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Nowadays, it’s very seldom we drive with our windows down. The dirt, dust, and pollution keep us rolling our windows up. So, when we get a chance to drive down to the country with open-air, the last thing we want to hear is the loud roar of the wind as it crashes against your roof rack. Thanks to wind fairing for roof racks, the wind is deflected, and long drives are wind noise-free.
What are Wind Fairings and What are They For?
Fairings do a great deal of help in reducing the noticeable noise coming from your vehicle that is driving against the wind. While they don’t eliminate the noise down to zero, they minimize it enough to keep you from being distracted with it as you drive.
Not only does it work with wind noise, but it also helps with fuel efficiency. Transport companies have been studying and researching the effects of aerodynamics on fuel consumption. One of their studies suggested that about 20% of fuel consumption is spent on the vehicle going against the wind.
The wind that our vehicles drive against makes the engine work double time, as it must turn all those wheels on the road. Rolling resistance also uses about 13% of fuel according to studies that engineers have done.
In driving any vehicle, aerodynamics should be given attention. Smoother airflow tends to have less wind noise. It also directs the air to a different direction other than where the roof racks. Wind deflection done by wind fairings is closing the gap between your roof and your rack system to keep that wind noise at bay.
How Do Wind Fairings Work?
Wind alters a vehicle’s aerodynamics when the vehicle is driving against the wind. This results in amplified streaming wind persistently pounding the vehicle passengers with boosted road noise.
Wind fairings aid in reducing these snags by marginally changing the vehicle’s aerodynamic contour. As the wind hits the wind fairings, it is deflected over and around the vehicle. In times where you feel like rolling the windows down to enjoy the view and the breeze, wind fairings help prevent the air from streaming in through your windows.
What are Wind Fairings Made From?
Most customers asked this question too. They have the impression that these fairings are made from plastic. Many are confused about whether they are made from ABS, Plexi, or Nylon. However, most brands use acrylic. For their products, they use Polymethyl Methacrylate.
A good fairing is constructed with high-quality materials. Acrylics are widely used by most fairing manufacturers. They are constructed to the highest levels using acrylic glass. ABS plastic is now a popular choice for manufacturing fairings because of its low cost and durability. Fiberglass used to be the king of the road, but due to the weight penalty it inflicts, has been edged out. They are still used though since they are excellent in creating flowing shapes but not that much. A good fairing is designed to be faintly tinted to reduce glare.
These fairings are also car make and model specific. Each is designed to fit into its exact car compatibility. They are intended to enhance the contours of the vehicle
Do I Need a Wind Fairing for My Roof Rack?
This the just one of the questions many ask about wind fairings. Most users are confused about whether they need them or not. Confusion may be brought about by friends who think they are just for aesthetics or by colleagues who suggest they don’t do anything good for the vehicle.
You already have your roof rack, which you have likely spent more than a dime on. They aid you well in transporting those gears you have, right? Why not top it up with a few more dollars for more efficiency? Without a doubt, these fairings are well worth guaranteeing you have the best driving experience possible.
Here are just some of the main benefits of having a wind fairing for your roof rack.
- Noise Reduction. Anything placed outside the car will result in a noticeable amount of noise at any driving speed. You may not easily recognize it, but even an empty roof rack will have its crossbars go against the winds that make an annoying whistling sound.
- Gas Mileage. Wind fairings will enhance your vehicle’s contour to help cut through the wind with less drag. The decrease in your MPG (miles per gallon) will actually pay for the wind fairing you are getting your vehicle.
- Appearance. Yeah, you have to admit, they do make your bare roof rack look sleeker and fancier.
Buying Guide for Wind Fairing for Roof Racks
Fairings are an expensive solution to stop whistling noise coming from your roof rack. But, they are the most effective. They work by increasing the streamline of your car. They reduce noise and wind drag and increase fuel economy.
Getting a wind fairing for your roof rack isn’t as complicated as getting other hauling gears. While they need to be thought of as their materials, fabrication, size, and mounting style, wind fairings only need to be realized through their compatibility with your vehicle (or the roof rack existing).
Most wind fairings manufacturers have fit guides to let you know you are ordering the correct fairing for your car.
Roof Rack Fairings
Check out the wind fairings for roof racks that we’ve carefully reviewed. This should help you prove to other pessimistic drivers that roof rack fairings aren’t just some flimsy kit that gets in the way of loading and unloading your stuff but is an aid to stop roof rack noise.
- Inno Fairing for Roof Racks
- Rhino-Rack Fairing for Roof Racks
- Thule AirScreen Fairing for Roof Racks
- Yakima Van Size Fairing
- LT Sport Aerodynamic Wind Fairing Roof Top Air Deflector
INNO Universal Mount Fairing for Mid-Size Cars and SUV’s
Reduce wind noise at any driving speed with Inno Fairing for Roof Racks. Its sleek and low-profile design boosts the looks of your roof rack. The anti-cuff sheets it features protects your vehicle from getting its paint scratched. Universally designed, its mounting brackets can lock onto most crossbar styles.
