Decathlon Itiwit X500 Kayak

Summary

Price At Time Of Writing | £599.99

Our Overall Rating | 79 out of 100

Pros - Fast & tracks well

Cons - Heavy, uncomfortable, unstable, hard to dry

Overall - Great speed in the water, just unstable and uncomfortable

Technical Specifications

Open Size - 380x64cm

Weight - 18kg

Load Capacity - 125kg

Packed Size - 94x50x27cm

Our Analysis & Ratings

The Decathlon Itiwit X500 Kayak has great speed, but does have issues with stability and build quality. The inflatable kayak is the closest in terms of design to a hard shell, so it delivers on paddling performance, but is heavy to carry, so it may not be the best choice if portability is important for you. This may be the best inflatable kayak for experienced paddlers who prefer speed over other features, but if you're more a recreational paddler, a beginner or looking for something you can carry down rocks to the water, we'd recommend looking elsewhere.

Performance (speed, tracking, manoeuvrability, stability, load handling): 6/10

Speed: The X500 has great speed, as its thin width of 64cm and shape of the kayak helps it glide beautifully through the water.

Tracking: Given its performance-focused design, unfortunately, we experienced tracking problems when paddling in a straight line.

Stability: What’s more, with a thinner width comes less stability, and if you're less experienced, you may find this hard to paddle. Therefore, we do not recommend this for beginners due to its lack of stability.

Load Handling: The kayak's limited space doesn't make it a good choice for touring, though it's fine for performance or short explorations.

Construction (materials, seams, valve quality, durability and fittings): 6/10

Notable features include its drop-stitch floor and a handy small storage capacity, both definite plusses. We noticed that the joins were evident on our test model, and the PVC appears thinner than on other kayaks, which suggests that over time, it could be less durable.

The kayak's limited space doesn't make it a good choice for touring, but again, fine for performance or short explorations.

Setup/Pack Down (inflation time, valves, folding and drying): 7/10

The five inflation points are fine to set up without much hassle. Packing down took us way more time than expected though, since the enclosed area soaks up water and therefore takes some time to dry before it's ready to store.

Portability (weight, packed size, ease of carrying): 6/10

It weighs 18kg, the heaviest among all the kayaks we reviewed. It comes with a backpack with two straps which helps, but you do notice the extra weight.

Comfort (seat support, legroom, fatigue over distance): 4/10

It's built for speed, and the lack of stability and low profile of the seat make it less comfortable than some of the others. Even fairly competent paddlers will spend half the time trying not to capsize in this thing.

Value for money:

If speed is the most important factor for you, and you're an experienced paddler, the X500 could be a good option. For most other paddlers, the lack of stability and comfort are significant trade-offs against what you're paying.

Best for:

• Experienced paddlers wanting speed

• Those comfortable managing a less stable kayak

• Short, focused sessions rather than touring or all-day comfort

• Paddlers who don't need much onboard storage

Overall:

Great speed and could be a good option if speed is the most important thing to you. On the downside, it is uncomfortable and unstable.