What is the difference between Rhino-Rack and Thule?

There few differences between Rhino-Rack products and Thule products and there are also similarities. Let's go over how they compare.

1. Both systems are designed to work on vehicle's that have the flush mounted rail system and both systems will be about the same in terms of effort for installing and removing.
2. They have similar crossbar designs and features but Rhino-Rack has crossbars that are 7" longer at 54" versus the 47" for the Thule system. 
3. Both Rhino-Rack and Thule offer a limited lifetime warranty.
4. As far as noise, they are both similar and much quieter then most competing brands.  It's been said that the Thule AeroBlade bars may be a little quieter then the elliptical bars on the Rhino-Rack system, but both brands take the aerodynamics of their bars seriously.
5. Both brands have bar types that are compatible with a wide range of accessories, in fact Rhino Rack's accessories are made to be compatible with other brands such as Thule and Yakima, in some cases adapters or fit kits may be required. So for instance, if you already have Thule's Aero Blade or Square bars, you can still install Rhino's Sunseeker Awning.
6. Thule has a few more options when it comes to roof mounted bike racks, watersports and snowsports carriers however Rhino-Rack has been known to make lower profile ski racks.
7. Rhino has some nice components like their quick release foot packs and a great easy-to-use clamping system for their cargo boxes that's worth seeing.
8. Overall, for quality and price, Rhino currently seems to have the edge, they're able to provide a quality product and in most cases for a lower price, this is likely attributed to the fact that they're still trying to build their name in North America.

Now, people are often swayed to go with the brand they know, and Thule is that brand that people naturally consider as their first choice because the brand has been around North America for longer than Rhino-Rack. Conversely, if you go other parts like Australia or New Zealand, you'll find that Rhino is very prominent, so brand recognition alone doesn't make one better than the other.

Want to compare a specific Rhino-Rack product to the Thule brand? Contact us with the part numbers and we will look into it!