Features:
- Aerodynamic fairing redirects / deflects air to reduce wind drag and wind noise
- Sleek design improves the whole look of not just your roof rack, but your vehicle as well
- Base’s anti-scuff sheets protect your vehicle’s paint
- Made from 3-Layer ABS (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene) plastic and is constructed strong and durable
- Effortless and simple, clamp-on installation on most crossbars
- Carbon fiber color
- Made in the USA with limited lifetime warranty
Specifications:
- Application: round, square, aero, elliptical, and most factory crossbars
- Maximum crossbar dimensions: 1″ tall x 3-1/2″ wide x 1-1/8″ diameter
- Adapter kit is available for taller crossbars (sold separately)
- Dimensions: 40″ long x 4-1/2″ tall
- Minimum space between crossbar feet: 35-1/2″
Inno Fairing is available in two sizes. Its universal fit is compatible with almost any cars that meet the size it has.
Inno Fairing has simple installation and all the hardware you need to install it comes along with the package. It won’t just complete the look of your car but cut down on the wind noise and fuel consumption. All thanks to its aerodynamic design.
The three universal clamps it comes with will let you fit it around your round, square, arrow, elliptical and almost any factory roof rack systems. Each of these clamps has a rubber padding on the top and bottom sides. This keeps the clamps from shifting and moving on a roof rack, at the same time protecting the roof rack’s finish.
Every clamp has an adjustable pivot bracket. This guarantees a good slope for the fairing to accommodate different roof styles. Inno Fairing features feet on the bottom that has rubber pads. These take the stress off the fairing.
Look into ORS Rack Direct’s video review of Inno Fairing. ORS Rack Direct specializes in retailing racks sales and services. They have a sound analysis of this product.
Rhino Rack Wind Fairing, 38-Inch/965mm
Engineered to minimize wind noise while driving, the Rhino-Rack Wind Fairing deflects air around your load to keep it quiet and bring the fun back in driving. The quitter ride is also accompanied by a more stylish look of your roof rack and the entirety of your vehicle. Universal mounting allows effortless attachment to crossbars from most major roof rack brands.
Features:
- 38-inch length
- Aerodynamic fairing redirects air around the roof rack to minimize wind noise and drag
- Stylish design improves the overall look of your roof rack and your vehicle
- Rubber paddings/bumpers wards off fairing from causing scratches and scuffs on your roof paint
- Easy installation on most crossbars, thanks to its clamp-on brackets
- Adapter, which is sold separately is required for use with Rhino-Rack Heavy-Duty crossbars
- Comes with limited lifetime warranty
Specifications:
- Fairing length: 38 inches
- Maximum crossbar dimensions: 1-1/4 tall x 3-1/2 inches wide
- Minimum crossbar height: 7/8 inches
- Minimum space between crossbar legs: 30-1/2 inches
Rhino-Rack Fairing for roof racks come in various sizes, starting with the 32 inch, 38, and 50. Expect a quieter ride while on the road with this fairing system. With a sleek and trendy design, it helps enhance the look of your car, especially on the roof rack part, if you have any installed.
Taking it out of the box, you will notice a protective film over the top. It’s up to you to pull it off or keep it there. No harm in doing so as it can also help protect against bugs, dirt, or road grime on your fairing. You will also get all the hardware you need to install this fairing; bolts, washers, clips, brackets, as well as an Allen wrench, to fasten and tighten them down.
Driving is unpredictable. There could be times wind could hit your fairing too much causing it to move and rattle a bit. But, the rubber bumpers these fairings are padded with will keep your car paint from scratches and dents.
Thule AirScreen Fairing, 44″, Black
As the name suggests, AirScreen Fairing screens air and deflects wind around your roof rack significantly reducing wind noise and drag.
Features:
- Deflect air with aerodynamic fairing over your roof rack to dramatically minimize wind noise and drag and increase fuel efficiency
- Sleek design augments the look of your car
- Rubber bumpers padding protect your roof from scratches and scuffs
- Easy and tool-free clamp-on installation with hand knobs
- Constructed with Nylon and polycarbonate, it is strong and durable
- Made in the USA with limited lifetime warranty
Specifications:
- Application: Thule AeroBlade, AeroBlade Edge, and SquareBar crossbars
- Maximum crossbar dimensions:
- With aero bar adapter: 3-1/4 long x 1-1/8 inches tall
- With square bar adapter: 1-3/8 long x 1 inches tall
- Dimensions: 44 long x 8 inches tall x 5-1/2 inches wide
- Weight: 1.85 pounds
Out of the box, this wind fairing includes rubber pads and the fairing covered in plastic with plastic film. As with most protective screens, they can be either taken off or left on to help keep road grime and scratches off your fairing.
