KXOne Slider 375 Kayak
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | £855
Our Overall Rating | 88 out of 100
Pros - Easy to setup, well constructed
Cons - Drag, uncomfortable seat
Overall - Firm and high quality, could improve on performance
Technical Specifications
Open Size - 384x78cm
Weight - 14.2kg
Load Capacity - 175kg
Packed Size - 85x57x43cm
Our Analysis & Ratings
The KXOne Slider series are full drop-stitch kayaks that provide a nice firmness against the water. The 375 model is well-sized for one person paddling, easy to set up and very well constructed, but there were some downsides in terms of performance and comfort.
Performance - Being a full drop-stitch hull with plastic bow and stern, the KXOne certainly has everything required to cut nicely through the water. However, there’s a surprising element of drag in the hull that as far as we could tell, comes from the dips that curved drainage channels in the inner floor cause on the outer hull, resulting in bumps that gather the water. As such, it was not as efficient to paddle as we’d expect in a kayak of this design and construction.
Construction - The KXOne is undoubtedly a quality construction. The drop-stitch sides and floor inflate to a very firm 8psi, and the outer is a durable PVC. On the model we tested, we largely saw evidence of care in the manufacturing process, with no visible glue or frayed edges on accessories. Our one very small criticism was the plastic sheet that gives shape to the splash guard, which is not covered and comes out very easily.
Setup/ Pack down - Amongst our top-rated kayaks for setup/pack down, with only three matching inflation points and quick-drying PVC, it couldn’t be easier to set up and pack down.
Portability - Weighing about 14kg, this is amongst the middle of the range for the inflatable kayaks we tested, and similarly average in terms of bulk. There is a trick to folding this one in terms of sandwiching the plastic bow and stern so they fit into the bag, but once that’s been mastered it’s one of the simpler kayaks to pack away.
Comfort - While there is plenty of room in the cockpit and a very reassuring firmness, we had some issues with the seat. We found the foam of the seat to be slightly thinner than other foam seats we tested, and our experience was that the side supports actually made paddling harder as you couldn’t access the full range of motion in your shoulder without having to push against the side panel of the seat.
Overall - A quality full drop-stitch kayak that could improve slightly in performance and comfort.
