Trailer brake controller is a necessary piece of equipment to keep your vehicle safe. When you’re hauling a heavy load, the brakes on your towing vehicle won’t be enough to maintain control.
Best trailer brake controller enables you to brake the vehicles with your trailer’s wheels as well. This prevents jackknifing and other situations where you lose control of your trailer.
We’ve selected 10 of the best trailer brake controller on the market. Our comprehensive reviews will pinpoint important features so you can find a brake controller that fits your needs and budget.
Contents
- 1 Best Trailer Brake Controller Review
- 1.1 1Tekonsha 90195 P3: One of the best Electronic Brake Controller
- 1.2 2Tekonsha 90160: Primus IQ Brake Control
- 1.3 3Tekonsha 90885 Prodigy P2: a best trailer brake controller review
- 1.4 4CURT 51140: TriFlex Brake Controller
- 1.5 5Tekonsha 90250: Prodigy RF Electronic Brake Control
- 1.6 6Tekonsha P3: Electric brake controller Reviews
- 1.7 7Roadmaster 8700: Invisibrake Brake Control
- 1.8 8Hopkins 39504: BrakeBuddy Vantage Select Brake System
- 1.9 9Hopkins 9499: best trailer brake controller with Classic Braking Package
- 1.10 10SMI 99202: Tow Brake System
- 2 Best Trailer Brake Controller: Editor’s Top 3 Picks Comparison Chart
- 3 Recommendation
- 4 The Bottom Line
Best Trailer Brake Controller Review
1Tekonsha 90195 P3: One of the best Electronic Brake Controller
4.8 / 5Electronic Brake Controller is one of the complete brake controllers that uses internal accelerometers to apply just the right amount of pressure to your trailer’s brakes.
Importantly, the Tekonsha 90195 P3 has a bright LCD display and easy-to-use buttons so you can adjust brake settings on the fly.
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Pros
- Use your trailer brakes the same way you use the brakes on your truck.
- You’ll stop quickly when you need to and stop gently the rest of the time.
- Has multiple buttons and a clear LCD display, making programming in your custom settings very easy.
- Work great with electric drum brakes, too, and can support trailers with up to 4 axles.
- Simply pull a lever on the bottom of the unit to manually apply your trailer brakes.
Cons
- You need a wiring harness to use this unit. This harness is sold separately.
Who Should Buy It?
The Tekonsha 90195 P3 is one of the best trailer brake controllers on the market. It is ideal for anyone with a truck who hauls a trailer regularly.
It works with both electric drum brakes and electric-over-hydraulic trailer brakes, meaning you can use it with just about every trailer. Also, it’s great for people who have multiple trailers.
2Tekonsha 90160: Primus IQ Brake Control
4.7 / 5This is a cheaper, more basic version of the P3 above. This Tekonsha 90160 Primus IQ doesn’t have a fancy screen or programmable settings.
Despite this, it still offers excellent proportional brake controls, easy installation, and great compatibility.
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Pros
- Affordable despite being high-quality.
- Brake the same way the towing vehicle brakes, even on hills
- Simple to install
Cons
- Offer less control than the P3 above
- Presets, the display is much more limited, and you use a knob instead of buttons.
- You need a wiring harness specific to your vehicle to install this trailer brake controller
Who Should Buy It?
The Tekonsha 90160 Primus IQ is wonderful for people who want a great brake controller on a tight budget. You’re not paying for any special features here.
Instead, you just get a basic digital readout, a plastic control knob, and best trailer brake controller for the money.
3Tekonsha 90885 Prodigy P2: a best trailer brake controller review
4.8 / 5Tekonsha 90885 Prodigy P2 helps you keep your trailer under control with a basic control knob, boost button, and a simple digital readout. It’s got the same accurate accelerometer setup as the other Tekonsha proportional controllers.
However, the big difference here is that it can work with 4 axle trailers, instead of being limited to 3 axles.
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Pros
- The accelerometer in the Prodigy P2 detects the difference between these situations and makes sure that your trailer brakes how you want it to.
- It’s rated to control trailers of up to 4 axles, so you can use it to haul some pretty big stuff.
Cons
- The limited display on the Tekonsha Prodigy P2 means that it can’t communicate as much information as a fancier device
- You’ll need to purchase a harness separately in order to use it
Who Should Buy It?
The Tekonsha 90885 Prodigy P2 is a no-frills brake controller that can support up to 4 axles. This makes it a perfect choice for anyone who needs to haul large loads who doesn’t want to spend a lot.
