When you need to transport a bike (or two or three), you might not want to try and shove them into your car. Dirty chainrings and interior finishes don't go together very well, even if that's not an issue, getting a bike into a car isn't exactly easy. You need a better solution and there is nothing that's simpler than a trunk-mount bike rack.
It doesn't matter what kind of car you have, there's an option available to you among the best bike racks for cars. You don't have to worry about installing a hitch, as you do with a hitch-mounted rack, nor do you need to worry about what the top of your roof looks like, as is the case with the best roof bike racks. Your vehicle is (almost) unimportant in the conversation. The designs for trunk-mount racks are clever enough to work with whatever gets you around.
Best trunk-mount bike racks: Quick list
A design classic, the Bones is available for 2 or 3 bikes in multiple versions to suit different cars and carrying needs.
The Thule Outway includes a platform, so your bikes are well supported and you won't block your number plate.
Decathlon's carrier is low-priced, but still has space for three bikes, which sit high up, so you'll save on a separate number plate board.
The Hollywood Express carrier folds down small, so you can put it in your trunk and it won't take up too much space if stored at home.
The Hollywood F2 is designed to work on cars with a spoiler, holding the bikes a little further from the bodywork to provide space.
The Yakima rack boasts an anti-sway strap that should help hold your bikes securely, as well as an easy ZipStrip bike immobiliser.
Last updated 4th September 2025 Format updates including adding the quick list and best for captions to conform to the current standard, How to Choose added and FAQs split out, product availability checked.
Best trunk-mount bike racks available today
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Best overall
✅ You want plenty of choices: There are options for 2 or 3 bikes and also with increased clearance.
✅ You have a vertical rear: The Bones fits vans and SUVs, not just cars.
❌ You want to lock your rack to your car: There's no locking mechanism for the Bones.
❌ You want your front wheel locked: There's nothing to lock your front wheel in place, so it will rotate as you drive.
This design was first introduced in 1996 and hasn't changed all that much since, though there have been some extra models added to the lineup over that time. This list highlights the original Saris Bones 2-bike version, which is the lightest and least expensive, while there's a 3-bike version available in this design as well. If you need better clearance for a spoiler, then the Bones EX weighs and costs a bit more but adds volume under the arc, with better clearance for a spoiler and there is both a 2-bike and 3-bike version available. There's also the Super Bones in a 3-bike version with the smaller volume of the original Bones. Meanwhile, the Super Bones adds retractable straps and locks.
Best for bike support
✅ You want a platform mount: Bikes stand on a tray, rather than hanging.
✅ You don't want to buy a separate number plate: The high mounting avoids obscuring your car's plate.
❌ You want a lower price: The Outway is expensive.
❌ You want easy portability: Thule's rack is heavy, which makes fitting and removing the rack trickier.
There's a basic formula for trunk-mount bike racks. Some system of straps holds something that hangs the bikes from the top tube. The advantage of a hitch mount rack is that you open yourself to the world of platform tray racks that support the bike from the bottom. The Thule Outway Platform splits the difference. You still get the ease of install that comes with a trunk-mount rack but it supports the bike with a platform under the wheels. The downside is that the rack is more expensive than most trunk-mount options and it's heavy. It does, however, keep the number plate clearly visible and the bikes won't swing while on the move, so it might be well worth any downside. As you are shopping around, be aware that there is also a hanging version with the same name.
Best low priced option
✅ You don't want to spend too much: Decathlon's rack is inexpensive, making it a great budget option.
✅ You want easy storage: The rack folds away, so storage is easy when it's not attached to your car.
❌ You want more protection for your bike: There's not as much padding so attention needs to be paid when mounting your bike.
❌ You want a more robust design: The rack is less substantial than pricier models.
This affordable and foldable bike rack from Decathlon sits high up so as not to get in the way of your registration plate or rear lights, and has a three-bike capacity. When not in use it folds flat and can be easily stored away until you need it again. It features adjustable straps for a good fit, and the rubberised feet that come into contact with the car should protect the paintwork. It does come with some padding to protect your bike frames from damage, however, we'd also recommend supplementing it with a bit extra to be safe.
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Best for storing
✅ You want to keep your rack in your trunk: The Express 3 is compact enough for easy storage.
