Every weight distribution hitch gets a score from 0 to 100% built from four factors, which maps onto the 5-point rating shown on the site (a 0% score would be 1.5 stars; a perfect score, 5). Each factor is scored against fixed reference points, not against the other products in the list, so adding a new model never moves another model’s rating. Hitches are grouped by the maker’s gross trailer weight rating, up to 10,000 lb and over 10,000 lb; price and tongue weight have their own reference points in each group, and the other factors use the same scales.
| Factor | Measures | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Sway control | integrated, add-on or none | 30% |
| Price | price of the hitch | 30% |
| Tongue weight | heaviest tongue weight it is rated for | 15% |
| Warranty | warranty length | 25% |
Where the numbers come from
Trailer and tongue weight ratings, sway control, what’s in the box, hitch weight and warranty come from the maker’s product page, spec table, catalog or installation manual, and from the maker’s own copy on its Amazon listing where the maker publishes nothing else. Prices are checked at Amazon and the maker’s own store, and the lowest is used.
The factors
Sway control scores full marks when sway control is integrated, built into the head, the bars or a linkage, so it works with nothing extra to hook up. A hitch that comes with a separate friction sway bar scores half. A hitch with no sway control in the box scores zero.
Price is the current price on a log scale, so halving the price always counts the same. For hitches rated up to 10,000 lb, $1,000 scores zero and $250 full marks. For hitches rated over 10,000 lb, $1,500 scores zero and $400 full marks.
Tongue weight is the heaviest tongue weight the hitch is rated for. For hitches rated up to 10,000 lb, 600 lb scores zero and 1,000 lb full marks. For hitches rated over 10,000 lb, 1,000 lb scores zero and 1,600 lb full marks.
Warranty is the maker’s warranty: 1 year scores zero and 10 years full marks. A lifetime warranty scores full marks.
What isn’t scored
The lightest tongue weight a hitch is rated for, how the sway control works, the spring bar style (round, trunnion or chain), whether a shank and ball come in the box, and the hitch’s own weight (few makers publish it) are listed but not scored.
Missing data
If a figure isn’t published, that factor gets the neutral middle score (50) and the product page marks it as estimated. The exception is warranty: a maker that doesn’t publish one gets no warranty counted, so that factor scores zero, the same as the shortest warranty on the scale, and is marked estimated.
Ties and discontinued models
Products are ranked by score within each group. Discontinued models stay listed but rank below every current model and can be hidden with the “Hide discontinued” filter.