NRS X-Lite Review

NRS is known for making quality gear built for adventures out on the water. So we were especially excited to see how their stand up paddle board would hold up to our testing. While this board is an excellent all-around durable option for a variety of reasons, overall, we didn't feel blown out of the water by this board. Impressively, it is just 14 pounds, so we recommend this board for long hauls.

Performance Comparison

Stability

The X-Lite offers great stability no matter the conditions. At 34 inches wide, it is on the wider end of the inflatables we tested, a feature that helps when it comes to paddler's balance. Our testers did some major rocking back and forth on this board and had no fear of tipping off. On days where the water was a bit turbulent, this board handled waves quite well. Even with some bigger broadside waves coming our way, we had little concern about getting knocked off.

Whether we had two people on board or a canine friend, it was easy to move around on this SUP. When our testers were out solo, they felt comfortable moving around the board or doing yoga.

Glide Performance

This SUP can move! It was the first thing we noticed when testing. With a normal amount of effort when paddling, we felt like we were able to move much faster than most of the other paddle boards we have tested. The X-Lite has a blunt nose shape so we were a bit surprised that it moved like it did. Our testers enjoyed the speed they could get on this board. When it came time to test this SUP out on some choppy water, it did not cut through waves as much as some of the other boards; instead, it tended to bounce a bit more over the waves, but we didn't feel that it affected our ability to stay balanced on the board.

One thing to note is that on a windy paddle, this board does catch the wind and turn very quickly, making it a bit difficult to keep in one direction. This isn't abnormal for inflatables but we especially noticed with this board how quickly we would go from one direction to another if we stopped paddling when there was wind.

Maneuverability

Many of our testers felt that this board was larger than it was. Several people commented that they thought this board was well over 11 feet (it is 10 feet 8 inches) even though it is one of the lightest boards at 14 pounds. Due to this, a couple of our testers felt “surprised” at how well this board turned. We felt that the maneuverability of an inflatable was very average. With three to four paddle strokes, we could get turned around 180 degrees. When it came to avoiding our neighbor paddlers or rocks near the shore, we had no issues avoiding and maneuvering around obstacles.

Ease of Use

This is where our testers felt like NRS could have stepped it up with this board to make the quality match its price point. The X-Lite has a 20 PSI maximum inflation, meaning it takes a bit more pumping to fill than most boards, which max out at 15 PSI. Even with all our practice from pumping up SUPs all summer, we felt pretty tired by the end of inflating this board. We only inflated a couple of our test paddles to 16-17 PSI, and the board did fine out on the water, even with a little bit of chop.

This board is a little funky to deflate and roll up. The air doesn't come out very easily, and we found that we often had to do a first roll, unroll it, and reroll it to get it tight enough to get all the air out. Once we did this, it fit in the carry case with no problem, but making sure you got enough air out was more effort than any other inflatable we have taken out. The value on this board also requires some extra attention before inflating. With all other SUPs we've used, you make one quick turn before reinflating the valve to make sure it isn't 'open' and lets air out after you inflate it. With this inflatable, you have to turn it a couple of times and really double-check that it isn't open. Multiple times, we finished pumping it up and took the hose off only to find the value wasn't closed, and we lost a lot of air. So be sure to double- or maybe even triple-check.

For being a higher end board, we would except NRS to have put handles on this tip and tail but no such luck. This isn't a major deal to some people, but when putting the SUP on and off a car or pulling it up onto a beach, the details like this make a difference.

Construction Quality

NRS makes a lot of gear made for wear and tear. The construction of this board is no different. the X-Lite feels like it could handle bumps and dings no problem. We even had a windy afternoon where we accidentally dropped it on some rocks, and it showed zero marks or issues afterward. The backpack is also made of similar durable material which we liked versus many of the fabric bags inflatables come in. This board is also incredibly light, the lightest of any inflatable we have tested, at just 14 pounds. This makes it very easy to carry down to the water and back or carry in the backpack. If you're looking to find a board that you plan to carry in backpack mode often, the weight of this alone might be enough to convince you to buy it.

What we were disappointed with was the lack of paddle. For the price point on this board it would be nice if it came with a paddle. The deck padding on this board is pretty average and we were able to stand on it for longer paddles without any major issues.

Should You Buy the NRS X-Lite?

This stand up paddle board would make most purchasers within a broad ability range happy. Its all-around functionality is pretty high, although it lacks some of the smaller features we would like to see. This board wouldn't be a great first choice for new paddlers, as there are more affordable entry-level boards that offer similar, if not better, stability. For more advanced paddlers looking for a fast board that doesn't compromise on stability, this could be a great option. Keep in mind that you'll need to buy a paddle separately.

What Other Inflatable Paddle Boards Should You Consider?

If the stability of this board enticed you, but you're looking for a lower price-point, check out that Advenor Extra-Wide. The Advenor is surprisingly stable and only weighs four more pounds. If you're looking for a board that is quick and agile but still on the more affordable end of things, read about the Bote Wulf Aero.