14 of the Best Kayak Brands

It’s true, most kayaks are made from plastic — but that doesn’t mean your kayak has to be bad for the planet. These 14 brands are all creating kayaks using various sustainable practices, many of them are made with recycled ocean plastic , and one brand even uses wood for its kayaks and kayak-making kits.

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Confluence Outdoor

Confluence Outdoor owns multiple watercraft brands, including two that specialize in kayaks. There's Pelican, which offers both rigid and inflatable kayaks designed for casual lovers of the outdoors, with durable construction and affordable prices. And then there's Dagger, which designs kayaks for more serious, "performance-driven" kayakers.

Eddyline Kayaks

Eddyline Kayaks, founded in 1971, is all about making "quality lightweight kayaks in an environmentally conscious manner." The company produces its kayaks in Mexico, which helps reduce the environmental impact of shipping to North American customers. Eddyline Kayaks sells replacement parts and cleaning kits for just about every facet of its kayaks to help them last as long as possible. The company also has a partnership with conservation charity The Clean Wave in Costa Rica.

Fatyak

U.K.-based company Fatyak , which has a partnership with Odyssey Innovation (which is also on this list), is working towards becoming a carbon neutral brand, with a focus on ocean protection. Fatyak specializes in sit on top kayaks, and offers a number of such kayaks made from recycled ocean plastic, which was captured via Odyssey Innovation’s Net and Marine Regeneration Schemes. Many of the kayaks also feature aluminum shafts and are recyclable, per the brand.

Guillemot Kayaks

Guillemot Kayaks sells DIY wooden kayak kits, for those who want to make their own kayak at home. The brand also manages WoodenKayaks & Smallboats , which sells custom handmade wooden kayaks — though these start at $10,000. Both companies were started by Nick Schade, who transformed the strip-built method (which is typically used for canoes) into a building method for kayaks.

Hobie

Hobie , which was founded in 1950, specializes in pedal kayaks, which you power with your feet rather than by using paddles. The California-based brand's also makes a few inflatable pedal kayaks, including one (the Fiesta model) that can seat four people. The company offers a three-year warranty for all of its kayak models labeled 2019 or later.

Hurricane

Hurricane , which makes all of its kayaks in the U.S., is all about producing lightweight kayaks. Hurricane kayaks glide across flatwater faster than other kayaks, since they're made of a material called ABS Trylon plastic, which is light, stiff, and durable.

Islander Kayaks

U.K. brand Islander Kayaks has a collection of recycled kayaks , which are composed of from 100 recycled waste from the kayak making process. Due to this in-house recycling process, each recycled Islander kayak has a unique hue and pattern. The company has also donated kayaks to the Olive Ridley Project to help recover ocean plastic.

Melker

Swedish company Melker specializes in kayaks composed of unique plant-based materials. When the brand started in 2015, its flagship kayak was made of bamboo; later, kayaks were made of flax fiber; and nowadays, Melker's kayaks are 3D-printed using a composite of wood fiber and recycled ocean plastic. At the moment, the only model that isn't sold out on Melker's website is the Melker Ulvön 2023.

Odyssey Innovation

U.K.-based Odyssey Innovation produced kayaks that are both recycled and recyclable. The company runs the Net Regeneration Scheme to recycle fishing nets, and the Marine Regeneration Scheme to recycle discarded plastic into new, closed-loop objects. Odyssey Innovation's kayaks are lightweight, durable, and easily portable. Odyssey Innovation also has a partnership with Fatyak, helping the other kayak brand produce recycled kayaks.

Old Town

Old Town , owned by Johnson Outdoors, has been making watercrafts in Maine since 1898. The company makes kayaks of a variety of styles, including traditional paddle kayaks, pedal kayaks, and electric power-assist pedal kayaks, which you can even put on cruise control for total water relaxation. Old Town sells a number of replacement parts and repair kits for its watercrafts, and all boats come with a lifetime warranty for the hull and deck.

Oru Kayak

Oru Kayak started with a Kickstarter in 2012, and later scored an investment from Robert Herjavec on Shark Tank in 2014. The company's foldable kayaks are easily portable; and each kayak can be assembled in between 1 and 20 minutes, depending on the model. The kayaks are puncture-proof, built to last through tens of thousands of folds, and come with a three-year warranty. Oru Kayak also sells certified refurbished kayaks at a discount.

River Saver

River Saver makes its River Saver Sustainable Kayaks from fully from recycled plastic, 10 to 50 percent of which is river plastic waste. The kayaks are repairable, and River Saver will take your kayak back at its end of life and recycle it into material for new kayaks. All revenue helps fund Plastic Cup Initiative's river cleanups.

TAHE

TAHE considers respecting the environment — at every level of its business — a guiding principle, and has had sustainability at the forefront of its watercrafts for 40 years. The company proudly makes all of its kayaks in France, and sources most of its supplies from Europe to reduce shipping emissions. TAHE makes both rigid and inflatable kayaks, offers a two-year warranty, and sells spare parts for repairs.

Venture

While many kayaks are made from LDPE, Venture chooses to make its kayaks from a proprietary HDPE, as it is much more durable, as well as resistant to scratches and UV rays. Venture has guidelines on its website to help customers to properly look after their watercrafts, and the company offers a lifetime warranty for any defects.