Like every year, just in time for the warm season and the start of the new paddling season, temptingly priced boards jump out of the brochures of discounters and supermarkets into our eyes.
The demand for paddle boards is continuously increasing and every retailer wants to have a piece of the pie. Of course, the industry giant Aldi can’t miss out on this and so this discounter also offers at least one paddle set every year at an amazingly low price.
But what about the quality and are the low purchase costs really worth it?
Since 2016, we at stand-up-paddling.org have been continuously testing all the offers on the market and have also already put some of the retail chains’ models to the test.
Especially the beginners are very close to our hearts and that’s why we always want to tell you the unvarnished assessment of each offer, so that you can save yourself a lot of frustration and ultimately money in advance.
In this article, we would like to share our wealth of experience with you and explain exactly why we are usually sceptical about cheap discount boards.
In addition, I’ll also introduce you to some alternatives to Aldi boards that will give you the much better deal on balance.
Table of Contents
Will There Be an Aldi Paddle Board in 2022?
For sure, although we couldn’t find out any more details at this point, a new Aldi paddle board is coming as sure as eggs are eggs.
As soon as the new model is available, we will of course test it immediately and provide you with a detailed report here.
The discounters of course always get a specialized manufacturer on board for their paddle board offers, who manufactures inexpensive boards for the corporations, which they then also partially distribute under their own name (private brands).
In recent years, for example, behind the “Crane” paddle board hid the manufacturer “Lukadora”.
In 2020, a board of the brand “Zray” was then distributed through the Aldi stores. The offers from Aldi Süd and Aldi Nord also often differ from each other.
So there is not the one Aldi paddle board, but the offer varies from year to year. But let’s get to the crucial point right now:
Should You Buy the Aldi Paddle Board?
The short answer: No.
After careful consideration and after extensive testing of the models of recent years, we have come to the conclusion that we tend to advise against buying the discount paddle boards, especially for beginners.
The boards are all very cheap and often produced with modified manufacturing and have some disadvantages that beginners do not even notice at first, because they have no experience and comparison possibilities.
The quality, durability and also the performance could not keep up in many cases with the proven boards of well-known manufacturers. In the following part, I would like to explain the 4 most important reasons for our assessment in more detail.
Reason #1: Aldi Paddle Boards Are a Reach Into the Unknown
The biggest drawback to Aldi boards is the lack of consistency. As mentioned, the offerings vary from year to year and are usually models produced specifically for the discounter. Long-term experience and feedback from other customers missing!
Therefore, you may be lucky and the board turns out to be a real bargain. But you can’t rely on that.
If you are unlucky, you will find out in the course of the first season that it was a bad buy, because the board is not satisfactory in terms of quality and performance…then even the low purchase costs are no longer an advantage.
If you choose one of our alternatives instead, which I will present to you in more detail later, you can be sure that the board has proven itself for a long time.
Many models have been sold for years and enjoy worldwide popularity. Long-term experience is worth its weight in gold when it comes to paddle boards.
Reason #2: The Paddle Is a Heavyweight and the Accessories Are Not Good Quality
In addition to the already low price, Aldi boards usually come with a very extensive accessory package.
That the equipment cannot be of high quality should be obvious to anyone who has even briefly looked at the price range of good quality accessories. Here, savings are made at all corners and ends in order to push down the price.
Beginners are usually not able to judge the quality sufficiently and this is exploited with the discount offers unrestrained.
Starting from moderately processed backpacks to less powerful pumps to the heavy and non-swimmable aluminum paddle, the costs and thus the quality are pressed at every point in the equipment.
Especially with the paddle you should pay attention to quality. Modern and powerful models with fiberglass or carbon content are sometimes only half as heavy as specimens with aluminum shafts.
Accordingly, they are much more comfortable, easier on the joints to handle and do not immediately go into the diving station if they slip out of your hand while paddling or in the event of a fall into the water.
From experience, most paddlers replace the inexpensive entry-level aluminum model with a better paddle and invest at least another 50-75 Euros.
Reason #3: Many Paddlers Outgrow the Aldi Paddle Board Quickly.
As a rule, the Aldi paddle boards are very broadly constructed allround boards. This is unsurprising in that this type is basically the most stable in the water. What is initially a great advantage, but with increasing experience becomes a disadvantage.
Because the wide and rounded shape (silhouette) has a large water resistance and comes only with difficulty to glide. After the first season, many paddlers who really enjoy stand up paddling switch to a more planing model.
Touring boards with their pointed nose and reduced width are much more nimble and cut a much better figure on longer stretches.
An Aldi allround board is therefore very suitable for the early days, but it quickly reaches its limits due to its construction and cannot keep up with your ever-improving skills for long!
A more worthwhile and future-proof choice are therefore wide-cut touring boards. They are stable enough for the first, quick experiences of success and are still really fun even after years.
Another alternative are the so-called cruising boards, which are a mixture of allrounder and touring model, so to speak.
Reason #4: Actually, the Aldi Paddle Board Is Not as Cheap as It Seems.
