Only the best bike rack for truck hitch from trusted brands like Allen Sports and Thule can meet all of your purposes. All of our bikes will be completely secured and there won’t be any wobbling and bouncing. You do not want to spend your hard-earned money on cheap junks.
Best Bike Rack For Truck Hitch Comparison Table
Let’s have a quick view of what I am covering here.
Image | Brand/Model | Details | Price |
---|---|---|---|
Allen Sports 4-Bike |
| View On Amazon | |
Swagman XC2 |
| View On Amazon | |
MaxxHaul – 70210 |
| View On Amazon | |
Allen Sports 2-Bike |
| View On Amazon | |
Thule T2 Pro XT |
| View On Amazon |
5 Hitch Bike Rack Reviews 2020
Many people have spent countless days and nights researching for a bike rack for hatchback that will never disappoint them. I sorted them based on such feedbacks and reviews shared by thousands of users.
Apart from the Thule and Allen Sports, I have covered some other brands like Swagman and MaxxHaul too. Let’s start!
Allen Sports [Delux Locking]
This is probably the most reviewed and recommended 4-bike platform hitch rack out there. And that’s the reason I put it first in my review. It’s a solidly well-built model made from heavy-steel. Yes, it’s heavy-weight but for the durability purpose, it’s a plus. Many have left their feedback after 5+ years of constant usage. And their recommendations are awesome.
No need to buy any extra support bar to mount odd-shaped and girls frame bike when you have this. The padded cradles that swivel 360° do that job for you pretty well. It’s costly but saves your hard-earned money a lot in many ways.
Whereas other brands feature a locking pin to attach it, this one uses a tension bolt. This intelligent mounting system prevents the bike rack from rattling inside the hitch. More so, the simplicity will amaze you. It does not have any seat-tube stabilizers that will make it difficult to take your bike off and on.
Take it from the experienced users. Overbuilt is not always good and those extra beef that you see in high-end brands like Thule are totally unnecessary. It folds flat to make storage easy. Your camper will never get so easy when you have this one.
It will take less space in comparison with other models when you keep it mounted to the SUV or truck hitch. Thanks to it’s lower profile bike frames support arms! Don’t worry when you need to open the hatchback type SUV rear doo. In addition to the folding down support arms, it swivels down to the very lower point to make it easy.
To keep your bikes secured, it has high-quality buckles and straps that last year after year. No, the sun and weather can’t do any damage to them anytime near soon. When you need something to fulfill all of your requirements, this is for you.
More Features & Pros
- Perfect for 4 or 5 bikes when you have 2 inches receiver hitch, suitable for 2 & 3 bikes when you have 1 ¼ or 2-inch receiver hitches. For each bike, there are individual tie-downs.
- Made from heavy-duty thick gauge steel. It comes with high strength bolts. Vey much sturdy!
- It features ½ inch pin size.
- No crossbar needed for girls’ bikes. Men, women, children – a perfect solution for the whole family. Not needing any adaptor is a big plus.
- It accommodates a wide range of various bike frame designs.
- You can access the trunk keeping the rack attached. It’s great peace of mind when you can leave the rack attached and left unattended.
- Highly convenient to release the carrier. Very much easy to install.
- Completely wobble-free experience. Just twist the knob until you completely secure the rack to the hitch.
- A dependable yet inexpensive solution to transport your bikes anywhere you want, even in the mountain.
Cons
- There will be a little bit of scratching to the bikes as they mount very close.
- Unlike hitch lock, the tension bolt is somewhat difficult to remove.
- Extra bungee cords required to prevent the bike wheels from spinning.
Swagman XC2 Review
A reliable carrier from Swagman that is capable of meeting all of your requirements. No cheap materials used and solid construction is praiseworthy. What you see in that picture, it’s exactly like that and all the features and benefits are real. Apparently, there is no bragging from the manufacturer’s end.
The strong and sturdy build is the first thing about Swagman XC2 that will amaze you. It’s built to last and I am not exaggerating a little. When you read some user’s feedback, you will see what I am talking about.
The real beauty of Swagman XC2 is that, despite having a solid construction, it’s surprisingly lightweight. In fact, when not in use, you just fold it up and carry it in your one hand. And you really should not be worried about its durability. Many have used this for years and confirmed it’s unmatched durability.
