Best Rooftop Cargo Boxes for 2020–2025 Subaru Outback: 7 Picks for Swing-Out Bars and Wilderness

For most Outback owners, the SkyBox 16 Carbonite is the box to start with. Yakima lists it at 81 x 36 x 15 in and 47 lb, with 16 cu ft, dual-side opening, SKS locks and SuperLatch security, and quick-release hardware that fits most crossbars, including factory bars. Yakima says it installs in about 10 minutes with no assembly, and it takes skis and boards up to 185 cm. It was $599 on sale (regular $749) on Yakima's store when we checked, with a limited lifetime warranty.

The 15 in height matters on an Outback because it keeps the overall height down for garages, and the Wilderness sits taller to begin with. The 47 lb weight leaves about 103 lb for gear under Subaru's 150 lb figure on the factory bars, and less if you add aftermarket bars. The fit check is the spread. Deploy the factory crossbars, measure between them, and confirm it falls within 24–34.5 in. The 81 in length works on the long roof, but slide the box forward and open the rear gate slowly the first time.

Outbacks spend a lot of winters at ski areas, and the SkyBox NX Skinny is shaped for that. Yakima lists it at 84 x 26.5 x 16 in and 12 cu ft, with room for skis and boards up to 195 cm, 10 cm more than the 16 cu ft boxes here. Being narrow is the other half of the case: Yakima says it leaves crossbar space for other gear, so on an Outback a second ski carrier, a bike mount or a kayak saddle can ride beside it. It opens from both sides, and the full metal handle locks both the lid and the box to the bars. Yakima lists it at $799 with SKS locks and a limited lifetime warranty.

The downsides are price per cubic foot and a missing spec. At $799 for 12 cu ft it costs more than the SkyBox 16, and Yakima's page doesn't publish a crossbar spread for it, so confirm that it suits your deployed factory crossbars before ordering. At 43 lb plus a second carrier plus gear, the combined load can reach the Outback's driving limit quickly, so weigh the full setup.

The GrandTour 16 is the box for bulky gear: coolers without ice, camp chairs, a folded stroller. Yakima lists it at 79 x 35 x 18 in, so it is 3 in taller than the SkyBox 16 and 2 in shorter. The extra depth makes it easier to fit tall, awkward items, and the shorter length leaves a little more room over the rear gate. It opens from both sides, takes skis and boards up to 185 cm, and comes with SKS locks and a limited lifetime warranty. Yakima lists it at $709.

Its 24–36 in spread range is the widest of the 16 cu ft boxes here, which gives the best chance of matching the Outback's factory crossbar spread. The costs are weight and height. At 51.5 lb it takes the largest share of the roof figure, leaving about 98 lb for gear under Subaru's 150 lb on a standard Outback's factory bars. At 18 in tall, check garage clearance before buying, especially on a Wilderness with its taller ride height.

The RocketBox 16 is the cheapest Yakima 16 here: $350 on Yakima's page, with a limited lifetime warranty. It weighs 42 lb, less than the SkyBox 16 or GrandTour 16, and its long, narrow shape (92 x 26 x 15 in) leaves room on the crossbars for a bike or ski mount beside it. That lower weight is useful against Subaru's 150 lb figure for the standard roof.

The Outback's long wagon roof handles a 92 in box better than a compact SUV, but length is still the thing to check. Measure from the front crossbar to where the open rear gate reaches, and make sure the box's tail stays clear with the box mounted forward. Yakima lists the RocketBox 16 as archived and out of stock, and its page doesn't give a crossbar spread or opening details. Confirm the spread on the listing and compare it with your factory crossbars before ordering.

The DeepSpace 10 does the most with the Outback's driving roof limit. Yakima lists it at 60 x 23 x 16 in and 30.2 lb, and it is the only box on this page with a published cargo rating: 100 lb. Under Subaru's 150 lb figure for the standard roof, that 30 lb shell leaves about 120 lb of roof allowance on the factory bars, more than the box's own 100 lb cargo limit. It has tie-down points inside, a wide-angle lid, and a limited lifetime warranty, and Yakima lists it at $649, made in the USA.

The spread is the catch. The DeepSpace needs 32–46 in between the bars, wider than the 16 cu ft boxes need. Measure your deployed factory crossbars; if they sit closer than 32 in, you'll need aftermarket bars on the rails that can be spaced wider. Wilderness owners, who have to add crossbars anyway, may find it easiest to fit. At 60 in long it is nowhere near the rear gate, but at 10 cu ft it isn't a ski box.

The Thule Motion 3 XL is the step up for Outback owners who want more room than a 16 cu ft box and longer skis than the Yakimas take. Thule lists it at 18 cu ft with exterior dimensions of 84.7 x 35 x 17 in, a 51 lb box weight and a 165 lb maximum load. It takes skis up to 200 cm, 5 cm more than the SkyBox NX Skinny, opens from either side with one hand, locks with SlideLock, and clamps on with PowerClick mounts. Thule lists it at $1,149.95. This Amazon listing is a Limited Edition version, so check the finish on the listing.

For the Outback, the spread range is the big advantage. etrailer lists 21-13/16 to 36-9/16 in for the Motion 3 boxes, the widest range on this page, which gives the best chance of matching the factory crossbars' spread, and etrailer lists a limited lifetime warranty for the line. The costs are weight and length. At 51 lb it leaves about 99 lb for gear under Subaru's 150 lb figure on the factory bars, so pack skis, boots and soft bags, not a cooler. At 84.7 in it is about as long as the SkyBox NX Skinny, so mount it forward and open the rear gate slowly the first time.

The SportRack Vista XL gives an Outback 18 cu ft for $449.95, less than half the price of the Thule Motion 3 XL. SportRack lists it at 63 x 38 x 19 in in UV-resistant ABS, with tool-free mounting hardware and a lock, and says it fits square bars, round bars and most factory racks. Its short, wide shape suits the wagon: at 63 in it sits well forward of the rear gate and still holds more than any 16 cu ft box here. etrailer lists it under the Outback Wagon among its fits.

The mount is the thing to check on the factory crossbars. etrailer's expert gives three fixed mounting positions, 25-7/8, 27-7/8 and 29-7/8 in center to center, so deploy your factory bars and measure: if they don't land on one of those, you'll need aftermarket bars you can position. The lid opens at the rear, so you load from behind the car, which is handy at a trailhead but means reaching over the roof's tail. At 38 in wide it fills the bars, and at 19 in tall it is the tallest box here, which matters for garages and on a Wilderness. SportRack's page doesn't list box weight, load rating or warranty terms, so confirm them on the listing before loading up.