The three big factors to consider when looking to purchase an inflatable boat are: quality, durability and price.
Quality
There are a number of companies that are well known as makers of high quality inflatable boats. Companies known for their high quality boats usually have the highest prices on boats of comparable size and design.
High quality companies still offer boats of different sizes, and designs with a range of durability to fit the needs and budgets of different boaters. If you want the best quality manufacturing stick with one of the known high quality brands.
Buying a high quality brand means you are getting the best fabrics and the best quality control available. Buying a high quality brand means you are getting the best service and support for our product. Some of the high quality brands are huge companies – others are small.
Many inflatable boats are made in Chinese or Korean factories, with Chinese or Korean designs and Chinese or Korean quality control. Some of these factories are quite happy to put any brand name on the boat. These are called “re-branded” boats.
With the internet at our fingertips it is easy to find different “brands” that are obviously the same boats. Because of the lower level of quality control and the inferior designs of many cheap inflatable boats, the labels “Made In China” and “Made in Korea” have become synonymous with low quality.
Interestingly, many products that are made in China or Korea are very high quality. But these products are usually North American, European, Australian or New Zealand designs, with North American, European, Australian or New Zealand quality control.
The real challenge comes in figuring out which of the cheap inflatable boats are higher quality Asian products and which are inferior quality. The most important points to consider when looking at cheap inflatable boats which are “Made In China” or “Made In Korea” are:
who created the design
who is responsible for the quality control
what is the reputation of the company selling the boat
how long has the company been around
what are other customers saying about the product
The companies to be careful with are those that simply re-brand a boat made in a factory where they have no input or control over design, quality, or materials. It is very hard to see quality just looking at a boat in a store or on the internet, but it shows up when you use them! It shows up when you try to put them together, all the parts fit! It shows up in the water, the performance is better! It shows up over time, they last longer!
Durability
If you want a more durable boat you will need to buy a boat that is designed for primary use. Yes, it will cost more but you will be getting a boat that will last for 15 to 20 years without any troubles! Buyers must be careful here, just because you buy from a high quality manufacturer does not mean you are buying the most durable boat.
Quality construction with light weight material will not last very long with heavy use. It is not very durable, but it may be the perfect boat for some uses. The entry level light duty boats offered by the high quality brands compare very closely to some of the low cost brands, but the lower price of the lesser known brands often tips the balance in their favor.
Today, even the high quality manufacturers are finding ways to make a cheaper boat to compete in the “low price” category. As a buyer you should know that any brand or model that competes on price alone is sacrificing durability to do it!
Price
Everyone loves to save money. Just because you want to buy a cheap inflatable boat does not mean you want a piece of junk. Among the low price inflatable boats you will find many companies that are willing to compete on price. These are all Chinese or Korean made boats, often sold as “re-branded” boats.
Some brands do not compete on price alone. They are lower priced than the high quality brands, but will cost more money than re-branded import boats of comparable size and style. None of the re-branded import companies build a true heavy duty boat, and very few even build a true “sport” boat (a more durable recreational boat), so if you want a durable boat, do not buy one of these brands.
The brands that compete on price focus on light duty boats. Which is not surprising, because the light duty price range is the one that will sell the most boats! Do not be fooled by marketing and flashy pictures. Companies create a product with a lower price by cutting corners. Cutting corners means a lower quality product with a much shorter life expectancy. All inflatable boats look good on the showroom floor! Ask lots of questions, do lots of reading. You will be much happier with your purchase in the end.
Posted the 30th July 2020 in the category Uncategorized by admin.
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we really want to do some paddling. when i have looked at kayaks i figured we would need 2 tandems. problem is they are expensive! even used on Craig’s list!! we just started looking at canoes and they look as if they would be cheaper. one could fit all of us for the the same price as one kayak ( so then we wouldn’t need two ) so what would you recommend. we live in the high desert in California there are some lakes near by. no rapids. it would be nice to only use one boat instead of 2. how much harder will it be to paddle then a kayak? can i attach a trolling motor to it? how? how much easy-er then the inflatable would paddling be? where could i find a good priced one? witch one would you recommend for us? and if you know the area where are some good spots around to start paddling? thanks for reading i will pick best answer!