WB400 J-Cradle Kayak Carrier - Rooftop Kayak Boat Rack

I am truly impressed with the Whispbar WB400 J-Cradle Kayak Carrier.Some background: I've been sea kayaking for over two decades. During that time, I've owned three different, high-end Yakima rack systems for transporting my two 17' sea kayaks, I'm now driving a new vehicle (a KIA Sorento) that required a fourth rack system. This time, I opted to buy the aero-shaped Whispbars (which are superb in quiet, fuel-efficient, and aesthetic performance) instead of round or square bars.The downside of Whispbars is that their shape reduces their versatility for add-ons. Yakima sells adapters for bolting on my older kayak transport gear (Mako saddles, Hullraisers, Hully rollers, etc.), but the little plastic adapters are overpriced and look flimsy for high load applications. They really don't inspire confidence. After seeing them up close, I was very reluctant to rely on them for attaching my old rack components. And even if they had worked, I didn't like them as a solution because I would have to be constantly attaching and removing the Hullraisers (otherwise, I'd run into problems with height clearance at parking garages, as well as reduced gas mileage and wind noise). I know from experience that the time and labor of attaching and removing the Hullraisers each time would become a disincentive to go kayaking. In the past, that always meant I would end up customizing my previous racks (at great expense) to find a way to simplify everything.To keep things simple from the beginning this time, I first tried foam blocks with an oval cutout that just slips onto the Whispbars. But the KIA Sorento lacks front tow hooks and has very few solid anchor points in the front, so I was afraid I was pressing my luck relying on foam blocks instead of something more solid. After seeing the kayaks shimmy around at speeds as low as 40 mph, I decided that wasn't a solution. So next, I bought these Whispbar WB400 J-Cradle Kayak Carriers.All I can say is WOW! These WB400 cradles are head and shoulders about all other Yakima and Thule products I've owned. They fold open to become J-cradles, but fold down again when not in use to become a discrete, aero-shaped pods with no significant wind noise, reduction in gas mileage, or increase in roof clearance (when closed they only add about 3" of vertical height above the rack bars). When you fold them open, they click and lock into place as well-made J-cradles that work even better than Hullraisers (unlike the Hull raisers, the back of the cradle is not open, so the strap stays near the top instead of sliding down where it's hard to reach while loading and strapping down the kayak). When you want to fold them down, you push a button and they promptly fold down.Best of all, each cradle attaches with two quick-release levers. Turn the levers 90 degrees so the tabs underneath align with the channel in the Whispbars, insert them in the channel, then flip the levers back and fold them down. Seriously, it's only a 20-second task to attach or remove them: FAR quicker, easier, and more elegant than any other rack system I've ever seen or used! For security's sake, they also include keyed locks so that you can lock them and leave them on your roof without fear of having them stolen. Also, no worries if your vehicle's side doors or side rails taper in dramatically, forcing you to situate your kayaks awkwardly far in toward the centerline of the vehicle where it's harder to reach and lift the kayak into (or out of) position. These racks have built in loaders as well: a two-foot extension slides out the end of each cradle (again, at the simple press of a button) so that you can slide the kayak further out toward the sides of your vehicle to get under it easier and lift it down off the roof. This will be a great help for some people, and though I don't need it myself, it's completely unintrusive and nice to have built in.Lastly, the included straps are superb. In the box are two rope ratchets for quickly securing the bow and stern of the kayak, as well as two heavy duty nylon webbing straps (gray) with padded quick-release buckles. These are MUCH nicer than the standard Yakima padded buckles of old (the ones with the large grey cover). Instead, they are silver flat plates that are padded nicely around the perimeter to prevent scratches to the vehicle. In the center is a tab and the plate can be rotated and pulled apart into two halves: the upper which is sewn to the strap, and the lower with the jaws that pinch and tension the other end of the strap. This means that to remove the strap, you don't have to pull the slack of the webbing all the way out again. Instead, you just release the tension in the strap, then quickly pivot and pull apart the buckle. It saves a few seconds in attaching the kayak, and also significantly reduces wear on the webbing over time. So nice!All in all, if you have Whispbars (an adapter for mounting these on round bars is also included), and you want a nice-looking, discrete, wind and fuel efficient rack system that folds out of the way, but locks solidly into place as a cradle for secure transport, and can be attached or removed in about 20 seconds, this is the product for you. It is head and shoulders above any other rack system for kayaks that I've used in two decades. And I love that it can be kept in place on the roof so that I can use it to transport, say, lumber from the hardware store, or an aluminum ladder, or whatever else one might want to strap on the roof besides a kayak.If I could give it six stars, I would. Well done Yakima/Whispbar!

This is a great product. I enjoy how compact it is and it’s strong enough to hold my kayak with no issue. The only thing I wish were different is that there should be a latch to hold down the top portion when it’s empty. I had to push it down almost every time I was done driving on the highway, eventually I just used a hair tie to keep it down.

Right off the bat. It's hard to ignore the pricing. The MSRP is high, and even at clearance pricing it's tough to justify. After getting them though - you're getting your money's worth. If you can afford a high end kayak carrier, this is what you should buy. The extensions for loading assistance, solid construction, aerodynamic design when folded flat, absolutely painless install on T-slot/C channel racks all make this an excellent product. Support of Yakima SKS locks, adapters for round or square bars, and the very premium strap/tie down kit included add a good amount of value.

I purchased this for my Whispbar HD racks on my truck. Despite the product description saying "QuickDock technology mounts in seconds to all Whispbar rack systems" it is actually NOT compatible with Whispbar HD racks. I had to go onto the Whispbar website to find the fine print, but nothing on this site indicate that. As for the product itself, it seems a bit over engineered and heavy (10 pounds a piece!).

I previously had Thule J-bars and enjoyed them, never had a problem. When I purchased a new car, the bars were too high causing a bit of a problem loading. These bars with the extensions worked absolutely amazing to give me that little bit of extra safety room to load. There was a side benefit, in my Thule aerobars, the T-connectors are amazingly quick.Trust me when I say this, buy this kayak rack. The cost is ridiculously high, but you will not regret it at all!!! I had a $100 off gift card and felt it worth a flyer. Now that I have one, I'll gladly pay the near $300 asking price to have another. They are that good!!!

I don't have Whisp-bars on my truck, but another brand with a groove in the top. I took a chance that the "T" clamps in the cradle would fit the slot-they did and mounted with ease. I love the slide out base to help loading kayaks (I have them on a truck, so they are high!). But one glaring issue is that in wind,(unloaded) then uprights can open up! There is no way to lock them down. It's a concern when pulling in the garage and not knowing that they might be upright and tearing everything off! I put small pieces of velcro on them to help hold them down and backed it up with black hair ties. I wish Yakama would have some way of locking them down! Other than that, they are great (but that is a big "that" if they should open!

Very nice unit, that fold away and still look good when not in use. They are also very quiet while cruising along. Used twice on long distance drives, and worked well enough transporting a 10 foot kayak.

Buy these now. The engineering on these cradles is genius. The kayaks are so easy to get loaded and strapped down and the convenience of being able to fold the cradle down when the kayaks are off is wonderful. Sooooooo happy I got these. I'm using them with the Whispbar crossbar system and you should buy those too!!!