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4CURT 51140: TriFlex Brake Controller
4.4 / 5Curt’s 51140 TriFlex brake controller has a number of innovative features. It’s designed to automatically detect hills, for example, meaning your trailer will be much more responsive to brake inputs while you climb and descend.
It’s also quite inexpensive, making it the best trailer brake controller 2019.
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Pros
- Automatically calibrates itself, detects hills, and senses how you brake
- Apply your trailer brakes accordingly, giving you excellent control over your vehicle.
- A bit cheaper than most of the Tekonsha brake controllers on this page
- Curt TriFlex easily plugs into a vehicle specific wiring harness
- Mounting it inside of your towing vehicle is quite easy.
Cons
- TriFlex has an inconsistent lifespan
- Require a vehicle-specific wiring harness to work
Who Should Buy It?
Curt’s 51140 TriFlex is a great option for people on a budget. That said, it tends to be a bit less reliable than the Tekonshas on this page.
This means that it’s best for people who don’t tow quite as frequently. If you only break out your brake controller a couple of times a year, the TriFlex is a great choice.
5Tekonsha 90250: Prodigy RF Electronic Brake Control
4.2 / 5The difference between the Tekonsha 90250 Prodigy RF brake controller and the others is that you don’t have to install the Prodigy at all. Simply take the handheld remote into your vehicle and you’re all set to tow!.
The handheld remote doesn’t require any under-dash wiring or expensive wiring harnesses.
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Pros
- No wiring harness to worry about
- No fiddling with wires or screws!
- Gives you lots of control over how your trailer handles.
- Excellent Acceleration-Based Proportional Braking
Cons
- Reliable, long-range wireless equipment isn’t cheap
- The lack of a permanent mount for the Prodigy RF’s remote means it’ll sit in a cup holder or on a spare seat.
Who Should Buy It?
If you can’t or won’t install a wiring harness or amount for a more permanent brake controller, the Tekonsha 90250 Prodigy RF is the choice for you.
It offers excellent accelerometer-controlled proportional braking without any permanent modifications to your vehicle. This makes it perfect for people who rent or borrow trucks as well as people with less mechanical expertise.
6Tekonsha P3: Electric brake controller Reviews
4.8 / 5The Tekonsha P3 is our top pick. The biggest downside to this trailer brake controller is that you have to buy a wiring harness to use it.
This kit bundles the P3 with a wiring kit for many popular trucks from both Toyota and Lexus. It’s not for everyone, but it’s quite convenient if you own a compatible truck.
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Pros
- It’s got a big, vibrant display with smooth controls, great notifications, and easy setup
- This kit has a wiring harness, you’ll need to get fewer additional parts to install it.
Cons
- The wiring harness included in this kit only works with a few Toyota and Lexus vehicles
Who Should Buy It?
We stand by our recommendation that the Tekonsha P3 is a great choice for anyone who hauls a trailer regularly. This kit simply includes some wires for a few popular trucks.
If you’re lucky enough to own a compatible Toyota truck (like Tundra or Tacoma) or one of several Lexus vehicles, this convenient bundle is a great way to save time and money.
7Roadmaster 8700: Invisibrake Brake Control
4.5 / 5The Roadmaster 8700 Invisibrake can be installed in the vehicle you intend to tow. Once you’ve set it up, you can then hook up your RV to the invisible.
The result? Your towed car will automatically brake with your RV, giving you more control and more safety.
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Pros
- Effectively Syncs Towed Vehicle Brakes To RV
- Don’t have to fiddle with placing a device on top of the brake pedal
- Won’t shake itself loose if you stop suddenly, take a sharp turn, or go up and down some hills
Cons
- Some users find it is quite difficult to install
- The Invisibrake will stop braking after 10 seconds. So, it’s not ideal if you’re going down a hill for a really long time.
Who Should Buy It?
Roadmaster Invisibrake 8700 is best for people who tow a car fairly often. That said, you don’t have to be mechanically minded to use this trailer brake. We suggest that you simply pay a professional to install it to avoid the hassle entirely.
8Hopkins 39504: BrakeBuddy Vantage Select Brake System
4 / 5Hopkins 39504 BrakeBuddy is a temporary trailer brake controller that you can add to a towed car. It wedges itself between the driver’s seat and the brake pedal.
This brake controller uses mechanical force to simply push the pedal down when you brake with the towing vehicle.
Most importantly, you can put the system inside of any car with a minimum of prep and no permanent installation.
