Best inflatable paddleboards tested on the water

We've tried and tested on the water to discover the best inflatable paddleboard if you're looking to get into paddleboarding for the first time. 

We assessed stability, manoeuvrability and how easy each inflatable paddleboard was to get up to speed and maintain it. We rated the paddles, pumps and carry bags of every blow up stand-up paddleboard we tested. 

Inflating, deflating and portability were also scrutinised. The best inflatable paddleboards are a doddle to fold and pack up, and have useful carry bags with padded straps to make carrying them a comfortable experience. 

Our team of testers included beginners, more experienced paddleboarders and qualified stand-up paddleboard instructors. 

We found one standout paddleboard that everyone agreed was the best.

The best inflatable paddleboards

Only logged-in Which? members can view the inflatable paddleboard test results below. 

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The inflatable paddleboards we tested

All the inflatable paddleboards we tested are listed in alphabetical order below.

Only logged-in Which? members can view the best inflatable paddleboards from our tests.

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Aqua Marina Breeze

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Need to know 10.85kg (including backpack and equipment), 9 feet 10 inches long, 30 inches wide, paddles, hand pump, foot leash, fins and repair patch all included

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Aqua Marina Vapor

Available from SUP (£419)

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Need to know 11.6kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet 4 inches long, 31 inches wide, paddles, hand pump, foot leash, repair patch and fins all included

Aquaplanet Max SUP 10'6 

Available from Aquaplanet (£389)

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Need to know 12.8kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet 6 inches long, 30 inches wide, paddles, hand pump, foot leash, repair patch and fins all included

Bestway Hydro-Force Aqua Glider

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Need to know 9.6kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet 6 inches long, 31 inches wide, paddles, hand pump, foot leash, repair patch and fins all included

Coolsurf Lyon Paddleboard 10'9

Available from SUP Warehouse £269.99 (Out of stock)

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Need to know 10.95kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet 9 inches long, 30 inches wide, paddles, foot pump, foot leash, repair patch and fins all included

ITIWIT Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard 10' 

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Need to know 9.75kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet long, 32 inches wide, foot leash, repair patch and fins all included, paddle and pump not included

Ocean Funwater SUP Inflatable Stand Up Paddleboard

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Need to know 12kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet long, 33.5 inches wide, foot leash, repair patch, fins, paddle and hand pump all included

Portofino Paddleboard 10' 

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Need to know 10.85kg (including backpack and equipment), 10 feet long, 33.5 inches wide, foot leash, repair patch, fins, paddle and hand pump all included

How we test inflatable paddleboards

To find the best inflatable paddleboards, we recruit novice paddleboarders and qualified SUP experts to help us rate each board on a calm lake in Surrey. 

We'd like to thank The SHAC at Buckland Park in Surrey – Skip Innes, owner and head coach, and Grant Bristow, SUP instructor and open water lifeguard – who helped facilitate our most recent paddleboard test, and kept our testers safe on the water. 

We regularly revisit the inflatable paddleboards on sale to see if there are any more popular versions that need testing and when we find them we do. 

Why you can trust us: at Which? we're free from manufacturers or retailer influence. Find out more about our impartiality and how your support helps us to stay editorially independent.

How we rate each paddleboard

Our novices and experts rated each paddleboard for: 

• Fun on the water Each blow up stand-up paddleboard is rated by each tester for stability, manoeuvrability and how easy the board is to get up to speed and maintain this speed on the water. The best boards are excellent fun, easy to get your balance on and will cruise through the water with minimal effort. The worst are more energy sapping to navigate, aren't as stable and fundamentally just aren't as much fun.
• Quality of the accessories A good SUP is more than just the board. We rate the paddles, pumps and carry bags of every paddleboard we test. As well as shoddy pumps that could cause blisters or extra effort when pumping up the boards, we've found paddles that are very wobbly or easily broken. The best paddleboards that we recommend come with sturdy paddles, high quality pumps and durable carry bags.
• Inflating and deflating It's no use having a brilliant paddleboard if it's a real nightmare to deal with as soon as you get it on land. We rate each paddleboard for how easy it is to inflate, and also how easy it is to pack up at the end of a tiring day. 
• Portability We also go for a long walk with each paddleboard folded up in its carry bag, to see which ones are easier to carry over a distance. The best boards are a doddle to fold and pack up, and have comfortable carry bags with padded straps to make carrying them a comfortable experience. With the worst ones, you'll be left cursing trying to get them in the bag, and you wouldn't want to carry them more than 100 metres. 

