You have decided you want to start canoeing, so you research the different canoes to see which one would be the best for you. As you consider these variables, it is essential to figure out what aspects of your activity are most important to you, how much you want to spend, and what kind of canoeing you wish to pursue, such as river tours, leisure paddling, etc.
Do you like to explore the waterways on your own or in a small group? Choose one of the choices below and go on your adventure! The 20 most expensive canoes that are worth your money are listed here.
List of the Most Expensive Canoes that are Worth It
1. Old Town Saranac 160
Source: Old Town/Johnson Outdoors
The Saranac 160 may be used as a tandem or with three paddlers. Its characteristics will appeal to all canoeists. Anglers will appreciate the integrated rod holders and additional storage (such as under the center bench seat) for extended trips. Dog owners will enjoy the open-top design’s ease of access for their dogs.
The canoe features curved seats with backrests, bow and stern moldings, paddles, and storage racks. It is highly durable to use single-layer thermoformed polyethylene. A modest rocker supports the kayak while tracking correctly. The Saranac 160 is an excellent choice for leisure paddlers.
2. Old Town Discovery 119 Solo Canoe
Source: Old Town/Johnson Outdoors
Old Town Find 119 Canoe is a light list with a single large load. This is the perfect boat for a solo adventurer. It can carry a lot of weight, so you can load it up and paddle along a river or a big lake. Imagine sleeping under the stars in a boat for a few nights.
This canoe is lightweight and easy to transport, with 11 feet of storage room for supplies, camping gear, and fishing gear. Think about fishing in the middle of a lake, with the sun warming your bones.
The canoe’s small size and light weight make it easy to manage. You can easily maneuver the boat on land or water. It’s an excellent canoe for paddling around a long alpine lake with a tent and fishing gear.
3. Sevylor Ogden 2-Person Canoe
Source: Paddling
Sevylor Ogden Canoe is an inflating canoe. The major problem is that you get inflated, but you also receive a pump when you buy this canoe (or you will already have one). But don’t let it fool you; it’s completely safe and long-lasting.
The PVC is guaranteed not to leak and can even withstand a dog’s grip. The many air chambers help keep the canoe afloat if one punctures. The chairs are also inflatable for maximum movement. They may be inflated to your liking and move back and forth to accommodate your preferred canoeing position.
The canoe inflates to take less weight. Two individuals are graded. On the plus side, it stores and transports wonderfully.
4. MYCANOE Origami Folding Canoe
Source: MYCANOE
MYCANOE Origami Canoe is a beautiful canoe for one reason. The origami folding mechanism is a contemporary wonder. In a few minutes, the canoe is unfurled and sitting in the water.
This canoe’s size and weight make it ideal for transportation to remote locations. Inflatable and lightweight, it folds small enough to fit in most vehicle trunks. The canoe unfolds to 14 feet and has two seats.
The MyCanoe can accommodate three people or two adults and two children. The mechanism can fold 20,000 times. The mechanism would still function after 54 years of daily canoeing.
5. Sun Dolphin Mackinaw Canoe
Source: Paddling
Sun Dolphin Mackinaw Canoe is a lengthy one. That implies more room inside the boat. That makes it a perfect family canoe. Some have even said it is too long. It is that huge. A boat of this size requires special transport. If you can carry it, you will not be disappointed.
Its size should make weight a problem, yet it doesn’t. Our 100-pound boat is heavier than some of the smaller canoes on this list. Postage is not an issue while traveling as a family.
Sun Dolphin’s canoe has plenty of covered and open storage space. There’s also a cooler—snacks for youngsters essential. In my view, the value for money makes this a top-rated canoe. With so many people and goods in this boat, keep clear of the shallows. This is good for families.
6. Old Town Sport 15 Recreational Canoe
Source: Old Town/Johnson Outdoors
Another Old Town boat. Recreational Canoe is a two-seater canoe rated for up to 1,100 pounds. In this case, you may squeeze up to four people into chairs or bodies on the floor. Of course, if just two people go, there is plenty of room and buoyancy for freight. This makes it an excellent boat for wilderness camping.
