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11 models to compare

Does a heavier kayak roof carrier hold a heavier boat?

Weight does not order load ratings. Thule Hullavator Pro weighs 39.7 lb with the same load rating as DockGlide at 6.8 lb and Stacker at 7.1 lb.

Yakima JayHook and BigStack leave load unknown.

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With no preferences selected: Thule Compass is one option to compare.

No hands-on testingMethod and sources

Thule Compass · first with a product link

Model / item: 890000
  • Height: 19 in.
  • Length: 32 in.
What to note:

Not listed by the maker: load configuration, minimum crossbar spread.

View at Thule

If you choose 6.8 lb for weight, the first option with a product link becomes Thule DockGlide.

11 models compared; 11 have a product-page link.

The picks

5 options to compare

Compare the details that matter to your setup.

An option to compare

Thule Compass

Height: 19 in.

Model / item: 890000

Key details

  • Length: 32 in.

What to note

Not listed by the maker: load configuration, minimum crossbar spread.

Height: 19 inLength: 32 inPublished load rating: 130 lb
See all 7 specs
Height19 in
Length32 in
Published load rating130 lb
Weight20 lb
Width7 in
Load configurationNot listed by the maker
Minimum crossbar spreadNot listed by the maker

5 of 7 specs available · source checked September 26, 2026 · Source ↗
Thule · Product page checked September 26, 2026

View at Thule
Weight: 6.8 lb

Thule DockGlide

Height: 5 1/2 in.

Model / item: 896001

Key details

  • Length: 5 in.

What to note

Not listed by the maker: load configuration, minimum crossbar spread.

Height: 5 1/2 inLength: 5 inPublished load rating: 75 lb
See all 7 specs
Height5 1/2 in
Length5 in
Published load rating75 lb
Weight6.8 lb
Width8 in
Load configurationNot listed by the maker
Minimum crossbar spreadNot listed by the maker

5 of 7 specs available · source checked September 26, 2026 · Source ↗
Thule · Product page checked September 26, 2026

View at Thule
Weight: 7.1 lb

Thule Stacker

Height: 20 in.

Model / item: 830001

Key details

  • Length: 5 in.

What to note

Not listed by the maker: minimum crossbar spread.

Height: 20 inLength: 5 inLoad configuration: 75 lb per kayak; also check total roof and crossbar limits
See all 7 specs
Height20 in
Length5 in
Load configuration75 lb per kayak; also check total roof and crossbar limits
Published load rating75 lb
Weight7.1 lb
Width5 in
Minimum crossbar spreadNot listed by the maker

6 of 7 specs available · source checked September 26, 2026 · Source ↗
Thule · Product page checked September 26, 2026

View at Thule
Weight: 7.2 lb

BigStack

Height: 22 in.

Key details

  • Length: 6 in.

What to note

Not listed by the maker: load configuration, published load rating.

Height: 22 inLength: 6 inMinimum crossbar spread: 24 in
See all 7 specs
Height22 in
Length6 in
Minimum crossbar spread24 in
Weight7.2 lb
Width5 in
Load configurationNot listed by the maker
Published load ratingNot listed by the maker

5 of 7 specs available · source checked September 26, 2026 · Source ↗
Yakima · Product page checked September 26, 2026

View at Yakima
Width: 4 in

Thule DockGrip

Height: 8 in.

Model / item: 895001

Key details

  • Length: 8 in.

What to note

Not listed by the maker: load configuration, minimum crossbar spread.

Height: 8 inLength: 8 inPublished load rating: 85 lb
See all 7 specs
Height8 in
Length8 in
Published load rating85 lb
Weight6.8 lb
Width4 in
Load configurationNot listed by the maker
Minimum crossbar spreadNot listed by the maker

5 of 7 specs available · source checked September 26, 2026 · Source ↗
Thule · Product page checked September 26, 2026

View at Thule

Comparing Thule Compass · Thule DockGlide

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The facts that differ

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0 identical specs shown. Details that do not apply to these models are omitted.

Published specification comparison
SpecThule CompassModel / item: 890000No preferences selected.Thule DockGlideModel / item: 896001No preferences selected.
Height19 in5 1/2 in
Length32 in5 in
Published load rating130 lb75 lb
Weight20 lb6.8 lb
Width7 in8 in

Thule Compass

Model / item: 890000

No preferences selected.

Height
19 in
Length
32 in
Published load rating
130 lb
Weight
20 lb
Width
7 in

Thule DockGlide

Model / item: 896001

No preferences selected.

Height
5 1/2 in
Length
5 in
Published load rating
75 lb
Weight
6.8 lb
Width
8 in

Thule Compass

View at Thule

Thule DockGlide

View at Thule

Compare all 11 models

— = no verified listing yet. The published order is independent of links.