✅ You don't want pre-use assembly: Hollywood's rack comes ready to use.
❌ You want greater stability: You need to use all six straps to keep the rack secure.
❌ You have a spoiler: The rack is designed for a classic trunk and car rear.
If you're looking for something simple and budget-friendly, the Hollywood F9 Express E3 bike rack could be the ticket. It's super sturdy and capable, as long as you use all six of its straps to achieve adequate grip on a solid area of your car. Without this, there's a risk of wobbling.
To keep things as simple as possible, the rack arrives readily assembled, so there's no need to scratch your head with an instruction manual. When it's not in us,e you can fold it neatly away into the boot for storage. Rubber tabs keep the car's paintwork protected, while rubber separators shield the bike frames from each other.
Best for cars with a spoiler
✅ Your car has a spoiler: The F2 is designed to keep your bikes a little further from the car.
✅ You want extra security: The integrated strap helps hold the rack in place.
❌ You want a lower price: The F2 is on the more expensive side.
❌ You want less fiddly set-up: The extra straps and supports mean slower mounting on your car.
If you have a car with a spoiler, you'll find that a lot of the trunk-mount bike racks won't work. There's not enough clearance under them to handle the height of the spoiler. Hollywood racks not only have plenty of room under the rack to deal with a spoiler but there are also provisions for spoilers higher up the car. In that situation, the high-rise frame keeps the straps from wrapping over the top of a spoiler as well. Just because you've got a sporty vehicle doesn't mean you can't make a trunk-mount bike rack work and Hollywood racks make that abundantly clear.
Best for sway avoidance
✅ You want a metal Saris: The Yakima is similar to the Bones, but made of metal rather than plastic.
✅ You want to avoid sway: An additional strap helps stabilise the load.
❌ You want lower weight: The metal construction makes the Fullback heavier.
❌ You want greater affordability: The sophisticated design comes with a price tag to match.
The Yakima Fullback is another take on a design that's reminiscent of the Saris Bones design. There's the same double arc design that holds the bikes stable on the car and stable away from the car. Instead of plastic, Yakima uses a premium high-gloss metal construction.
Holding the bikes to the rack is something Yakima calls the ZipStrip. Instead of needing to fight with a rigid plastic strap that will inevitably be in your way when loading, the Yakima design is fully removable. There's also an anti-sway strap and, like all Yakima racks, there's a bottle opener for post-ride drinks.
Best emergency option
✅ You want low weight: At 2.7kg, the Allen Sports rack is very light.
✅ You want a low-priced option: This is the cheapest rack here.
❌ You want to carry more bikes: The design fits just a single bike.
❌ You want more protection for your bike: The fabric straps are more likely to scratch your frame than rubber.
There are situations where you might want the ability to carry a bike if something does not go according to plan. The Allen Sports MT1 is smaller than anything on the list and weighs almost nothing. It's not a big expense if you put it in the trunk and forget about it until you need it.
The flip side of being a super small, light, and cheap option is that it's not the most robust. If you are looking to travel across the country with a bike, there are better options on this list. None of them are as small or cheap though.
How to choose a trunk-mount bike rack
There are a few considerations that will determine which is the best trunk bike rack for you:
- Will it fit my car? Most racks fit most cars, but it's worth checking, particularly if you have a spoiler or other less usual feature on your car.
- How many bikes will it take? If you're transporting multiple bikes, you'll need a rack to match.
- Will my bikes fit? It gets trickier here - read our FAQs for more on what to do if you want to carry kids' bikes, bikes with a sloping top tube, etc.
- What's the rack's weight limit? Since it's hooked over your car's bodywork, you'll want to make sure that you stay within this, particularly if your bike is heavier or an e-bike.
- Do the bikes obscure the car number plate? If so, you'll need to budget for a separate number plate board.
- Is there enough ground clearance? The wheels on some bikes on some racks may be close to the ground - again, read our FAQs for advice on what to do.
- How secure are the bikes? You'll want to make sure that the bikes are held securely on the rack and, if you expect to leave your bikes on the rack when you're away from your car, that you have some means to lock the bikes to the rack and that the rack is secure on the car.
- How easy is it to put on the car and remove it? Do bolts need to be tightened or arms positioned to fit?
- How easy is it to move around and store? Does it fold down and is it light enough to move around? And do you have space to store it at home?
