AdvancedFrame Sport, 1-Person Kayak
At the heart of every good inflatable kayak is a good air valve, and this one has a real humdinger. Thanks to an innovative adapter, we were able to pump this sucker up in less than five minutes. Once launched, the Element cuts through water like a switchblade through hot lard, even when it got windy. Although the hull is reinforced with thick rubber, the interior is a different story. After only a few minutes of paddling, the seat ripped away from its tie-downs on the flimsy fabric walls. That's cool with us. though. The Elements is more comfortable without a seat than some kayaks are with them.
WIRED Easiest kayak to inflate. Seat clicks into place quickly. Maneuvers deftly. Wind won't blow this sucker over.
TIRED Seat straps tore off quickly. Lose the tiny inflation adapter? You're not pumping anything up. Would it kill you guys to add a few more cargo pouches?
$400, 
Stearns K1 Pointer, 1-Person Kayak
If Pointer had better air valves, it would be great. But after struggling to inflate the craft for half-an-hour, we're lumping it into the "just good enough" pile. Despite being crazy-difficult to pump up — leaky air valves made it a challenge — the Pointer provides a comfy place to park your posterior. This is mostly due to a thick, heavy padding that encompasses the cockpit. There's one catch: You get to indulge your derrière at the price of your back. The Pointer is nearly as heavy as the YakkAir and yet seats only one person. And it's a lot of junk to fit into one trunk — we could barely cram the deflated Pointer into the back of a Nissan Altima.
WIRED Cargo space galore. Ride stays smooth when things get bumpy.
TIRED Spotty valves hemorrhage air. Carrying case is el-cheapo supreme. Heavy and bulky even when deflated.
$380, 
Sevylor K79 Tahiti Classic, 2-Person Kayak
The Tahiti is tiniest of the kayaks we tested. And that's pretty much the best thing we can say about it. This slippery piece of yellow vinyl feels like a pool toy and acts like it too — try tackling anything but the mellowest rapids and you'll find yourself careening out of control and maybe flipped over the side. Maybe that's a good thing. The Tahiti's ride is awkward, mostly because of seats that are both tacky and uncomfortably squishy. Oh and it's a bitch to blow up; You have to use two different-sized blowholes to inflate seven separate chambers. Our advice? Skip this craft, and invest in a really good pair of water wings.
WIRED Cheap, compact. Uh, did we mention cheap?
Congratulations! You're going to spend the weekend kayaking down a river. One problem: The roof rack of your Mini Cooper isn't big enough to hold a tricycle, let alone a full-sized waterborne vessel. Try an inflatable model instead. These craft can easily stow away in the back of a Civic, yet pump up faster than acontestant at the Mr. Universe pageant.
Bic YakkAir HP, 2-Person Kayak
Bic has a knack for turning plastic into gold, and this two-man boat is a Grade-A example of that skill. Not only is it supremely comfortable and well-appointed with smartly situated carrying handles and a discreet zippered pouch, but pumping the thing up is nothing but aces. We got the craft inflated in a little less than 10 minutes. Once on water, the YakkAir is nimble and relatively easy to maneuver. It's spacious with enough room to stretch out for a mid-afternoon siesta and tough, too — rip-stop fabric covers the craft from bow to stern. All this roominess and ruggedness comes at a price, though: The YakkAir is extremely heavy and quickly tired out our nerdy arms when schlepping it 200 yards from car to water. But as far as inflatable watercraft go, this kayak is the one we'll pack.