Chalk that up to light weight (a mere 20 pounds). Designed for flatwater with features to fit paddlers of all ages and experience levels. Right now, the company is funding the Inlet on Kickstarter and has backer options that’ll get you the boat for as little as $699, if you’re quick. Check out a few other kayak recommendations below or explore all kayaks to find the perfect one for you! Yes. You can store it just about anywhere. Straight off the plane and off to the Tetons. With a lightweight design and sturdy body, the Inlet is an exciting new option for those who are ready to hit the water but don’t want to give up storage space. While those claims feel­ slightly exaggerated (by comparison, my hard body Marshall guitar case is 6” high and my couch is approximately 2” off the ground), the compact nature of the Inlet is undeniably impressive. For more information please read our, First Look: Old Town’s New AutoPilot Fishing Kayak, The Most Innovative Outdoor Gear of 2020 So Far, After 25 Days in the Grand Canyon, These Rafters Returned to a Very Different World, Guidelines for Responsible Outdoor Adventures During the Coronavirus Pandemic, Carry-On Adventures to Thailand, Nicaragua and Las Vegas with Oru Kayaks, Field Tested: Fast Charge Power Bank by OtterBox, Field Tested: Solite's Heat-Moldable Surf Booties, Field Tested: 7 SUP Paddles for Every Type of Paddling Adventure, Field Tested: Our Favorite Down Jackets for Off-Season Adventures. All rights reservedPMC Entertainment, The Best Dog Life Jackets to Help Keep Your Pup Safe This Summer, The Best Christmas Gifts of 2020 on Everyone's Wish List, The 60 Best Stocking Stuffers of 2020 That Aren’t Socks or Candy (We Promise), The 50+ Best Christmas Gifts for Your Wife that She Actually Wants, 60+ Christmas Gifts For Her That Are So Good You Don't Even Need To Keep the Receipt, Be the Best Secret Santa with Our Favorite Gifts Under $20, Shopping Guide: The Best Massage Guns and Theragun Alternatives of 2020, Large enough to fit users of various heights, Comes with the necessary accessories plus some useful bonuses. The Inlet is as easy to paddle as it is to set up. Significantly lower than the rest of the fleet at $899. The Inlet Folding Kayak The origami kayak for everyone, the Inlet is our lightest, most portable, and easiest to assemble boat YET. The Inlet is the latest and cheapest folding kayak from Oru and is designed for flat water, it folds into a very portable pack that weighs about 25lbs making it great for spontaneous paddling. At 5’5” I had no issue finding a comfortable position in the Inlet. on Kickstarter! After trying the Inlet myself, here’s what I found. Oru Kayak promises that the Inlet is designed to last for up to 20,000 folds and while I didn’t get close to that number, I’m inclined to believe them based on my experiences with the company. For those who have never paddled an Oru Kayak before, here’s the brief: This California brand has artfully utilized the principles and precision of origami into a fleet of fully functioning kayaks that can conveniently clip apart and fold up into delightfully portable packages. A kayak that makes the water simple, easy and accessible. But where are you going to put a full kayak in your 400-square-foot apartment? Is the three-minute setup for real? We would also like to see carrying handles on both sides of the Inlet instead of just one. Men’s Journal has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. And there’s a lot to love about this folding boat: But does the Inlet live up to its potential? Once folded and secured with the attached straps and buckles, the Inlet measures approximately 40” x 18” x 10”. The Haven is the heaviest of all Oru Kayak models. The origami kayak for everyone, the Inlet is our lightest, most portable, and easiest to assemble boat YET. Folding the Inlet backup into its storage setting was a little more difficult because I needed to apply pressure to get the buckles to close before I could tighten the straps. In the following Oru kayak review, you will find all the details regarding all the models with pictures and videos, and our brand new FAQ section that will answer every question you … At 20 pounds, you can store the Inlet just about anywhere. The Inlet comes with a steep price tag. The Inlet paddled pretty well for a small boat with no skeg or rudder. Oru Kayak is the inventor of the “origami kayak.” The Inlet Foldable Kayak combines the stability and balance of a traditional hardbody kayak with the small storage footprint of an inflatable kayak. It’s important to state, however, 40lbs in suitcase mode feels a lot heavier than 40lbs in kayak mode. The company advertises the folded Inlet as roughly the same size as a guitar case, adding that it can slip under a couch. Simple storage is a perfect solution for those living in tight quarters—whether apartment, van, or tiny home—who lack the space to house a full-size touring kayak. Using an origami-inspired design, the Inlet goes from a compact, rectangle-shaped unit to a full-sized, single person kayak in about three minutes. The Inlet most notably features an all-new origami folding pattern that allows the kayak to be intuitively folded from box-to-boat in under 3-minutes. Oru Kayak is raising funds for Oru Kayak Inlet: A Portable Origami Folding Kayak. They were easy to set up and fold up after watching the video Oru has on their website. Price point was the other dealbreaker, with MSRP ranging anywhere from $1,300 to $2,200. Owning a kayak typically means that you also have a garage or storage area where you can keep your boat. Read Inlet reviews or submit your own review to share with the paddling community. It has a weight capacity of 275 pounds and a maximum paddler