10 Best Kayaks 2024 in the United States

The history of the kayak is actually traced back to the Aleutian or Greenland Eskimos. Even though they originally used it for the frigid waters of the Arctic Ocean or the North Pacific, nowadays there are kayaks for recreational purposes that are suited for all types of weather. Kayaks are usually constructed to allow them to upright themselves quickly if they capsize. There are also ways to allow for bailing out water that gets into the kayak while paddling. You’ll also find kayaks that are for whitewater rafting, or for a slow paddle on still water.

But you’ll still have a wide selection of kayaks, depending on what are your objectives and limitations. There are inflatable and folding kayaks, which you can collapse down when you want to conserve space. And you’ll see hardshell kayaks, which are sturdy and easier to control--but require you to have appropriate storage space. And if you want to go fishing or camping, you’ll want a kayak with appropriate storage space and weight capacity.

We’ve composed this buyer’s guide to help you make the right decision when selecting a kayak. It'll help you:

• Choose the right type of kayak,

• See useful tips about that type of kayak,

• Read reviews of different kayaks, and what customers are saying,

• Select the right brand of a kayak, and

• Compare prices and find the best deals.

When describing kayaks, we can distinguish between different kayak designs:

• Sit-in kayak: Here, you insert your legs into the semi-enclosed kayak and sit in a sort of “cockpit”. There is a backrest and armrest for greater comfort. Since your entire body is surrounded, you can manage to stay dry. But any water that enters will stay inside unless you bail it out with a bilge pump. You can add a skirt around the cockpit, to keep water out. This design is recommended for recreational paddling. An example is the Sun Dolphin Aruba 12’ Sit-In Kayak.  

Sun Dolphin Aruba 12’ Sit-In Kayak

• Sit-on-top kayak: These kayaks are fashioned so that they won’t sink, even if it gets flipped over. Any water that enters the kayak drains out through the specially-made scupper holes--what is called “self-bailing”. The walls of such a kayak are low, allowing you to get in and out with ease. The design is more appropriate for fishing or scuba diving and swimming. This has the advantage that you have quick access to your gear, as well as hatches for dry storage. It is easy to get in and out of such a kayak. An example is the Lifetime Youth Wave Kayak.

Lifetime Youth Wave Kayak

• Whitewater: This looks much like a sit-inside kayak, but it has a smaller cockpit, for better control in whitewater conditions. It has a skirt attached, to keep water out, and has a rounder and flatter hull design for greater stability.

• Touring/sea kayak: This is built like a recreational, sit-inside kayak, for long-distance paddling. Thus, the design is much longer and thinner. It has additional cargo space, for longer trips.

• Canoe/kayak hybrid: This uses the same paddles as a kayak, but has larger storage capabilities, and more comfortable seats, like a canoe. This is good for fishing and hunting, since you can store more gear. You can even stand in this type of kayak. An example is the Camino Sit On Recreational Kayak.

Camino Sit On Recreational Kayak

• Tandem kayak: This is a kayak that can fit more than one person. An example is the Ocean Kayak Malibu Two Tandem Kayak.

Ocean Kayak Malibu Two Tandem Kayak

We can also distinguish between inflatable, foldable, and hardshell kayaks.

• Inflatable kayaks: These will be constructed from neoprene, PVC, or polyurethane-coated cloth. Don’t mistake an inflatable kayak for some beach float for your kids. Today’s inflatable rafts can withstand serious abuse: getting hit with a claw hammer, a cinderblock, or even getting run over by a 4X4! So they should be able to withstand hitting rocks and crags when whitewater rafting. They are also easier to transport since they can be deflated when going from place to place. A good example is the Sea Eagle 370 Inflatable Kayak. It can seat up to 3 people, and up to 295 kilograms! It is suitable for whitewater kayaking.

Sea Eagle 370 Inflatable Kayak

• Folding kayaks: There are also folding kayaks, which consists of a frame made of fiberglass or aluminum, around which a sheet of polypropylene is stretched. This makes it tremendously light, weighing around 26 pounds, and easy to assemble and fold up. You can put it together in only 5 minutes! It can accommodate a single person, and hold up to 300 pounds. It would be more for calm waters, and not so much for whitewater kayaking.

• Hardshell: These will be made from plastic, fiberglass, Kevlar, and other rigid materials. It will save you the effort of having to inflate the kayak. It is also easier to control, owing to its being considerably heavier.

• Large bulkhead for storage: If you want to carry a lot of cargo for camping, hunting, or fishing, you’ll want a large bulkhead on your kayak--a dry storage area that can be sealed so that water will not seep in.

• Scupper plugs: Kayak scuppers are holes in the bottom of the kayak, to drain out any water that collects in the kayak. There are special scupper plugs that you use to plug up these holes, to keep your belongings in the kayak from getting wet. If water does get into your kayak, you unplug the scupper holes to release the water.

• The number of seats and legroom:  There are also tandem kayaks, which allow for two people. Two-seated kayaks will usually have a tolerance of 500 pounds of payload.

• Fishing kayak: Many of the designs of kayaks that we have discussed can be adapted for fishing and hunting. It will have a rod holder, allowing you to just position the kayak in one place and wait for something to take a bite. They can also have a specially designed hull, to allow you to stand in the kayak in order to cast a line further.

• Comes with paddles or not: Don’t assume that your kayak will come with paddles. Some models require that you buy paddles separately.

• Length and width: You’ll see that kayaks vary greatly in length. The longer the kayak, the faster it will be able to travel. However, a shorter boat will be easier to maneuver. As for width, a narrow boat will travel more quickly, while a wide kayak will have greater stability.

• Bailing out the kayak: If a kayak fills up with water, you will have to get the water out somehow. There are bilge pumps that you can operate by hand to get the water out of a sit-in kayak. As we mentioned, a whitewater kayak will have special ducts to release the collected water, which you plug up and unplug as necessary.

• Inflating a kayak: Most inflatable kayaks will inflate by means of a pump in around 5-10 minutes. But you have to be careful about the pressure level. If you use a kayak in cold weather, you’ll have to inflate it more, to compensate for the fact that cold makes air contract. Otherwise, the kayak will lose pressure when it goes into the cold water. On the other hand, you can inflate to less pressure in the summer, since the heat will make air expand.

Sundolphin was founded in 1982 in Muskegon, Michigan. They make fishing boats and kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, canoes, pedal boats, Jon boats, and dinghies.

Lifetime was founded in Riverdale, Utah, by Barry Mower. They first fashioned basketball hoops, and later expanded to outdoor furniture, and proceeded on to sheds, kayaks, and paddleboards. They make sit-on-top kayaks, sit-in kayaks, fishing kayaks, and youth kayaks.

Ocean Kayak was founded in 1971 in Malibu, California. They manufacture kayaks by the method of “rotomolded polyethylene”, which makes the kayak more durable. They make sit-on-top kayaks, pedal kayaks, tandem, and solo kayaks, as well as fishing kayaks and paddleboards.

Sea Eagle is a family-owned business, founded by Cecil Hoge Sr. in 1968 in Port Jefferson, New York. Starting with two-person kayaks, they now make stand-up paddleboards, canoes, motor-mount boats, wave boards, and much more.