All models and their decision specs
ProductHow it comparesKey specCompareAction
Thule Compass
Compared with Thule DockGlide: height, 19 in vs 5 1/2 in.
Model / item: 890000		Height: 19 inView at Thule
Thule DockGlide
Compared with Thule DockGrip: height, 5 1/2 in vs 8 in.
Model / item: 896001		Height: 5 1/2 inView at Thule
Thule DockGrip
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port: height, 8 in vs 16 1/2 in.
Model / item: 895001		Height: 8 inView at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port Aero: height, 16 1/2 in vs 17 1/2 in.
Model / item: 834005		Height: 16 1/2 inView at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port Aero
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port XTR: height, 17 1/2 in vs 20 in.
Model / item: 849000		Height: 17 1/2 inView at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port XTR
Compared with Thule Hullavator Pro: height, 20 in vs 16 in.
Model / item: 848004		Height: 20 inView at Thule
Thule Hullavator Pro
Compared with Thule Stacker: height, 16 in vs 20 in.
Model / item: 898010		Height: 16 inView at Thule
Thule Compass
Compared with Thule DockGlide: height, 19 in vs 5 1/2 in.
Model / item: 890000
Height: 19 in
View at Thule
Thule DockGlide
Compared with Thule DockGrip: height, 5 1/2 in vs 8 in.
Model / item: 896001
Height: 5 1/2 in
View at Thule
Thule DockGrip
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port: height, 8 in vs 16 1/2 in.
Model / item: 895001
Height: 8 in
View at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port Aero: height, 16 1/2 in vs 17 1/2 in.
Model / item: 834005
Height: 16 1/2 in
View at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port Aero
Compared with Thule Hull-a-Port XTR: height, 17 1/2 in vs 20 in.
Model / item: 849000
Height: 17 1/2 in
View at Thule
Thule Hull-a-Port XTR
Compared with Thule Hullavator Pro: height, 20 in vs 16 in.
Model / item: 848004
Height: 20 in
View at Thule
Thule Hullavator Pro
Compared with Thule Stacker: height, 16 in vs 20 in.
Model / item: 898010
Height: 16 in
View at Thule
11 catalog models

How the comparison works

Your choices are compared with each model’s product details. A missing or conflicting value stays unknown and cannot satisfy a choice you select. The starting order helps you browse; it does not rate real-world performance.

Source dates appear with each link below. A source date does not confirm today's price or stock.

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Sources for all 11 models

Rack load figures need their boat configuration attached

Thule Hull-a-Port XTR allows up to 75 lb for a single boat or up to 130 lb combined for 2 boats. Yakima SweetRoll’s figure is for a single boat up to 80 lb. A combined allowance cannot be used as the limit for an individual kayak.

Roof-rack ratings are present for 9 products here and span 75 to 130 lb, with configurations that differ. Read the vehicle roof, crossbar and carrier instructions together; the carrier’s own allowance is not the load limit of the complete setup. This comparison reads maker rack ratings without carrying kayaks on a vehicle.

Crossbar spacing and carrier weight belong in the fit check

Yakima SweetRoll, JayHook and BigStack each specify a minimum 24 in crossbar spread. That measurement is unknown here for the Thule models; do not transfer Yakima’s minimum to another maker’s rack. Measure spacing according to the selected rack’s instructions and verify compatible bar profiles and mounting hardware.

Thule DockGlide weighs 6.8 lb and Hullavator Pro weighs 39.7 lb. Those are carrier weights, separate from their kayak allowances. Include the carrier when following the roof and crossbar load instructions, and allow for its shape and height in your transport arrangement.

Before you buy

Can I pick a carrier by its load rating alone?

Don't. Your vehicle's roof limit, your crossbars and the carrier each set a limit, the lowest one applies, and the carrier's own weight counts too; the Thule Compass is 20 lb before any boat goes on. Use the maker's fit guide for your vehicle and bars, follow its tie-down instructions, and note Yakima's 24 in minimum crossbar spread for its three carriers. For two, Thule rates the Hull-a-Port XTR for a pair carried together.

Does 130 lb mean one 130 lb kayak?

Not on the Hull-a-Port XTR, which Thule rates for two boats up to 130 lb combined or one boat up to 75 lb. Compass carries that same combined load with no split given, and Stacker uses the same single-boat rating per kayak, for kayaks up to 36 in wide.

Is the carrier height how tall my loaded car will be?

It's the carrier alone, from 5.5 in on the DockGlide to 22 in on the BigStack. Towers, crossbars and the boat add to it, so measure the loaded car before a low garage or drive-through.