height of 6'2", yet it only weighs 20 pounds! You can put your fishing gear and skis in a closet pretty easily. With a weight of only 20lbs, this makes the Inlet extremely portable and easy to store. It sets up in 5 minutes and the take-down is shorter. The Oru kayak is actually a folding kayak, origami kayak, or can also be called a “collapsible boat”. Off the beaten path lakes and rivers are made accessible when you can pack up your kayak and carry it on your back. The Inlet also comes with a branded lifejacket and a travel bag that is key for customers who want to hike to their kayaking destination or travel by plane or train with the Inlet. The Inlet is intended for paddlers looking to save some space and reduce barriers to quick and mellow on-water excursions. How does the Inlet compare to previous Oru models? Oru Kayak Review: The Haven Tandem Model #2 Weight of the Oru Kayak. The Inlet may hit customers with sticker shock at first glance, but the kayak is worth the high price for what users get in portability and compact storage size. 5. Oru Kayak’s newest boat, the Inlet, folds down into a box about the size of a duffel bag, weighs just 20 pounds, and retails for $899—making it both the lightest and the least-expensive craft in its class. The base model of the Oru Kayak, called the Inlet, retails for $900, which is a bit pricier than plastic kayaks. Designed for use on flat water, this boat is playful and light. Even more impressive was the fact that my 6’4” husband also felt like he had ample legroom and could rest comfortably on the padded inlet seat and seat back for an extended period. This would allow users to get a firmer grip on the kayak when it is in its folded position and make it easier for users to carry the kayak facing inwards or outwards. Standing with the Inlet between my legs and using my lower body to hold the boat closed helped, and by my second attempt, I was able to fold the Inlet back into its storage state in about three minutes. Chalk that up to light weight (a mere 20 pounds). Please enter your name here. To make it simple, you needed practice. After watching the instructional video only once, I was able to easily assemble the boat in about nine minutes. (Most foldable kayaks weigh over 30 pounds and very few break the $1,000 barrier.) I turned to the interwebs and found the Assembly Guidelines page on ORU Kayak’s website where there is an instructional video and a PDF document with step-by-step photos.. With some patience and a little more man-handling than I expected, I put it together the first time in about 30 minutes. Get ready to streamline your entire kayaking experience. It was not intuitive; setup and breakdown took multiple attempts to feel confident enough for a solo build in the field without cell service for video tutorial fallbacks. Both my wife and I can easily transport it ourselves from the truck bed to the boat launch. The Inlet, which launched on Kickstarter today, promises to bring a slew of nice refinements to the Oru formula. Price: $850-$950 ... Review Of The Stellar 18. It easily fits into my car trunk, is light enough for me to carry and is the only way I could use and transport a kayak at my age (70 year old woman). Do you feel secure when out on the water in a folding kayak. By eliminating many of the loose parts of past Oru designs, it can go from box to boat in less than three minutes, or 75% faster than its predecessors. This fall however, I had the chance to give the Inlet a first-hand shakedown run at the foot of the Tetons. It touted assembly as simple as opening, snapping a couple of clips, and slipping into the seat. on Indiegogo. I had the chance to paddle and review a prototype of the new design in the heart of Grand Teton National Park, and Oru rep Jess Anthony was there to show off the new features. The Inlet’s origami redesign is the brainchild of Anton Willis, Oru’s founder and Chief Design Officer. And for those who are short on storage space, there are less expensive inflatable kayaks available. When are Inlets available for purchase? Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window). You have entered an incorrect email address! For access to exclusive gear videos, celebrity interviews, and more, subscribe on YouTube! eval(ez_write_tag([[300,250],'mensjournal_com-incontent_7','ezslot_0',122,'0','0']));3. Or, at least, that’s what it used to mean. Unfolding and folding the kayak takes just three minutes after the initial trial runs, saving users time that they would otherwise spend inflating and deflating the Inlet’s inflatable counterparts. What’s the price? This boat is designed for quick trips—and leaving most other overnight or extended-day accessories at home or camp. Please enter your comment! We'd seen some other reviews about the width and you do have to paddle with a lower angle and would be sad with a shorter paddle. As one of the industry leaders in recreational use kayaks, Oru is breaking new ground with the release of their latest design. I had heard Oru’s claims before and approached with caution and few degrees of healthy skepticism. P romising big adventure in a small package, Oru Kayak has taken its popular folding design and made a lighter and even easier-to-assemble kayak with the all-new Inlet. LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply. Oru Kayak promises that the Inlet is designed to last for up to 20,000 folds and while I didn’t get close to that number, I’m inclined to believe them based on my experiences with the company. Released on August 13, Oru’s new Inlet model is perfect for Kayak lovers who have no room to store a boat of any size. On earlier Oru Kayak models, boat assembly came with a shortlist of frustrations for those itching to