Top 9 Best Kayak Seats and cushion reviews For 2021

So, are you keen to get the best kayak seats according to your demand?

What makes kayaking fun? Some people will say paddles, others the design. Still, others will talk of sophisticated features their kayaks have.

Look, if your kayak session does not end with backaches, painful hips or numb feet, then you should thank your kayak seat. If all those things happen to you trust me, you won’t like kayaking a single bit.

If you experience the above, then you need to invest in the best kayak seat. When you do so, you’ll realize the difference between successful kayaking and plain kayaking. This article elaborates on features to look at as well as top models you can find in the market.

For more insights, stay on this page.

Most Comfortable Kayak Seats: At A Glance

• Pactrade Marine Delux Kayak Seat
• Ocean Kayak Comfort Plus Seat Back
• Deluxe kayak seat by Leader Accessories
• Brooklyn BKC Professional Kayak Seat
• GTS Sport Sit-On-Top Kayak Universal Kayak Seat
• Skwoosh High Back Kayak Seat with Gel Seat Cushion
• Skwoosh High Back Kayak Seat with Lumbar Support
• Expedition [Best] Kayak Seat for Bad Back
• Universal High Back Seat for Sit-in Kayak

Best Kayak Seats Reviews

American Canoe Association gave some standards about the gear & accessories of kayak & canoe. Kayak seat is one of the most important factors while doing the anatomy of a sit-in Kayak or sit-on-top kayak. Because accurate & adjusted position enables you proper paddling. Just glimpse over our guide on the latest research about kayak seats available on the market & pick your desired one. Enjoy your happy holiday outing with kayaking!

1. Pactrade Marine Delux Kayak Seat

Pactrade Marine is an Oklahoma based famous marine products manufacturer. A passionate kayaker, scuba divers- globally accept its kayak gears. When long-time kayaking is a passion, then the best answer will be with the deluxe padded kayak seat by Pactrade Marine.

Features

• It is the best configuration kayak seat.
  -The back seat is 1.5 Ft. (18.50 inches) height from sitting to top & 1.8 Ft (21.65 inches) upper wide.
  The base seat is 1 Ft. (12 inches) height from the back.

• The seat is tightly adjusted with steel clips end by hard straps.

• Exclusively designed with a non-slip contoured padded seat.

• The seat is unique for backrest surface offering an extra comfort & support for your back while
  padding on the water

• Separated backpack allows you to carry kayaking essentials, especially food & water.

• Seat's material is 600 D polyester & neoprene means high-density synthetic rubber.

Tips

It is the best seat for sit on top kayak and sit-in kayak. Just settle your mind having this seat & feel more secure, more comfortable whether you are in the narrow or wider water body.

2. Ocean Kayak Comfort Plus Seat Back

Since 1971 Ocean Kayak, a Malibu, California based manufacturer, has been innovating most trusted sit –on- top kayak with its “Eskimo roll" mechanism. Its kayak seat is distinct & familiar across the global vacationers.

Features

• Its comfort plus seatback is exclusively a taller & widened.
  The dimension of the back seat is 18.5"H × 21.6" W.
  & the base is: 12.6"H ×15.74" W

• Four adjustable straps –two from the front & two from the rear enabling you to stroke your paddle as you feel all time comfort.

• The weight of the product is near 2 Pounds.

• The surface of the seat is entirely UV resistant nylon mixing means a massive fight against the rough environment whether anti-aging, color de-fading, or overusing.

• The metal of the clips are entirely standard stainless steel.

• It has a separate convenient storage bag.

Tips

This seat is from EPE or Pearl foam with the latest UV mechanism.Just eco-friendly & extra durable kayak seat. Highly recommended.

3. Deluxe kayak seat by Leader Accessories

Since 1990 with the creed of “Guaranteed quality. Hassle-free exchanges" Leader  Accessories is truly a leader in the watersports & automotive gear manufacturer. Its kayak seat is specially designed for amateur kayakers for excellent outdooring or fishing.

Features

• The dimension of this seat exclusively larger & comfortable. The best deep back of the seat is 20 inches, which gives you full backrest for the whole time. The widened of the front seat is 15 inches-enough for thigh & butt adjustable.

• A total of four straps with high graded clips offer a secured seat positioning from both the front & rear sides.

• This adjustable height kayak seat allows marvelous comfort for back & butt.

• Multiple colors are available: Black/Gray-Black piping/Black-gray.

Tips

Very budget-friendly,Just try to feel a  different seat back of the Leader Accessories’ replacing your present kayak seat

4. Brooklyn BKC Professional Kayak Seat

Brooklyn Kayak Company is an excellent name for the outing, especially to unplug natural beauty. A passionate or professional kayaker accepts its kayak & kayak accessories exclusively kayak seat.

Features

• From seat to top back is 1.5 Ft. It is the standard measurement for the backrest.

• The metal clips are brass means anti-corrosive alloy with zinc & copper mixed.

• Necessary loops & buckles are equipped with.

