$100 vs $1,000 Inflatable Kayak: What’s the Difference?

This is a $100 inflatable kayak. And we’re going to be testing it alongside this $1,000 inflatable kayak. This is Manu, a kayaking newbie, and he’ll be testing both kayaks on our behalf across a series of different tests. All of this is to find out what the difference in price really gets you.

So without further ado, let’s find out. We got this kayak for roughly $100. It’s made from single-layer vinyl, and it came with all of these things, which we were actually pretty surprised about. Because it’s only made from single-layer vinyl, it can only be inflated to quite low pressures.

That makes it much more flexible, so we were keen to see how that would affect it once it was on the water. This is the Razor Kayaks Edge Pro 1. It’s made from reinforced PVC and comes with the following items. Because of the materials and drop-stitch construction, it can be inflated to much higher pressures.

That means it’s a lot more rigid, and it feels much closer to a traditional kayak. To transport the $100 kayak, it came in this neat little box. And when Manu lifted it, it was so light he nearly fell over. Now compare that to the Edge Pro 1, which came with this hiking backpack.

The straps are padded, which made it comfortable to carry. They’re also adjustable, which meant the backpack could be fitted properly to Manu’s height. There’s also this support strap, which helps take some of the load off the shoulders. That makes it much more comfortable if you’re walking longer distances.

Although the Edge Pro 1 is slightly heavier than the $100 kayak, lifting it was still very manageable. So despite the Edge Pro 1 having the better carry bag, we found the $100 kayak more portable overall, although there wasn't much difference To set up the $100 Kayak there are 3 inflation points As you can see, it took Manu a little while to get everything inflated. He was using the pump that came in the box, and it just wasn’t pushing out that much air. After a while, the pumping was definitely starting to take its toll.

One of the valves was also the kind you’d usually find on beach balls or pool toys. That chamber took a really long time to inflate. The seat also had to be pumped up. That part didn’t take too long, but by that point, Manu’s legs were definitely aching.

The seat then connected to the kayak with this rope. All in all, the setup took 15 minutes and 41 seconds. For the Edge Pro 1, there are three Halkey-Roberts valves. This time, Manu was using a Razor Kayaks high-volume double-action pump, and we could really see the difference in setup time.

You can see how quickly the kayak started to take shape. Then it was just a case of putting in the seat, clipping it into place, and attaching the footrest. In total, the whole setup process took 4 minutes and 13 seconds. That’s nearly a quarter of the time.

So it’s no surprise that we found the Edge Pro 1 much easier to set up. The next thing we wanted to compare was stability. We were especially interested in how each kayak felt when first getting in and getting settled. That’s really important for confidence, especially for new paddlers like Manu.

With the $100 kayak, we found that Manu had to take his time getting in so he could keep his balance. It didn’t look like he could just step in and get comfortable right away. Getting into the Edge Pro 1 appeared much more confidence-inspiring. The drop-stitch floor meant the base felt really solid.

Manu could get in much more easily and settle himself without the kayak moving around underneath him. When you compare the two in slow motion, you can really see the difference. With the cheaper kayak, it took longer to get in and feel balanced. With the Edge Pro 1, Manu was able to get comfortable much faster.

We also wanted to test stability in action. So, how easily each kayak could be leaned, and how easy it was to hold that lean. That’s important because leaning the kayak can help with turning and control. As you can see, we found it pretty easy to get the $100 kayak on edge.

But actually holding it there was quite difficult. The kayak felt like it wanted to tip over, so it was difficult to feel fully in control. The Edge Pro 1 was slightly harder to get on edge at first. But once it was leaned over, it locked into place and felt much more stable and secure.

So for those two stability tests, we found the Edge Pro 1 to be the more stable kayak. The next test was tracking.This is basically how well each kayak holds a straight line as you paddle. With the cheaper kayak, you can see there’s quite a bit of movement in the nose with each paddle stroke.

It wobbles from side to side, which makes it harder to keep the kayak going straight. We also found that more effort was needed to stay balanced. So instead of just paddling forward comfortably, part of that energy was going into correcting the kayak and keeping it steady. From the overhead view, this side-to-side movement is even clearer.

The technical term is yawing. But really, it just means the kayak is wagging from left to right instead of tracking cleanly forward. That means some of the effort from each stroke is being wasted. In contrast, here’s the Edge Pro 1 from above.

You can still see a little bit of movement, which is normal. But it’s much less pronounced. The kayak feels more rigid. It cuts through the water more cleanly.

And it’s much easier to keep it moving in a straight line. So for tracking, we found the Edge Pro 1 tracked better. The next thing we wanted to compare was comfort. A big part of this is how the kayak feels when you’re actually sitting in it and paddling for a longer period of time.

In the cheaper kayak, you can see there’s a bit of sagging because the material is much softer. The seat is also softer, and Manu was sitting quite low in the kayak. At first, it did feel kinda comfortable. But once the paddling started, that softness and low seating position made it harder to paddle properly.

Because there was also more wobbling and rocking, we don’t think it would be particularly comfortable for longer periods. It’s fine for a short paddle, but we think it would start to feel frustrating over time. In comparison, the Edge Pro 1 felt much more secure. The seat is firmer and more supportive.

It’s made from foam rather than being inflatable. Manu could lean back properly. His knees were in a better position. And the footrest gave him somewhere solid to place his feet.

That made a big difference. It meant he could paddle more comfortably and keep going for longer without constantly having to adjust his position. Manu was only in each kayak for around 20 to 30 minutes. But based on that, we found the Edge Pro 1 would be much more comfortable for longer periods on the water.

The next test was efficiency. This is closely related to tracking, but it’s really about how easily the kayak moves forward with each stroke. It’s also about how much effort it takes to keep up speed. Here, we tested the two kayaks side by side.

The cheaper kayak is at the top, and the Edge Pro 1 is at the bottom. Manu actually paddled the cheaper kayak first, so we weren’t giving the Edge Pro 1 an unfair advantage by having him paddle it while he was fresher. As you can see, his line drifted a little. We’re not entirely sure what he was aiming for there.

He just put his head down and started paddling. But even with that, you can clearly see the difference in how the two kayaks move through the water. The Edge Pro 1 was much easier to get up to speed. We found that more of each paddle stroke was being turned into forward movement.

The bow cuts through the water more cleanly. And because the kayak is more rigid, there’s less flex and less energy being lost. With the cheaper kayak, the softer shape meant there was more pushback from the water. It didn’t glide as cleanly.

And more effort was needed to get the same kind of movement. So for efficiency, we also had to go with the Edge Pro 1. Overall, the $100 kayak definitely has some uses. It’s portable.

It’s affordable. And it could be a fun option for kids, at the beach, or for very casual paddling close to shore. But we also think it can give you a pretty different impression of what kayaking is actually like. The wobbling, softer construction, and lower stability make paddling harder and less enjoyable once you spend any real time on the water.

The Edge Pro 1 feels like a much more serious kayak. The rigid construction, firmer seat, better footrest, and sharper bow all make a noticeable difference. It tracks better. It moves through the water more efficiently.

And it feels much more comfortable once you’re actually paddling. So if you just want something to splash around in for a bit of fun, the cheaper kayak can do that. But if you actually want to get into kayaking, paddle longer distances, or spend more time on the water, we think the extra money is definitely worth it. Hopefully this video has helped show you what that difference in price actually gets you.

Thanks so much for watching, and we’ll see you in the next video.