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Intex
Intex is actually most known for their inflatable airbeds, pools, and spas. Their home page doesn’t even say they make inflatable boats, weirdly enough. That doesn’t affect us though if anything it helps us get the good stuff for ourselves. The signature of Intex boats is their price, they’re very affordable making them popular among budget-minded consumers. You can buy yourself a large 4 person Intex boat for as little as $100. The large sizes of their boats are also one of the reasons they’re so popular.
Intex makes everything from pool toys to marine grade quality boats. Obviously, as you go for higher-end boats, you will end up paying more than $100. But even then you’ll probably be paying less than $500. A fact that is not very well known is that Intex also makes inflatable kayaks, they have several models that go for around $100.
When it comes to Intex boats, you’ll get what you pay for. Their products are not as puncture-resistant as other more expensive brands and more often than not you will outgrow your boat in a couple of months. If you’re the type of person that just wants something simple, fun but most importantly, cheap, Intex will do just fine. They’re by no means bad, they’re just lower en and less durable than the competitors.
See Intex inflatables on Amazon
Our Reviews:
Mariner 4
Excursion 5
Challenger K1
Classic Accessories
These guys are actually not famous for their inflatables, but their covers for boats, cars, RVs, motorcycles, scooters, grills, furniture, and much more. They were founded in 1983 in a small basement in Seattle. Who would think that a company specializing in covering things with tarps would go out and make one of the leading fishing inflatables?
Inflatable pontoon boats and fishing float tubes is where it’s at. Classic Accessories manufacture inflatables with only one goal, to make them the best fishing machines there ever was. Their boats are durable, made with high quality materials but most importantly of all, they’re always packed with features that give them the upper edge compared to their competitors.
Both their pontoon and float tubes have several different models, ranging from beginner to pro. This makes it easy for you as a consumer to make the best choice possible. It sounds like something every company would do, but believe it or not, it’s actually not that common in the inflatables world. With Classic Accessories there’s a gradual increase in price as a boat gets more features.
See Classic Accessories pontoon boats and float tubes on Amazon
Our Reviews:
Colorado XT
Roanoke
The Cumberland
The Teton
Sea Eagle
Sea eagle is one of the leading brands when it comes to inflatable kayaks and boats. If you’re looking for an inflatable that will do it all, you can’t really go wrong with Sea Eagle. The majorities of their inflatables are of high quality and very well designed. They handle well in the water, require almost no maintenance and they’re even safe enough to let the kids use them. Oh, they’re pretty affordable too, it’s hard not to love them!
Sea Eagle is actually so sure you will love their products that they include a 6 month trial period. If you’re not satisfied with your purchase for some odd reason, you’ll get your money back.
They’re also one of those companies that have been in the game for a very long time, founded in 1968, they have sold thousands of inflatables over the last 40 years. It’s safe to say that Sea Eagle is one of the better companies out there and it’s really a no-brainer why people consider them to be the best.
They manufacture kayaks, stand up paddleboards, pontoon boats, canoes, and dinghies.
When buying products from Sea Eagle you buy “packages”, each inflatable will have at least two different packages you can choose from. What defines a package is what kind of accessory and gear that comes with it. The cheaper packages are not as feature-packed as the more expensive ones, swivel seats and rod holders are among the popular feature on the more expensive packages.
They offer free shipping, no matter what product you buy. You also get a 180-day risk-free trial, meaning if you dislike the boat you can return it and get your money back. All of their products are covered by a 3-year warranty as well.
See Sea Eagle inflatables
Our Reviews:
285 Frameless Pontoon Boat
370 Kayak
385 FastTrack
393 Razorlite
Sevylor
Another leading manufacturer in the inflatables world. Sevylor was founded in 1948 in Vitry, France, making it one of the oldest companies in the inflatables business. They offer a wide variety of inflatables, ranging from pool toys to dinghies and kayaks. In recent years they’ve taken the paddleboard market with a storm, and it’s what they’ve been slowly shifting their focus towards.
Sevylor is also now a part of the Coleman family, meaning their products go under both Sevylor and Coleman. Don’t worry, the quality is still the same, the only difference is the brand name. Unlike their standup paddleboards, their inflatable boats and kayaks are much cheaper, almost all of their cheap inflatable kayaks cost below the $500 mark. Their paddleboards all cost above the $1000 mark, yikes!
You know that Sevylor makes top-notch inflatables when they still sell a model that was first manufactured in 1963, that’s right! It’s their Tahiti Kayak and it’s their oldest model. Sevylor even claims it has been paddled the length of the Amazon River, not once, but twice.
Sevylor inflatables are made with love, are of high quality, and affordable, there’s little to dislike about them. If you want to get something well rounded that’s not too hard on your wallet, taking a look at their selection is definitely recommended!
See Sevylor inflatables on Amazon
Our Reviews:
Advanced Elements
Advanced Elements are known for their colorful designs and top-quality kayaks. If you’ve seen inflatable kayaks that are bright yellow or fire orange, you can be pretty sure it’s one of their models.
For the amount of money you spend on an Advanced Elements kayak, you should really get a lot less, but you get so much more than your money’s worth. Whether you’re looking for a large tandem kayak or a small one-seater, Advanced Elements has something high-end for you, at a low price too. If you’re already familiar with inflatable kayaks and looking for something that’s almost as good as a hardshell one, this is the company you should turn to.
Their intent is to make high-end quality kayaks with an affordable price tag. As if that wasn’t enough, they aim to provide cutting edge technology with all of their inflatables, whether it’s a kayak or canoe, you can be sure it will utilize the latest kayak technology.
Our Advanced Elements Kayak Reviews:
AdvancedFrame Expedition
AdvancedFrame Convertible AE1007-R
AdvancedFrame AE1012-R
Straitedge Angler
Creek Company
If you’re the type of guy that’s into fly fishing, you’ve probably heard about Creek Company. The company is based in Colorado and they’ve been making boats dedicated to fly fishing for over two decades now. One would argue that the company is most known for their inflatable float tubes with “above-the-water” seating, but they also make some really nice pontoon boats. If you enjoy fly fishing you’re going to be delighted to find that you will have plenty of pontoons to choose from. Most of these boats will handle class 2 rapids without problems, they’re versatile and made specifically for fly fishing.
All of their boats are triple-layered. The outer layer is a thick and heavy-duty, 30 oz. PVC which has been thermally welded to ensure it will be as durable as possible. Inside you’ll find a 420 denier nylon layer that protects the 30 gauge PVC bladders.
Creek Company offers good value for your money, and even though you can find similar budget models that go for cheaper, buying a boat from Creek Company will guarantee a quality purchase.
Newport Vessels
Newport Vessels specialize in inflatable dinghies and stand up paddleboards. Their crafts offer excellent comfort, reliability, and durability. They’re very popular with owners with larger boats, Newport dinghies work great as tender boats, taking you from your boat to shore and back.
They have a large selection of dinghies which range from 8 feet to 12 feet. Their largest boats will hold up to 6 people. Most of their boats have an aluminum framed hardwood floor, but they do also have two dinghies with air floors.
They’re not as cheap as Intex but for a good reason, they’re made with quality materials, all of the boats are made with 1,100 denier fabric with a triple-layered PVC coating. This makes them abrasion and puncture-resistant but also protected from various weather elements. When you purchase one of their products you’ll get a ton of accessories. Storage bags, repair kits, foot pumps, aluminum oars, and even bench seats, all of this stuff is well worth over $150. Every boat has a 2-year warranty as well.
Newport Vessels might not be as cheap as Intex boats, but compared to other inflatable dinghy manufacturers, they’re well below the average price.
