Published By: Daniel Weadley. Date: 19th October 2024. Filed at: Reviews. Disclosure: I earn commission from purchases made via links, read more.

Since 2018 I’ve owned three popular inflatable kayaks and have paddled down hundreds of miles of water on slow-moving rivers and around numerous lakes.

Here is my honest review of each kayak – even if the kayak you’re interested in isn’t shown here, I’m confident the information below will help you choose the best inflatable kayak for you.

The three I have owned:

Bluewave Glider inflatable kayak sold at Amazon

1) Decathlon’s Itiwit Inflatable Touring Kayak

This was the first inflatable kayak I purchased and I’ve put it through its paces on over one hundred miles on the River Thames, mostly around Henley, Marlow, Maidenhead and Slough.

Pros:

• Affordable and at the lower end of the price range.
• I had no issues carrying this kayak as it weighs about 14kg.
• I found this kayak very stable when I used it and I’ve never once tipped it over.
• It’s spongy, forgiving and comfy for short paddles.
• Easy to pump up.
• Comes with a rucksack-style bag.

Cons:

• It doesn’t stay in a straight line and always wants to turn left or right with every stroke of the paddle. This made it inefficient on long journeys.
• I found it very hard to clean and fully dry out. Often, I had to open it out in my garden and leave it for hours in the sun to dry out.
• The seat moves around a lot.

Suggested Use:

This would be a great kayak for light, recreational use, perhaps poodling about on a lake with the kids etc. It’s very stable and forgiving but in my opinion, it’s so inefficient that it can’t be taken seriously as a long-distance kayak. I was often completing 25 miles+ a day and having a kayak that can stay in a straight line is very important. The price is competitive for what you get, the bag is decent and the outer material is tough, showing very little sign of wear.

Read the more in-depth review here.

(Above) Front row seat at Henley Royal Regatta’s finish line

(Above) Dixie and I testing the stability of the Itiwit kayak

2) Advanced Elements Convertible Kayak

After packing away the Itiwit kayak, I purchased the Advanced elements Convertible inflatable kayak, mainly because it’s long, narrow, sleek and looked as though it would cut through the water much more efficiently.

As you can see below, it certainly looks the part:

(Above) 1-person setup

Pros

• It stayed in a straight line much better than the Itiwit kayak.
• It was more comfortable.
• There was more than enough storage space for long journeys, even multi-day treks.
• I found it very stable, and I never flipped it over.
• There are several optional extras such as a backbone to keep it going in a straight line better, a drop-stitch floor for heavier loads, 1-person and 2-person top decks and spray skirts.

(Above) 2-person setup

(Above) plenty of storage space

Cons

• Cleaning and drying the kayak took a long time due to all the different parts, the complexity of the design and the absorbent 3-layer material.
• This kayak was so heavy (30kg with some extras, paddle etc) it was difficult to carry and this limited my launch points to areas close to my car.
• No side handles made this heavy kayak difficult to carry around locks etc.
• The seat was flimsy and unsupportive.
• It sagged in the middle – If you are a heavy person, I suggest upgrading to the Convertible “Elite” kayak as this comes with a firm drop-stitch floor.

Suggested Use:

This is a much better option than the Itiwit and it was way more comfortable on long treks with the kayak generally staying straight with less effort. However, at over £1000 including some optional extras, I just can’t get over the limitations of this kayak compared to modern drop-stitch kayaks costing 30-40% less.

Read my more in-depth review here.

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