Who actually builds packrafts? Here you'll find manufacturers worldwide, from the big names to small workshops: where they come from, what their boats are designed for and which models exist. Brands we've paddled ourselves are marked.
How we test and why we can't be bought is explained on Packraft-Test.de. You'll find our reviews with ratings on Packraft-Reviews.de.
The Packrafting Store's own brand with a large range: from the 830 g ultralight boat to all-rounders, whitewater self-bailers and tandems.
Models: Nano SL, Nano RTC, Delta MX, Sigma TXLB+, Revo CL, Rebel 2K, Rebel Duo, Omega C2B+
Tested by us: Our manufacturer since 2017: we use many of the models ourselves, some of them for years.
Founded in 2000 by Sheri and Thor Tingey, making it the pioneer of the modern packraft industry. The boats are handmade to order in the USA, with lines for whitewater, light water, flat water, hunting and fishing.
Models: Mage (whitewater), Forager (hunting), Zephyr (flat water), Expedition, Gnarwhal, Caribou, Scout
Material: PU-coated nylon (210D, 420D, optionally Vectran), floor made of 840D nylon
Robust boats with a long hull shape, made in small batches according to the retailer and available in Germany through the Packrafting Store. Known for the Alligator with gear inside the tube.
Models: Alligator 2S Pro, Barracuda R2 Pro, Nomad S1, Adventure X2
Tested by us: Paddled ourselves: Alligator 2S Pro on a whitewater course and on the Rur, Barracuda R2 Pro in Sarek and Padjelanta.
Whitewater, flat-water and tandem packrafts. According to industry overviews, Kokopelli popularised self-bailing packrafts. Designed in the USA, made in China.
Models: Nirvana (self-bailer), Rodeo, Recon
The raft specialist with over 50 years of experience builds packrafts for whitewater, bikerafting, calm lakes, fishing and hunting, mostly as self-bailers or open boats.
Models: Neutron and Neutron SL (whitewater), Pulsar, Aster (ultralight), Riffle (fishing), Orion (hunting and bikerafting)
Material: PVC-free nylon, TPU-coated on both sides
Designed since 2018 and built in southern France, one of the few manufacturers producing in Europe. Its focus is packrafting, bikerafting, trekrafting and fishing.
Models: Pablo Pro (open, decked or self-bailer), Davy Rocket (fast, decked), George All Well (3.4 kg), William Shakes Beer (tandem), Kim Kong
Tested by us: We've been paddling Mekong for around a year and a half. The short review of the Pablo Pro is online; we're currently testing the Davy Rocket and Kim Kong.
Packrafts focused on value for money, “by paddlers for paddlers”. Besides the boats there are bikerafting sets, courses and their own configurator.
Models: Shoreline, Roll, Roll Expedition, Merge and Arrow (also as RS with removable spray deck), Bikeraft, Revolution, Rodeo, Nature, Cataract
Tested by us: We've already tested the Cataract. It's a cool boat, but for us very expensive and very heavy. A video about it is planned for next year.
Our take: According to our research, Current-Raft probably doesn't build its boats itself but orders them from a manufacturer in China, most likely ALL FUN, where other brands probably have boats made too. We can't confirm this for certain. If that's the case, we'd rather order directly from the manufacturer.
A brand of Out-Trade GmbH, known for folding kayaks. Packrafts have been available since 2014, from city boats to expedition tandems.
Models: LightRaft, CityRaft, TrekRaft, TrekRaft Expedition, DUO Expedition
A small independent company that wants to make packrafting affordable in the UK. It started with kits to weld yourself; today there are ready-made boats too.
Models: Paddle Ready+ (with spray deck and skeg), Paddle Ready Lightweight, DIY kits
Material: TPU-coated fabrics from 70D to 420D
Best known for folding kayaks, plus made-to-order packrafts, as a robust version or a light TPU version.
Models: LotaFun, BigFun (each as Basic, Standard, Expedition and Whitewater)
Material: PVC (heavy duty) or TPU (light)
An inflatable boat maker with rafts, canoes and kayaks that also offers packrafts, including for whitewater.
