Rating

Performance: 8

Size/Weight: 6

Durability: 5

Setup: 6

Value: 8

OVERALL: 6.6

A proper performance contender for the price.

With its long, V-shaped hull and drop-stitch floor and sides, the X500 does a really good job of impersonating a hard-shell kayak. It’s nice and fast in the water, gliding along smoothly. Yes, it can be unstable, and the lack of any actual fins means it tends to drift around a little when stopped, but if you’re an experienced paddler looking for speed then look no further.

Comparison

Rank: #3

Open Size: Longer and thinner

Packed Size: Middle

Weight: Heavy

Capacity: Good

Perfect For: Building up some speed on flat, calm water.

Pros: The best of drop-stitch firmness, nice smooth V-shaped hull.

Cons: It’s really unstable - you want to keep it going along fast as much as possible, and avoid any quick turns.

Verdict: There are definitely better performance kayaks out there - but not for this price.

Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Itiwit Strenfit X500 compares to others in our list of the Best Inflatable Kayaks or see how we choose the best inflatable kayak.

Specs:

Open Size: 380cm x 64cm

Packed Size: 94cm x 50cm x 27cm

Weight: 18kg

Capacity: 125kg

Approx Price: $1199

Decathlon have thought through the backpack really well - it’s oversized enough that you can fit in all the extra gear that comes with the kayak, but not so big that it’s impossible to carry, and the straps are comfortable and well-positioned.

The materials used appear durable and engineered for performance. We’re always fans of drop-stitch for the firmness it provides, as ultimately, the goal is to get as close to hard shell performance with inflatable convenience as possible.

The pack unzips and contains the kayak, hard plastic footrests and firm padded seat. Note that paddle and pump are sold separately, or of course BYO.

The X500 has five inflation points, so a little more than your average inflatable but definitely not as many as some. The various points inflate the floor, two walls, and separate air chambers at the bow and stern - a little extra protection from puncture, and more strength along that kayak’s fairly decent length. It’s fairly easy to inflate them all given that the inflation process is the same for all valves.

The footrests and seat then easily insert, though options for adjusting their positions are slightly more limited than other kayaks we’ve seen.

In terms of pack down, given the kayak’s full PVC outer it easily hoses and then dries with a towel, before packing away. As mentioned, given that the bag is slightly oversized, it’s easy to fit the folded kayak back into the bag - the first time round we needed to re-fold it a little bit, but with practice we fit it into the bag the first time.

Compared to many of the inflatables we tested, the X500 shines when paddling. No inflatable will ever have quite the speed of a hard shell, but it approaches it - the drop-stitch PVC and v-shaped hull cut through the water really well, and track cleanly in a straight line.

There is a downside, and that’s instability - which comes part and parcel with a v-shaped hull and a long, skinny design. Unfortunately, you just can’t have everything, and of all the kayaks we tested, this was actually the only one we managed to capsize (by going side-on to choppy water). We also found it wasn’t that great at turning - small course corrections, yes, but larger changes of directions took some serious paddling. Again, you’d expect to compromise manoeuvrability with a long, thin design.

In terms of comfort, there’s very little we would improve on. The seat’s comfortable, the hard footrests and firmness of the drop-stitch floor providing a good surface to push against when paddling, and there’s also ample storage space in the length of the kayak (keeping in mind the storage isn’t watertight - dry bags essential).

The X500 is a thoughtfully designed, well-constructed kayak that has come really close to providing a hard-shell experience in an inflatable. The design is inherently unstable, and there are things Decathlon could have changed to improve the stability, but that likely would’ve compromised on the X500’s great straight-line tracking. It all comes down to how you want to use your kayak, but if you’re looking for a kayak to go somewhere, whether for longer-distance touring or even paddling for fitness, the Itiwit X500 is very hard to beat at this price point.

See how the Itiwit Strenfit X500 compares to the other kayaks that made our list of Best Inflatable Kayaks.

Water & Outdoors reviews are written by our staff writers, who combined have over fifty years of experience on the water and outdoors. We may earn commissions if you choose to buy through a link you’ve clicked on our website, however this does not influence our reviews. For more information, please see our Editorial Policies.