Paddle boarding is still a fairly new water sport that is growing in popularity. Those who are just trying it out for the first time often don’t quite know which board is the best choice.
A variety of paddle boarding brands and paddle boards manufacturers make the decision difficult.
Here you will find the 14 best paddle boarding manufacturers with a brief description of their areas of use, board quality, accessories included and price-performance ratio, as well as other special features.
Table of Contents
Best Paddleboard Brands
#1 Bluefin
The Bluefin brand comes from the UK and is one of the absolute favorites in the paddle boarding scene. Here you can get very qualitative boards at a reasonable price.
- Areas of application: This manufacturer has focused entirely on high-quality beginner boards, but also offers some touring and race models for more demanding tours for advanced and professional riders.
- Price-performance ratio: The inflatable and mostly blue Bluefin boards have a top quality at a rather good price-performance ratio. They are available from about 500 £, the touring and race models are more expensive than the allround boards. Basically, all boards of this brand always include quite a lot of accessories. The material is made of high-quality PVC. The processing with an elaborate dropstitch process ensures the high stiffness and extremely robust construction. The manufacturer also has boards with an additional carbon layer in its range.
Our Bluefin Board Reviews:
#2 Decathlon
Many know Decathlon as a supplier of sports and outdoor equipment. They also successfully sell an assortment of their own paddle boarding boards. The manufacturer’s own paddle boarding brand is called Itiwit, from which there are also kayaks and water sports accessories.
- Areas of application: Decathlon has suitable boards in its range for both beginners and advanced riders. Touring and race boards are inflatable, just like the allround models. Thanks to their lightweight construction, they are very light and maneuverable on the water.
- Price-performance ratio: Decathlon boards are priced rather favorably compared to other brands. Entry-level boards are available from around 170 £, while higher-quality touring and racing models cost between 170 £ and 600 £, depending on the model. However, accessories are rarely included and must be ordered separately. So the equipment is very individual, but the total price increases. The supposedly low prices at Decathlon are therefore only a bargain at first glance. However, if you are already an experienced paddle boarding and already have a lot of accessories, buying a new board here can be well worth the price. Most boards offer top quality.
Our Decathlon Itiwit Board Reviews:
#3 Penguin
The Penguin Watersports brand is headquartered in Southern California, but there are also offices in Asia and Europe. Since 2017, Penguin has also included inflatable paddle boards in its range. Different product lines here are geared towards different areas of use and target groups.
- Areas of use: Depending on the product line, Penguin boards are suitable for beginners and advanced paddlers. There are also suitable models for children. Allround paddle boards are available here as well as race, touring and cruiser versions.
- Price-performance ratio: The board manufacturer Penguin has set itself the goal of offering the best material at the best prices. The accessories here are often supplemented by practical extras when buying a paddle boarding. In terms of price, the boards range from 350 to 750 £, depending on the line. The quality of the boards is absolutely convincing.
Our Penguin Board Reviews:
#4 Wowsea
The Chinese paddle boarding brand WOWSEA sells a variety of entry-level boards. This SUP board manufacturer also has a growing range of race and touring paddle boarding boards.
- Areas of application: WOWSEA boards are suitable for beginners or advanced riders, depending on the product line. In addition to the classic allrounders, there are also some touring and race SUPs in the range.
- Price-performance ratio: The colorful paddle boarding from WOWSEA are very affordable, like much of what is produced in Asia. If you are looking for a board under 420 £, you will quickly find it here. With each board, the most important accessories for the start are already included, so there are no extra costs. The boards also make a good impression in terms of quality for the low price. The classic dropstitch process is used, and a high degree of stiffness is also provided. Only in the accessories there is still room for improvement. For the entry into the paddle boarding sport, however, it is still sufficient.
Our Wowsea Board Reviews:
#5 Thurso Surf
Boards of the paddle boarding brand Thurso Surf are popular all over the world because of their robust materials and special wooden look. Good quality is available here at a moderate price.
- Areas of application: Thurso Surf paddle boards are particularly suitable for beginners, as they are very tilt-resistant and thus facilitate the entry into the SUP sport. Also for longer paddle boarding the boards are well suited.
- Price-performance ratio: Price-wise, the boards of Thurso Surf are rather in the middle segment, that is between 420 £ and 670 £. For this price, the boards offer a decent performance. They are manufactured in the dropstitch process, very robust and durable. Thanks to the wood-look design, Thurso Surf paddle boarding boards also stand out from the crowd.
Our Thurso Surf Board Reviews:
#6 Cala
CALA Boards is a true newcomer to the SUP scene and has been marketing its inflatable paddle boarding (iSUPs) on the European market since 2021. Right at launch, the company brings an exceptionally designed selection of different, high-quality models to the market, which are priced in the upper range. The claim of the brand seems clear, the company wants to establish itself in the premium segment and challenges the well-known manufacturers.
- Areas of application: CALA Boards has apparently discovered its niche in the production and marketing of very versatile paddle boarding. The solid to above-average width of the models is, just like the consistently installed setup of 3 removable fins in the Smartlock system, a striking common feature of the various models. The largest share of the board range is made up of allrounders, which can also be classified as cruising boards due to the pronounced nose (board tip) and the straight tail. Wide-cut touring models and a yoga board round out the still manageable product range. Specialized and above all very narrow and sporty models (racing boards, etc.) are still in vain, at least at present.
