Thule Hullavator Pro - Review 2026

Features:

• Corrosion resistant
• Eight touchpoints of padded closed-cell support to protect your craft

Accessories:

• Thule tiedown straps with rubber buckle covers x 2
• Thule QuickDraw Bow and stern tie-downs

Raising the bar on kayak cradles

We were excited to test out the Thule Hullavator Pro, given the hype it’s received over the past couple of years. The Thule brand name commands some respect, too.

This Thule kayak carrier certainly did not disappoint in regards to ease of unloading and loading your kayak. This is a state-of-the-art piece of equipment that takes the barrier and effort out of loading your kayak so you can enjoy your time out on the water.

The adjustable cradles can fit boats or boards up to 36 inches in width. It also has a maximum load-bearing weight of 77 pounds, making it a versatile rack for essentially every type of kayak.

Using hydraulic struts, the extendable arms lower down the side of your car from the roof and carry up to 40 lbs of the weight when raising your kayak back up.

The mechanism is so novel, that we tried it multiple times in a row without any fatigue felt in the arms.

Installation

Depending on how good you are at following instructions, the Thule Hullavator Pro takes a little more effort to install than most kayak racks we’ve fitted in the past. We would highly recommend watching a couple of YouTubes videos first as the written instructions alone can be difficult to interpret.

Because the bar that the Hullavator attaches to needs to be mounted towards the center of the roof of your vehicle, you’ll also need a step ladder or a means to be able to reach the center of your roof easily to bolt in the metal frame.

Before purchasing this product you should ensure the Hullavator Pro will fit on your vehicle’s crossbars. Thule lists the WingBar & WingBar Evo, WingBar Edge, SquareBar Evo and the ProBar Evo as crossbars the Hullavator is compatible with. We’ve also seen reviews from people who managed to fit these racks to non-Thule crossbars, but we would recommend checking the dimensions and load bearing of your racks first.

The Hullavator Pro is not lightweight. The hydraulic system causes the racks to weigh close to 40 lbs, which made transporting the box to the car a little challenging without a dolly. If you’re not able to access the top of your vehicle and aren’t used to fiddling with different screws and attachment pieces, we would recommend having these professionally fitted. We had to adjust the lower bracket many times to ensure it was correctly positioned.

Once the lower bracket is secured, the hydraulic system is attached using a pivot pin. Depending on your arm strength, this can be quite a challenging part of the proces, as you need to hold the entire weight of the hydraulic system in one hand while inserting the pivot pin with the other.

This is how to take the hydraulic system off the vehicle when not used. With some practice, this process gets easier. But don’t be surprised if you struggle with it the first few tries.

What we love about this rack is the option to remove the hydraulic system and cradle off the lower bar mount. This prevents weather damage and wear and tear. It also enables you to park underground where height restrictions can be limiting.

Although the hydraulic system can be left on the car and locked when transporting your kayak or parking with your kayak strapped to the vehicle, the locks and keys must be purchased separately.

Weight

We were surprised at how heavy these racks actually were. The full weight of the product is around 40 lbs, which means each hydraulic piece still weighs around 20 lbs.

Once they’re fitted to the vehicle, the weight isn’t as much of an issue, except if you have two on the car and you’re transporting two heavy boats in addition. Be sure to check the load-bearing capacity of your crossbars to ensure the additional 40 lbs doesn’t push you over your load maximum with one or two boats on the car.

With the hydraulic struts and extendable arms, it would be difficult for Thule to make this product any lighter. Still, it’s something to remember if you’re installing the racks yourself or plan to remove and install the hydraulic system frequently.

Versatility / Adjustability

The Thule Hullavator Pro is an extremely versatile rack system for any vehicle with compatible crossbars. The adjustable cradles can extend to 36 inches in width, allowing you to transport most kayaks and paddle boards.

The greatest feature of the Hullavator Pro is its load assist function, allowing paddlers of any size and strength to load their craft easily onto the top of their vehicle. This is honestly a revolutionary feature that has enabled many paddlers to rediscover their old passions or take up a sport that may have otherwise been inaccessible to them.

One issue we often encounter with kayak racks is the additional height they add to your vehicle, which can make parking in underground lots or catching ferries a challenge. Again, the versatility of being able to remove the hydraulic system is great. They are also quite bulky, so you need space in your garage or storage shed to store them while not in use.

Stability

Being huge fans of Thule products, we were delighted to test out the Hullavator Pro. The arms extend down from the top of the vehicle easily, but there was much more movement than I had anticipated. Even when I returned the hydraulic system back onto the racks, it sometimes wouldn’t latch into position as easily as we had hoped.

