Best Amazon Paddleboards For 2024

It’s probably no surprise that you can buy paddleboards on Amazon—after all, you can buy everything else there. Buying a standup paddleboard on Amazon is inarguably more convenient than going into a brick and mortar store, and with hundreds of models listed you’ll seemingly have more options to choose from (we’ll get into why that may or may not be true later). You can read reviews, make a decision, and have a SUP at your door in days—sometimes with free shipping and returns.

The drawbacks of ordering a paddleboard from Amazon are similar to the drawbacks of ordering anything from Amazon. The quality of the products listed on Amazon varies greatly, and sometimes what shows up at your door does not meet your expectations. This can be avoided with careful research and buying from reputable brands, more and more of which are beginning to list their paddleboard models on Amazon.

But the main drawback that will be difficult to overcome is that you can’t test the paddleboard before buying. Test paddling a SUP is the best way to know if it suits you, and the knowledgeable sales staff you’ll encounter at dedicated paddling shops will be able to advise you every step of the way.

Still, it’s hard to get past the convenience of Amazon, particularly if you’re just looking for an entry-level board. And there are plenty—perhaps an overwhelming number—of such boards to choose from. Amazon paddleboards are largely inflatable, 10 to 11 feet in length, and categorized as all-around. Most are less than $500 and include a full kit package, including paddle, leash, pump and bag.

There are other types of SUPs sold on Amazon, but be warned, it’ll be an upstream struggle trying to find them among all the inflatable all-around boards. Search for brands such as Red Paddle Co., ISLE, Badfish, BOTE and Sea Gods to find high-quality touring, surf and rigid boards.

Best SUP Brands For Touring, Surfing, Yoga & More

For more advice on how to find the right paddleboard for you on Amazon, read on.

Top picks: Best Amazon paddleboards for 2024

The following Amazon paddleboards have received the highest star ratings from reviewers in our Paddling Buyer’s Guide. See and review all Amazon paddleboards here.

Shop for Amazon paddleboards

Finding what you’re looking for on Amazon can be confusing. Specific searches turn up hundreds of results, not all of which are related to what you’re looking for, and the filtering options are limited. Our online Paddling Buyer’s Guide contains all the paddleboards you’ll find on Amazon, but is much easier to navigate thanks to paddling-specific filters. The information on each board is also displayed in a uniform way, making it easier to compare options. When you’ve found what you’re looking for, simply click through to Amazon to make your purchase.

If you already know what type or brand of Amazon paddleboard you’re looking for, use the links below to get to the filtered pages in our Buyer’s Guide. If you don’t, skip down to the How To Buy section, and then come back here to browse boards.

Shop by type

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Amazon paddleboard buying guide

The best way to buy a paddleboard is by visiting a paddling or outdoor shop and chatting with the knowledgeable sales staff. Even if you plan to buy from Amazon, visiting a specialty shop beforehand can help point you in the right direction. You can even test paddle some boards to get an idea of what different board shapes, sizes and constructions feel like.

If this isn’t possible, the guide below will help you make a more informed purchase.

Board types

By far, most of the paddleboards sold on Amazon are inflatable all-around SUPs. Inflatable paddleboards are popular because they are easier to transport and store, rolling up and fitting inside the trunk of most vehicles and closets. They are also typically the cheapest boards available, although a high-quality inflatable board will be more expensive than some rigid boards.

Best Paddleboards For 2024

All-around paddleboards are typically 10 to 11 feet in length and have a rounded nose. They’re suited to beginner paddlers and are great for short trips out on lakes and flatwater rivers. The paddleboards you’ll find on Amazon might not label themselves as being all-around or recreational, but if it doesn’t say otherwise, you can probably assume the board is an all-around board.

There are hundreds of all-around paddleboards on Amazon, many of which are nearly identical to one another. That said, all types of paddleboards are sold on Amazon—there just aren’t as many options.

Rigid paddleboards, also referred to as hard boards, are a small minority of boards on Amazon. Unlike inflatables, these boards don’t require any setup or takedown time—simply pull the board off your roof rack or trailer and get out on the water. They’re typically heavier, more susceptible to damage and, in many cases, more expensive. If you’re looking for superior performance though, a rigid board is the way to go.

Other board types you’ll find on Amazon include touring, surfing, racing, fishing and whitewater. To find out more about each board type and which is suitable for you, read Paddleboard Types You Should Know Before You Buy.

Quality

The quality of the boards you’ll find on Amazon varies greatly. Reviews are rife with cases of seams busting after only a couple uses, pumps not fitting valves properly and products arriving damaged.

