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Kayak Racks

Thule Hullavator Pro Review

The most expensive way to put one boat on a roof, and for a specific group of people, the only one that works.

By Janet H.Last reviewed September 25, 2026
A kayak carrier lowered to the side of a vehicle for loading

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The Hullavator Pro is a kayak carrier on gas struts. The cradle swings out and down the side of the vehicle to roughly waist height, you put the boat in at a sensible height, strap it, and lift it up — with the struts taking a large share of the weight on the way.

It costs several times what a J-cradle costs. Whether that is absurd or obvious depends entirely on your roof height, your boat’s weight, and whether you have a second person.

Quick picks

Tap any row to jump to the full write-up below. Scores are our editorial judgment on published specifications — not a star rating, and not a product we claim to have tested.

#ProductBest forScorePrice
1
Representative photo of a kayak being lifted onto a vehicle roof
Thule Hullavator ProIf you have been avoiding paddling because of the lift, this is the product that fixes it. If you have not, it is a lot of money.
Loading a heavy boat alone onto a tall vehicle8.0

Prices checked September 25, 2026. Product photographs are representative stock images, not the exact unit. Affiliate disclosure.

#1 · Loading a heavy boat alone onto a tall vehicle

Thule Hullavator Pro

Representative photo of a kayak being lifted onto a vehicle roof
Representative photo — not the exact unit.

If you have been avoiding paddling because of the lift, this is the product that fixes it. If you have not, it is a lot of money.

Type
Gas-assist load carrier
Lowering distance
Up to about 40 inches
Lift assistance
About 40 lb
Capacity
One boat
Mounting
Crossbars, both bars
Included
Integrated straps

What works

  • You load at waist height beside the vehicle rather than overhead
  • The struts take roughly 40 lb of the boat's weight during the lift
  • Hull support is excellent throughout
  • Straps are integrated, so there is nothing to forget

What doesn’t

  • Several times the cost of a J-cradle
  • One boat, and it occupies both crossbars
  • Heavy in itself — it is a permanent fixture, not a seasonal one
  • Needs clear space beside the vehicle, which rules out tight garages and some parking

Our scoring

Loading ease9.5
Hull protection9.0
Boats carried6.0
Fit coverage8.0
Value5.5

8.0overall

Who this is actually for

Four groups, and if you are not in one of them the price is hard to defend.

  • Solo paddlers with a tall vehicle. An SUV roof plus a 60 lb boat plus nobody to help is exactly the problem it solves.
  • Anyone with a shoulder, back or height limitation. An overhead lift is not a question of willingness.
  • Owners of expensive composite boats. Controlled loading at waist height is much kinder to a hull than a fumbled lift.
  • People who paddle often. Amortized over a hundred trips, the cost per load is small and the convenience compounds.

Cheaper ways to make the lift easier

If the price is out of reach, several things genuinely help, in rough order of effectiveness.

  1. Saddles with rear rollers. You lift the bow onto the rollers and walk the boat forward — half the boat, once. A fraction of the Hullavator’s price.
  2. A load-assist bar that extends sideways from the crossbar, giving you a temporary support to rest the boat on mid-lift.
  3. A suction-cup roller on the rear glass, so the boat slides rather than scrapes.
  4. A towel over the rear of the roof. Free, and better than nothing.

Yakima’s ShowDown is the direct load-assist competitor and works on a similar principle, so it is worth pricing both.

Common questions

Is the Thule Hullavator Pro worth the money?
If the lift is the reason your kayak is not getting used, yes — it converts an overhead two-person job into a waist-height solo one. If you load comfortably with help, a folding J-cradle does the same carrying job for a fraction of the price.
How much weight does the Hullavator take off the lift?
The gas struts provide roughly 40 lb of assistance. On a 60 lb boat that leaves you handling around 20 lb through the lift, which is what makes solo loading realistic on a tall vehicle.
Can I carry two kayaks with a Hullavator?
Not with one carrier — it takes a single boat and occupies both crossbars. Two would mean two carriers, two sets of bars' worth of space, and a weight total that would exceed most vehicles' published roof limits.

Sources

Not sure it fits your car?

Our vehicle pages carry the published roof load limit, the roof type by model year, and what actually mounts to it — cited, and honest about what the manufacturer does not publish.

See what fits your vehicleAll kayak racks

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