With a large and growing number of standup paddleboard brands to choose from, both in store and online, you might find yourself wondering which ones take the top spot as the best paddleboard brands.
Some SUP brands make less expensive paddleboards while others build boards to go faster and further. Some brands sell boards that are stable enough to SUP with your pup and some standup paddleboard brands focus only on manufacturing paddleboards that inflate and deflate to be easily transportable. Some brands are focused on getting entry-level paddlers out in a packaged deal while others create specialty boards for whitewater, racing, expeditions or yoga.
Before you start looking at the top paddleboard brands, first consider that the idea of there being a “best paddleboard brand” is relative. There is no paddleboard popularity contest, although some brands are dominating the market. What’s best for me when choosing a paddleboard might not be what’s best for you. I also want to remind you that, cheesy though it may sound, the best paddleboard brand is always the one that gets you out enjoying the water safely.
In your search for top paddleboard brands it’s important to consider factors that might be most important to you, such as storage, transportation, price, durability and the presence or absence of additional features that you might want to have on a paddleboard.
The best paddleboard brand for you will be the one that can most closely deliver the right combination of what you’re looking for in terms of performance, cost and functional features, as well as any additional must-haves or nice-to-haves. The top paddleboard brand for you will essentially capture your on-water personality and aspirations within the span of a 10- to 14-foot paddleboard.
With all that said, we have compiled a list of best paddleboard brands. Check them out below but remember to keep in mind what “best” means to you as a paddler with individual needs.
Shop SUP brands
To help with your search for the best SUP brands we’ve compiled a large list of standup paddleboard brands to browse and choose from. While this list does not include all of the paddleboard brands out there it is a really great starting point which offers a variety of designs and price ranges.
In my own search for paddleboards, I often like to get a sense of the brand first to have an idea of their values and mission. I look into what kind of reviews they get and what the general quality of their standup paddleboards is. I try to understand the range of models they offer, as well as to simply see if I like their style and the look of the boards they sell. If you are investing your hard-earned money into a paddleboard it feels important to know who you are supporting, what their brand personality is like, as well as their customer service.
We invite you to click on the SUP brands below to browse the lineups, compare specs and explore each brand’s standup paddleboards listed in our Paddling Buyer’s Guide. The following standup paddleboard brands offer designs to suit novice and recreational paddlers as well as serious fitness paddlers and racers. Whether or not you come across designs that catch your eye, you’ll be closer to understanding which brands might be the best SUP brands for you.
Shop by SUP brand (A–H)
Shop by SUP brand (I–R)
Shop by SUP brand (S–Z)
Explore paddleboard brands
Oftentimes a paddleboard brand will make a specific type of paddleboard as their main focus or best seller and they become known for that particular type of paddleboard; whether it be for fishing, yoga, whitewater, racing or something else.
Below you can search for the paddleboard brands based on the type of paddleboard you are looking for. This is much easier than simply searching brands to determine if they have the type of paddleboard that suits your needs and location.
Inflatable paddleboard brands
- Advanced Elements
- Bishop Boards
- Blu Wave SUP
- Boardworks
- Body Glove
- Hobie
- Jimmy Styks
- NRS
- Pelican
- Radinn
- Sea Eagle
- SIC
- SipaBoards
- Star Inflatables
- TAHE
Hawaiian paddleboard brands
Coming soon
Paddleboard brands for beginners
- Advanced Elements
- Blu Wave SUP
- Boardworks
- Body Glove
- Jimmy Styks
- NRS
- Pelican
- Sea Eagle
- SipaBoards
- Star Inflatables
- TAHE
Fishing paddleboard brands
Paddleboard brands Canada
Paddleboards brands UK
Coming soon
Racing paddleboard brands
Touring paddleboard brands
- Advanced Elements
- Bishop Boards
- Blu Wave SUP
- Boardworks
- Body Glove
- Hobie
- NRS
- Sea Eagle
- SIC
- SipaBoards
- TAHE
All-around paddleboard prands
- Advanced Elements
- Bishop Boards
- Blu Wave SUP
- Boardworks
- Body Glove
- Hobie
- Jimmy Styks
- Lifetime
- NRS
- Pelican
- Sea Eagle
- SIC
- SipaBoards
- TAHE
- Wavestorm
Surf paddleboard brands
Whitewater paddleboard brands
Yoga paddleboard brands
Best paddleboard brands
Now that you’ve had a chance to shop SUP brands to get a feel for each of the paddleboard brands and do a comparison of some of the lineups, let’s take a more thorough look at some of the top paddleboard brands.
