Yakima Caps Successful Outdoor + Snow Show with Multiple Award Wins

February 4, 2020

New CBX SOLAR cargo box takes home Outside Magazine Gear of Show and Innovation Awards Product of the Year prizes

LAKE OSWEGO, Ore., February 4, 2020 – Yakima is thrilled to announce that it has completed a successful Outdoor + Snow Show, held January 29–31 in Denver, highlighted by award wins for its innovative new rooftop cargo box, CBX SOLAR. The all-new box, featuring an integrated solar panel for charging portable batteries and other devices when off-grid, was awarded Outside Magazine “Gear of Show” and Outdoor Retailer Innovation Awards “Product of the Year” honors.

“Our number-one goal at Yakima is to bring safe, innovative, user-friendly products to market. More than anything, we want to amplify consumers’ enjoyment of the outdoors through the use of products that carry the Yakima name,” said Joel Grabenstein, Vice President of Sales, Brand & Product Marketing at Yakima. “CBX SOLAR is the latest embodiment of that desire, and the journey from concept to reality was a team effort in the truest sense of the phrase. We’re extremely humbled by the recognition it has received from Outside and the Innovation Awards judges.”

The Innovation Awards are designed to “highlight the gear, brands, and shops that are making an impact,” according to Outdoor Retailer. Yakima’s CBX SOLAR was among 30 finalists judged by a 19-member panel and scored “for their design, functionality, sustainability, and ability to inspire.”

CBX SOLAR is one of just four products to receive an Outside Gear of Show award at the 2020 Outdoor + Snow Show. The awards are voted on by the magazine’s editorial staff, and winning products are selected from hundreds of entries submitted for consideration.

“A tremendous amount of work went into the design and development of the new CBX line, and CBX SOLAR in particular,” said Garrett Barnum, Director of Category Management at Yakima. “To receive validation for the collective efforts of the entire Yakima team in the form of these honors is both incredibly satisfying and rewarding.”

CBX Cargo Box Collection

CBX SOLAR is one of three cargo boxes in the new CBX line, which also includes CBX 16 and CBX 18, 16- and 18-cubic-foot capacity boxes, respectively. Modeled after current high-end automobile trends—both in terms of design and naming convention—the CBX line features modern aesthetics and an all-new microtexture exterior that, combined with a premium feature set, make it the ultimate in rooftop cargo boxes.

Yakima teamed with Sunflare in the design of CBX SOLAR, the first mass-produced, premium-level cargo box with an integrated solar panel. Sunflare, based in La Verne, Calif., is the first company to successfully mass-produce light, thin, flexible, and durable CIGS (copper indium gallium selenide) solar panels, which are 75 percent lighter and 95 percent thinner than standard c-Si (crystalline-silicon) panels. Sunflare’s CIGS panels are capable of withstanding high impact; are impervious to heat, wind, and cold; and will not crack.

The integrated 36-watt panel on the CBX SOLAR cargo box produces a 5-volt (3-amp max.) output through two USB ports, making it a completely green way to power a campsite or tailgate/trailgate activity. It enables users to harness the power of the sun to charge portable batteries and devices without having to drain their car battery or even start their vehicle.

Cargo boxes in the CBX collection will have MSRPs of $849, $949, and $1,299 for the 16, 18 and SOLAR models, respectively. The line will be available at retail locations, digital retailers, and at Yakima.com in mid-August.

Also introduced at Outdoor + Snow Show were OnRamp, Yakima’s first bike rack specifically designed for e-bike consumers, and GrandTour Lo, a low-profile addition to the GrandTour collection of premium cargo boxes debuting this spring. Like the CBX line, these products will be available for Fall 2020.

About Yakima
A pioneer in vehicle racks and cargo management solutions since 1979, Yakima is known for its rugged and dependable products. Built for a wide variety of recreationists, Yakima products embody the company’s commitment to quality and safety and its passion for the outdoors. Yakima Products, Inc. is headquartered outside of Portland, Oregon. For more information, visit www.yakima.com and follow Yakima on social media: facebook.com/yakimaracks, @YakimaRacks on Instagram and Twitter, and youtube.com/yakimaproducts.

About Sunflare

Sunflare is a leader in the next generation of solar technology, reinventing the energy landscape. Sunflare has perfected a new proprietary technology revolutionizing CIGS solar. Capture4, Sunflare’s rapid cell-by-cell manufacturing process, yields efficient, low-cost CIGS technology. It produces light, thin, flexible, and rugged modules that can go places never imagined. The company has developed a variety of patented products to break through the barriers that have constrained new markets.