With so much storage, this canoe is excellent for fishing. This boat is perfect for catching lunch. Imagine camping in the mountains, beside a lake, and canoeing in for lunch.
7. Grumman River Canoe
Source: Canoeing
This boat is best described as exquisite. Grumman River Canoe’s design is sleek and vintage. It comes in many hues.
This boat is advertised as a solo canoe, although it can easily carry two persons. If you buy this canoe and take it on vacation, you will carry it yourself. There is no issue for two, but as a single traveler, you will have all the room you need without any worries.
Aluminum gives this canoe the strength and lightness to navigate all kinds of water. Because it’s aluminum, you know it’ll last a long time. It’s one of the priciest touring canoes on the list, but worth it.
8. Old Town Canoes & Kayaks Discovery Sport Canoe
Source: Paddling
The Discovery Sport Canoe is intended for your comfort. It weighs 118 pounds and is only rated for four people (3, depending on the passengers and load). The maximum load is 850 lbs. Its characteristics make up for its lack of capacity.
This canoe’s square hull enables engine attachment. You may either paddle it or install a motor for extended trips. A motor may be left on or removed as required.
This boat also has two comfy seats for numerous passengers. It also features molded cup holders to protect your drink. There is a storage hatch for things that should not be exposed to the weather. The bench seat with a cooler is one of the most delicate features.
9. Old Modern Handicrafts Real Canoe
One glance at Handicrafts Real Canoe is enough to make you fall in love. This is how canoes should be built. This craft’s craft is excellent, and if you buy it, you will be the envy of all your friends.
The boat appears hefty, but it isn’t. Age-old techniques are blended with new materials. The redwood and fiberglass make this canoe resistant to rock and other aquatic obstacles.
This boat has been carefully crafted, and you will be charged accordingly. This is one of the most costly canoes on the list, but it is a canoe that has been lovingly constructed.
This boat is ideal for a single or couple looking to explore a lake or a river. This canoe is stunning, and it’s a piece of art.
10. Mad River Adventure 16 Square Stern Canoe
Source: Mad River Canoe
Square Stern Canoe is quite comfortable. With two molded seats with backrests, you won’t have to sit in a conventional canoe all day. When out on the lake, the chairs are completely adjustable and cushioned.
A very stable boat. There is no risk of collapsing or capsizing even with two persons moving about. It has plenty of room for fishing, camping, food, and water storage. This is a beautiful canoe for two individuals who want to relax on the lake but still need to navigate.
11. Old Town 133 Rivers & Lakes Canoe
Rivers & Lakes Canoes can carry a lot, up to 900 lbs. With this in mind, the boat is heavy. The centered carrying yoke is my favorite feature of this canoe. The centered yoke enables one person to carry this canoe alone. It’s perfect for a single explorer or two individuals hauling a lot of stuff.
Also, I like the chairs. It is contoured to suit you better and with backrests for extra comfort. This makes it a perfect canoe for a couple of pals. Imagine you and your buddy loading up your river canoes with a few drinks and fishing gear for a great day.
12. Emotion Wasatch
Source: Dick’s Sporting Goods
The Emotion Wasatch is a 13-foot three-person canoe. A tracking skeg attached to the under seam ensures straight paddling.
A sharp bow makes movement more manageable, but a broader flat-bottomed hull offers stability. The two main seats have adjustable CRS seatbacks and two molded cup holders with fishing rod storage.
This flexible canoe may be powered by an electric motor (up to 40 pounds thrust) using the supplied motor mount bracket. It has less storage than bigger boats, but it has two back “ditty” compartments for small things. The Wasatch has a skeg wheel and two luggage-style handles for easy carrying.
13. Esquif Rangeley 13.5
Source: Esquif
The Esquif Rangeley 13.5 is a sleek boat with a 51-inch-wide mid-ship that offers stability for confident casting and lots of storage choices. To install rod holders, a GPS, and other fishing-related equipment, choose durable vinyl gunwales over wood trim.