When loading a 17-foot long roto-molded kayak that weighs 55 lbs, the arms definitely swayed a little with the weight. There was no risk of the kayak hitting the vehicle because the arms extend a long way out from the side of the car. But there was more movement as the boat was loaded than anticipated.

A great feature of the Hullavator is the ability to strap the kayak on using the included straps while the kayak is at waist height. The instructions call for strapping a kayak onto the rack through the top loop of each of the cradles. This means of strapping a kayak to the rack felt a little insecure, but perhaps this is why the rack comes with bow and stern tie-downs, which would increase the stability and ensure the kayak is a lot more secure.

Loading / Unloading

The novelty of using the Thule Hullavator Pro makes us want to load and unload the kayak multiple times just for fun. Once the hydraulic struts are activated using the handles on the end of the rack, the kayak lifts weightlessly into the air and only requires you to guide it upwards towards the roof of your vehicle.

Once the kayak has reached the vehicle’s top and is still vertical, you should carefully lower the boat horizontally without letting the Hullavator slam down on the bar mount bracket.

Similarly, when unloading your kayak, you should be careful not to swing the boat too quickly onto its side, especially if it’s a heavier boat. We recommend when unloading that you squeeze both handles to release the arm assembly and then put one hand on the side of your kayak to support some of the weight as it drops down onto its side.

Once the kayak is in this position, you can squeeze the handles again to allow the arms to extend and then lower the kayak down gently.

Ease of Use

Once the Thule Hullavator Pro is installed, it is very easy to use. It may take a few tries to become completely comfortable with the process. Still, like anything, once you’ve mastered it you will be able to appreciate the abundant advantages of using this load-assisting product.

Thule is known for their well thought out and tested designs, which is why the Hullavator Pro has included features like lockability and easy removal of the cradles and hydraulic system.

The only feature we didn’t find easy was adjusting the top cradle into position once the kayak is loaded. There is a knob that loosens and tightens to move the cradle, but once the cradle is snug against the side of the kayak, it is hard to reach it to re-tighten. From reviews we’ve read, it appears that Thule may have replaced the knob with a bolt that requires an Allen key, but the Hullavator Pro 898 we tested had the knob.

Lifting your kayak onto the cradles is very easy, even if your kayak weighs 55 lbs like the one we tested this product with. Once the kayak is in the cradles the rack supports its entire weight and will assist in lifting 40 lbs of its weight using the hydraulic system.

To make the arms retract, you will need to squeeze the handles of the arm assembly simultaneously. This wasn’t difficult, however, you may need to get down into a crouch position depending on whether you’re standing on a curb or the road itself.

If you don’t have a kayak or any weight on the cradles and you want to bring the arms back up, you will need to pull down on the arms a little so that the handles release. We struggled to get the handles to release the first time, thinking they were locked. But they just needed to be fully extended. This is a safety mechanism that ensures the arms don’t suddenly lift by themselves.

Price/Quality Ratio:

The Thule Hullavator Pro retails at around $1,000, depending on where you purchase it from. Though this rack is a lot more expensive than a pair of J-bars or custom cradles, the Hullavator Pro is a state-of-the-art lift-assist product that can allow you to paddle your kayak more frequently.

The quality of Thule is unquestionable. We have never tested a Thule product that hasn’t stood the test of time or lived up to its claims. The Hullavator Pro is no different. The racks’ aluminum, double-coated steel construction is corrosion resistant and the closed-cell foam cradles offer superior protection for your kayak or board.

The Thule Hullavator Pro also comes with a limited lifetime warranty, so if anything does go wrong with the product, you know you’re covered.

Do we recommend it?

We would recommend the Thule Hullavator Pro to people who struggle with single-handedly loading their kayak onto their roof racks and for anyone with a taller standing vehicle like a van or truck. The Hullavator Pro saves you energy if you’re heading out on a long paddle and want to save the extra muscle for your paddling.

Though the Hullavator Pro is a lot pricier than other racks on the market, its unique load-assist features put it in an entirely different category of kayak rack. We know many people who have chosen the Hullavator Pro because they’re tired of the muscle strain it takes to load their kayak onto the roof of their vehicle.

If you don’t have issues loading your kayak or board onto the roof of your vehicle, there are cheaper options like the Malone FoldAway-5 you could consider. But if you’re hoping to lower the barrier of transporting your kayak so you can get out on the water more, the Thule Hullavator Pro is a high-quality and easy-to-use option.