Models: XL Bro
Classic packrafts with good features at attractive prices, available in Germany through the Packrafting Store.
Models: GP Flow (kayak-like whitewater boat)
Decathlon's water sports brand has offered packrafts for a budget start since 2021. According to retailer reports, they are made in cooperation with a manufacturer in China.
Models: Packraft 100 (without spray deck, 1.8 kg), Packraft Adventure 500
A specialist in ultralight flat-water packrafts that are among the lightest on the market.
Models: Canyon Flatwater, Matkat
Packrafts for the southern hemisphere, with whitewater deck, open cockpit or as self-bailers.
Models: 325, 355, 385
Packrafts for leisure, whitewater and adventure, in use in over 60 countries according to the company, plus inflatable kayaks and SUPs.
Models: X1, X2, Commando I and II, each also as a self-bailer
Known for inflatable kayaks. The Packlite series offers light packrafts for calm water.
Models: Packlite Solo, Packlite Tandem
Many packraft brands don't have their own factory. They design their boats themselves or pick them from a catalogue and have them built by a contract manufacturer, usually in China. That's normal in the outdoor industry and on its own says nothing about quality. What matters is material, workmanship, quality control and above all the service afterwards.
There are two kinds: with private label the brand specifies dimensions, material and details, and the boat is built only for it. With white label the factory decides on the boat and sells the same model to several brands, which just print their logo on it. Then you're mainly paying for brand, retail and service.
What's undisputed: Alpacka builds its own boats in Mancos (Colorado), MRS openly says it manufactures in China, and Kokopelli's boats are designed in the USA and built in China.
Fujian All Fun New Material Technology Co., Ltd. says it has been making inflatable boats since 2008 and calls itself a “Professional Packraft Manufacturer”. The range includes packrafts for flatwater, whitewater, bikerafting and racing, with spray deck and TIZIP zip. Manufacturing for other brands (OEM/ODM) with your own logo and a low minimum order is explicitly offered.
Material: TPU-coated nylon, 210D to 420D according to the manufacturer
Our take: We suspect that Current-Raft, among others, has its boats made here, and probably other brands too. This isn't proven; manufacturers don't name their customers.
Factory for inflatable boats, stating ISO 9001. Offers TPU whitewater packrafts as contract manufacturing, with a stated capacity of 50,000 units a year. One listing names the brand “Frontier”.
Material: TPU
Maker of inflatable boats offering packrafts for whitewater and touring, colour and size to order, with a two-year warranty according to its own information.
Material: TPU 420D
If a brand only resells boats from the factory catalogue, it can be worth asking the manufacturer directly. There you can also have the boats branded with your own logo, for clubs, rental companies or groups, for example. In that case, that's what we'd rather do. But keep in mind:
Factory profiles are based on the companies' own information on their websites and on B2B platforms (retrieved 14.11.2026). We haven't visited any of these factories and receive no money from them.
These suppliers appear in retailer lists and forums. For many there is hardly any reliable information, and some websites were unreachable during our research:
Material: High-quality packrafts are made of TPU- or PU-coated nylon, which is light, abrasion-resistant and weldable. Cheap boats often use PVC, which is heavier and gets stiffer in the cold.
Build quality: Clean, even welds, good valves and well-thought-out details such as gear attachment or a spray deck make the difference, especially on long trips.
Service: Spare parts, repair material and a retailer you can reach are at least as important as a few grams less. Ask about warranty and repair options before buying.
Which type of boat suits you is explained under Buying a packraft, and the Packraft finder suggests a suitable model.
Sources: manufacturers' websites (Alpacka Raft, NRS, Mekong, Current-Raft, Nortik, Iron Raft, Neris, ROBfin, Supai, Aqua Xtreme), manufacturer overviews from winterbear.com, paddleventure.de, packrafting-store.de and canoeguide.net, and Wikipedia “Packraft”, retrieved 14.11.2026. Details may change; the manufacturer's website is authoritative. Missing a brand? Write to us at kontakt@tipiandraft.de.
