Switched to the fat cat from my older Yakima ski rack. The larger button is certainly easier to use while wearing gloves/mittens. I am a little uneasy about how far the rack closes with skis loaded. Seems to me like the lock should engage further down. The first time I used this rack I was a little nervous that the rack may come open during transport. The low profile definitely means you do not hear any wind noise while using this rack.

These are very functional ski racks that are very stylish and HUGE for carrying tons of skis and boards. I've already used them 3 times going to Snowbird and they aren't even noisy or anything. I am actually a huge fan of Thule, but their ski racks haven't really grown with the modern fat skis of today. I needed a rack to carry lots of powder skis for all the Utah snow, and that's exactly what I got. Bottom Line: The best ski rack on the market, GET ONE.

Looks good mounted up on the car and the aerodynamic shape really does cut down on drag, which keeps the noise down when you're on the highway. Be aware that it can be a real pain to mount, so I'd recommend putting these on your crossbars before you put them on the car (assuming your crossbars are easily removable.) The mounting system is hit-or-miss when it comes to factory crossbars; I have a 2008 Subaru Impreza that came with super-wide aero crossbars that this just barely fit on, and ended up looking silly to boot. Since I was having trouble finding any accessories that fit properly on those crossbars I finally ditched them for a Yakima Qtower setup ... so be forewarned that this might not fit well (or at all) on some factory setups. Barring the problem I just mentioned, the mounting system is really solid; as designed it is almost impossible for someone to swipe this off your car without either picking the lock or sawing it off your crossbars... a big plus when you're lugging around a couple grand worth of ski/snowboard gear on top of your car.

This rack is the best for holding skis and boards. I fit 3 boards, X country skis and 2 fatty alpine skis on the rack with a full crew in an Expedition! Couldn't get any better than that. Only gripe is the binding lifter thing is hard to switch out on the fly, and super hard in cold weather, which is when you use this. Oh well, you did pretty good though Yakima!

The FatCat 6 is sweet. It installed easily (with the help of another person), it works like a charm, and it looks cool. It comfortably hold 5-6 pairs skis, enough for a set for every passenger of my car. Sometimes there are binding fit issues, but the FatCat provides some accomodations for that.
Only downside: it rattles/whistles a bit when driving at 50 + mph. But, I bet that happens with all set ups.

This rack is fairly easy to install, and it is HUGE! You can't get a different ski rack on the market that can hold as many skis as this one. I can seriously load up my rack with 4-5 pairs of the FATTEST skis on the market 115-140mm underfoot! Anyone who has fat skis definitely needs to get their hands on this rack.

These puppies...I mean FatCats are quiet and aerodynamic. In the past I couldn't wait to take my ski rack off my car because of the noise and friction but with these--I kept them on all season. Awes!

I cannot believe that no-one has commented on how difficult these are to put on and take off of the bars compared to the old ski holders. Yes, they are quieter, and presumably will help mileage a bit when you are not carrying anything, but you might as well just buy another set of bars if you want to switch from skis to bikes. Otherwise, you'll be removing/loosening six screws with an allen wrench just to take these puppies off, all while the rack is flopping around the bar and whacking your car roof and/or wrists and arms. Gone are the days of two large wingnuts, zip zip, on and zip zip, off.

Worst ergonomics of any Yakima product I've ever owned. And I've owned Yakima racks for at least twenty years. I'll be looking at Thule or going back to me old ski jaws for my next rig.

really like how aerodynamic these things are, fit all 4 snowboards just fine only one complaint though the sks locks where hard to close when the rack was loaded with either 2 or 4 boards. it could just be mine though. other than that it's great and would recommend to anyone plus backcountry rocks and any problem you might have with it they will take care of you, so you can't go wrong.

The fat cat 6 easily holds 4 pr. skis and a board and performed flawlessly. I am a bit concerned about the 'binding clearance' feature's design especially in high wind. It appears to be a bit weak and given the upward angle makes it behave like a wind foil affecting the car's handling.