Folding Kayaks
Top Picks
How we choose: The best folding kayaks highlighted here were selected based on 6 reviews of 3 products. Our top picks are those that are readily-available in the United States and have received the highest overall ratings from reviewers.
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If you've used a folding kayak that you think should be listed here, please share your experience.
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Oru Kayak Bay ST
(2 reviews)
Featured review
by Christina Chu 
Folds up to take up very little space; is lightweight and portable (don't need a special rack on my car).
Reasons to Buy
- Folds up so it doesn't take up lots of space
- Lightweight
- Portable
- Tracks pretty well
Reasons to Avoid
- Will sink if flipped without ballast bags
- Tricky to unfold/refold without practice
Folds up to take up very little space (approximately 30" x 30" x 10"); is lightweight (~25 lbs) and portable (don't need a special rack on my car), fits inside a Ford Taurus' trunk (I have fold down seats in the back but it'll fit in a taurus without those seats too). Can be [semi-easily/inexpensively] checked on a plane! Folds out to ~25'. Tracks fairly straight in water. Can be tricky to unfold/refold without practice, but the Oru company's online videos are helpful. Material is similar to the white plastic corrugated material that post office bins are made out of.
Read more: Oru Kayak Bay ST reviews (2)
Pakboats XT-15 Solo
(1 review)
Reviewed
by Ross Tapp
A 15' solo folding, skin-on-frame kayak.
Reasons to Buy
- Folding, so can be taken on planes, trains, buses, or bicycles
- Light
- Tracks well
- Holds and carries all your gear easily
Reasons to Avoid
- Assembly time/disassembly time
- Somewhat fragile compared to a traditional hard sided kayak
I had been looking at Pakboats for a few years now and was tossing around my options, canoe or kayak? I live in an apartment and unless I was willing to go on a waiting list at my local canoe club for a storage spot I would most likely have to go the folding or inflatable route—carrying a canoe or kayak up 16 flights of stairs was out of the question. As I don't have a car, transporting it was also an issue, so a folding boat made the most sense. It all fits nicely in my Bob Yak bicycle trailer and at 32 lbs is not too much weight to tow around.
Read more: Pakboats XT-15 Solo review (1)
Folbot Greenland II
(3 reviews)
discontinued
Featured review
by Walter Davidson
Through a gator-infested river in Guatemala to Belize and north to the mighty St. Lawrence river of Ontario, Canada, the Greenland II never let me down.
Reasons to Buy
- Strong
- Well designed
- Trustworthy
- Wonderful factory support with spare parts even after twenty years
Reasons to Avoid
- With any skin-over-frame construction, beware of snags and sharp rocks
The Greenland II design always caught my attention. In the early nineties I called Folbot in South Carolina requesting a ready to ship two seater. The kind lady on the Folbot end stated that a blue Greenland II was indeed available. Two days later, I picked up the kayak at the Miami International Airport cargo area. The fine craft arrived with me in Guatemala that same evening. The first order of business was to fabricate a comfortable backpack to carry the skin and rib assemblies of the foldable boat along with scant personal effects.
Read more: Folbot Greenland II reviews (3)
Other Types of Kayaks
Find more kayaks reviewed in these related categories:
Recreational Kayaks
Sit-on-Top Kayaks
Touring Kayaks
+4 more types
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