The OutWay Hanging 2 is the pick for anyone without a hitch. Thule's steel security cables make it the most stable hanging trunk rack reviewers have tested, it folds small, and it locks both ways. The compromises are inherent to the format: a 33-pound bike limit, the need for a horizontal top tube, and more movement than any platform rack.
Full review
Real-World Performance
Among trunk racks, the OutWay's signature is stability. OutdoorGearLab named it their best trunk-mount rack and explained why: "when installed correctly and loaded with bikes, the Outway is very stable on the vehicle as the steel cables don't tend to stretch or sag the way nylon webbing can." That steel-cable attachment is a meaningful upgrade over the all-strap designs that dominate the budget end of the category.
BikeRadar, reviewing the three-bike version, gave it 4.5 out of 5 and reported it "seems secure on rough-surfaced country lanes and when doing 70mph on the motorway." REI buyers are more mixed at 3.4 out of 5, which tracks with the format's inherent fit fussiness rather than a flaw in the rack itself.
Build Quality and Design
The OutWay weighs roughly 18 pounds and folds down small for storage in a closet or trunk, which is part of the appeal for people short on garage space. Torque-limiting knobs and steel cables clamp it to the trunk lid and lower body, and the same cables lock both the bikes to the rack and the rack to the car. Adjustable support arms and anti-sway stabilizers give a wider fit range than many hanging racks.
Cycling UK's reviewer captured the in-use confidence: "once set up, the rack is like part of the car; to make sure it was secure I gave it a good shake, it moved but only as much as the car did." Initial assembly is required out of the box, and getting the straps and cables routed correctly the first time takes patience, but once dialed in the setup is repeatable and the steel cables do not stretch the way fabric straps do over a long drive.
Capacity and Bike Compatibility
Each bike is limited to 33 pounds, for 66 pounds total, so this is strictly a rack for analog road, gravel, and light mountain bikes. Because bikes hang from their frames, you need a roughly horizontal top tube; step-through, full-suspension, and women's frames typically require Thule's frame adapter. OutdoorGearLab flagged that "many full-suspension mountain bikes or those with oddly shaped frames may be difficult to fit or incompatible."
Thule and retailers like Halfords publish vehicle-compatibility checkers, and Cycling UK's reviewer recommends using them before buying, since trunk and spoiler shapes vary widely. The OutWay fits a broad range of sedans, wagons, and SUVs, but the hanging format means it is fundamentally suited to lighter bikes with simple frames; load two road bikes and it works beautifully, but it is the wrong tool for a heavy e-bike or a long-travel enduro rig.
Where It Falls Short
The 33-pound limit rules out e-bikes entirely, the hanging design demands a compatible frame, and bikes rest against the rack arms with more sway than any platform hitch rack. It also blocks trunk and hatch access once loaded. These are limitations of the trunk-rack category, not defects, but they matter when you compare the OutWay to a platform rack.
How It Compares to Alternatives
Every other rack here is a platform hitch rack: the Kuat Piston Pro X, Thule Verse, Yakima StageTwo, and Kuat Sherpa 2.0 all hold bikes by the wheels, sway far less, and carry heavier bikes, but all require a trailer hitch and cost more. The OutWay's entire reason for existing is that it does not need a hitch. If you have one, a platform rack is the better long-term tool.
Who It's Best For
The OutWay Hanging 2 is for the driver who cannot or does not want to add a hitch and only needs to carry two lighter bikes now and then. It is the most secure, best-built option in that niche. If your bikes are heavy, you ride often, or you already have a hitch, spend the extra money on the Sherpa 2.0 or StageTwo instead.
Value at This Price
At roughly $450 the OutWay is far cheaper than any platform hitch rack here, and crucially it saves the cost of installing a trailer hitch, which can run several hundred dollars on a car that does not have one. That is its core value proposition: for an occasional rider with a sedan and two normal bikes, it is the most cost-effective way to haul bikes, full stop. The trade is that it will never match a platform rack on stability, weight capacity, or convenience, so spending up to a hitch rack only makes sense if your hauling becomes frequent or your bikes get heavy. Within the trunk-rack category, the steel-cable build justifies its price over flimsier all-strap rivals.
Strengths
- +No hitch required, the cheapest way to carry two bikes on most cars
- +Steel security cables lock both the rack to the car and the bikes to the rack
- +Steel cables stay taut and stable where nylon straps on rivals sag
- +Folds compact and weighs only about 18 lb for easy storage
- +Fits a wide range of sedans, wagons, and SUVs, even some with a spoiler
Watch-outs
- −33 lb per-bike limit excludes e-bikes and heavy mountain bikes
- −Hanging design needs a horizontal top tube or a frame adapter for many bikes
- −Bikes touch the rack arms, with more sway than any platform hitch rack
- −Blocks trunk or hatch access while loaded
How it compares
The only trunk-mount option here and the budget entry point. It carries less weight and is far less stable than the platform hitch racks: the Kuat Piston Pro X, Thule Verse, Yakima StageTwo, and Kuat Sherpa 2.0 all need a hitch but hold heavier bikes more securely. Pick the OutWay only if you cannot or will not install a hitch.
Who this is for
At a glance: Drivers without a trailer hitch who occasionally carry two lighter bikes and want a lockable, foldable, affordable rack.
Why you’d buy the Thule OutWay Hanging 2 Trunk Bike Rack
- No hitch required, the cheapest way to carry two bikes on most cars.
- Steel security cables lock both the rack to the car and the bikes to the rack.
- Steel cables stay taut and stable where nylon straps on rivals sag.
Why you’d skip it
- 33 lb per-bike limit excludes e-bikes and heavy mountain bikes.
- Hanging design needs a horizontal top tube or a frame adapter for many bikes.
- Bikes touch the rack arms, with more sway than any platform hitch rack.
Rating sources
“When installed correctly and loaded with bikes, the Outway is very stable on the vehicle as the steel cables don't tend to stretch or sag the way nylon webbing can.”
“The rack seems secure on rough-surfaced country lanes and when doing 70mph on the motorway.”
“Once set up, the rack is like part of the car. To make sure it was secure I gave it a good shake. It moved but only as much as the car did.”
Our 4.1 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