- How much does it cost? Finally, you'll want to look at the cost of the rack and extras and compare it to alternatives, rack hire and other options to transport your bike.
Everything you need to know aboout the best trunk mounted bike racks
Will my car rack be compatible with my bike?
Almost all bikes are compatible with trunk-mount bike racks but there are still some considerations. The ideal bike for a trunk rack is an adult bike with plenty of room in the main triangle and a straight top tube. As you start to stray away from that ideal, it gets a bit more difficult. Issues with the top tube are sometimes solvable but there are a few scenarios where certain bikes will not fit.
If you need to transport a child's bike, then you are going to want to look at the width of the support bars. Bars that sit wide apart do a better job at spreading the load of an adult bike but a child's bike will sometimes end up being too small to sit on both bars. If a bike is too small, there's no fixing that.
The opposite direction would also be an issue. Trunk-mount bike racks have low max weight limits. This comes from the fact that the weight rests on the sheet metal, and in some cases, the glass, of the car. You can't rest a bunch of weight on the contact points without damaging the car. Road bikes are generally going to be okay and most hybrid bikes will be okay too. You'll have to look more closely at any mountain bikes but they will likely be okay too. E-bikes are where you will run into issues, and are almost always going to be over the weight limit. However, there are e-bike-specific car racks out there.
How do I carry step-through bikes on my trunk mounted bike rack?
If you have a cruiser, or any other type of bike with a step-through frame design, then there's no way to mount it to a typical trunk-mount bike rack. There is a way around the problem though. Adapters are available that will allow you to create a faux-straight top tube. They work by making a solid connection between the stem of the bike and the seat tube. Yakima names its option simply the Top Tube Adapter, Thule has the Frame Adapter XT, Saris has the Bike Beam, and there are many more available.
Have you checked ground clearance?
Another challenge for trunk-mount bike racks has to do with ground clearance. Depending on the car and the bike, one of the wheels might end up very close to the ground. The lower the rack mounts on the car, the more this is a problem but even racks that mount higher up could be an issue when paired with a bike that has a sloping top tube. If the top tube is the issue, then you might need one of the same adapters designed for step-through bikes. Before you buy anything though, start by checking to see if you can mount the bike differently.
This will again depend on the bike and frame but you may be able to position one of the support mounts under the top tube and the other under the downtube. This arrangement will move the front wheel so that it sits much higher. If you've got a sloped downtube that would naturally position the back wheel close to the ground and hopefully moving the front wheel up will solve it.
In what situations might a trunk-mount rack be the best choice?
Often, when people are considering a trunk-mount bike rack, it's because they don't have roof rails or a hitch. In both situations, the lack of mounting is solvable. However, just because you've got a bare car doesn't mean you can't choose either a hitch rack or a roof rack.
Adding a hitch is not a big investment and it's possible with almost any car on the market. Once you've got a hitch, you open up the possibility of adding a tray-style hitch mount bike rack. This kind of rack can handle much heavier bikes and tends to be easier on your bike and car. The challenge with this option is that you either need to feel comfortable leaving an expensive rack with your car, or you need to remove it after every use. Multi-bike hitch racks are large and heavy and if you have to carry them up lots of stairs and store them in a small space, that is going to be a challenge.
Another option would be a roof rack. It doesn't matter if your car has factory roof rails, there are plenty of roof mounting options for a bare roof. Once you've got a roof rack installed, it's not intrusive and leaving it up there isn't much of an issue. If you do take it off, then it's light and easy to store. The challenge in this situation is that each additional bike you want to carry has a cost. It's already an expensive proposition to add the system for a flat roof but if you need to transport three bikes, it's going to be much more expensive than a trunk-mount.
How we test
We often need to move bikes around for testing and we also ride competitively and travel to events. That presents many opportunities to test the best bike racks, so we'll typically request a test sample and use it extensively in our day-to-day lives.
That presents many opportunities to see how a rack performs, how easy it is to set up, take off a vehicle and store. Over the course of several months, we'll build up a view of how a bike rack performs and document its pros and cons against a series of criteria in a review score sheet, allowing us to provide you with a robust assessment of a rack's performance. We're a small team of reviewers, so you'll get consistent assessments between racks.
For more details of the way we work, you can read our how we test page.
