Razor Kayaks X2 High-Pressure Review
Rating
Performance: 10
Size/Weight: 9
Durability: 10
Setup: 10
Value: 9
OVERALL: 9.6
The tandem kayak to end all tandem kayaks.
The X2 High-Pressure is a full Tech-Stitch (Razor Kayaks’ engineered version of drop-stitch) beauty. With an outrageously firm floor and sides, this kayak is an absolute pleasure to paddle with a buddy for hours at a time. A nice long skeg underneath enhances its straight-line tracking, and there’s enough room for two people to be comfortable and bring bags, without it being impossible to turn. It’s just over our price limit of £1300 so couldn’t make our Top Ten List, but to spend a little over £1000 for something that’s FULL drop-stitch is so very worth it - get one before they realise how insane they are for pricing it so low.
Comparison
Rank: N/A
Open Size: Long and slim
Packed Size: Portable
Weight: Light
Capacity: Extremely High
Perfect For: Touring, recreation - can handle calm and choppy water.
Pros: Extremely firm, comfortable and roomy, great straight-line tracking, easy setup and pack down.
Cons: One of the more expensive kayaks on our list - but outrageously cheap for full Tech-Stitch.
Verdict: An excellent kayak that couldn’t be any easier to set up and paddle.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Razor Kayaks X2 High-Pressure compares to others in our list of the Top Ten 2 Person Inflatable Kayaks or see how we choose the best inflatable kayak.
Specs:
Open Size: 473 x 71cm
Packed Size: 90 x 55 x 45 cm
Weight: 16.4kg
Capacity: 317kg
Approx Price: £1,325
First Impressions
The bag for the Razor Kayaks X2 High-Pressure is really roomy compared to a lot of the other kayaks we’ve tested. At first this puzzled us, until we realised how easy it was to get the kayak back in once we’d used it, not to mention the fact that you can fit all the accessories like paddles, pump and even life jackets in and carry the whole package down to the water on your back. No more having to trot down a path with paddles and pump falling every which way!
Upon unfolding the kayak, it’s clear that the PVC outer is extremely durable, bearing a strong resemblance to inflatable Zodiac-style boats. The kayak comes complete with two seats, two footrests and removable skeg - Razor Kayaks sells its own paddles and double-, triple-action or electric pumps separately. The seats are exactly the type we like - NOT inflatable - and the footrests are a basic padded velcro strap that attach through D-rings, but they do the job.
Setup/Packdown
Here’s one of the things we really appreciated about the X2 - Razor Kayaks have clearly thought about making the set up and pack down as simple as possible. As with their R2 Ultra, three Halkey-Roberts valves (one for the floor, and one for each side) sit adjacent to one another. There’s only one type of pump adapter needed, and three inflation points. The kayak can tolerate up to 8psi of pressure - hence the High-Pressure name - so feel free to pump up until the surfaces are rock-hard. Clip the seats and thread the footrests onto their D-rings, slide in the removable skeg on the bottom, and you’re off.
Because the surfaces are smooth PVC, it’s also blissfully easy to dry before packing down. We left ours in the sun for about half an hour while we had a cup of tea, then towelled off the bottom and our work was done. Deflation is a simple matter of depressing the Halkey-Roberts valves and letting the air rush out.
The only thing just to be aware of is because it has a hard plastic bow and stern, you do need to fold it up a certain way to get it back in the bag (as you do with most inflatable kayaks, particularly when the bags are smaller!). We found the best way was folding the bow and stern in on themselves several times, and then closing it like a book.
Paddling Experience
And this is where we really fell in love with the X2.
Being full Tech-Stitch, it’s the closest thing we’ve paddled to a hard-shell kayak. It cut effortlessly through the water, and kept a nice straight line that allowed us to glide efficiently across our test lake. With its reinforced bow, it handles going straight through chop pretty well. We’d definitely say owing to its longer, narrower shape, it’s more a performance kayak for paddlers with some experience as it is naturally less stable than a shorter, wider kayak, so that’s something to bear in mind.
It was also comfortable. The seats were nicely firm and provided great support. The footrests were easy to adjust to the desired length, and provided a good surface to push against. Most important - and I can’t overstate this - is that the X2 provides a great balance of enough space for two people to comfortably stretch out their legs, without being so long that it was just impossible to handle. It’s a really comfortable option for a two-person paddling team.
Final Verdict
We loved our experience in the Razor Kayaks X2 High-Pressure, because it was so easy. Easy to carry, easy to set up and pack down, easy to paddle and keep going straight through the water. A full drop-stitch or Tech-Stitch kayak is definitely the way to go if you’re looking for the best paddling experience, but they’re usually impossible to find at this price point - so we absolutely can’t go past this one.
Want to see how the Razor Kayaks X2 High-Pressure compares to other kayaks we tested? Head over to our 2 Person Inflatable Kayak Review.
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