Razor Kayaks Edge Pro Kayak
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | $1249.00
Our Overall Rating | 97 out of 100
Pros - Excellent paddling efficiency, tracking, and rigidity, comfortable, high-quality
Cons - On the expensive side, heavier
Overall - The undisputed leader of inflatable kayaks
Technical Specifications
Open Size - 13’1”x33”
Weight - 41lbs
Load Capacity - 375lbs
Packed Size - 33x20x13in
Our Analysis & Ratings
The Edge Pro 1 is our top pick of the inflatable kayaks we've tested, for a few reasons: it excels in on-water performance, is a thoughtfully designed and well-built kayak, and is comfortable and versatile. We found it very hard to fault, and thoroughly enjoyed paddling it.
Performance (speed, tracking, maneuverability, stability, load handling): 10/10
Speed: Higher speed translates to better paddling efficiency. In our 330-foot speed test, the Edge Pro 1 was easily the fastest kayak we tested. This is due to its hydrodynamic hull design, the smoothness of the PVC surface, and its sharp bow shape.
Tracking: In our straight-line tracking test, it performed great and the skeg did a solid job of keeping it on course. When we tested it without the skeg, the hull shape also naturally guided it reasonably straight.
Maneuverability: We found it surprisingly easy to turn for a kayak of this length, again thanks to a curved diamond hull shape that's been designed with both tracking and maneuverability in mind.
Stability: The rigid full drop-stitch of the hull along with the curved base makes this kayak extremely stable. When rocking it deliberately, we found it moved with our body exactly like a curved hard-shell kayak would — something we haven't experienced in any other inflatable.
Load Handling: If anything, the Edge Pro 1 actually performed better under both 50% and 80% load. When fully loaded, the hull sat lower in the water, putting more of the lateral curves of the hull in contact with the water and improving handling.
The performance of this kayak is extremely impressive, the best against all criteria we tested.
Construction (materials, seams, valve quality, durability, and fittings): 10/10
The Edge Pro 1 is a full drop-stitch kayak that uses Razor Kayaks' Tech-Stitch material on the exterior for added durability, and uses innovative techniques like incorporating a bend into the drop-stitch itself to create its hull shape.
Seams and valves were clean and clearly high quality, holding pressure throughout our three-day inflation tests.
It held up well in our abrasion tests, and D-rings and other hardware were also top-grade.
Razor Kayaks opted for a 2-inch thick drop-stitch rather than the more standard 3–4 inches. Because of its angles, the hull shape has the compression needed to stay rigid while being lighter than a thicker drop-stitch. The thinner drop-stitch also opens up more room in the cockpit.
Setup/Pack Down (inflation time, valves, folding, and drying): 9/10
The Edge Pro 1 has just three valves of a matching type, and a fully PVC exterior that makes it super simple to set up and easy to dry. It also has a solid foam seat that just clips in rather than needing to be inflated, and a footrest that's equally simple to clip in and easy to adjust by re-clipping.
You do have to reach slightly under the hull to attach the pump to the valves. That's the one downside we could find here. But it's a minor gripe that's far outweighed by the benefits of the enclosed hull shape and straightforward three-valve setup.
The included bag fully unzips and has plenty of room to easily pack the kayak and accessories back in.
Portability (weight, packed size, ease of carrying): 8/10
At 41lbs, it's not the lightest inflatable kayak out there, but that's to be expected from an enclosed sit-in hull design that naturally uses more material. The bag is a backpack-style design that we found comfortable and easy to carry, with a very manageable packed size. Overall, we feel the kayak's on-water performance more than makes up for the slightly heavier weight.
Comfort (seat support, legroom, fatigue over distance): 10/10
Razor Kayaks updated its seat across its latest models with a thicker foam bottom, which delivered solid comfort on longer paddles. The footrest was also perfectly positioned for paddling ergonomics, and there's a ton of legroom.
They've clearly designed this kayak for use in all conditions, with an optional spray skirt that we tested and found to be comfortable and effective at keeping us dry.
Value for Money:
Priced at $1,2, this kayak is firmly in the premium tier. It's unquestionably a top-performing kayak with excellent build quality and plenty of well thought-out features, so we rated its value as solid, given it's the best kayak we've tested.
Best For:
A wide range of water and weather conditions (rivers, lakes, coastal)
Paddlers looking for high performance across all areas
Long day trips or multi-day expeditions
All body types, including larger and heavier paddlers
Serious paddlers looking to invest in the best quality option
Overall:
The Edge Pro 1 is an extremely high-performing, high-quality kayak. It rated at the top across all of our categories and was an absolute blast to paddle. If we could only pick one kayak, this would be it.
