The Decathlon SUPs are better than the Lidl Paddle Board. In terms of product quality and board shape, Decathlon is far ahead of Lidl. However, the Lidl paddleboard is very affordable considering the included gear and can carry more weight.
I will start by saying that I own both the latest Lidl board (and we’ve reviewed all the latest models) and almost all Decathlon Boards, so this article is based on my experience with these boards.
The Lidl Paddle Board is among the most popular boards for beginners. It is sold in several countries (Lidl operates in 32 different countries). Its success among beginners has already sparked imitation.
The board is lightweight, easy to carry, very affordable and therefore is a very for beginners to make their entry into SUP. It comes with a paddle, an adjustable paddle leash, a bag pack, a pump and various kind of additional gear.
Last year’s Lidl Paddleboard set even featured a kayak seat and a dry bag.
Decathlon SUPs are also sold in numerous countries. The boards are very similar to the Lidl board in price, but differ in some aspects such as the overall built quality, the included gear, offered warranties, weight capacity, and shape of the board.
While Lidl just offers one build (sometimes in multiple different designs) for a brief amount of time, Decathlon sells their own paddleboard all year long. Most beginners prefer the X100 series, with the shorter X100 10′ and the X100 11′ version being the most popular.
Kids and lightweight paddlers can pick the smaller 10′. However, for paddlers weighing more than 80 kg (175 lbs.) we recommend picking the Decathlon X100 11′ as it provides more in terms of stability and buoyancy. Also, the 11′ model is great if you want to bring your kid or dog along on a paddle tour.
For this comparison, we’ll focus on the models Decathlon X100 10′ and 11′ as those are the ones most similar to the Lidl paddleboard.
Let’s focus on the differences for now.
Table of Contents
Different Versions
Lidl just offers a single version of their board (sometimes in different designs).
Decathlon runs with multiple product series:
- X100 (all-rounder / beginner / surfing)
- X500 (touring)
- R500 (racing)
Availability
Lidl’s paddleboard are just available for a few days to a few weeks every year.
Decathlon sells the boards all year long in their online store.
Weight Capacity
There are some differences when it comes to weight capacity. The Lidl Paddleboard is recommended for up to 120 kg (265 lbs.). Therefore, it can be used by more heavy people or if you want to take your kid or dog out for a ride.
The Decathlon X100 11′, on the other hand, is recommended for up to 100 kg (220 lbs.) and can be used by people who weigh up to 100 kg. That being said, I have seen heavier users of the board without problems.
Included Gear
Lidl’s paddleboards always comes with everything you need for a tour. If we say everything, we mean it. Lidl ships their board with every single piece of equipment a beginner could hope for. In last year’s model, even an attachable kayak seat and a dry bag (to store and transport your gear and protect it from water during a paddle tour, were included in the set).
Decathlon, on the other hand, does not include much additional gear. For most models, there just is a leash and the backpack itself included when purchasing a Decathlon SUP.
Beginners will have to buy some more additional gear to go on their first tour (such as a paddle and an air pump). This might sound like a huge disadvantage, and it is in some way.
However, by not including the gear, Decathlon gives you the option to pick (and pay for) what you really need. Also, most of the paddle included in sets like the Lidl Paddleboard are way too heavy and overall not of good quality.
With Decathlon, you can pick up a very decent lightweight paddle. Later on, most paddlers switch out their paddle for a lighter one.
Price
Lidl’s board is a bit cheaper; in fact, it is one of the cheapest boards in the market (especially when considering that includes all required gear).
While the Decathlon boards are similar in price, you have to take into account that you might have to buy an additional paddle and pump.
Built Quality
Overall, the Lidl Paddleboard’s built quality is okay. However, in the past, there have been huge issues with product quality and questions about how durable the Lidl paddleboard is.
When sold in an online store after the initial sale in Lidl markets, the Lidl paddleboard just scored 2 out of 5 in customers reviews due to all kinds of quality issues appearing just months after purchasing the boards.
In our reviews, we’ve also had some minor problems with our test boards, such as blisters and optical flaws on the boards.
We find Decathlon’s SUP to have great quality. Haven’t had any issue with quite a number of boards now.
Board Shapes
The board shape might be one of the most important differences, as the Lidl paddleboard with its super wide shape is clearly focussed on beginners.
With this shape, the Lidl SUP is not well suited for mid-range or especially longer paddle tours. The wide board shape literally works like a hand shift in the water, slowing down the board massively. This is an issue, once you mature to doing paddle tours.
On the hand, Decathlon boards are much more suited for touring. They have a sharper nose while still providing a great level of stability. This shape makes the boards much faster than the Lidl boards in the water, while still being easy for beginners to learn how to SUP on.
Final Words
We recommend beginners to get a Decathlon SUP to start with. In terms of product quality and with the straight-up better board shape, in our experience, you’ll get to use a Decathlon SUP more than one from Lidl.
Sure, it’s a bit more pricey considering you’ll have to pick up additional gear. However, it gives you the chance to invest in something decent like a carbon paddle (which are lightweight).
Boards like Lidl Paddleboard or Decathlon Itiwit X100 10′ are very popular. As we get tons of requests to compare certain models with each other, we went ahead and put out some versus posts.
If you are curious, you can check out comparisons like Decathlon Itiwit X100 10′ vs 11′, Lidl Paddleboard vs Aqua Marina Fusion or Decathlon Paddleboard vs Bluefin Cruise.
For sure, there are some great Lidl Paddleboard alternatives out there which offer more when it comes to a shape for better tracking capabilities and a higher build quality – still at affordable prices.
