The Best Trailer Brake Controllers (Review & Buying Guide) in 2023 | Autance

Our first model comes from Tekonsha, and it is not only a proportional trailer brake control, it is also possibly the best electric brake controller on this list. Just take a look at the features it is packing.

First, it has the bright, easy-to-read LCD display screen. That’s very handy, because this little gadget wants to give you a lot of feedback. We’re talking output currency, battery condition and voltage output among other diagnostic readings. That makes it easy to ensure that the product is working correctly and solving any issues if they do come up by pinpointing the source. 

It is compatible with electric and hydraulic braking modes, it has three languages, it has a brake boost feature, it works on up to four braking axles and you can save the settings for up to five separate trailers. Heck, we bet it would even cook a steak for you if you ask nicely.

Ok, it won’t cook a steak, but it will help you to control the braking on your trailer simply and effectively. It’s not cheap, but you are getting a very effective device for your money here.

Next up we have a Reese Trailer brake control. A somewhat different model to the one we just looked at, it is a far simpler design of brake controller. That’s not necessarily a bad thing however, with a number of useful design points coming out of that simplicity.

Installation, for example, is extremely straightforward. As a solid-state electronic device there are no orientation issues here – you can hang it upside if the mood takes you. It does come with a useful installation harness, though the wires that run to the plug attachment are a little shorter than those you will find on some other models.

Once in place, set up is as easy as install. Use the big chunky buttons to enter and adjust trailer weight and brake activation speed and away you go. You will pay a little extra for the Reese name, but the guarantee of quality design and high-end construction is probably worth the few extra bucks.

Our next model of brake controller comes from CURT, and it is a pretty interesting little design. It’s big stand out is the fact it boasts a built in Triple-axis, motion-sensing Accelerometer. Now, an Accelerometer may sounds like the coolest ride at a carnival, but it is also a very handy little gadget to have in your car or truck. 

This built in device measures the acceleration – or deceleration – the controller undergoes inside the vehicle, adjusting the trailer brakes to match. What’s more, as a triple-axis installation it can also tell the pitch that the box is currently at. Why is this important you ask? Because it means the box can tell if the trailer is being hauled up a hill, and when it is coming down the other side. It can the adjust brake power accordingly. If you tow through hilly terrain then this bespoke braking adjustment could be very appealing indeed. 

There are nine levels of braking sensitivity you can adjust to, meaning this is not really a true proportional braking control. It does deliver a lot of interesting features though and for a price tag considerably lower than many full proportional braking control systems. 

Next up we have this device from Draw-Tite. It is a proportional trailer brake control, however it is a more basic model overall than many other proportional models. On the one hand, that’s definitely a good thing. On the other hand it is missing a few of the things you would expect on a premium model.

On the good side we have proportional braking that is a very good value for a more advanced braking system style. You also get the ability to control up to three braking axles, which should be enough for the majority of trailer sizes. It has a really nice snap-in mounting clip that makes it easy to remove the control box when you don’t need it and the plug and play installation is nice and simple.

On the negative side it’s just a little basic. For example, it will try to give you diagnostic information if it detects any errors with the braking system, but that information can be a little hard to read owing to the simple LED screen. It can also struggle a little when braking on loose surfaces like gravel. All in all though given the low price, it’s not a bad little device at all.

This product is essentially a more basic version of the Tekonsha product we feature later. The larger, information rich screen has been swapped out for a simple LED screen, and the buttons have been removed and replaced with a dial. You won’t be able to make the delicate adjustments to brake power or the set up of the device, but you are also saving quite a bit of cash.

In operation, the device is very similar to the one we just looked at earlier. They even have a virtually identical snap in cradle assembly. So all the pros of the item above – that fact it is easy to install and set up, the fact it provides proportional braking – are the same.

That means that the negatives are also identical. While this is a simple and effective device it is also missing some of the bells and whistles of its premium brother. Still, you are getting Tekonsha build and design quality for a good price, so that’s pretty impressive.

Hayes is a company that has been putting out aftermarket vehicle tools for quite a while, and this is its entry into the trailer brake control market. It’s a time based model so you are already looking at a lower price than the more high-end proportional models.

As a time-based model it is very to install, and it also require no pre-leveling, which we always like to see in time-based braking control units. It’s simple to set up, it’s simple to use… what more can we say? It works on up to three axles and with both manual and automatic brakes. It’s simple and it’s effective.

One thing that isn’t quite so effective is the attached connector, which is frankly garbage. It has a strange design that means it is compatible with some vehicles types for an easy plug and play installation but not with others. Hayes suggests you buy the model with an additional connector to ensure compatibility. The thing is though that extra adaptor costs some extra money. That pushes the total price up toward that of a more basic proportional brake unit. That really does dent the value for the money of this product.

The big stand out with this model is the fact it is so simple to set up and easy to use. The connector is well designed, to allow for true plug and play ability with this model. Once installed, setting brake power is crazy easy, as the device literally has two control buttons. That’s it! Look at the number on the screen. Does that feel like enough braking power? If not, press the plus button. If the power is little too much, press the negative.

Like we said it’s simple but effective. One down side is that manual braking applies full power instead of the percentage of power you’ve set the device too. That’s handy enough for emergency braking, but people who like to manual brake for added control in certain situations may not like that lack of ability to brake to a percentage rather than a full lock.

Here’s a second entry from this fine company because, quite frankly, it is always a pleasure to see a Reese trailer brake controller. This model is very different from anything else that Reese Towpower offers, however. It is in fact far different from any other product that has made its way onto our list.

This is by far the most stripped back model of trailer brake controller we’ve seen. There isn’t even a screen to display settings, and of course no screen means that there are no diagnostic reports. If the brake system isn’t working, it’s up to you to figure it out. We don’t even have buttons. The brake power is instead controlled by an old school looking, tiny plastic slider. The whole device looks old school; in fact, is it just us or does it look like an old VHS player?

It’s not all doom and gloom, though. This is after all a Reese trailer brake control, so it is highly effective in use. It’s also a dream to install and while it may not be the smallest controller on the market, the fact it has no screen or manual control means you can install it just about anywhere you want. It also has the build quality of Reese for an affordable price tag and that, ladies and gentlemen, is what we call value for the money. Who needs buttons anyway, right?

We finish up with the third entry from Tekonsha, and one of the more feature-packed models to make the list. That does mean we have a higher price tag, however. What do you get for the price?

Well, a lot of useful features. For one thing it can handle four braking axles, an upgrade in capacity compared to many other models of trailer brake control on the market. In addition, you have a lovely bright screen with blue numbers. That doesn’t really make much difference, it’s just a bit of change from the usual red. That screen also gives back a huge amount of real-time diagnostic information, making it easy to monitor your electrical and braking systems.

It’s not cheap, but it is packing a lot of cool features. It doesn’t really have any standout, killer feature but it also doesn’t have any real weaknesses, either. It’s essentially an upper mid-range product with an upper mid-range price tag that does exactly what it says it will on the box.