The 5 best 6 person inflatable boats?

6 person inflatable boat Checklist: These features are important

• Area of application: 6 person inflatable boats differ in size and shape. They are also suitable for different areas of application.
• Family and leisure: The majority of 6 person inflatable boats are ideal for leisure use on lakes and rivers. If you want to transport luggage in addition to passengers, you should make sure that the inflatable boat has a sufficiently high maximum load capacity.
• Fishing: 6 person inflatable boats are also a good choice for fishing. They offer enough space for several people including equipment, so there is no shortage of space. So-called rib inflatable fishing boats are suitable for fishing near the coast and on the open sea.
• Size and payload: The maximum payload depends on the size and volume of the inflatable boat and indicates the maximum weight with which the boat may be loaded. When buying, it should be clear how many people and luggage are to be transported on the inflatable boat.
• Material: The following 5 materials are most commonly used for inflatable boats. Generally speaking, a thick outer skin is robust, but the thicker it is, the heavier the boat.
• Plastic: Used for inflatable boats in the lower price range. Although the material is inexpensive, it also loses air quickly.
• PVC: A material with a very good price-performance ratio. If a PVC inflatable boat is properly maintained, it has a service life of 10 to 15 years.
• Hypalon-Neoprene mixture: Is robust and therefore ideally suited for inflatable boats. However, the strong outer shell also has its price and boats made of this mixture are more expensive than those made of PVC or plastic.
• Ethylene-propylene-diene rubber: Although it is expensive, the inflatable boats made from it are of high quality, robust and durable.
• Multi-layer fabrics: Outer shells made of multi-layer fabrics are extremely robust. Depending on the manufacturer, different materials are used here; the more layers, the more robust, but also the heavier, the outer skin of the inflatable boat.
• Floor: There is a choice of different floors for inflatable boats. They differ in their robustness, stability, durability and transport properties. Pneumatic floors are easy to transport, while solid floors are the most robust.
• Wooden/aluminum floor: These floors are simply placed in the 6 person inflatable boat. They offer good stability, but are not as easy to transport and set up as the other shelves mentioned here. Aluminum is more robust than wood, as the material does not splinter and is more weather-resistant.
• High-pressure floor: There are air floors that are already integrated in the inflatable boat for people and compressed air floors that have to be placed in the boat. They are easy to transport when empty and can be set up quickly. They offer good stability, although not as firm as wood/aluminum floors.
• Slatted floor: The floor consists of individual, interconnected slats. It can be rolled up and is easy to transport, store and set up.
• Foldable vs. rib: In addition to classic inflatable boats, which can be completely folded up, there are also rib or rigid inflatable boats, where the tubes are made of solid plastic.
• Foldable inflatable boats: These inflatable boats are more than sufficient for most people and are perfect for rivers, coastal waters and lakes. Little space is required for transportation and storage and the boat can be set up quickly. However, foldable inflatable boats are not suitable for the open sea and cannot be motorized as much.
• Rib inflatable boats: If you want to travel close to the coast and on the open sea, you need a rib inflatable boat. Thanks to their pronounced hull, these boats are less susceptible to swell and can be motorized more than normal inflatable boats. As the fixed hoses cannot be folded, considerably more space is required for storage and transportation.
• Motorization: Most 6 person inflatable boats can be retrofitted with an outboard motor. Whether and up to how much horsepower this is possible can be found in the manufacturer’s specifications.
• Price: Large boats don’t have to cost a fortune, but the larger the inflatable boat, the higher the price. 6 person inflatable boats are available from around $700.

Find out more: The best inflatable boats 2024.