Yakima JayLow Folding J-Cradle Rooftop Kayak Rack with Tie-Downs

I have two sets of these racks now, and they cradle both of our kayaks perfectly! They are good for multiple sizes of kayaks, and fold down when not in use to give extra clearance. The racks are very easy to install and remove.

These are great. Was able to get 4 kayaks on my Subaru outback using two of these and one of the stackers in the middle. I used to have yakimas more expensive j cradles and they were not as good in my opinion on the yakima round bar. They rotated more than these did. I have a couple heavy kayaks on these a pamlico tandem and a tarpon 140.

I would buy these again

These racks are strong and easy to put on our Honda CRV 2014 factory crossbars. They hold the kayak very securely and I think they are probably about as fast to put on as possible. Note that if you want locks, you buy them separately.

The only drawback is that the kayak racks whistle when you put them down unloaded. It’s not super loud, but it is enough to hear above the radio. Oddly, they are much quieter when loaded with a kayak, so it’s not a big deal if you don’t plan on leaving them on the car.

There are many things we like about this rack – good price, foldable, good for two kayaks, lockable, and overall looks decent. Unfortunately, one of the pieces developed a crack on the base of the loading skid from front to back, rendering it unsafe to use. This was after after a combined (approximately) 40 hours at highway speeds (around a dozen trips, in less than a year). We are currently trying to return the broken piece and will use a replacement, although we will also keep an eye on wear and tear. We really don’t want to have any incident with boat(s) on top at higher speeds!

I really like these and love that they fold down. I did get some whine at interstate speeds so, like others, I put black electrical tape over the holes and it stopped. Love that they lock since I live and kayak in the city. Love that they fold down so I don’t have to worry about parking garage clearances or extra wind drag. I have not noticed any unusual wind drag. I thought about taking them off of my Outback during the winter but then was afraid I would never be able to find my silver car in large parking lots! I have two sets for two kayaks and would buy them again. I like the way they tie down, the padded base and the small lip. I am short so had to get a small folding step stool to get the boats on and off of the roof but have had no problems with the straps although I do need to cut off some of the excess.

They work great and look great, being able to fold them down so that I can get in and out of my small garage is fantastic as well. Been functionally using them for a few months now with no issues.

However, they did whistle. After some trial and error found that there is one particular screw hole that was making the noise on the front. The back mount was not whistleing because the aero bars caused the mount’s screw hole to not be parallel with the ground. A little electrical tape over the hole(pictured) was all the was needed to silence it!

I’ve been looking for a rack to fit my Nissan Xterra’s factory roof bars on and off for a couple years. Finally the need became more urgent due to an upcoming camping trip. Being highly rated and recommended by other Xterra owners, I decided on this unit.

The fold down when not in use feature is very handy and I haven’t experienced any odd noises mentioned by others, even with the windows down driving at highway speeds.

Installation of the rack was a breeze even on the Xterra’s wide bars. Due to the height of the vehicle (6′ 3″) plus the rack compared to my own height (5′ 9″), getting the kayak on top takes a little effort, but it’s manageable. Strapping the kayak the first time took a bit more time than I had expected, but I wanted to make sure it was secure. The paper instructions aren’t very helpful.

In the span of two weeks, I’ve traveled a bit more than 1400 miles with a kayak on my roof and have had no problems with the kayak staying securely on top. Most of that distance being highway miles at a speed of 75 MPH. Some of the travel was during winds exceeding 20 MPH, including crossing the Mackinac Bridge in a storm. About 100 miles of travel was on bumpy dirt roads.

Removing one star for 3 reasons:
– The rubber of the straps you attach the kayak to the rack with are junk. The rubber broke/tore in the first usage. It’s not important for security of the kayak, but it should either be metal or a strong plastic rather than rubber.
– The front tie down rubbed and chipped the paint on the hood of my Xterra. The plastic protector was in the proper location, but this still happened. To prevent further damage, I cut a pool noodle to use there.
– Locks should be included rather than an add on.

These things whistle like crazy when unloaded and folded down. I specifically bought these because I didn’t want to constantly take the regular J-style carriers on and off. But I’ll probably end up taking these on and off anyway because the constant pitch of that wind whistle is driving me crazy and it’s only been a week.

But they do hold the kayak in place very well. And the included straps are very nice as well.

Update: 3/29/17: Any speed 30mph or greater, and it’s a loud, unbearable whistle. It’s even loud with the windows up. Incredibly annoying. I now regret buying these and my return window is gone. Reduced rating to two stars.

Update: 6/29/17: And now one of them has broke. Something broke internally, and it will no longer lock into place. It’s very loose and wobbly, and eventually falls back farther than it is supposed to move/travel. Since new, I’ve used these 5-6 times over the course of 3 months, and now they are completely unusable. Very disappointed. Reduced rating to 1 star.