Bouncing on the road won’t cause any problem as long as you have this budget hitch bike rack. You can easily mount your bikes onto this solid bicycle rack and it offers a solid hold. Swaying at the hitch junction is a common problem for most racks, but it won’t be an issue when you have this.
Apart from secured transporting, you can easily get your bikes on/off easily. In fact, you won’t be needing any help from anybody if you are a senior citizen to load the bikes. It comes half done already!
To prevent theft, it has holes so that you can use a bike lock for added security. It is not required, but I still recommend using the bungee cord just for the peace of your mind.
Why should you pay a couple of hundred dollars more for a high-end bike rack for car, when this one offers the same functions and value. No need! Many have confirmed they got a bounce-free travel experience simply because the rack held the bikes firmly.
Pros & More Features of Swagman XC2
It comes with lots of other features like the following:
- Perfect for 1 ¼ inch and 2-inch receiver hitch. You can transport up to 2 bikes securely. A great combo of style and steady operation.
- Maximum weight recommendation for each bike is 35 lbs, which is more than enough.
- Fits 20″ to 29″ tire sizes easily.
- Suitable for various bike frame sizes. It can accommodate frames up to 59 cm (23.2″).
- You can conveniently store it since it folds effortlessly and takes less storage space.
- Very easy to attach and remove it. Should not take more than 5 minutes when you have this kind of straightforward operation.
- Many have confirmed to have no wobble at all.
- Loading and unloading bikes have never been so easy!
Cons
To have complete and fair Swagman XC2 review, let’s check some of its cons too.
- When installed on the truck and you need to access the tailgate, it needs to be folded down.
MaxxHaul – 70210
It’s really hard to find a sturdy bike rack for truck hitch when you have a tight budget. You can’t spend tons of money but you do not want to have something flimsy and feels cheap. MaxxHaul is the rescue! The hitch bike rack for the money has won the heart of thousands already!
It’s really heavy and the durability is awesome. Thanks to its pure metal construction. The reason it’s so cheap is that it’s made from steel, not aluminum. But do not doubt it’s durability and sturdy performance. Beyond any doubt, it’s the best budget hitch bike rack so far.
When you are fed up with flimsy racks and you need a rock-solid build 4-bike platform hitch rack within your tight budget, MaxxHaul is for you! No matter how rough the road is, there won’t be any wobbling. A very steady bike rack for car that never fails you. It won’t move a little even at high speed. Surprisingly great to keep your bikes in place.
Apart from its well-made construction, it folds down easily and you can tilt it to open the trunk. It’s inexpensive but not cheap. The heavy-duty build has already amazed thousands of hundreds of users. No flexing, no wobbling. If installed right, there will be no sway or bouncing. In a nutshell, you won’t be disappointed either.
Very easy and quick to set up and to take it down. Getting bikes on and off is fairly straightforward. Besides, you can still access the rear window or tailgate having this attached. From adult bikes to kids’ bikes, from female beach cruiser to boys’ racing bikes – it’s suitable for every type of them.
It folds small easily and takes less space in the storage. The design is nothing fancy, but you will love the basic rack design. At this price point, it has everything you need and you should seriously consider this if budget is a big deal for you.
Pros & More Features
- 2 inches received compatible. Perfect for 4 bikes.
- Very easy to access the rear end of your SUV. Thanks to its swing-down feature. It’s a very important feature to have to unload the car at your camping site.
- Don’t worry. The tilt feature won’t make it shaky.
- Good quality velcro straps to keep bikes hold still. The cradle itself and the loop straps are adjustable to secure your bikes.
- Incredibly sturdy. It can hold up to 150 lbs of weight.
- Do not fear the terrible dirt road. It has already proven to be effective in such circumstances.
- To protect the finish of your bikes, it features plastic liners in each holder.
- A piece of advice: Do not keep it attached when not in use. It’s very heady and may hurt your MPG. You should remove it when you don’t need it.
Cons
- A little issue attaching the girls’ bike, you may need an additional bar. A spacer with hitch bolt would be nice to have to prevent wobbling girls’ bikes.
- Not recommended for campers, RVs, and fifth wheels.
Allen Sports 2-Bike
Another Allen sports bike rack review, but bad things first. It has some terrible negative reviews and most of them are inaccurate. I will explain why shortly. But for now, let’s see why thousands of hundreds of happy users have recommended this despite lots of harsh reviews.
For the long haul, you need to have confidence that it will never let you down. For flawless performance, it’s second to none. Several people have made 2000+ miles rides attaching their bikes without any worry.
