The easiest way to know which kayak is right for you is to read informative inflatable kayak reviews that give you real life opinions.
Our detailed reviews were created by doing lots of research, reading every review we could possibly find, as well as incorporating our own personal experience with many of the kayaks.
Consequently we have created the largest and most comprehensive inflatable kayak review site that helps people get to know the facts before making the decision to buy.
We are well aware how difficult it can be to make a large purchase online without having seen it in person.
We do our best to help you get a feel for the products and understand as much about them as possible.
Reviews, information and insider tips is what InflatableKayakWorld.com all about.
We have done our very best to provide detailed information, important facts and figures as well as all the pros and cons and suggestions on where to buy.
What You Will Find
In each review you will find:
- number of paddlers that it is designed for
- the pros and cons of each model
- the important specifications such as length, width, weight and load capacity
- material used in construction of the kayak
- the included accessories and features
- the type of water it is best suited for
- whether or not the seats can be adjusted for solo or tandem use
- the quality of construction
- how it performs and handles
- where to find the best deal online
When possible we have added our own pictures, our own videos and our own experiences. You will notice that we have our own opinions about just about everything.
We have many years experience paddling inflatable kayaks and we know our stuff.
However we also encourage you to research and read as much as you can to make sure the kayak you choose to buy is the right choice for your needs.
Although quality and price can vary, the majority of these kayaks are quite well made and with the proper care can last a very long time. It is important that the model you choose is the right fit for you.
Fortunately we LOVE inflatable kayaks and it is a real pleasure to test the models out and write down our findings. We hope you find them very helpful when doing your research.
Where To Start
There are so many options for different inflatable kayaks and more arriving on the market yearly. They get better every year and it can be difficult to keep up with the new materials, construction and technology used, not to mention all the different brand names and models.
If you are not sure where to start check out the Top 5 Inflatable Kayaks page for a list of five of the most popular and best performing models.
In each review you will learn what type of water the kayak is best suited for, how many people can paddle it and the style and size.
You will also find important information such as the weight, load capacity, material, quality and accessories that are included.
Basically you will find everything you need to know to get a grasp on the kayak without actually seeing it in person.
Our reviews are ever growing. We try to add more when possible and keep them honest and straightforward. We hope you find them helpful on your search for more information.
At this time our reviews include models by:
- Advanced Elements
- Aire
- Airhead
- Bic
- Coleman
- Gumotex
- Infinity
- Pakboat
- Sea Eagle
- Sevylor
- Tributary
We would love to see as many people as possible out on the water paddling, having fun, enjoying the nice weather, watching sunsets and sunrises, fishing from their self-powered watercrafts and all the while enjoying the awesome fitness benefits that go along with it.
Next Article: Inflatable Kayak Price Expectations
Can anyone give me their opinion on the Deus Aero Inflatable kayak. All I would like to use it for is the lake behind my home. It look strong however my main concern is the length of time for inflation and deflation. Thank you.
Hey Judith, The Deus Aero has such an interesting design. Unfortunately I have not yet tried it. I imagine it would take slightly longer to inflate with the all high-pressure drop stitch design but also could be worth it. If you end up trying it I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts!
I’m so happy I found this site! Like everyone else, I have analysis paralysis and can’t decide which kayak is best for me, so I’d really appreciate advice! I’m a beginner and will paddling on some of the lakes and rivers here in Texas. I have had two back surgeries and have off and on back pain if I overdo it, so I’d love one that either has a very comfortable adjustable seat or has the ability to buy a lumbar seat to snap in. I thought I had decided on the Intex Challenger due to its bargain price point and fantastic reviews on Amazon, but since I’m tall (5’11”) I think it might be too uncomfortable for me. I’d love to keep my budget below $500 if possible. Thank you for any help you can give!
Hi everyone,
I’m a complete beginner and looking for an inflatable kayak for local lakes. I’ve been reading about them all morning and am more confused now than ever. I have lower back stiffness, so don’t like the ones that are sit in and enclosed. I like more of the sit in but open, like the sea eagle 330. I thought I would want tandem at first to have kids or dog, but don’t want to have to rely on someone else to go either. Can you please tell me what to buy? Lol.
TIA for any help!
Hi Stephanie, The 330 or even the longer 370 are great and perfect for lake paddling. I get lower back issues as well. I wouldn’t recommend the Sea Eagle SEC kayak seats in the Deluxe package, they don’t provide much support. I find the inflatable seats in the Pro package to be more rigid and supportive.