Where to paddleboard near me

The use of a paddleboard on the vast majority of inland waterways requires a licence from the relevant authority. 

Paddle UK's On the Water membership (£60 for an adult) gives you a licence that opens up 4,500km of rivers, canals and waterways in England and Wales for you to enjoy. 

Alternatively, you can paddleboard at a variety of private lakes and waterways around the country, as long as you have sought the correct permissions and licences. On most inland waterways you can attain a licence for different time periods, often from as little as a day, which may be a cheaper option than an annual membership, depending how often you intend to use your SUP.

How to care for your inflatable paddleboard

• It sounds counter-intuitive, but if you have the luxury of being able to store your inflatable paddleboard inflated, then you should. The more you fold up a paddleboard, or the longer it's stored with creases in it, then the more likely it is to get damaged and develop small holes and tears. 
• When you are folding up the paddleboard to transport it, take lots of care. Try not to fold around areas that could be stressed, such as the fins. And check underneath the paddleboard before you start to fold it up, in case you've inadvertently lain it down on any sharp stones. 
• When you're storing the board, keep it out of sun to keep it in good condition. 
• Wash after each use so you don't cross-contaminate from different water bodies. 
• If your blow up stand-up paddleboard does get a hole or tear in it, you might need to take it to a professional. Paddleboards often come with puncture repair kits, but it's quite hard to get good results by doing this yourself. We've had some limited success fixing a small paddleboard hole with a bicycle puncture repair kit. A long-term durable repair is best done by a professional. A quick search online should bring up a local repair shop – expect to pay from £30 upwards.

Inflatable paddleboard safety

Here are a few tips we picked up from the experts while testing paddleboards. 

• Get a quick release waist belt It's worth investing in a quick release waist belt, rather than relying on the ankle leash that comes with most paddleboards. This is particularly useful if you intend paddleboarding on rivers with any type of considerable flow. Ankle leashes can be harder to reach and release than waist belts, and have been mooted as the cause of some tragic accidents, particularly on faster flowing rivers. A paddleboard quick release waist belt costs from around £15 upwards. We've tried a low cost waist leash and found it easy to release and effective. You can buy similar for around the same price from Aquaplanet, Amazon and Wetsuit Outlet. 
• Take a lesson Have a tuition session first so you learn to self rescue, rescue others and deal with cold water shock when paddleboarding. 
• Check the wind Particularly if you intend to paddleboard on the coast, you need to check the wind forecast before you go out on the water. Anything over 10mph should give you pause for thought, particularly on open water. It could prove very dangerous to turn back into a headwind and you'll find it very difficult to get back to the shore. If this happens, reducing your surface area to the wind by paddling on your knees, or even lying on the board and paddling with your hands, can make a big difference.
• Wear a life jacket You can pick up a life jacket from as little as £30. It's an essential investment for paddleboarding.
• Consider buying a wetsuit In the UK in the winter, water temperatures can get close to freezing, so you should wear an appropriately thick wetsuit if paddleboarding in cold conditions. 

What is the difference between a SUP and a paddleboard?

The simple answer is that there is no difference. SUP is an abbreviation for Stand Up Paddleboarding, so you'll often see SUP and paddleboarding being used interchangably. 

What size paddleboard is the most stable?

As you may expect, wider boards offer a greater level of stability than narrower ones. Paddleboards are typically between 30 and 35 inches wide, so go for the latter end of the spectrum if you're looking for increased stability.

3 things we learned testing inflatable paddleboards

1. If you enjoy paddleboarding, consider investing in a better paddle. Our experts told us this will make a marked difference to your enjoyment and experience. Investing around £100 can get you a paddle made of carbon fibre. You can either have it made to your correct size or saw it down to size yourself. A better paddle is more efficient as it catches more water. Note that some people prefer a weightier paddle, some lighter, so before spending any cash, try some out at your local paddleboarding centre to find out your preferred type. 
2. All-rounder paddleboards like the ones we've tested are good for beginners, but if you get the bug you might want to swap up to a touring board. Touring boards have a single fin and tend to be longer, with a pointier end. They're more expensive, costing from £500, but the extra length means that they track straighter and have a better glide. Touring boards also have more re-sale value.
3. Generally the more you pay for an inflatable paddleboard, the higher the pressure that you can pump the board to. A higher pressure makes the board more rigid, which will make the board glide more easily through the water. If you have to space to store one, this is why you might want to consider a paddleboard that's not inflatable.