Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Ultralite Review
Rating
Performance: 8
Size/Weight: 9
Durability: 8
Setup: 7
Value: 6
OVERALL: 7.6
Everything we love in a hybrid inflatable, but light.
Advanced Elements have been around for a good 20 years, and continue to make consistently good inflatable kayaks. We’ve paddled a fair few of them over the years, and recently we’ve been particularly impressed with their AdvancedFrame Ultralight. Following their trademark design of incorporating rigid parts into an inflatable kayak, the AdvancedFrame Ultralight feels pleasingly firm to paddle, and its big selling point when compared to the rest of the Advanced Elements range, or indeed quality inflatable kayaks generally, is its ultra light weight of 17.5lbs/7.9kg.
Comparison
Rank: #4
Open Size: Narrow
Packed Size: Small
Weight: Very light
Capacity: Low
Best For: Smooth to choppy water, recreation, kayak hiking trips and travel.
Pros: Light, stable, tracks well, packs down into a convenient backpack, super fun.
Cons: Some assembly required (a few valves and a floor to insert), takes a while to dry before packing away, and it’s for small people - if you’re over 6’2” or weigh more than 225lbs/102kg, forget it.
Verdict: Perfect for smaller kayakers searching for that isolated water thrill.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Ultralight compares to others in our list of the Top Ten Inflatable Kayaks, or see how we choose the best inflatable kayaks.
Specs:
Open Size: 320cm x 81cm
Packed Size: 79cm x 46cm x 15cm
Weight: 7.9kg
Capacity: 102kg
Approx Price: £680
First Impressions
From the outset, you can appreciate the use of quality materials and the care in construction that goes into the AdvancedFrame Ultralight. The fabric covering provides an extra layer of protection against scrapes, and has a nice feel to it that really convinces you you’ve got a solid boat on your hands, not an inflatable.
We liked the pack it came with, complete with two shoulder straps to wear it comfortably like a backpack, and found it no trouble at all to get to and from the water.
What struck us was the number of parts/attachments that come with this kayak (many more than those provided with most other non-Advanced Elements kayaks we’ve tested), most of which are necessary - these are potentially easy to get lost if you’re not careful as some of them are quite small.
Setup/Packdown
The Advanced Elements kayaks have a big weakness, and that’s their setup/packdown time. In attempting to come as close as possible to a hard shell kayak, while maintaining a lower weight and reasonable price point, something has had to give, and that’s the setup procedure.
The AdvancedFrame Ultralight only has the two main side chambers to inflate - that’s the good news (especially compared to some of the other Advanced Elements models, which can have up to seven).
There’s a separate foam floor to insert. We tried it a few different ways but found it too fiddly to get in with the sides deflated. The best way to put it in is to have the sides partially inflated, then get the floor in. It took us a few minutes to position it properly and flatten out any bumps.
There’s also the deck lift stick and brace to slide into the bow - it was fairly easy to work out where they went (we’re not really ones for actually reading instruction manuals, although to Advanced Elements’ credit they do include written instructions and a QR code to an explainer video on tags that hang off the kayak itself, so we were never too lost for what to do next). Finish inflating the kayak, then slot in the firm plastic bits at the bow and stern which give more rigidity, then of course inflate and place the footrest. Finally, clip in the seat and you’re done (phew!).
The other issue when it comes to packing away is the fabric covering. We love it for some reasons, but when it comes to drying the kayak out before storage, you really need to rely upon a nice sunny day, sometimes two. The whole process can be a little onerous when all you want to do is have fun.
Paddling Experience
We really enjoyed paddling the AdvancedFrame Ultralight. It tracks really nicely in a straight line as Advanced Elements kayaks almost universally do, and handles nicely when turning. The trademark rigid plastic at each end of the hull means it cuts nicely through the water.
Our issue here was with the floor of the kayak. In saving the remarkable amount of weight they have for a kayak of this quality, they’ve had to sacrifice firmness in the floor. The thin foam isn’t quite enough to give a nice hard surface to paddle against, and we found the inflatable footrest/seat positioning tricky to get right.
The main thing was the weight capacity, again due to the relatively flimsy floor - for me, 5’7”/165cm, 117lbs/53kg, it actually wasn’t too much of an issue. Was it noticeable compared to other, firmer kayaks I’ve paddled? Sure. Did it hinder my paddling experience? Only a little. But for my testing buddy, 6’4”/195cm (beyond the advertised acceptable height for this kayak, it should be said) and getting towards 220lbs/100kg, it felt like the floor really wasn’t equipped to hold him.
Final Verdict
There’s a lot to love here - the AdvancedFrame Ultralight’s light weight chief among them. We’re fans of the innovative ways Advanced Elements blends rigid elements into their inflatable kayak designs to achieve kayaks that paddle really nicely.
Our main issues with this kayak really relate to setup and packdown, and that will come down to a personal preference about how much time you’re willing to spend setting up and packing down in order to get the other features that may be more important to you (light weight, some rigidity, and the other full features that we haven’t gone into like deck lacing, D-rings, a supportive seat etc). You should also definitely consider your size when deciding if this kayak is right for you.
On the whole though, this is a well-designed, well-crafted and very well-priced kayak, and if you’re smaller and don’t mind the extra setup time, then we’d highly recommend it for a great paddling experience.
Keen to see how the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Ultralight compares to other kayaks? Head over to our list of the Ten Best One-Person Inflatable Kayaks of 2024 (spoiler - it’s number 4).
Water & Outdoors reviews are written by our staff writers, who combined have over fifty years of experience on the water and outdoors. We may earn commissions if you choose to buy through a link you’ve clicked on our website, however this does not influence our reviews. For more information, please see our Editorial Policies.