Details
- Big push-button opening makes it simple to operate even with gloves on
- Integrated binding lift gives you optimal clearance between car roof and bindings
- Low-profile design with aerodynamic nesting arms slices through the wind to help cut down on gas usage
- Internal hinge system allows FatCat 6 to remain low and compact while carrying fat skis and boards
- Easy, tool-free installation means you're on your way to the slopes in no time
- Universal attachment system fits Whispbar, round, square and most factory racks right out of the box
- Lockable with included SKS lock cores and keys
- Yakima FatCat 6 mounts cannot be removed from crossbars when closed and locked
Imported.
Specs
| Best Use | Snowsports |
|---|---|
| Ski Load Capacity | 6 pairs |
| Snowboard Load Capacity | 4 |
| Weight | 12 pounds |
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Tom in SF from
Aerodynamic, a little tricky to install
I bought this to replace a set of similar Thule snowboard racks for the top of my BMW 328i. These are much more aerodynamic and create little or no wind noise. Compared to the Thule, they were a little more tricky to install on my manufacturer crossbars, but after the initial fitting they're not materially more difficult to remove and re-install.
The design looks better on your car than the very boxy and vertical options from other rack manufacturers. The mechanism for unlocking and locking the holders seems to be robust and well-designed. I'm very happy with these.
Date published: 2013-01-17
Rated 5 out of
5
by
andrewbean from
Everything you need and more
This was a great purchase. I wanted a snowboard rack that wouldn't make a ton of wind noise, and also looked great. I needed it to carry several snowboards, some skis, and sometimes my fly fishing rods. This rack does all of the above and looks really sharp while doing so. I leave them on my car (locked at all times) because I can't imagine putting them on in cold weather. My advice is when installing them park your car inside or somewhere where the weather is bearable because it will take 10-20 minutes to line it up and do it right. If you do it right the first time you won't have to do it again. Great purchase, especially with the 20% off list price I got them at. Highly recommend.
Date published: 2013-12-10
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Bryan Heart Bikes from
Does the trick, but a couple of critique
My wife had an ailing Yakima ski rack from her snowbunny days in California, and this is a most excellent upgrade: rubber is nice and pliable, actuation is pretty fluid, holds the skis pretty well on the roof. Instead of two strips of rubber running the width of the top and bottom bars, this puppy has three strips, alternating bottom-top-bottom, which I felt offered a more "customized" fit on the skis (less wiggling). Haven't used it on a snowboard yet.
There are a couple of critiques I had that perhaps someone will find useful in making a decision:
** Let'$ $tart with dollar$, because this thing is expensive! Best features of all the racks I was looking at, but certainly among the top-dollar options.
** The attach points (rack to factory/oval cross bars like mine) are no longer bolts and threads - that sounds like a good thing, right? - but rather a sort of "comealong" mechanism (turn the dial to advance a belt and buckle, either looser or tighter). Where the belt and buckle "meet" to tighten down, I felt like it was really tough to dial in the right amount of tautness, where "as tight as I think it needs to be for sturdiness" was really, really hard to fasten, and "the limit at which I think I can humanly fasten this" wasn't as tight as I'd hoped it would be. BUT, I drove 6.5 hours each way with three sets of skis on the roof, and nothing moved. So maybe it's my paranoia.
** Because of the new attachment method, be aware: When the rack is empty, if you don't have the jaws closed and locked, it COULD BE POSSIBLE for someone to prop open the top bar, unhook the fastening points without the use of tools, and remove your expensive Yakima rack from your roof. And then you'd be mad. So avoid that and keep it locked up.
** With skis in the rack, you can practically clamp these jaws closed all the way - very secure! - BUT the SKS cam locks will NOT function as prescribed. We had to loosen the "teeth" a few clicks before the locks would work. I don't know why that is! The locks should work at all levels as long as the teeth/jaws are properly engaged. We had two engineers on the case at the time, so we were sure it wasn't user error.
All in all, quite pleased, and would recommend to anyone. I'd just advise that, what I like may not be what you like... so be aware that, if you want to spend less, there's likely to be something else available to you! Cheers.
Date published: 2013-02-28
Rated 4 out of
5
by
JPipe from
Gets the job done
This is our first rack and it looks and fits great on our 2013 Subaru WRX wagon with factory cross bars. The install takes two people and the small, cheap, plastic knob adjustment is a littly tricky at first to tighten the rack to the cross bars. We have put 3500 miles on our car since install a month ago and haven't had to make any adjustments and haven't removed it once. When the rack is full or ski's are stacked, it is hard to lock. If you pinch down on the top a few inches from the lock while locking, it seems to take care of that.