get on the water ASAP. This kayak weighs only 40lbs! My second attempt took less than three minutes. Please enter your email address here. Oru Inlet Kayak Based on the company's first completely-new folding pattern since its launch in 2012, Oru's Inlet Kayak saves both time and space. Save Up To 80% Off At The Wayfair End of Year Clearance Sale, Top Three Safety Tools to Keep in Your Car, Holiday Gift Guide of Stuff They Actually (Really) Need, Some Fun Gifts That Will Arrive Before The Holidays, 15 Perfect Gift Ideas For People Who Have Everything, Shipping Cut Off Dates For Your Holiday Shopping Needs, The Men’s Journal 2020 Last Minute Gifts Guide, We may use your e-mail address to send you the newsletter and offers that may interest you, on behalf of Men's Journal and its partners. It required serious focus on step progression (and often trial and error) to learn how to assemble the boats efficiently. Since 2013, Oru has turned heads, winning multiple ISPO awards an Edison Award, and most recently, Outdoor Retailer’s “Gear of the Show” Award. Three minutes, tops. The innovative designs coupled with lightweight, foldable corrugated plastic hulls have offered a game-changing advance, enabling paddlers and outdoor enthusiasts to quickly transport boats to water and get right to paddling—compared to other options like inflating, assembling or piecing together a skin-on-frame packable craft. For those looking to tackle longer paddles in turbulent waters, the Bay ST would be a better fit. So much so that, since the release of Oru’s brand new, smaller, lighter, cheaper and even more packable Inlet, I’m considering getting one myself. I found that the Inlet felt sturdy and had an excellent turning radius even in narrow conditions. The Best Oru Kayaks for 2020 Inlet from Oru Kayaks. For a world with more spontaneous adventures! As for portability, the Inlet’s light weight of 20 pounds makes it easy to carry a short distance to the water’s edge. The Inlet makes the water accessible, simple and easy. I timed (and recorded) myself just to show you what that looks like (below). However, larger models of these corrugated plastic kayaks that hold more weight and people can cost upwards of $3,000. The Oru Inlet is more of a “let’s take it to the lake and goof around” boat than the brand’s other offerings. The cockpit is big enough to throw in a few drinks, a small waterproof drybag, some fishing gear or an extra layer or two (although, without the promise that it won’t get wet in the largely open cockpit). They feel really stable because they are so wide. Read and submit reviews for the Inlet. It’s a recreational kayak best suited for beginners and calm water. When placing the inlet in my midsize SUV, I was unable to lay it completely flat and it easily fit on a diagonal in my trunk. City dwellers or anyone lacking in storage space who want to be able to escape to the water during their free time will appreciate the compact design of the Inlet, which is still durable enough to be used in gentle rivers and lakes. We also like that the Inlet’s price tag includes all the necessary accessories that users would want, including the paddle, travel bag and lifejacket, thus eliminating any surprise costs that could come after the kayak has arrived. Although I felt like the Inlet was appropriate for use in gentle water, its thin and lightweight design may not lend itself to rougher conditions. 1. The Inlet is a kayak brought to you by Oru Kayak. Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for Tucktec Advanced 2020 Model 10 Foot Foldable Kayak Folding Canoe, Portable Lightweight, Boat Fits in Your Car No Roof Rack Needed, Stronger Than Inflatable, for Kids or Adult (Dark Yellow) at Amazon.com. The relative ease of setting up the Inlet makes it a viable option for users with mobility issues or who lack the upper body strength to carry the hardbody kayak to the water’s edge. At 10 feet long, it’s the shortest Oru, with the widest cockpit, easy for getting in and out of and incredibly stable, but challenging in rougher waters. But alas, Oru addressed the ease-of-build issues with its new shorter and lighter Inlet model. Since it was my first time using the Inlet, I decided to test it out in our pool to make sure I felt safe before taking it into open water. | Check out 'Oru Kayak Inlet: Most Portable Origami Kayak Ever.' © Copyright 2020 Spy Media, LLC, a subsidiary of Penske Media Corporation. This isn't your hull for long hauls, but it's great in for short trips, and in skinny backwaters, I'd imagine. A kayak that makes the water simple, easy and accessible. In a time crunch to catch that sunset, this hindrance was cumbersome; for some users, a deterrent. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest adventures, workouts, destinations, and more. From forty-two inches long to ten feet – the world’s most packable kayak yet. The Inlet is as easy to paddle as it is to set up. It more than addressed all my pressing questions (and doubts), outlined as follows. The Oru Beach LT (bottom) compared to the original Oru kayak (top) - now the Bay model. As someone who has been beaten by many “easy to assemble” furniture purchases, I was unsure about Oru’s claims that the Inlet could be assembled and folded back up in only three minutes. Putting together the ORU Kayak. Those can start at around $400. The Inlet will cost $899, becoming Oru’s most affordable kayak yet (its next-cheapest model is the Beach LT at $1,299). With a new Origami fold pattern, the Inlet is Oru's lightest and smallest kayak. Designed for use on flat water, this boat is playful and light. The first time I unpackaged the ORU Kayak, I was a little overwhelmed. 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