In most cases, you get what you pay for—a cheaper board can be sold at such a price because it’s made with lower grade materials and constructed using a simpler design that requires less material and less involved processes. This means the board will be more susceptible to damage and more prone to the issues mentioned above by reviewers.

Cheaper construction also means the board will be less fun to paddle. Inflatable boards with single-layer drop stitch cores, which is the typical construction of budget boards, won’t be as rigid. The less rigid a board, the less stable and efficient it will be.

When considering quality, it’s also worth noting the construction of the paddle that comes with the board. Cheap paddleboard kits come with cheap paddles made of aluminum and plastic. These paddles suit beginners looking to go for short paddles just fine, but those looking for speed and efficiency will soon want to upgrade to carbon fiber and fiberglass SUP paddles.

Outfitting

Most paddleboards on Amazon have one grab handle in the center of the board and a set of bungees on the front of the board for securing gear. Higher-end boards will typically have grab handles on the front and rear of the board, which simply make the board easier to carry and load. Additional rear bungees are useful for touring and going on overnight trips, with some boards providing additional D-rings for clipping on gear.

Many paddleboards come in a kit, including “all the accessories you need.” Most kits include a carry bag, an extra fin or fins, a leash, a paddle and, if it’s an inflatable board, a pump. Sometimes there are useful extras, like a repair kit or waterproof phone case. While that’s a great start, they leave out the most important accessories you’ll need. The U.S. Coast Guard requires paddleboarders to carry a PFD or belt pack—we recommend always wearing one—and a whistle. If paddling between sunset and sunrise, you’ll also need a flashlight.

Prices

The most expensive paddleboard on Amazon is $5,700, while the cheapest is $89. That’s quite a range. Price isn’t always an indication of quality ($5,000 is the top end of what you’d pay for a high-end, high-performance racing board, for example, which the $5,700 board on Amazon certainly is not), but it can be a good place to start. Most paddleboards on Amazon fall around the $300 mark, but we’d be wary of purchasing anything less than $500 if you want something that will last and be enjoyable to paddle.

As well, it’s a good idea to compare prices on Amazon to what the board—or a similar one—retails for somewhere else. Prices on Amazon can be deceiving—we’re looking at you, $5,700 inflatable paddleboard.

How to buy

Buying a paddleboard anywhere begins the same way: figuring out what type of board you need and what your budget is. The next step is to browse the type of boards at your price point and start comparing.

But Amazon doesn’t make this next step very easy—you can filter for price, but there’s no filter for board type. And even entering a search for the type of board you’re looking for yields many irrelevant or misleading results.

We recommend using the filters in our online Paddling Buyer’s Guide to help you narrow your search. That link will take you to a page already filtered to boards for sale on Amazon. You can use the rest of the filters in the sidebar to filter for board type, structure, number of paddlers, price, brand and more.

Pros and cons

Amazon paddleboard Q&A

• Are Amazon paddleboards any good?

  Amazon sells paddleboards that are good for many things. The majority of the paddleboards listed on Amazon are lower end, meant for paddlers looking to go for short paddles a few times a year—and only in calm conditions and warm weather. These boards lack durability and rigidity, the latter of which makes them more difficult to paddle and might be discouraging to new paddleboarders.

  There are also mid-range paddleboards, which are still appropriate for entry-level paddleboarders but will provide a more enjoyable experience and last longer.

  While fewer in number, Amazon also sells higher-end boards. These are the same boards you’ll find in specialized paddling shops and from brands producing boards made with high-quality materials and innovative designs.

• How much are Amazon paddleboards?

  Amazon paddleboards range in price from $90 to $5,000. Most of the boards on Amazon fall around the $300 mark.

• Why not buy an Amazon paddleboard?

  Researching and comparing paddleboards on Amazon is very difficult because of a lack of paddling specific filters, in addition to the fact that many boards are not properly labeled by companies. As a result, you should be prepared to spend a lot of time sifting through cheap inflatable boards that are all very similar to find a paddleboard of good quality.

  The main reason to not buy a paddleboard on Amazon, though, is because you won’t have the opportunity to try it out before you make a purchase. The best way to know if a board suits you is to get out on the water and paddle it. The beauty of shopping at a paddling specific store is that the knowledgeable staff can help you find a board that’s right for your skill level and pursuits.

• When do paddleboards go on sale on Amazon?

  Mark your calendar for Amazon Prime Day—which is typically two days of sales on thousands of items on Amazon in July—to see if any paddleboards have been included in the deals.

  Many brands have sales on paddleboards in the fall as they get rid of last season’s stock to make room for next season’s.

Feature photo: Tony Webster/Wikimedia Commons