10 Best Lightweight Kayaks In 2023

Made of rugged UV stabilized fortiflex high-density polyethylene that makes maneuvering a breeze, Sun Dolphin Aruba 10-Foot Sit-in Lightweight Kayak is the best lightweight kayak on our list for those who will be steering river and lakes.

Performance

Sun Dolphin Aruba offers superb performance due to its high quality and unique build. It comes with a shock cord deck rigging so that you’ll be able to tread effortlessly in water without any extra effort. All you have to do is to sit inside the cockpit and move the flippers. Moreover, floating on class 1 and 2 rivers is also favorable with this kayak. Even if you weigh more than the required limit, which is 250 pounds, you can still keep up on the water.

Comfort

This lightweight kayak comes with a large open cockpit with a padded seat. The back is designed high to give you the support you need while paddling. What is great is that you can move the seat forward or backward, which means people with different heights can adjust the seat as they like. Due to the wide nature of the cockpit, you'll be able to easily get in and out. There are also protective thigh pads to keep you comfortable. Last but not least, for easy transportation to your garage and car, you can use the carrying handles.

Storage

There is ample storage onboard to keep your stuff inside Sun Dolphin Aruba. The water bottle holder along with the paddle holder works like a complete charm. Plus, the rear compartment is secured safely with the help of bungee cables. The plastic around the lid makes it easy to sit on without using any seal or cover. Sun Dolphin Aruba is available in different models, each having unique features of its own. Besides, there are color options such as red, tangerine, blue, and fuchsia.

With its sturdy lightweight structure with a weight capacity up to 130 pounds, Lifetime 6 Foot Yellow Youth Lightweight Kayak is the best choice for those looking for extra balance while they are treading water.

Performance

What is unique about Lifetime is the design of its cockpit, which makes this lightweight kayak extremely easy to balance. Due to its low weight and sturdy nature, you can easily maneuver and effortlessly cruise through the water even with your child or pet friend on top. Scupper holes drain out water from the cockpit so that the kayak remains lightweight. Furthermore, the twin-fin design at the rear bottom adds to steering comfort.

Comfort

Lifetime has several features when it comes to comfort. Firstly, it comes with a backrest that is perfect for long tours. There are multiple footrests to adjust kids with different heights while the swim-up steps along with the sloped back allow your child to get on easily. Seat straps may be too big at first sight but you can tie them out to make them shorter. Last but not least, you’ll be able to carry out Lifetime in a small SUV thanks to its compact size and small weight.

Storage

There is ample storage for any kid weighing from 18 to 130 pounds to fit in perfectly. In case you are on smooth waters, you might be able to carry something behind the lightweight kayak, as well. Lifetime comes with a five-year limited warranty and is currently available in yellow.

Lightweight, compact, sporty looking, and comfortable, Intex Challenger K1 Lightweight Kayak is the most budget-friendly kayak on our list for those with a limited budget but do not want to compromise on quality.

Performance

Intex Challenger performs like a breeze in water. It comes with an 84-inch aluminum core with a capacity to carry a person up to 220 pounds. With its ergonomics and streamlined design, steering in it is like a breeze. To add some additional stability, there are inflatable I beam floors. Made out of vinyl, Challenger is resistant to penetration of any sort, as well. Overall, it is ideal for an exciting day on a lake or slow-moving river.  

Comfort

K1 adds a lot of comfort in your kayak experience due to its unique and serene design. The comfy padded seat can be easily removed or adjusted to your liking. It is also inflatable and comes with a backrest. The cockpit provides enough space for a single person to fit in easily while grab lines on the side of the kayak provide you emergency support to hold on. Moreover, you can easily deflate or inflate the inflatable floor with a Boston valve.

Storage

Challenger features a unique cargo net so that you can add your essentials inside. You can choose to put your backpack, snacks, or water bottles inside without any worry. Let us also mention that K1 is a US coast guard certified kayak as well as TUV approved. In case it is damaged, you can use the repair patch. Finally, its sporty graphics and bright green color make it highly visible in the water.

With a seating capacity of up to three people, Sea Eagle 370 Pro 3 Person Lightweight Kayak is the best kayak for those who love paddling as a group. Plus, the NMMA certified kayak’s lightweight and mobile design offer supreme comfort for both young and old alike.