• Semi-rigid plastic molded seatback

• The density or thickness of the seat pad is around 1 inch.

• Adjustable straps are 18-20 inches.

Tips

This kayak seat is versatile. If you are a renter, this seat is highly recommended for you because it’s easily replaceable & high durable. Really, it is one of the best sit on top kayak seats.

5. GTS Sport Sit-On-Top Kayak Universal Kayak Seat

6. Skwoosh High Back Kayak Seat with Gel Seat Cushion

7. Skwoosh High Back Kayak Seat with Lumbar Support

8. Expedition [Best] Kayak Seat for Bad Back

9. Universal High Back Seat for Sit-in Kayak

Inexpensive Kayak Seat Upgrade

Sit in Kayak Seat Upgrade

Best Kayak Seat Cushion Reviews

Looking for the best kayak seat cushion on the market? Then buckle up, we have a lot to show to you!

For today’s roundup, we’ve picked 7 seat pads for kayaks that we think are unparalleled in terms of quality and price. They are all very different from each other, so it’s likely that you will find what you are looking for!

Our pick of the best kayak seat cushion

Yakpads Cushioned Seat Pad

Hands down, the best kayak seat cushion on our list is the Yakpads Cushioned Seat Pad. It isn’t cheap, but it offers goodies like lumbar support, straps for stable mounting, insulation, and not only.

However, this doesn’t mean that other kayak seat pads on our reviews don’t have anything to offer!

Top 7 best kayak seat cushion / pads reviewed

1. UJuly Inflatable Cushion Seat

Yet another very inexpensive seat cushion on our list, but this time, we have an inflatable kayak seat pad! If you like Sea Eagle’s seat pad but don’t have quite the budget, then UJuly’s inflatable kayak cushion seat may be the right alternative.

This seat pad is 1 inch thinner than Sea Eagle’s seat cushion, but it does offer nearly the same benefits.

Thanks to its inflatable design, it takes very little space when deflated. The thick design allows for a good amount of cushioning, while the elevated seating position again helps you decrease the paddle stroke angle, just like it was with the Sea Eagle cushion pad.

With that being said, this seat pad may be less durable than Sea Eagle’s option, but that’s expectable for the price.

2. TRIEtree Sports Cushion Seat Pad 3-Pack

TRIEtree Sports’ Cushion Seat Pad 3-pack is a great option if you are looking for a great value for the money. This pack includes 3 seat pads for a not too steep price!

What’s much more important though is that these kayak seat cushions have a high-density EVA foam build, which is thick, supportive, and well-cushioned. Not only that, but the foam’s surface is made waterproof, so the seat pads won’t get damaged if submerged.

A little bonus is the carry handle integrated into the seats. TRIEtree seats aren’t at all heavy, but the carry handle adds that much convenience to their handling.

3. Yakpads Cushioned Seat Pad

And the last product on our reviews of the best kayak seat cushions is this interesting cushioned seat pad by Yakpads, which also is our top pick. This kayak seat pad’s design makes it sort of a transitionary product between kayak seat pads and full kayak seats.

This seat cushion has a high back that is designed to deliver lumbar support, a thing that no regular kayak seat cushion will deliver (unless your kayak seat is supportive by itself). Not only that, but this kayak seat cushion has an insulated gel design which protects the kayaker from hot or cold seating surfaces. The only other seat pad on this list that had such a feature was Skwoosh’s seat pad.

The Yakpads kayak seat pad also keeps you low in the kayak thanks to its thin design. For additional stability, this kayak seat cushion comes with straps on the back to allow you to securely mount it to the kayak.

With that being said, keep in mind that this seat pad is rather expensive. Aside from that, while it’s very supportive, it may have too little padding for your liking. But if these aren’t issues for you, then this may be that best kayak seat cushion for you!

4. Hornet Watersports Anti-Slip Kayak Seat Cushion

This quality kayak seat cushion by Hornet Watersports is specifically designed to stay in place no matter the conditions. It features a silicone textured surface on the bottom which delivers solid gripping performance even when the seat pad is wet.

Aside from a strong grip, this kayak seat pad also delivers good comfort. Its not too thick neoprene layer makes it quite well-padded without lifting you too high up in the kayak. This kayak seat pad is just 1.02 inches thick, so it shouldn’t have a bad impact on your balance while kayaking.

With that being said, this kayak seat pad isn’t too cheap, but we think it’s worth it.

5. Alomejor Thicken Seat Cushion Pad

The Thicken kayak seat cushion pad by Alomejor is very inexpensive, but it has its own things to boast.

This seat cushion is made decently thick, so it has a very good amount of padding in it. However, it isn’t as thick as Sea Eagle’s cushion – if you are a little uncomfortable when seated higher, this cushion may be that best kayak seat cushion for you.

This kayak seat pad is made from a cotton & synthetic fiber material which is soft and skin-friendly, but it perhaps isn’t as durable as pricier seat pads.

On the bottom surface, this seat pad has four suction cups to assist with stability. While the suction cups should deliver decent performance, keep in mind that they won’t work on top of a kayak seat. You will have to remove your kayak seat to allow the suction cups to grip onto your kayak’s bare hull to do its job.