There is no chance your bike will come off. A heavy-duty and the only best bike rack for truck hitch is all you need for this level of confidence.
If you are looking for something that is extremely easy to install, this is it. Nothing so difficult. It comes with lots of straps to hold your bikes securely. But apparently these straps are not good enough. So, if you notice that your bikes are wobbling, get extra straps to hold them well.
So that you can access the rear hatch, it leans back. And you will love the fact that the arm that holds your bike folds down. Many people have returned their racks simply because they were not doing a great job and opted for this one. Lots of very happy users!
The rack’s support arms do a great job holding the bikes still to make your camping excursions and road trips awesome. The rack will work great only if you install it correctly which is a little bit difficult if you follow the printed manual. I have attached the official video of installing it right later in this article.
While reading users’ reviews, you will see some people have complained that it wobbles a bit. It’s simply inaccurate and it will happen if the installation not done right. The same goes for other negative feedbacks too. So, it’s very important that you set it up correctly. Do not follow the printed manual. Instead, watch the following video:
More Features of Allen Sports Bike Rack
- Capacity up to 70 lbs which is more than enough for 2 bikes.
- Accommodates a wide range of designs and frame sizes. Thanks to its rotating tie-down system for each bike.
- Comes with no-wobble bolt for your maximum confidence.
- It supports 1 ¼ inch and 2-inch receiver hitches. For the 2-inch receiver, it comes with an adaptor to give you a trouble-free adapting experience.
- As long as your vehicle has a trailer hitch, it will fit no matter what kind of car you have.
- The main mast tilt-away even when attached for easy access to the rear gate. With folding carry arms, everything is just convenient.
- Make sure to tighten the bolts to have a wobble-free experience. A little bit of wiggling is necessary to get the bolts through the holes.
Cons
- You need to use your muscles to install this right. Also, the installation manual is very confusing and unclear.
Thule Bike Racks T2 Pro XT
Thule is renowned to provide the most high-end and expensive bike rack for hatchback. T2 Pro XT is no exception. The robustness of the rack will impress you that is meant to last for a very long time. The well-thought details of it are simply unparalleled. So, despite being costly, it is very popular among users who have a good budget.
Even at the high speed, the stability is impressive. Apart from well-designed and well-built, Everything of T2 Pro XT is so easy to use. Attaching it in the hitch, loading and locking bikes – all those take just a few minutes. At first, it will take some time to get used to, but everything will be so quick later on.
More so, you can pull it down to get access to the back door once attached. This is a great feature to have when you need to open the back of your car without taking off the bikes or the rack. And it looks beautiful on the back of your SUV.
Many have completed several hours of road trips without any movement of their locked bikes. No wobbling, no bouncing. This is what you expect from a high-end model, right? Well, you will be glad of having this. Many have researched for months and opted for this. They are happy with their decisions.
It fits a wide range of bikes including cruiser bikes. No hanging-style rack will work, you need a flatbed style for cruiser bikes. Thule is exactly that. When attached to the hitch, it’s a solid rack! You will forget the expensive cost using this rock-solid rack after a few months. It won’t clamp down on the frame just like cheap bike racks do.
Already lots of people are thrilled with its exceptional performance, you should not be waiting too long to be thrilled.
More Features & Pros
- Available in Black and Silver color. Suitable for 1.25” and 2” hitch receiver. It does not work with a ball hitch.
- Perfect capacity for 2 bikes.
- Made of steel for long-lasting performance.
- Secure bikes without contacting the frames. No danger to the bike finishes.
- When not in use, you can fold it up and tilt down for easy rear access.
- Suitable for almost any kind of bikes including mountain, downhill, carbon frames, and fat bikes with 20 – 29 inches wheel. However, it is not suitable for 27.5 inches of fat bikes. Perfect for electric-assisted bikes too.
- It comes with a lock knob and cable lock to securely lock the rack and bikes.
- You can get it to work with jeep wranglers with an additional 7 – 11 inches hitch extender.
- Easy installation, no tools required.
Cons
- To heavy. You will be better off keeping it attached.
Conclusion
It’s true there are lots of cheap bicycle racks but you will regret having them after a while. Do not trust any junk brands. They will ruin your trip and probably damage your bikes and car. From the above reviews, get the best bike rack for truck hitch for greater durability and steady performance years after years.