Performance

Sea Eagle soars through any class 3 whitewater with ease. Even though it is lightweight, it can still carry 3 people up to 650 pounds. The two paddles are designed with unique capabilities. Made of aluminum, the asymmetrical blades help steer through waters with ease. As versatile as it gets, you can use Sea Eagle for paddling, fishing, or skin diving. The two skegs on the bottom of the ship add to better maneuverability of the kayak. Moreover, you can also take your dog with you.

Comfort

The two seats that are installed on the kayak are movable and super comfortable. Plus, the inflatable I beam construction floor adds comfort to your feet. There is a self-bailing drain valve so that the water can be driven outside of the cockpit. Transportation is also easy. You can set it up easily in ten minutes or so. Inflating and deflating can be easily done with the help of a foot pump. Finally, you can easily carry the kayak inside the carry bag.

Storage

There is a lot of space on the Sea Eagle to take your camping material or backpack around with you. It comes with a storage bag for your accessories, as well. Sea Eagle comes is available in white along with blue lining adding to the lush design.

With its unique design with a backpack that you can set up easily in five minutes, Sevylor Quikpak K1 Lightweight Kayak is the best kayak for those who are on the go all the time.

Performance

Sevylor works like a charm when it’s on water. Made out of rugged 21 gaged PVC, this lightweight kayak makes a great partner in still waters. With the help of smartly designed paddles, you'll be able to tread on water for hours easily. Sevylor is quite useful for any beginner to learn paddling in safe waters. Due to its amazing stability, it hardly flips over itself in bad currents. Plus, it features multiple air chambers to aid in floating. Last but not least, the airtight system comes with a guarantee that it will not leak.

Comfort

The Sevylor features a unique backpack that turns into a seat. The comfortable seat lets you lean on your back and enjoy your sweet ride. Its unique design with multiple footrests allows you to stretch out your legs easily and paddle comfortably. There are also carry handles on both sides to help you maintain your balance. You can easily set this kayak up in five minutes, store it in your car or carry it around your back.

Storage

You can easily store your stuff in the cargo net on the front. There is also a cup holder to enjoy your drink while traveling. What we love is that you can choose to put your stuff in the backpack. Let’s also mention that multiple air chambers ensure that your kayak stays afloat in case one of them is damaged. Sevylor comes in striking blue color with a little bit of yellow and grey combined. Lastly, there is a 90 days limited warranty.

With a seating capacity of two people up to 500 pounds without sacrificing stability while tracking, Lifetime 10 Foot Tandem Lightweight Kayak is just another ideal lightweight kayak for those who love to paddle together.

Performance

Made of UV protected linear low-density polyethylene, Lifetime features a hull design that allows stability. It can easily accommodate two people and works like a breeze when on water. Due to its extreme stability, it can handle river currents and waves quite perfectly. Plus, you can easily pull your dog out of the water without any fear of tipping over when in the river.

Comfort

There are two extremely soft backrests on Lifetime to add to your comfort. Multiple footrests enable users with different heights to adjust their feet accordingly. The scupper holes clear out any water that enters in the kayak. Due to its extremely low weight of 60 pounds, you'll be able to carry it around and put it on top of your SUV quite easily. Let’s also mention that this10-foot kayak can also be steered solo.

Storage

Lifetime can carry up to three people at a time or a weight of up to 500 pounds in total. Available in a striking green color, it comes with a limited warranty of five years if you aren’t satisfied. Moreover, there are two sports paddles included with the purchase.

Delivering performance and portability in cutting-edge design, ADVANCED ELEMENTS AdvancedFrame Inflatable Lightweight Kayak is the most versatile kayak on our list that works in almost every water type.

Performance

AdvancedFrame owns its superb maneuverability to the aluminum rib frame technology that has been utilized in the bow and stern. To increase the tracking performance, there is an aluminum frame reinforced stern. There are also ribs made of aluminum that adds to the strength, offering a performance that can be matched with that of a hard kayak. Furthermore, the design allows easy setup and increases the kayak's efficiency. In terms of durability, three layers of materials offer extreme puncture resistance. AdvancedFrame can easily carry up to 250 pounds/113 kilograms of weight.

Comfort

You can set AdvancedFrame up easily in a few minutes. You just have to unfold, inflate, and attach the seat. You can easily pack it in the trunk inside the bag and take it anywhere you want. It is also lightweight, just 26 pounds, so you can carry it around easily. There is also a rubber carry handle to aid in transportation. The back support is quite comfortable and the open cockpit allows you to enter or exit freely. Lastly, plenty of legroom allows you to rest your legs easily adding to your comfort.

