Goodbye Whispbar. Hello Yakima. What's the difference between Whispbar and Yakima roof racks?

What's the difference between Whispbar and Yakima roof racks?

It's been rumoured to be happening for a long time but Yakima, the parent company of Whispbar, announced at the end of 2020 that the Whispbar brand is being phased out. We've been selling Whispbar roof racks for over 15 years and have been a Whispbar Signature Store since they started. We're pretty sad to the Whispbar brand go but we're excited for what the future will hold for Yakima. 

If you aren't across the name change and have been researching roof racks, you may be wondering "what is the difference between Whispbar and Yakima roof racks?"  We wanted to share some information around what you can expect when you receive your Yakima racks. 

The name will change but the technology will stay the same. 

Firstly, there is very little change between the Yakima bars and Whispbar bars. The mounting styles are the same, the fitting kits are all interchangeable, the bars themselves and the legs that attach to them are 99% identical. If you hold the Yakima and Whispbar bars side by side, the only change you'll notice is the brand name on the bar and nothing else.  

While the name is changing, the uncompromising design and thoughtfully engineered technologies that Whispbar is renowned for will live on in Yakima. That means you can expect the same quietness, usability and functionality from your Yakima racks that you would expect from Whispbar branded racks. 

Our experienced team has supported both Whispbar and Yakima products for many years, we are confident that you will love your Yakima racks as much as you would a set of Whispbars. 

How will warranties work?

We will continue to support your Whispbar products and that support will be backed up by Yakima, Whispbars parent company. Yakima bars have the same warranty as Whispbar, so there is no change there. 

You can still get support, order spare parts or compatible accessories, and Yakima will honour applicable warranty terms on any Whispbar products you have purchased.

Will accessories that fit Whispbar roof racks fit on Yakima roof racks?

Yes, 100%. There is no change in the accessory compatibility between the two brands. If your accessory works on Whispbar roof racks, they will work on Yakima roof racks. 

If you have bike carriers, kayak cradles or roof boxes, they will still work on your new Yakima roof racks. As we've mentioned in the article a few times, there is no change to bars themselves besides the branding.

If you have Whispbar accessories and are concerned about the warranties for them, don't worry. The same conditions and support offered for roof rack kits will still apply to Whispbar accessories still in warranty. For warranty concerns with Whispbar accessories, you can contact us or contact Yakima directly. 

Detailed photos of Yakima roof racks. 

The photography and branding is currently being changed over from Whispbar to Yakima. During that time, new photos may not always be available for your kit. We've taken some ourselves so you can how the branding looks on the new Yakima roof rack range

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