JayLow Description

Versatile, adaptable, and super low-maintenance, the JayLow kayak mount provides maximum loading and minimal fuss. Carry one kayak in cradle position, or two boats in stacker position. Fits Yakima round, square, factory, or aerodynamic bars. Adjust the upright position with the easy-to-use integrated cam lever and folds flat when not in use. Includes Heavy-Duty Straps and Bow/Stern Tie-Downs.

Additional Attributes

  • Weight: 11.00 lbs
  • Dimensions: L 6.69" x W 6.00" x H 20.00"
  • Fully assembled out of the box
  • Tool-free installation
  • SKS Locks sold separately
  • Supports one boat up to 80 lb or two boats with combined weight of 110 lbs or less
  • Minimum crossbar spreads of 24” or more

Yakima Products, Inc.
JayLow Reviews

Read reviews for the JayLow by Yakima Products, Inc. as submitted by your fellow paddlers. All of the reviews are created and written by paddlers like you, so be sure to submit your own review and be part of the community!

Embed these reviews on your site

1

Went out on my first trip…

Submitted by: paddler2026755 on 5/9/2022

Went out on my first trip with my new JayLow rack. Felt a bit uneasy from the start as it just didn't feel nearly as secure as my old racks (basic metal j hook racks), but went ahead on my short trip to the local reservoir. Upon arrival I find that the racks had fallen down from the normal angle I'd locked them at to almost 180*. Unacceptable and dangerous. I've been strapping kayaks to my vehicles for years so I'm not a novice when it comes to doing this so I don't consider this user error, but rather a poorly made product that I'm stuck with.

2

It mounts easy enough and…

Submitted by: paddler1423515 on 4/15/2021

It mounts easy enough and that is the only goodthing I can say. I installed it, put my kayak on and thankfully only went 8 miles. When we arrived at the launch, after horrid whistling noises, the bar was not in position it had gone further back and my straps were barely on. It is a miracle the kayak made it there. I am not a first time kayak loader and I am not new to Jbars or even yakima. This was very disappointing.

3

Great from new, initially I…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 3/16/2020
Great from new, initially I thought this was a good quality product, after approximately 6 trips I found the soft gray cradle mounting strips started to become unseated and got damaged easily. The red locking handle has started to crack and has broken away after 15 trips. this cannot be replaced readily and requires a complete new carrier. The design can be improved to provide longevity by improving the locking handle and mounting materials/design.
2

When new, these seemed well…

Submitted by: paddler272231 on 11/19/2018

When new, these seemed well made and worked well. Now after 2 years of use, one is cracking. Not the longevity I would have expected at the price.

4

I bought these a while ago…

Submitted by: nawrocki28 on 7/25/2018

I bought these a while ago but recently put them to use. I find they are easy to install and very well made. They are good for different size kayaks and when not in use they fold down nicely. I would recommend these to anyone wanting a good product to carry their kayaks.

5

I bought this with a lot of…

Submitted by: paddler236332 on 7/6/2015
I bought this with a lot of trepidation, after reading many of the reviews saying the upright part of the cradle failed. My requirements were simple; clamp on to my wife's Pilot OEM racks and my Yakima rack, clamp onto the Yakima rack without spinning, fold down when not is use, lock to the cross bars, and be able to hold my 12' kayak. The Yakima Bowdown looked like it might fit the bill, it sure looks beefier, but the constant complaints about the cradles rotating on the round Yakima cross bars quickly took the luster off. That left the Jaylow.

The Jaylow has clamps that will fit on factory bars, but also a clamshell clamp that cinches down on the Yakima bars well, negating the rotating problem. The directions say to remove the rubber pads from the clamping mechanism when using the round bars, which I would definitely follow (the shop I bought them at said it didn't matter, but I am a direction follower). The two position upright is sturdy, but I can see where the complaints about it falling down would be valid. Mine was not very tight out of the box, and when clamped down, did allow a lot of movement. Rotating the red clamping arm two more times made it much tighter, and removed the play in the upright. With that, the two most common complaints I had read about were solved.

Loading the kayak and and using the straps are straightforward and provide a solid mounting point. I had no problems tightening the straps at the four mounting points, and it was rock solid. The first time I used it, I stopped multiple times to check the straps and make sure the kayak was secure. I've had it up on the interstate at 70mph, at it still stays rock solid. The straps for the front and rear have plastic covers to prevent marring of the bumper and paint. I'm not a fan of the s-hooks, and will probably swap them out for a spring loaded clip. The cinches on the straps that go around the kayak have a rubber cover, preventing scratching of the kayak and the car's paint. The pads on the base and the cradle upright provide a good amount of support and grip of the kayak. I have not tried to mount the second kayak that the directions mention. To make it work, you need to purchase another set of 4 straps from Yakima. I would probably buy another pair of these if I was regularly carrying two kayaks.

Noise doesn't appear to be an issue with them raised carrying a kayak, nothing outside of the ordinary. With the cradles lowered, I do not get any increased noise or whistling that I've seen people complain about. I have a Subaru Outback with a sunroof, which really passes through any extra noise. I still play the radio at the same level, which tells me they are quiet.

Of course as with anything Yakima makes, lock cores are an extra expense. If you have a system already, you can order extra cores keyed to the system you have already. If not and this is your first piece of Yakima equipment, you would need two cores, one for each cradle.

I'm happy with them overall, and look forward to years of faithful service. I have a lot of money invested in my Yakima racks (bike, snowboard and now kayak cradles), and hope these follow in the other equipment's footsteps.

3

We are using the Yakima…

Submitted by: guest-paddler on 7/1/2015
We are using the Yakima JayLow to transport a large tandem kayak. The unit itself seems very tough and durable, but after just a few trips we've already encounter a major issue! The straps that come with the unit are HORRIBLE! The hook for the bow & stern tie downs are too weak and the holders on the straps cause the strap to wiggle loose from the wind and vibrations of driving. One hook completely bent open, causing the kayak to detach and fly off our car!

We went out and bought some ratchet straps with a thicker hook, those seem to be working much better. But now, the mechanism that holds the vertical bars up seems to be giving out. We fear its only a matter of time before the bars snap flat down while in transit.

For the amount of money we paid for the JayLow, we've been pretty disappointed so far. It's becoming a safety issue and causing us to lose trust in their brand! We own other Yakima products, and this is the first one we haven't been happy with.

5

Brought three new plastic…

Submitted by: T-L on 4/16/2015
Brought three new plastic kayaks home from the dealer using a Jaylow for two and on old stick type for the third. Went back 2 days later for another Jaylow. They adapt to different bars but I was initially concerned that they'd spin on my round Yakima bars. I found that if you properly tie the kayaks down they physically can't spin at all. The dealer grabbed the kayak and shook it to show me how solid the setup was. My whole SUV shook but the kayaks were glued in place.

I really like the way the cradle is shaped, the lip,at the front makes it easy to hook one side in and then the other (I use Yakimas 'BoatLoader' when I load by myself and it is a piece of cake). Holds the kayak right where it should be. Easy to install, no tools, folds down.

I don't know why you'd pay more for Yakimas BowDown. I got a bunch of lock cores cheap on Amazon so I have the same key for the rack and all Jaylows. Very happy with my setup and would highly recommend it to others