The side pieces can be attached by sliding it into the fairing and aligning the holes together and locking them with the nuts and bolts it came in with.
Hand knobs help you adjust to tighten it enough not to swivel around.
You need to make sure you get the right fitting for your crossbars. Thule helps you find the perfect wind fairing as well as other gears by going to this page.
It is important you get the right product that will work for the existing roof rack you have. Otherwise, you will encounter the same challenge this guy experienced. While Thule promises excellent service, it may not always work compatible with all gears. This user ended up drilling holes just to make it work. He should not have gone that far had he checked what he really needed.
YAKIMA – WindShield Fairing for Roof Racks, Quiet Noise, Reduce Drag
Yakima won’t pass up the chance to be on this list with their smart fairing. Yakima WindShield Fairing for Roof Racks easily attaches to any Yakima crossbars and can be custom-fit to non-Yakima. It substantially reduces wind noise and minimizes drag.
Features:
- Aerodynamic fairing moves air flow up your roof rack to significantly reduce wind noise and drag
- Sporty look enhances the overall aesthetics of your roof rack and your vehicle
- Padded feet keep your roof from scratches and abrasions
- Easy installation on most crossbars with its ratcheting straps
- Tools it comes with allows you to quickly tighten straps around crossbars
- It features theft-deterring hardware that requires iannstallation tool for removal
- Comes with limited lifetime warranty
Specifications:
- Application: Yakima StreamLine System bars, Yakima JetStream Crossbar, round, square, aero, elliptical, and most factory crossbars
- Length: 52″
- Weight: 2.8 lbs
Yakima WindShield Fairing for Roof Racks is available in various sizes to accommodate most types of vehicles. They come at 34, 40, 46, and 52 inches length, all working and sharing the same features. Designed with universal fitting, it aids in deflecting wind around the roof rack to reduce noise and drag.
This fairing is constructed with flexible, heavy-duty plastic. It is so durable, Yakima covered it with their Love It ‘Till You Leave It warranty. The design gives addition to the already sporty look of a vehicle with a roof rack with less effort. They are installed easily by just clamping them on. The padded feet guarantees your vehicle’s finish is protected from scratches.
LT Sport SN#100000001188-230 for Toyota Aerodynamic Wind Fairing Roof Top Air Deflector
Deflect wind up with Aerodynamic Wind Fairing by LT Sport. It doesn’t just reduce wind noise and drag, it also aids in minimizing rattling from your cargo mostly caused by the wind while you drive. Designed at their facilities in Southern California, they ensure quality and fitment to such vehicles for a favorable outcome.
Features:
- Designed for use with low-profile aerodynamic roof rack
- Reduces wind noise by deflecting air around your load
- Easily attaches to cross bars from most major vehicles
- Tinted black plastic design creates a visually appealing, sharp, and stylish vehicle look once installed
- Comes with 10-year parts support
- Comes with limited lifetime warranty
Specifications:
- Application: Required a minimum available internal crossbar length of 30.5 inches.
- Fits multiple vehicles. Table guide for fitment reference is below
Aerodynamic Wind Fairing by LT Sports help reduce wind noise and drag. It has universal fitting clamps that can easily attach to most crossbars. Its stylish design adds up to the sporty look of your vehicle.
Installation is tool-free, simple, and easy. Simply align the frame and push in the plastic pins through the holes on the frame. Fasten the bolt in place onto the crossbars and tighten them down with the black hand knobs it came in with.
Put added security by tightening them into the novel. Do that through the holes and use enough to secure the plate. With the right amount of tightening, your roof rack is now windproof and noise-free.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions):
✅ Do wind fairings really work and what do they do?
A: Yes! Wind fairings reduce drag on your vehicle by cutting through the wind that may strike your vehicle. They divert the airflow around the crossbars, which helps reduce the noise. Plus, they can even help fuel efficiency!
Conclusion
Having roof rack wind fairings is like cheating the wind. Like my vehicle developments, aerodynamics shapes and flowing curves moved wind more efficiently. Credits to tunnel testing, overcoming wind resistance is now easy.
A lot will say that roof rack fairings are simply aesthetics. No. Try driving with a boxful of load on top of your vehicle without wind fairing. Roll your windows down. Even at a granny-driving-speed, it will still produce sound. That big mail flat area that goes against the wind is the culprit.
The solution? Aside from disturbing the airflow with textured rubber on the cross bars and round bars, or getting foil bars, is wind fairing. Roof rack manufacturers usually have one in their product line up that will work perfectly. This plastic shield that attaches to the front of your load diverts the air flow away.
Stop spoiling the fun of driving with your windows down by eliminating the noise caused by roof racks. Check out the products we reviewed and find out which one works for you.
Check out our other articles on How to Reduce Noise on a Roof Rack, Thule Force vs Yakima Skybox, and Thule vs Yakima Kayak Racks!