In the end, if you are looking for a cheap and maybe temporary solution for your kayak, then Alomejor’s seat pad may be an excellent option.

6. Sea Eagle Inflatable High Cushion Seat

Still a quality and a bit expensive kayak seat cushion, this cushion seat by Sea Eagle drastically differs from Skwoosh’ gel kayak seat pad.

Sea Eagle has designed this cushion inflatable, which means that it will occupy little to no space when deflated. You will need to have a pump and spend a little time inflating this guy, but if you care about storage efficiency, you’ll likely appreciate what this seat pad has to offer.

5 inches thick, this seat pad is much thicker than Skwoosh’ kayak seat cushion pad and provides noticeably more cushioning. If you do not mind to sit taller and definitely want padding, then Sea Eagle’s seat pad may be excellent for you.

The elevated position has a notable benefit – it allows you to decrease the angle of the paddle stroke, i.e. bring the paddle closer to a vertical plane. This should make the paddle stroke more efficient, as well as may make you more comfortable while kayaking.

By the way, this seat cushion is designed specifically for Sea Eagle Explorer and FastTrack kayaks, so if you have them, the Sea Eagle seat pad may be perfect for you. It works with most other kayaks as well though!

7. Skwoosh Gel Kayak Seat Cushion

Up first on our reviews of best kayak seat cushions is a seat pad by Skwoosh. This is a good option if you are ready to spend the money on a quality kayak seat pad.

This seat cushion is made from fluidized gel which imparts supportiveness to the cushion but doesn’t make it too rigid. What you may also like about Skwoosh’s seat pad is that it offers a minimally elevated seating position, so if you don’t want to be seated high, this cushion may be excellent.

The gel in this kayak seat pad also has insulation properties, so in cool weather, you won’t get cold while sitting on this seat pad.

What is also great about this kayak seat pad is that it has a foldable design. It isn’t too big to begin with, but it’s nice that Skwoosh has made it that bit more storage-efficient.

With that being said, the high quality and durability of this cushion have a bit high price. Not only that, you may dislike it if you are looking for a thickly-padded seat cushion.

Things to look for in the best seat pad for your kayak

Now, let’s have a look at the things that you would want to consider when looking for that best kayak seat cushion. Seat cushions for kayaks may seem very simple, but there are quite a few things to keep in mind.

Padding

First comes padding. A good seat cushion doesn’t necessarily have plenty of padding, but some people prefer to have a lot of it.

How well-padded a kayak seat pad is is pretty much directly related to its thickness. A thicker seat cushion is softer and has better cushioning, and vice versa.

With that being said, we’d advise that you avoid too soft seat pads. They may seem comfy, but they won’t be supportive. No matter how thick the padding is, it should be dense so that it can properly support your bottom.

Thickness

Aside from padding, thickness impacts another thing – stability.

If you are seated too high, then your balance in the kayak may be compromised. Unless you are specifically looking for a tall kayak seat pad, we’d advise you to go as low as possible while making sure that the pad’s padding is adequate for you.

On the other hand, a very tall kayak seat cushion has its own benefits – it allows you to stroke the kayak paddle a little more vertically, which may increase the efficiency of your stroke. Plus, it may be comfier for you. However, remember that a tall kayak seat pad may compromise your stability.

Insulation

Insulation is quite an important feature, though not all seat pads for kayaks have it. The best kayak seat cushion isn’t always the one that is well-insulated, but in hot or cold weather, insulation may indeed be a nice thing to have.

An insulated seat pad isn’t going to get too cold or hot while kayaking, which is going to make the trip safer and comfier for you. Typically, only gel kayak seat pads have good insulation, so if that’s important for you, buy a seat pad made from gel.

Water resistance

Water resistance isn’t a must-have in kayak seat pads, but it’s desirable if you will be paddling in colder weather. It wouldn’t be too pleasant to have your bottom against a cool and wet surface in cold weather, would it?

Lumbar support

If you care about lumbar support, then you will have to go for seat cushions like the Yakpads Cushioned Seat Pad we reviewed above. Such seat cushions are going to be a bit pricier, but they won’t be as expensive as kayak seats yet will deliver a good amount of support and comfort. Plus, they are quite easy to mount.

Inflatable vs non-inflatable kayak seat cushion

Lastly, you need to choose between an inflatable and non-inflatable kayak seat cushion.

The benefit of inflatable kayak seat pads is that they occupy little to no room when deflated. If you care about storage efficiency, then go for an inflatable seat pad.

However, inflatable seat cushions require inflation (and a pump obviously). If you don’t wish to deal with that, then go for a regular non-inflatable kayak seat cushion. Such cushions may not be as compact, but they aren’t too big to begin with.

Final Verdict

So what, did you find that best kayak seat cushion? If you have a candidate, then don’t rush it – think over its pros and cons, consider your needs, and also read some user reviews to find out whether it will be a good fit for you!