REASONS TO BUY
Lighter weight for size
Good tracking
Easy set up and take down
Comfortable and stable
Comes with pump
Convenient features
REASONS TO AVOID
Holds water when packed away
Floor is floppy
No side handles
Less technical performance
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport Review
A great value for most paddlers, that has an easy setup, good performance in moderate conditions, and is a comfortable and stable ride
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Price: $570 List
By Maggie Nichols ⋅ Senior Review Editor ⋅ Apr 15, 2025
RELATED: Best Inflatable Kayak of 2024
Our Verdict
A slightly less technical and cheaper version of the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame, this Sport kayak performs above average across the board — with a below-average price tag. An aluminum frame inside the pointed keel helps it track better than most, while its shorter length keeps it maneuverable. It's wide and stable, sitting low in the water, with a comfortable seat. With just two main chambers to inflate and a fairly low weight, this kayak maintains its impressive portability. Advanced or frequent kayakers may not like how flexible the floor is and that it has no water drainage system, leaving it wet inside for storage. Still, for a good paddling experience on calm waters, excellent portability, and a great price, it's hard to beat this boat.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Inflatable Kayak on a Budget | Excellent Value for a Tandem | |||
| Price | $570 List $279.97 at Amazon | $670 List $349.90 at Amazon | $499 List $499.00 at REI | $400 List $399.00 at Amazon | $389 List |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | A great kayak for light to moderate adventuring, with solid performance across the board, a simple setup, and a great value | This yak is among our favorites and it's built to last and perform at a high level | A marginally more affordable folding boat that's a breeze to set up and enjoyable on calm and flat waters | This improved folding craft is lightweight and does pretty well, if less technical, for a budget-friendly price | An affordable and pleasant paddling experience with a friend or solo on calm waters |
| Rating Categories | Advanced Elements A... | Advanced Elements A... | Oru Lake | Tucktec Folding Kayak | Sea Eagle 370 Pro |
| Gliding and Tracking (25%) | |||||
| Stability (20%) | |||||
| Comfort (20%) | |||||
| Ease of Transport and Set Up (15%) | |||||
| Maneuverability (10%) | |||||
| Construction Quality (10%) | |||||
| Specifications | Advanced Elements A... | Advanced Elements A... | Oru Lake | Tucktec Folding Kayak | Sea Eagle 370 Pro |
| Measured Weight (boat and storage bag only) | 25.8 lb | 30.4 lb | 17.0 lb | 26.0 lb | 42.8 lb |
| Capacity | Single; 250 lb | Single; 300 lb | Single; 250 lb | Single; 300 lbs | Tandem; 650 lb |
| Kayak Size (length x width) | 10' 3" x 2' 9" | 10' 3" x 2' 9" | 8'11" x 2' 8" | 10' x 2' 7" (9' 4.5" not including rudder) |
12' 6" x 2' 10" |
| Packed Size (length x width x height) | 33" x 16" x 14" | 33" x 16" x 15" | 42" x 18.5" x 10.5" | 46.5" x 14.5" x 9" | 36" x 20" x 8" |
| Included Accessories | Repair kit, pump | Repair kit, pump | Extra plastic buckle, extra velcro patches | Paddle | Foot pump, repair kit, paddles |
| Material/Construction | Aluminum ribs in bow & stern, PVC-coated polyester | Aluminum ribs in bow & stern, PVC-coated polyester | Double-layered polypropylene, 10-year UV treatment | 1/8" high-density polyethylene thermoplastic | 38 mil PVC |
| Features | Adjustable seat placement and backrest, bow bungees, pressure relief valve in floor, small skeg, velcro paddle holders, pressure gauge on pump, seatback pocket | Adjustable backrest, bow and stern bungees, pressure relief valve in floor, skeg, velcro paddle holders, pressure gauge on pump, seatback pocket | Adjustable backrest | Adjustable foot rest, adjustable backrest, front bungee, carry handles on ends | Seatback pockets, bow & stern grablines, drainage hole, adjustable seats, two small tracking fins, converts to solo boat |
Our Analysis and Test Results
The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport is a single-person kayak with a listed capacity of 250 pounds. It weighs 25.8 pounds when packed up and is made of PVC-coated polyester with an aluminum frame. It has an adjustable seat and backrest, paddle holder straps, seatback pocket, and comes with a repair kit and a pump with a built-in pressure gauge.
This inflatable kayak strikes an excellent balance of solid performance, approachable stability and comfort, quality materials, and easy setup - all for less than you might think.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Gliding and Tracking
The pointed keel of the AdvancedFrame Sport contains stiffening aluminum inside, giving it a pointed bow. Compared to most other inflatables, this is a big difference — most other pumped-up models have blunt bows that are flat on the bottom and tend to slap their way across the water. The Sport glides much more easily and tracks better than those flat-bottomed options. It still wobbles from side to side while you paddle, compared to longer models with deeper keels, but it's much better than truly flat-bottomed boats.
As a lighter boat, the Sport picks up speed more quickly as you get going. However, it has a fairly unimpressive inflated bottom that can't be overfilled and feels a little like you're sinking into a pool floatie, with your bottom dragging in the water. On breezy days, this kayak catches the wind and is both less pleasant to paddle and more difficult to keep tracking in a straight line. Overall, the Sport offers solid tracking and gliding on calm waters and in sheltered conditions that even novice paddlers can appreciate.