Storage

There is a D-Ring bungee attachment on board so that you can store your stuff and accessories. You can keep your snacks, foot pump in the storage compartments above, or below the kayak. AdvancedFrame is available in orange and blue and comes with a neoprene paddle guard.

Weighing only 39 lb. and specifically tailored to the average paddler, Pelican Maxim 100X Sit-in Lightweight Kayak is the best option on our list for a paddler who wants to enjoy a stable and relaxing kayaking experience.

Performance

Pelican Maxim is great for beginners as well as intermediate paddlers who are after a strong performing all-around kayak. While offering stability, the lightweight design also offers extreme agility so that you can rotate the kayak in any direction. For any recreational paddler, this kayak offers really good performance and the amazing responsiveness of Pelican Maxim can be felt while you're inside. Known for its superb maneuvering ability, it can go as fast as you need.

Comfort

Pelican has not compromised on the comfort of maxim 100. The seat has a padded seat cushion so that you stay comfy during your ride. There is a backrest that adds to the pleasant effect of sitting inside. Besides, you can rest your feet easily on the molded footrests. The lightweight nature of the kayak allows it to be carried around with ease and serene comfort.

Storage

There are a lot of storage options available. You can easily store your stuff inside the storage hatch with the bungee cord. There is also a storage platform with a mesh deck cover to carry your gear. Furthermore, the cockpit table has a bottle holder that can hold your average daily bottles. Pelican Maxim 100Xcomes in stunning yellow color with black seats. Not satisfied? You’ve covered with a limited lifetime warranty.

Perfect for slow-moving waters like lakes and rivers, Perception Tribe 13.5 Sit on Top Tandem Lightweight Kayak offers integrated footrests along with front and rear tank storage.

Performance

Tribe 13.5 is ultra-stable and offers high-quality performance second to none. It offers really good maneuverability on slow rivers, flat water lakes, and ponds. Paddlers are of unique interest in this kayak. They feature fiberglass-reinforced blades that deliver superb balance and durability. Besides, the dihedral blade shape makes for excellent strokes. Tribe 13.5 is excellent to be on a recreational day and can carry two people up to 500 pounds. Tribe 13.5 offers an extreme amount of durability with UV, impact, and abrasion-resistant qualities and comes in three different models that offer different speed and storage options.

Comfort

We love the fact that it offers a fully comfortable seating system. The seatback is also framed and delivers comfort and performance. If you don’t like the positioning of the seatback, you can adjust it to your liking. Plus, there is an additional molded center seat for your kid or dog to sit in. Multiple footrest options are available to facilitate people with different heights. Lastly, bow and stern toggle handle allow for easier mobility of the kayak.

Storage

The center hatch of the kayak has a built-in bag. A protective lid is there to keep essentials in hand all the time. There is a large front and rear storage container that keeps your cooler and other important gear. It is also possible to lay the seat back flat so that more storage space can be created. To add additional storage, there is also a bungee cord that can attach to your gear. You can keep your drink inside the drink holder which prevents it from spilling. Last but not the least, vibrant color options are available such as Déjà vu, Funkadelic, Sunset, and Seaspray.

Durability, foldability, and sleek design are the words that come to mind when talking about Oru Kayak Inlet Folding Lightweight Kayak. Just set it up within 5 minutes and row perfectly even if you are a beginner.

Performance

With its sleek and ergonomics design, Oru can flow effortlessly in the water. You’ll be able to maneuver it easily inside strong waters even if you're a beginner. Made from strong 5 mm custom polypropylene, the kayak can withstand a lot of punishment. It also offers 10 years of UV protection against color fading and damage. Oru has undergone extreme testing to check its durability and reliability and exceeds US coast guard requirements.

Comfort

Oru can be set up within five minutes as it features an origami-inspired structure that is extremely easy to set up. Being one of the easiest to transport kayaks in the market, Oru is extremely low weight (26 pounds.) You can choose to put this kayak in the trunk of your car or stow it in your closet.  Besides, it features a wide-open cockpit to facilitate easy entry and exit.

Storage

There is a room store that you can keep all your essential gear. The kayak comes in white color with black lining and an orange seat. If you encounter any problem, there is a 12-month warranty along with 30 days money-back guarantee. Lastly, its award-winning design has been featured on Forbes, CNN, Wall Street Journal, and Oprah magazine.