10 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. We rounded up 14 brands that are creating kayaks using various sustainable practices, and asked our audience to vote on their favorites. Many of these companies make kayaks with recycled ocean plastic, and one brand even uses wood for its kayaks and kayak-making kits.

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.

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.

Riversaver makes its Riversaver Sustainable Kayaks from fully from recycled plastic, 10 to 50 percent of which is river plastic waste. The kayaks are repairable, and Riversaver 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.

Pelican International, aka Confluence Outdoor, owns multiple watercraft brands, including five 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; Dagger, which designs kayaks for more serious, "performance-driven" kayakers; Wilderness Systems, which makes innovative and high-quality kayaks; Perception, which specializes in comfortable and versatile kayaks; and Advanced Elements, which makes inflatable kayaks.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.