Hi….I’m in the market for an inflatable Trying to choose between the Sea Eagle Fast Track and the Paddle Ski. My wife and I are fairly active seniors and we have an 80 lb dog. The FT 465 allows plenty of space for 3 but we are tempted by the Paddle Ski because it looks to be stable and spacious. However, I have 2 questions: (1) I have sailed catamarans and, though they are fast, some lack manoeuvrability….is the Paddle Ski reasonably manoeuvrable? ( 2) The Paddle Ski is quite beamy so would it be wise to have longer paddles or does the fact that you sit fairly high in the boat offset the width issue? Finally, we don’t plan on using an engine …paddling only. Therefore, which of the 2 models do you think would best meet our needs? Thank you
Hi Alan sorry for my late response. I prefer paddling the FastTrack, it tracks better and I do find it a little easier to maneuver than the Paddleski. We have taken our 75 lbs. German Shepard in our 385 FastTrack and it was fine… A little squishy but not uncomfortable. The FT 465 would give your dog his own seat basically and not take any leg room away from you and your wife. The Paddleski has some real advantages however, mostly with all the versatile options it offers and the fact that it is super stable. The higher seat placement feels different when paddling but I find you get used to it quickly. I would suggest the 8′ AB40 paddles as opposed to the 7’10” AB30 paddles with the Paddleski. Personally I like the lighter weight and the feel of the FastTrack. If you don’t plan on using a motor or any of the other Paddleski features, I would say go for the FastTrack. Hope that helps!
Over 5 yrs.ago, saw on the net an inflatable Kevlar kayak, with I think outrigger as an option. Cannot find now. Any advice?
Sorry Nick I don’t know of any inflatable kayaks that use kevlar.
Thanks Allison. I think that might be the one for me. I even contacted them and they said that two people most likely can’t fish in it but two people can definitely just paddle around it. So that’s a good bonus as well. Can you think of any other kayak that is really good for fishing that could also accommodate two people if needed?
I’m having a hard time here.
I will be using inflatable for fishing mostly in open water, bays, ocean, beach here in the philippines and i came up to three ik.
1. Saturn sk396 kaboat
2. NRS pike fishing
3. Sea eagle fastrack 385
Which is the best?
Hi, I prefer the NRS Pike fishing kayak or the Sea Eagle 385 FastTrack over the Saturn sk396 personally. The FastTrack is perhaps a little more versatile and will perform slightly better. However the NRS Pike is very stable and secure. Both are well made and both have a 3-year warranty. You really can’t go wrong either way… they would both suit your needs really well. Good luck with your decision and happy paddling!
I’ve always loved the sea eagle fast track but you have to add a lot of accessories it seems to get it ready for making it a fishing kayak. The NRS seems to come with a lot of accessories already installed and has 32 D-Rings on it to add more but a lot of people say it’s really slow. In your opinion, what would be the best to use as a fishing kayak and also one that could handle a heavier load if we did an overnight camping trip as well? And also, do you know if the NRS can accommodate two people? Thank you Allison. Your opinion is always greatly appreciated!!
You’re right Dennis NRS does include a lot of accessories that make it ideal for fishing. However it is also true that it is a slower kayak. It does get great reviews though and you can count on it being rugged and stable. With the FastTrack you would have to add more accessories but you get the better performance. They can both hold over 600 lbs. so no problem loading them up. The NRS Pike is only rated for one person. Technically you could fit another person in the kayak but you wouldn’t have much extra room for gear… Also you might have to add more D-rings to attach a second seat.
The Sea Eagle 380X or 420X also work well for fishing. They are both tandem kayaks that can be converted for solo use. However the performance is very similar to the NRS Pike. The Aire Lynx or Super Lynx have also been popular for fishing.
Personally I think either the SE FastTrack of the NRS Pike are the best bet. They both provide good value for the money and they both track well… The Pike is just a little slower moving.