Chances are good that you may have heard of some of the standup paddleboard brands listed below. Some have decades of watersports experience, some aspire to environmentally friendly manufacturing, some focus on affordable big-box store family-friendly models, and some bands cater to the ambitiously adventurous by keeping up with the latest innovations.
We’ve expanded on each of the best paddleboard brands below with articles discussing a general overview and history of the brand, their top paddleboard models, new and used buying advice, and more.
Click the links below to browse the articles and learn more about the best paddleboard brands.
- Best BIC Paddleboards For 2024
- Best BOTE Paddleboards For 2024
- Best Jimmy Styks Paddleboards For 2024
- Best Peak Paddleboards For 2024
- Best Tower Paddleboards For 2024
- Best Wavestorm Paddleboards For 2024
How to choose a paddleboard brand
With so many standup paddleboard brands to choose from, how do you pick one and does the brand really matter?
Let’s tackle the second question first, does the SUP brand really matter? The answer is both yes, and no, but often it matters at least somewhat. By that I mean if you are looking for a high-performance board you aren’t going to buy a brand that only offers entry-level paddleboards, and vice versa. However, if you are a novice paddler who plans on paddling recreationally in calm water the paddleboard brand matters much less and is often overruled by simple personal preference. The fewer performance requirements or considerations that you have for a paddleboard, the less the brand matters.
Many brands offer beginner, all-around, inflatable paddleboards for under $1,000. If you add additional considerations onto that inflatable beginner SUP, like a two-year warranty, a record of excellent customer service, sustainable manufacturing practices, good durability and a potentially higher price tag then your search for SUP brands that meet that criteria will narrow down.
The brand starts to matter more when you become more specific in what you are looking for as well as when you start paddling at a higher level and require better performance, features, design and manufacturing quality. Intermediate and advanced paddlers love to talk about the best SUP brands because they start to develop brand loyalty as they find the paddleboards that are best-suited to their specific needs.
The more niche the area of paddleboarding you are in, such as racing, expeditions, and whitewater, the more importance will be placed on a SUP brand that designs models specifically for that particular style of SUP paddling.
If you find yourself with minimal requirements for a paddleboard, the brand won’t matter much and you won’t need to seek out the best paddleboard brands. If you are in search of something particular in a paddleboard and believe the quality of your paddling experience will be enhanced by finding the right paddleboard brand for you, let’s explore how to pick the best standup paddleboard brand.
Remembering to keep in mind what is best for you as an individual, here are some questions to consider when researching and getting familiar with SUP brands:
- What is the manufacturing quality of a brand’s paddleboards? Generally, brands that use materials like carbon fiber or fiberglass will have good construction techniques. High-quality inflatable boards use military-grade PVC with MSL construction. From there, double drop stitch construction, and single drop stitch construction offer successively less rigidity and durability.
- What type of paddleboard are you looking for and what types of paddleboard does the SUP brand specialize in? Do you like their designs and do they have the features or accessories that you might want or use?
- What is your budget for a paddleboard and which brands sell paddleboards within this price range? Read more on this in our article How Much Are Paddleboards.
- Do the values of the SUP brand align with your personal values? Look at their personality and presence by peeking at their website and social media accounts to get a feel for what the brand represents. Is it important to you that a brand supports social or environmental initiatives or gives back to the community?
- Is there a store nearby that sells the brand or is there an option to ship a paddleboard to you? Some paddleboard brands may be more accessible to you than others based on location.
- What is included in the purchase of a paddleboard? Are there additional accessories that come with the package?
- Does the brand offer a warranty on the products and do they have good customer support available?
- What have reviews said about this brand and their paddleboards?
Reading paddleboard reviews online is a wonderful way to learn which SUP brands to avoid. Stay away from brands that reviewers have identified as having had bad customer service. You want to be able to rely on their support if there is a defect with your paddleboard after you have invested in the SUP. Why not try out the customer service response to a few of your questions prior to buying so you know what to expect?
Don’t choose brands based solely on a low price, like those you can shop for on Amazon. I would advise you to instead save up for something in a slightly higher price range from a brand that you’ve heard good things about. It would be wise to swipe left on SUP brands that don’t offer many details on specifications like weight limits and sizing, or don’t offer information on material construction.
Armed with this information you can review paddleboard brands above. As you search for the best paddleboard brand for you, you’ll serve yourself well if you try to spot the difference between the brands that will make you a lifelong customer as opposed to those who are hoping to pull you in with a quick sale.