The short, wide Sport isn't the most impressive at tracking, but it doesn't wobble as much as others in its same size range, making it less frustrating to paddle across larger bodies of water.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Stability
Unlike the non-Sport version of this kayak, the Sport has a wide open cockpit, making it easier to get in and out or bring along some extras to sit around your feet. It's a fairly wide boat, at 2 feet and 9 inches across, and the high-pressure gunnels (sides) make for excellent anchors to lift yourself into or out of the kayak.
Out on the water, the Sport excels more than most other inflatable kayaks. While lots of other budget-friendly inflatable makers feature thick flooring and thickly inflatable seats that keep you high above the water, the Sport's floor is relatively thin, and its seat is actual cushioning — and thinner. This lets you sit closer to the surface of the water, making even the newest paddlers feel more secure, even in waves.
Rocking violently felt surprisingly stable in this low, wide boat.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Comfort
What the squishy inflatable floor lacks in paddling performance, it makes up for in comfort. The seat is one of the simplest to adjust, as it doesn't attach to the floor — simply loosen or tighten the straps holding it against the sides and skootch it forward or backward, even when out on the water.
The wide-open cockpit without any footrests often resulted in paddlers leaning back and lounging during an outing — easy to correct by scooting backward. One feature that we very much appreciated here is the neoprene patches on either side of the boat. Located precisely where your knuckles might scrape across the fabric, these understated fabric swatches really make a difference to most people's overall paddling experience.
The Sport is a comfortable and casual kayak that still has enough features and good on-water performance to please pretty much any day tripper.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Ease of Transport and Set Up
Another area where the Sport impressed us — and actually outcompetes its more performance-oriented bigger brother, the AdvancedFrame.
Firstly, the Sport comes with a pump that has a pressure gauge, making it simpler to follow the included directions. It then has just two main chambers to inflate — the sides (all one chamber) and the floor. Two small air chambers are quickly inflated with a breath or two to hold up the front of the kayak over your feet. Simply set the seat where you want to sit and clip it to the sides, and you're ready to don your life jacket, grab your paddle, and get out there!
With two main chambers and two small ones (that can also be easily filled with lung power), the AE Sport is one of the easiest inflatables to set up.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
The Sport is also one of the lightest solo boats we've tested — even more impressive considering all the features it still has. It packs up easily into its duffel-style carry bag and, at 33 x 16 x 14 inches, fits easily into a car trunk or home closet. Our only complaint about the transition from bag to water and back is how easily this boat holds onto water — and does not dry out in storage. It has no drainage holes, so you have to flip it upside down to drain. Even still, water readily gets trapped between the inflation chambers and the PVC hull, where you cannot wipe it dry with a towel. This is an issue with every AE AdvancedFrame model boat we've tested, and we have found water still lurking inside our kayaks after 8 months of sitting in a dry desert garage.
Carrying the AE Sport to the beach isn't too bad, in this 25.8-pound duffel bag.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Maneuverability
The Sport doesn't come with a paddle, but once paired with whatever your favorite paddle is, it's easy to maneuver. It's a short boat with a shallow keel, making it easy to quickly change directions with simple paddle movements. We had no problems weaving through the maze of our local marsh without fear of running into any vegetation stands or banks.
With such a shallow footprint, the Sport easily glides over most submerged objects. Our fears of getting impaled on a stick are greatly reduced by the design of this boat. Unlike most inflatables that have their air chambers directly against the water, Advanced Elements crafts have all chambers contained within a thickened PVC hull, giving you the confidence to cross submerged branches and land on rocky beaches. We really put this to the test in our local flooded wetlands and never picked up so much as a scratch on the bottom of our Sport.
Navigating shallow, narrow channels is no problem in the Sport.
Credit: Maggie Nichols
Construction Quality
Up against some portable rigid kayaks in our lineup, this inflatable holds its own. The AdvancedFrame line from Advanced Elements is consistently some of the most durable inflatable kayaks we've tested, and the Sport is no different.
The PVC-coated polyester is thick and handily withstood all the rocky beaches and sunken trees we subjected it to. Even the internal air chambers proved their worth, carting around dogs. The only component that gave us any pause is actually the thin, flimsy hose of the included air pump. Still, that's hardly a concern when the actual boat itself is sturdier than any other inflatable we've tested.
The Sport is made of the same sturdy materials as others in Advanced Elements' AdvancedFrame line, and has great additional features like a soft neoprene patch on the sides to shield your knuckles while paddling.
Credit: Natalie Kafader
Should You Buy the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport?
This boat is easy to love, even for novice and intermediate paddlers. It's the option we recommend to most people for casual to medium-length paddling adventures, folks just looking to get out a few days a year, and anyone who wants an inflatable for storage reasons but doesn't want to sacrifice all the features of a regular kayak and be paddling around in a glorified pool floatie. It's a high-value item that we don't hesitate to recommend to the casual paddlers among our friends and family.
Though it's not built to tackle big waves, the Sport still keeps you moving when the wind picks up.
Credit: Chris McNamara
What Other Inflatable Kayaks Should You Consider?
If you want a little bit better performance on the water and a more aggressive cockpit shape, designed for more serious paddling, this boat's “bigger brother,” the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame, is the next step up and we have loved that version as well, and solidly recommend it still. If you're interested in a rigid, folding kayak that handles well for casual paddles, dries out between uses, and features a similar open cockpit design but with a footrest, the Oru Lake may be the right boat for you.
—Maggie Nichols
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