The Aldi paddle boards seem like a real bargain at first. But if you take a closer look at the long-term calculation, the situation is clearly put into perspective. Let’s take the Bluefin Cruise as an example.
This board is absolutely powerful, perfectly manufactured and guaranteed to last at least 5 years. I am sure that no Aldi paddle board reaches this lifetime.
So you will most likely have to buy a second board within the 5 years and have then already spent more money in total.
Also, so far no Aldi board could even come close to the performance, stiffness and resilience of the Bluefin Cruise. Last but not least, the accessories are also significantly inferior.
The result is accordingly clear, the cheaper paddle board from Aldi can not compete in quality in any way and is in the long run (due to the lower durability) even more expensive than the Bluefin Cruise.
The old saying that your grandma already knew: “he who saves too much, buys twice!” therefore also hits the bull’s eye when it comes to paddle boards.
Of course it is not necessary to spend 1000 € for a premium board as a beginner, but an investment in the range of 500 € including accessories is also recommended for beginners.
The extra price pays off in the long run and is justified by the quality in 99% of the cases.
With good equipment you will have much more fun from the beginning, you will be well equipped for many years and you will be able to improve your skills continuously. Better save a little on a good board and save your nerves and ultimately your wallet!
Best Aldi Paddle Board Alternatives
I hope I could show you why we from stand-up-paddling.org think that even as a beginner, you are not well advised with the paddle boards from Aldi and the other discounters. But what now? After all, you are looking for a new paddle board!
So that you don’t have to fight your way through the mountains of paddle board offers alone, I would now like to introduce you to some alternatives to the Aldi paddle board, which have performed particularly well in the test and are guaranteed to make every beginner happy.
If you want to browse through more reviews, you will find countless board tests here, and we have also compiled our current favorites in the current best list for you!
1. Bluefin Cruise
The Bluefin Cruise is one of the best paddle boards for beginners and advanced riders on the market.
The board comes with a lot of high-quality accessories, is top processed, has scored very well in several paddle boards tests and has already been tested in practice by many buyers.
2. Penguin Lancer
The Penguin Lancer is a very good board for beginners, which convinces especially by the good build quality, the wide design and the high-quality accessories included.
The lightweight board with the simple design is a very good choice for beginners who want to learn stand up paddling on this board, because it is very stable in the water.
3. Decathlon Itiwit X100 Series
The affordable Itiwit X100 10′ is a 305 cm long paddle board for beginners. However, unlike similar length boards, you will quickly notice the sporty design with the tapered nose and wide tail.
This wedge-shaped design gives the board stable tracking, better performance and makes it a kind of hybrid between an allrounder and a touring board.
The board is also available as a 9′ and as an 11′ variant in different colors, so there is something for every weight and taste. The package only includes a leash and a backpack, so pump, paddle and other accessories can be assembled by yourself.
Those who weigh less than 75-80 kilograms should reach for the Decathlon Itiwit X100 10′. If you weigh more than this limit or if you want to use the board with two light adults, a dog or child, you should reach for the Decathlon Itiwit X100 11′.
FAQ
What is the Aldi paddle board good for?
The low prices for Aldi paddle boards are very tempting, and it’s not uncommon for the deals to sell out on the first day. However, if you take a closer look at the sets with an expert eye, it is easier to see that not all that glitters is gold.
A major shortcoming is the lack of long-term experience of the boards, it is virtually always cheap models produced specifically for the discounter.
Qualitatively, the boards and especially the equipment can not keep up with the offers of most paddle brands. There are also always justified doubts about the longevity of boards in the very cheap entry-level class. Learn more about the Aldi board and cheap alternatives here.
Which is better: Aldi or Decathlon paddle board?
Many Decathlon paddle boards come with very few accessories, so the Aldi paddle board has more to offer at first glance.
On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that the Aldi paddle, for example, is also only a very inexpensive model with an aluminium shaft that you will almost certainly replace with increasing experience with a better model.
From this point of view, you can also buy a high-performance paddle to go with your Decathlon board right from the start. From a technical point of view, there is of course a lot to be said for Decathlon.
Besides the Itiwit X100 9′/10′/11′ for beginners, there are quite a few other boards for different purposes and different users. The know-how for paddle boards is certainly much higher at Decathlon. You can learn more about the Aldi board and cheap alternatives here.
Conclusion
At this point, I would like to clearly emphasize that the Aldi paddle boards are not fundamentally bad. If you know your stuff and know exactly what you’re buying, you can even find a good deal. But that’s exactly where the problem lies for the vast majority of beginners!
The Aldi paddle boards are very cheap complete sets for beginners…no more and no less. Qualitatively, the boards and especially the equipment are accordingly also located in this area.
Because Aldi also wants to earn good money with the offers and of course has the products produced as inexpensively as possible.
If you just want to get a taste of the paddle sport or are looking for a board for the whole family’s swimming fun, then you can’t go far wrong.
For ambitious beginners and for long-term use, however, there are much better boards! We have thoroughly tested the mentioned alternatives and can therefore recommend them to every beginner with a clear conscience!