Three webbed seats provide good ventilation and water drainage, while a square stern accommodates a 5-hp engine. In addition to the ABS foam core, the boat has ABS sheets and an exterior plastic shell that is abrasion-resistant and retains its form when hit.
14. Nova Craft Fox 14 Foot
Source: Austin Kayak
The Fox 14 Foot Canoe of Nova Craft is perfect for a single trip on a calm lake or a more extended river excursion with class I rapids. Standard and kayak-style double paddles are available with a bit of tumblehome for more leisurely paddle strokes.
The boat has a shallow arch bottom and slight rocking to offer stability to prevent catching the wind while allowing Canadian-style boat tilting for increased velocity. The symmetrical hull is elegant and has enough storage for overnight items.
The boat comes in five versions, ranging from fiberglass and steel to the brand’s TuffStuff Expedition material, which can withstand severe damage.
15. Old Town Guide 147
Source: Old Town/Johnson Outdoors
The Old Town Guide 147 canoe is a robust, durable choice for tandem paddlers wanting to sail lakes and gentler rivers. Two comfy curved seats with adjustable backrests in the stern and bow and black vinyl gunwales suitable for mounting extras like a rod or cup holder.
The Guide 147’s three-layer polyethylene construction withstands hits from rocks and wood debris, and carrying handles make traveling in and out of the water simple.
16. Pelican Dakota 15.5 Canoe
Source: Academy
The Pelican 15.5 is the dream, whether alone or when all three of its molded bench seats are occupied when it hits the sweet spot between tracking and agility. The unique RAM-X structure is robust with sleeves for the aluminum gunnels to stand better against the weather.
It additionally comes with three vertical rod holders and handles; however, one of your colleagues should be persuaded to assist in portages at 81 pounds. A small rocker keeps things moving, while the compact hull and pointed stern trim easily through streams.
17. Nova Craft Prospector 16
Source: Paddleva
Nova Craft has been producing some of the finest canoes since 1984, but with the Prospector 16′, they drew inspiration from Canada’s century-long paddling history. The boat’s 1,000-pound hauling capacity and shallow arch hull enable self-righting for steady paddling.
The Prospector 16′ may also be outfitted with a cloth top deck to shut out the elements while navigating river whitewater. Naturally, the canoe is excellent for longer, overnight excursions on lakes.
It’s easy to paddle alone. Fiberglass, blue steel, and three unique materials like TuffStuff Expedition are available on all Nova Craft canoes.
18. Sevylor Madison Kit
Source: Outdoor XL
The Sevylor Madison Canoe Kit is a good option if you value mobility and compact storage above everything else. This two-person inflatable boat is made of Sevy-Strong Tarpaulin, a rigid, lightweight, water-resistant material that won’t leak or damage.
A detachable fin and a welded directional strake offer reliable tracking and quick movement. A floor guide called “Seatography” helps you arrange your fabric seats for maximum comfort and performance, including swapping out one of the taller-backed seats if you’re traveling alone.
The entire device folds into the supplied carrying bag, which features large shoulder straps for easy transport. The package contains an easy-inflation manometer, a repair kit, two paddles, and a foot pump.
19. Sun Dolphin Scout SS
Source: Dunham’s Sports
Whitewater may be intimidating to some paddlers, mainly if their boat isn’t river-ready. But if you want to explore quieter waters, you may ignore such variables.
Opt for a lake-ready boat like the Sun Dolphin Scout SS. But it nevertheless steers and maneuvers like a typical canoe, and you can use paddles if you like. This broad, sturdy craft tracks well and is made of UV-stabilized high-density polyethylene.
20. Lifetime Kodiak 130
Source: Lifetime
The Lifetime Kodiak 130 comes with two paddles, making it simple to launch the boat for you and two people. The hull design defies “tippy canoe” preconceptions while providing reliable performance through tracking channels and a skeg wheel.
The boat can also take electric engines with a max thrust of 40 pounds. The boat is constructed of UV-protected molded high-density polyethylene and comes with built-in cup holders and luggage-style handles.