Thank you for all the info. I think the NRS might be the one for me. I actually don’t mind if it’s a little slower. If I’m fishing with it i guess I really won’t be in too much of a rush. Lol. All though the Sea Eagle has been one of my favorites, and I think yours too, I would just have to add too many accessories to get it ready for fishing. Thanks again for your input
The NRS one is a great kayak and it is definitely nice that it is already decked out. I hope you love it and have fun fishing! Happy Paddling 🙂
On 6/29/14 I purchased a Walker Bay Airis Sport–the floor drain leaked (snap-down, w/o o-ring). It took me almost a year (numerous, frustrating e-mail exchanges with WB’s warranty dept.), to swap out and receive a 2015 WB AS kayak. It was only when I demanded a complete refund, that the Director of Sales got involved. The 2015 design has a screw-type drain; lower quality black, backpack/bag). FYI: to return the 2014 kayak, WB provided me with a pre-paid FedX shipping label–only to find out from FedX that WB is a cash only customer (indication of possible cash flow/credit problems?). The 2015 kayak arrived 3 weeks ago. To ensure the integrity of this kayak (before taking it out on the water), I inflated/deflated it three times in my garage; each time the same result–the bow tube is leaking air. Does anyone out there have recent customer service and/or product integrity experiences with Walker Bay? Thank you.
I was already to buy the seaeagle fasttrack 385 until I noticed that the price had increased substantially from this past winter. Decided not to buy. Still considering a kayak instead of the dinghy for my sailboat, but if the price is as high as the fasttrack then I may well go with a good quality dinghy.
Where can I buy a air pressure gauge for my inflatable kayak? Or, adapt to one of the low pressure gauges that are readily available?
THANKS
Hi Larry, There are a few options… It can be tricky to find a pressure gauge on its own as they usually come with a pump. So you could always grab a new hand pump that includes a pressure gauge. Or another option is the Slingshot High-Pressure Valve. It’s a valve adapter that lets you inflate the kayak with a common air compressor such as a tire inflator. It was actually designed for inflatable SUP’s but it works well for most inflatable kayaks as well and the price is decent. It comes with a great pressure gauge. Your best option however might be Amazon.com. They offer a single pressure gauge that can be used for inflatable kayaks. It can read up to 14.7 PSI. Hope that helps!
I’m trying to find a review on the Maxxon MK 1205 seems like a very tough inflatable but not much in reviews.
I paddled the Maxxon MK 1205 recently for a very short period. Basically I saw someone who had it while I was out paddling and asked if I could try it out. It was definitely not enough time to do a proper review but my initial impressions of it were that it was comfortable, stable and fairly rugged and strong. Performance was mediocre however. You sit up fairly high so it’s a bit of a different feel. I imagine it would be good for fishing. Hopefully I’ll get to do a full review on it one day. Definitely nothing majorly wrong with it but it probably wouldn’t be my choice for the price. The people who owned it however seemed quite happy with it. Hope that helps.
Allison, I just want to share my experience in shipping a paddle board to Canada. This can work for kayaks too. The best way is to contact a local shipping company in Seattle, WA and ask them to be the recipient of the purchased kayak and than ship it internationally into Canada. The overhead comes to between $150 to $200. But, as you rightly pointed out, most kayak dealers are in USA, and most ship only within continental US. This hurts Hawaii also 🙁
need a inflatable kayak from a dealwr in Canada as I do not want to pay this high borderfee but as usual when doing resherch the Canadian market is completely owerwelmed by usa
Unfortunately the majority of inflatable kayak dealers are in the US and yes it does cost a lot extra to get them into Canada. Try mec.ca as I know they have a few good models to choose from and they offer free shipping.
No worries. I figured id ask only because I are them online a lot. I would live to get a sea eagle but couldn’t afford one. Thanks for answering so quickly though 🙂
I was wondering if anyone had experience with Saturn inflatables. They have a pro angler IK and a series of inflatable KaBoats. They seem to be built very strong and have a lot of options and a very reasonable price. I can’t find a lot of reviews though. Can anyone help? Thank you
Hi Dennis, Unfortunately I don’t have any experience with the Saturn kayaks. They are not ones that I have seen around much but they look decent. Sorry I couldn’t help you more.
I have bought 2 in the last 5 years and ready to buy my 3rd 16’. It may sound strange, but they hold 75-85% if there value on a resale (I live in Houston/Galveston area). I mounted a 4hp Yamaha engine and fish the bays, lakes and rivers in TX, AR and KY. I would like to see Saturn offer a canvas bottom someday, which may offer more puncture production. Have not had any leaks as yet, but try to be extremely careful on rocky, stump water! One think to keep in mind, the sun, weather exposure and storage does a number on pvc over 3-5 years. Which I consider the life expectancy! Good Luck, have fun and enjoy!