Date published: 2013-02-14
Rated 5 out of
5
by
alpine33 from
It's real and it's incredible
It was between the Fat Cat 6 or the Powder Hound. I went to the HB REI and took a look at both in person. The Fat Cat 6 was much more streamline and aerodynamic which was my main concern as I drive from LA - Tahoe / Mammoth frequently. The Powder Hound looked great but was much less aerodynamic and seemed like it would be much louder - a problem I didn't want on such long drives. I couldn't be happier that I chose the Fat Cat. Super easy to install to my factory rack on the FJ cruiser, easy to load boards, whisper quiet with or without boards, and super streamline look. I highly recommend this rack. A bit of advice for FJ Cruiser owners - mount the aft Yakima rack to the round crossbar on the factory rack so that potential thieves can't unscrew the thumb screws on the factory rack and make off with your boards or skis.
Date published: 2016-12-27
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Matemk from
Great ski rack but poor new model design
I own older model Yakima FatCat 6 and was trying to upgrade to this model. The old model is using screws and bottom hard plastic part that you can tight and it won't move from the cross bars...the new model has a plastic head screw that you tight with your hands (can't use tools)and a tiny rubber covered metal strip that wraps arround the cross bars.
I instaled this rack and tight it so it won't move on the cross bars but 2 days later it was getting loose so I tight it again and same story after 2-3 days. When it still got loose after the third time I just took it back and I am glad I kept the older model. Too bad that this part of design was not that good.
I also think that this rack can be stolen very easy (together with your ski's), just by cuting the tiny ruber covered metal straps.
Date published: 2012-12-21
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Curt from Seattle from
Looks great, works great
The FatCat 6 looks great and securely holds a lot of equipment. The aero profile minimizes wind noise, though you can still hear a bit of a whistle at highway speeds. The ratcheting latch mechanism lets you close the bars tight enough to hold your gear without having to apply excessive force to close the latch completely.
Installation isn't terribly complicated, but it does take some time and attention to detail. In particular, when turning the thumb wheel that shortens the retaining straps, make sure the straps aren't already wrapped around your car's crossbars. If the straps are wrapped, then the rubber coating around the straps can catch, making you think the straps are fully tight when they aren't. Said another way, the rubber coating around the straps should be able to slide into the brackets as you tighten the thumb wheel.
One key tip when loading: if the key doesn't turn easily with the racks loaded, you've probably ratcheted the latch too far. Press the release button and ease the latches back one setting, then turn the key. The latches don't have to be fully closed to hold your gear securely. After locking the keys, pull sideways on your skis/board to make sure they're secured.
Date published: 2014-03-03
Rated 4 out of
5
by
jreslock from
So far, so good
I bought the FatCat6 to prepare for the upcoming boarding season. It seems rugged enough. It wasn't too difficult to install.
CON: The part of the rack system that rubs up against the inside of the car door WILL SCRATCH/CRACK THE PAINT. The little vinyl stickers they give you are not enough to stop this from happening. Yakima should coat the hooks with rubber or plastic to avoid this in the future. To work around it, use pieces of bike tire innertube to protect the paint.
Date published: 2014-10-03
What hardware is needed for the FatCat 6?
This package comes with the hardware needed to attach the ski mount to Yakima Whispbar, round, square, and most factory crossbars.
Date published: 2016-11-21
Does this rack work for a 2008 Audi A4 wagon with factory rack without crossbars?
Yes, this ski/snowboard rack will fit directly on the Audi's factory crossbars.
Date published: 2017-02-09
What is the length of these crossbars? I need ones that don't exceed 24 inches (from the bolt down section).
​The bars themselves are 36.5 inches long, but the mounting points are 22 inches apart.
Date published: 2017-02-09
Does it come as a set or do I need to pay $249 per piece (or $498 for a pair)?
This comes with two ski/snowboard mounts, one for each bar.
Date published: 2017-03-07
Does it come with the hardware to mount into the Quickdock (Tslot) on a whispbar rack?
The FatCat 6 out of the box is not compatible with the T-slot Whispbars. You would need to order part number 8860085 directly from Yakima.