- Price-performance ratio: The prices of the CALA boards are clearly in the upper third of most comparison models. For such an investment, the value in terms of quality must of course be right. And that is exactly the case with the boards! The first-class construction (“fusion dropstitch + 2-layer rails incl. fabric reinforcement”) is top modern and creates the symbiosis of light board weight, optimal stiffness and durability. The features used are well thought out, removable paddle holders and an action cam mount are part of the standard equipment. The accessory package that comes with each board is also consistently very good quality. The trolley backpack in particular stands up to any comparative offering, and the carbon paddle is also well worth mentioning.
Our Cala Board Reviews:
#7 Aztron
Not very long on the market is the paddle boarding brand Aztron. Nevertheless, the long experience in paddle boarding is clearly visible in the board designs. Innovative paddle boarding is as much a part of Aztron’s range as a wide variety of water sports accessories.
- Areas of application: Boards from Aztron are suitable for beginners, but also for advanced paddlers. There are fixed boards as well as inflatable models with double chambers. For example, a popular model of the brand is the paddle boarding Urono, which is suitable for a variety of waters with a very good stability. In addition, there are also many other boards, for example, for racing professionals and children. Aztron also has multi-person SUPs in its range.
- Price-performance ratio: Boards from Aztron are very affordable compared to other brands and two-chamber boards and can usually be found in a range of 250 and 600 £. They offer high stiffness, robust dual-chamber technology and very good performance. The accessories are diverse and unbeatable for the price.
Our Aztron Board Reviews:
#8 Aqua Marina
Last but not least, it is the Aqua Marina brand that should not be missing from this top list of the best paddle boarding manufacturers. The brand is one of the largest suppliers of inflatable paddle boarding boards.
- Areas of use: Aqua Marine paddle boarding boards are available for every area of use. For example, allrounder and touring boards, which are best suited for beginners and advanced riders who practice paddle boarding more as a recreational sport. Less suitable are the boards for people who are overweight.
- Price-performance ratio: The inflatable models from Aqua Marina are already available for about 250 £ and include the most important accessories for the start as a complete set. The good price-performance ratio makes the boards very popular, but a few minor compromises in the quality of workmanship must be accepted. Significantly more expensive than the allrounder and touring models are the double-layer boards and SUPs from the Race series from Aqua Marina.
Our Aqua Marina Board Reviews:
We have also reviewed most other Aqua Marina boards in our comprehensive article about Aqua Marina paddle boards.
FAQ
Is a cheap paddle board enough or should I buy a branded paddle board?
For the entrance into the SUP sport it is sufficient to buy a rather favorable allround board, which is optimally suitable for beginners. Cheap boards are also available from some well-known brand manufacturers.
If you later practice the sport regularly and with more ambition, it is also worth buying a new high-quality touring board. If you even have the ambition to participate in competitions, a race model is recommended.
More information about the best paddle boarding brands can be found here.
Which paddle boarding brand is the best?
There is no single best paddle boarding brand for everyone, as every athlete has different demands on such a board. Some brands offer very good touring boards, but fewer models in racing – and vice versa.
Certain brands and paddle boarding manufacturers also specialize completely in allround boards for beginners or other categories.
More information about the best paddle boarding brands can be found here.
Are there also cheap paddle boarding brands?
Yes to the rather cheap paddle boarding brands belong for example Auqa Marina or WOWSEA.
We advise you not to buy NoName- and Discounter-Boards, which you can find very cheap in the shops, because of a lack of material quality and a shorter durability.
More information about the best paddle boarding brands can be found here.
Which paddle boarding brands are best for beginners?
For beginners, classic allrounder boards are best, which are typically relatively wide and also not too long. In comparison, true pro racing boards tend to be narrower cut and also longer, which makes them faster, but also harder to ride.
Usually the nose of allrounders is strongly rounded, which slows down the glide in the water a bit, but is easier to handle for beginners. For beginners, we recommend brands such as Penguin, Bluefin or Aqua Marina, for example.
You can find more information on the best paddle boarding brands here.
Which brands should advanced users go for?
Advanced paddle boarding enthusiasts go often and regularly, including long tours. If the focus is on speed and competitions, a race board is recommended.
For effective progress on long tours, on the other hand, a typical paddle boarding touring board is more suitable. For advanced riders, we recommend, for example, the paddle boarding manufacturers iRocker, Bluefin or Fanatic.
More information about the best paddle boarding brands can be found here.
Conclusion
The selection of paddle boarding manufacturers and brands is very large, but thanks to the presented list now no longer unmanageable. Depending on the intended use and experience, the choice falls on certain paddle boarding manufacturers, also the budget further limits the choice.
Those who have decided for the paddle boarding sport for a longer time should choose a model that is as qualitative as possible, but it does not necessarily always have to be the most expensive.
If accessories are important to you, you should take a close look at the scope of delivery. Some paddle boarding manufacturers already supply extensive equipment with their boards.
For others, everything must be purchased additionally, which in the end increases the price again. A paddle boarding should in any case fit the purpose and preferably also offer a good price-performance ratio.