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Pros
- Can be fully removed from your car when your trip is done
- Easy to set up
- Offer proportional trailer brake controller
Cons
- Some users suppose that it can shake loose.
Who Should Buy It?
The BrakeBuddy is completely temporary, so it’s great for people who don’t want to fiddle with their car and people who rent or borrow cars.
It’s also great for people who don’t RV often enough to justify installing a permanent brake controller in their primary vehicle.
9Hopkins 9499: best trailer brake controller with Classic Braking Package
4.3 / 5This model, the Classic, doesn’t do proportional braking. Instead, you can use a control knob to vary how much braking power is applied by your towed vehicle’s brakes.
While it’s not as smooth or fancy as the vantage select, it’ll help you stay in compliance with laws regarding trailer brake controllers.
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Pros
- Non-Permanent Installation (after the trip, it won’t leave a trace)
- Complies With Trailer Brake Laws
- Reduces Stopping Distance (lower the distance it takes you to stop up to 50%)
Cons
- No proportional control can wriggle loose
Who Should Buy It?
The Classic BrakeBuddy is perfect for people who tow cars behind an RV occasionally, but not extra often.
Like the other BrakeBuddy above, it’s great for people who rent an RV, people who rent a second vehicle to take with them, or just people who don’t want to install a more permanent brake controller.
10SMI 99202: Tow Brake System
4.5 / 5The SMI 99202 Tow Brake System is quite similar to the Invisbrake above. It’s a trailer brake controller that hooks up with your RV’s air brake system in order to automatically sync up with the brakes on your towed vehicle.
Like the Invisibrake, you’ll need to permanently install this system on the vehicle you intend to tow. Once it’s there, though, you can set it up in no time at all.
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Pros
- Offer precise proportional braking
- When it’s time to tow, all you need to do is hook up a few wires and cables
- The SMI Tow Brake System is permanent. It won’t shake loose when you go over a bump or otherwise jostle the vehicle being towed.
Cons
- It is not affordable
Who Should Buy It?
The permanent nature of the SMI 99202 means that it’s best for people who tow a vehicle regularly.
The great proportional braking it offers ensures that these folks will be quite happy with how their towed vehicle performs.
Installation can be pretty complicated, however, so it’s probably best that non-mechanically experienced people contact a mechanic and have him or her install this system for them.
Best Trailer Brake Controller: Editor’s Top 3 Picks Comparison Chart
 Tekonsha P3 |  Hopkins 39504 |  SMI 99202 | |
| Customer Rating | 4.7 / 5 | 4 / 5 | 4.5 / 5 |
| Price |  |  | |
| Weight | 2.24 ounces | 16.2 pounds | 3 pounds |
| Dimensions | 6.8 x 4 x 2 inches | 15.8 x 15.5 x 13.6 inches | 8 x 19 x 3 inches |
| Compatibility | Up to 4 axles | Towed vehicles | Towed vehicles |
| Hydraulic | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| Electric brakes | Yes | N/A | Yes |
| Bottom Line | It is a great choice for anyone who hauls a trailer regularly | It is suitable for people who don’t want to fiddle with their car and people who rent or borrow cars | It is highly recommended for people who tow a vehicle regularly |
Recommendation
Our Pick:
4.8 / 5We think that the Tekonsha P3 is the best choice overall. It’s got excellent proportional brakes with quite a few extra amenities you can’t find on other models. If you’re hauling a car with an RV, however, things get a bit more complicated.
Also Great
4 / 5Hopkins 39504 BrakeBuddy Vantage Select Brake System is also a good choice. You can use a control knob to vary how much braking power is applied by your towed vehicle’s brakes.
There’s no beating the BrakeBuddy Vantage Select for people who tow different cars or people who don’t tow as often.
Top Rated
4.5 / 5SMI 99202 Tow Brake System is the for you. The great proportional braking it offers ensures that these folks will be quite happy with how their towed vehicle performs. With its outstanding features, it deserves to be the best trailer brake controller in the market.
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The Bottom Line
No matter what you’re towing, it’s important to stay in control of your load. The best trailer brake controller reviews will help you apply the right amount of brakes with your trailer at the right time.
We think that any of the first six will work just fine with a trailer they’re certified for, while the last four will help you tow your car with an RV or other large vehicles.
When choosing between these products, be sure to consider what you’re towing, how often you’re towing it, and what your budget is. You’ll be able to choose your best trailer brake controller for the money. This will keep you safe and in control.
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