Date published: 2016-10-11
Are the bars locked and mounted to the factory rack? or can the strap be cut and skis made off with by an eager thief?
​The straps are made of steel and then wrapped in heavy duty rubber. They cannot be easily cut. In addition, in order to release the straps, the mount arm must be open. Therefore, the included locks keep the arms locked down, which effectively keeps the straps locked as well.
Date published: 2017-03-02
Reviews
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Tom in SF from
Aerodynamic, a little tricky to install
I bought this to replace a set of similar Thule snowboard racks for the top of my BMW 328i. These are much more aerodynamic and create little or no wind noise. Compared to the Thule, they were a little more tricky to install on my manufacturer crossbars, but after the initial fitting they're not materially more difficult to remove and re-install.
The design looks better on your car than the very boxy and vertical options from other rack manufacturers. The mechanism for unlocking and locking the holders seems to be robust and well-designed. I'm very happy with these.
Date published: 2013-01-17
Rated 5 out of
5
by
andrewbean from
Everything you need and more
This was a great purchase. I wanted a snowboard rack that wouldn't make a ton of wind noise, and also looked great. I needed it to carry several snowboards, some skis, and sometimes my fly fishing rods. This rack does all of the above and looks really sharp while doing so. I leave them on my car (locked at all times) because I can't imagine putting them on in cold weather. My advice is when installing them park your car inside or somewhere where the weather is bearable because it will take 10-20 minutes to line it up and do it right. If you do it right the first time you won't have to do it again. Great purchase, especially with the 20% off list price I got them at. Highly recommend.
Date published: 2013-12-10
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Bryan Heart Bikes from
Does the trick, but a couple of critique
My wife had an ailing Yakima ski rack from her snowbunny days in California, and this is a most excellent upgrade: rubber is nice and pliable, actuation is pretty fluid, holds the skis pretty well on the roof. Instead of two strips of rubber running the width of the top and bottom bars, this puppy has three strips, alternating bottom-top-bottom, which I felt offered a more "customized" fit on the skis (less wiggling). Haven't used it on a snowboard yet.
There are a couple of critiques I had that perhaps someone will find useful in making a decision:
** Let'$ $tart with dollar$, because this thing is expensive! Best features of all the racks I was looking at, but certainly among the top-dollar options.
** The attach points (rack to factory/oval cross bars like mine) are no longer bolts and threads - that sounds like a good thing, right? - but rather a sort of "comealong" mechanism (turn the dial to advance a belt and buckle, either looser or tighter). Where the belt and buckle "meet" to tighten down, I felt like it was really tough to dial in the right amount of tautness, where "as tight as I think it needs to be for sturdiness" was really, really hard to fasten, and "the limit at which I think I can humanly fasten this" wasn't as tight as I'd hoped it would be. BUT, I drove 6.5 hours each way with three sets of skis on the roof, and nothing moved. So maybe it's my paranoia.
** Because of the new attachment method, be aware: When the rack is empty, if you don't have the jaws closed and locked, it COULD BE POSSIBLE for someone to prop open the top bar, unhook the fastening points without the use of tools, and remove your expensive Yakima rack from your roof. And then you'd be mad. So avoid that and keep it locked up.
** With skis in the rack, you can practically clamp these jaws closed all the way - very secure! - BUT the SKS cam locks will NOT function as prescribed. We had to loosen the "teeth" a few clicks before the locks would work. I don't know why that is! The locks should work at all levels as long as the teeth/jaws are properly engaged. We had two engineers on the case at the time, so we were sure it wasn't user error.
All in all, quite pleased, and would recommend to anyone. I'd just advise that, what I like may not be what you like... so be aware that, if you want to spend less, there's likely to be something else available to you! Cheers.
Date published: 2013-02-28
Rated 4 out of
5
by
JPipe from
Gets the job done
This is our first rack and it looks and fits great on our 2013 Subaru WRX wagon with factory cross bars. The install takes two people and the small, cheap, plastic knob adjustment is a littly tricky at first to tighten the rack to the cross bars. We have put 3500 miles on our car since install a month ago and haven't had to make any adjustments and haven't removed it once. When the rack is full or ski's are stacked, it is hard to lock. If you pinch down on the top a few inches from the lock while locking, it seems to take care of that.
