both in equal parts.
The addition of steel to aluminum makes the rack much stronger, making it capable of carrying greater loads, all the while ensuring that it stays lightweight and convenient to use. So the dual composition provides the rack with the best of both worlds.
Bottom Line
Not everyone wants to spend a lot on bike racks. If you want to save yourself some money while investing in these products and want the best of their functionality, this is the right unit for you. It’ll allow you to carry your bikes around without any damage to your car or your bike.
Best Thule Bike Rack For Subaru Outback:
Thule T2 Pro XT 2 Bike Rack
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
Those investing in this product were a little hesitant about spending a little more than they would have to for other products but trusted the brand name for its quality. They said that the brand did not fail them as the product's quality and performance proved to be right up to the mark, if not beyond.
Why it Stands Out to Us
Not all users find themselves comfortable using tools and doing the assembly and installation themselves. However, with most bike racks, they need to deal with it one way or the other. On the other hand, the Thule bike rack features a design that puts an end to this trouble.
Thule has designed this bike rack with an auto attach system. This cutting-edge solution allows users a super quick and unbelievably easy installation that no other product can compete with. And all of this is done without using as much as a single tool.
Bottom Line
This bike rack for Outback by Thule is a product that will guarantee you absolute convenience and outstanding performance. It provides complete excellence from the first use to the last one, with great consistency that never fails the users. It is a product that you need to try for yourself to believe.
Best Subaru Outback Hitch Bike Rack:
Swagman CHINOOK Hitch Mount Bike Rack
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
At almost half the price of other fancy bike racks, users found this product to be twice as useful as the rest. They found the installation process to be just as easy as the process of loading and unloading the bike. They have been highly satisfied with every aspect of this product.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This product has not one but multiple features that make it worthy of being on this list. And out of all those features, what really sets it apart from the rest is that it features a built-in anti-theft system. This is a very important feature that you will find in very few, if any, other bike racks.
The ratchet hooks of this rack come with a locking hitch pin. This pin allows you to lock your unit in place. With the rack locked with the pin, you can leave it attached to your car without having to worry about it being stolen while you are away.
Bottom Line
Hitch bike racks are often the bike racks of choice for many users. And if that is the case for you too, then you will find that this product is designed just for you. With features that are supposed to make carrying bikes on road trips easier, you will be highly impressed by how convenient this bike rack is to use.
Best Graber Outback Bike Rack:
Graber All Star 2 Bike Rack
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
Buyers that have tried this product for themselves have been extremely pleased with how well it worked. They have found its adjustable arms to be of great use. They also think that the manufacturers did a great job with its folding design, due to which accessing the trunk is no longer an issue for them.
Why it Stands Out to Us
This Graber Outback Bike Rack is truly one of the best. It is way better than any other standard bike rack that you may come across. What really makes it stand out is how adjustable its carrying arms are, allowing a perfect fit for many bikes.
While manufacturers try to ensure that the arms of their racks can hold a greater variety of bikes, not all of them are successful at doing so. But Graber has managed to achieve this very well. It has left users highly impressed with the different numbers of bikes that it can fit without using any adaptors at all.
Bottom Line
If you are looking for a reliable product that wouldn’t let you or your bikes down for years, this Gaber bike rack is the one for you. With its smartly engineered design and the company's lifetime warranty, this product is simply not designed to disappoint.
Best Bike Roof Rack For Subaru Outback:
Genuine Subaru SOA567B020 Thule Bike Carrier
pros
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What Recent Buyers Report
Those who have invested in this bike rack have found nothing to say about it but good things. They have been highly impressed with how well this product works and would recommend it to other users as well. They all agree that the product provides convenience and ease like no other bike rack does.
Why it Stands Out to Us
For us, what makes this bike rack a great hit is not its fancy features but its overall design. Very few manufacturers put in great thought when it comes to the design and just focus on the product's basic job. This bike rack by Genuine Subaru breaks tradition and presents a product that has been designed with great thought.
This thoughtfulness can be seen reflected in the slidable clamps as well as the tire straps. Both these features are designed not only to keep the bike in place but also to ensure that bikes of different types can be easily fitted into these parts.
Bottom Line
All in all, if you own a lot of different bikes or change your bikes often, you may want to invest in a bike rack that is good for all. This one will provide you the perfect solution for that and prove to be a great fit for almost any bike that you want to secure on it.
Aspects to Consider Before Buying
While bike racks are considerably simple products, users know that there are a few things that need to be well considered. Here are some aspects you must not forget to think about before investing in one of these products.
Rack Weight
The weight of the racks usually varies, depending upon the material that they are made of. While heavier and lighter racks can both provide equal functionality, if you consider your convenience to be a priority, you should consider investing in a lighter product. Bike racks made of heavy-duty steel can be very heavy and be a struggle to install and remove.
Class of Hitch Receivers
Bike racks are designed to accommodate different types of bikes, rather than just one. This is why you will find different classes of hitch receivers on these racks to mount different bikes. While considering a product, make sure that the rack you are looking at is compatible with receivers of class 1 to 3. If not, it won’t be able to mount your Subaru Outback
Weight Capacity
Depending upon the design of the rack and the materials used, different bike racks can carry different weight capacities. So before you invest in a product, make sure that it is capable of carrying the weight of all your bikes combined; otherwise, your product will be burdened and damaged easily.
Advantages of Investing in a Quality Bike Rack
A lot of people do not invest in bike racks since they think they can manage fine without them. And if you too are wondering if you need one or not, then let us tell you that investing in a good-quality bike rack can provide you with a number of advantages. Here is what you will gain from investing in one of these products.
Convenience
The best thing that you can get out of a bike rack is the utmost convenience. Loading and unloading bikes on your car can be very inconvenient. With a bike rack, you no longer have to worry about the strenuous process of putting them in your can and then taking them back out. Rather, it makes the whole process considerably easier for you.
Safety For Your Bikes
If you are going on a trip and taking your bikes along with you, carrying them without a proper bike rack wouldn’t be very safe. If the route is long and bumpy, just putting your bikes in the back of your car may end up damaging them. But with a bike rack, you can take your bikes wherever you go without any damage.
Save Space in the Car
If you are taking a family trip and want to bring your bikes along, you may find that putting the bikes in the car may not leave much room for other things. If they’re on the back seat, your family won’t find enough space to be comfortable, and if they’re in the trunk, there won’t be space for you to carry your essentials.
With a bike rack attached to the back of your car, you can take your bikes with you without having to compromise on the space in your car.
Conclusion
Bike racks are very simple products that can provide you with great advantages. A good-quality bike rack isn't very expensive and will last for a very long time, providing you good worth for the money that you spend on it. All you need to do is find a product that suits all your needs, and you’ll be good to go.