Date published: 2013-02-14
Rated 5 out of
5
by
alpine33 from
It's real and it's incredible
It was between the Fat Cat 6 or the Powder Hound. I went to the HB REI and took a look at both in person. The Fat Cat 6 was much more streamline and aerodynamic which was my main concern as I drive from LA - Tahoe / Mammoth frequently. The Powder Hound looked great but was much less aerodynamic and seemed like it would be much louder - a problem I didn't want on such long drives. I couldn't be happier that I chose the Fat Cat. Super easy to install to my factory rack on the FJ cruiser, easy to load boards, whisper quiet with or without boards, and super streamline look. I highly recommend this rack. A bit of advice for FJ Cruiser owners - mount the aft Yakima rack to the round crossbar on the factory rack so that potential thieves can't unscrew the thumb screws on the factory rack and make off with your boards or skis.
Date published: 2016-12-27
Rated 1 out of
5
by
Matemk from
Great ski rack but poor new model design
I own older model Yakima FatCat 6 and was trying to upgrade to this model. The old model is using screws and bottom hard plastic part that you can tight and it won't move from the cross bars...the new model has a plastic head screw that you tight with your hands (can't use tools)and a tiny rubber covered metal strip that wraps arround the cross bars.
I instaled this rack and tight it so it won't move on the cross bars but 2 days later it was getting loose so I tight it again and same story after 2-3 days. When it still got loose after the third time I just took it back and I am glad I kept the older model. Too bad that this part of design was not that good.
I also think that this rack can be stolen very easy (together with your ski's), just by cuting the tiny ruber covered metal straps.
Date published: 2012-12-21
Rated 4 out of
5
by
Curt from Seattle from
Looks great, works great
The FatCat 6 looks great and securely holds a lot of equipment. The aero profile minimizes wind noise, though you can still hear a bit of a whistle at highway speeds. The ratcheting latch mechanism lets you close the bars tight enough to hold your gear without having to apply excessive force to close the latch completely.
Installation isn't terribly complicated, but it does take some time and attention to detail. In particular, when turning the thumb wheel that shortens the retaining straps, make sure the straps aren't already wrapped around your car's crossbars. If the straps are wrapped, then the rubber coating around the straps can catch, making you think the straps are fully tight when they aren't. Said another way, the rubber coating around the straps should be able to slide into the brackets as you tighten the thumb wheel.
One key tip when loading: if the key doesn't turn easily with the racks loaded, you've probably ratcheted the latch too far. Press the release button and ease the latches back one setting, then turn the key. The latches don't have to be fully closed to hold your gear securely. After locking the keys, pull sideways on your skis/board to make sure they're secured.
Date published: 2014-03-03
Rated 4 out of
5
by
jreslock from
So far, so good
I bought the FatCat6 to prepare for the upcoming boarding season. It seems rugged enough. It wasn't too difficult to install.
CON: The part of the rack system that rubs up against the inside of the car door WILL SCRATCH/CRACK THE PAINT. The little vinyl stickers they give you are not enough to stop this from happening. Yakima should coat the hooks with rubber or plastic to avoid this in the future. To work around it, use pieces of bike tire innertube to protect the paint.
Date published: 2014-10-03
Questions & Answers
What hardware is needed for the FatCat 6?
This package comes with the hardware needed to attach the ski mount to Yakima Whispbar, round, square, and most factory crossbars.
Date published: 2016-11-21
Does this rack work for a 2008 Audi A4 wagon with factory rack without crossbars?
Yes, this ski/snowboard rack will fit directly on the Audi's factory crossbars.
Date published: 2017-02-09
What is the length of these crossbars? I need ones that don't exceed 24 inches (from the bolt down section).
​The bars themselves are 36.5 inches long, but the mounting points are 22 inches apart.
Date published: 2017-02-09
Does it come as a set or do I need to pay $249 per piece (or $498 for a pair)?
This comes with two ski/snowboard mounts, one for each bar.
Date published: 2017-03-07
Does it come with the hardware to mount into the Quickdock (Tslot) on a whispbar rack?
The FatCat 6 out of the box is not compatible with the T-slot Whispbars. You would need to order part number 8860085 directly from Yakima.
Date published: 2016-10-11
Are the bars locked and mounted to the factory rack? or can the strap be cut and skis made off with by an eager thief?
​The straps are made of steel and then wrapped in heavy duty rubber. They cannot be easily cut. In addition, in order to release the straps, the mount arm must be open. Therefore, the included locks keep the arms locked down, which effectively keeps the straps locked as well.
Date published: 2017-03-02
