Oru's lightest foldable kayak is worth every penny

You can't beat a 17-pound kayak.
By Jae Thomas  on 
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Person with long hair wearing a green top in a white oru kayak on a lake
The Oru Lake kayak is lightweight and surprisingly stable in the water. Credit: Jae Thomas / Mashable
4.5/5
Oru Lake kayak
The Bottom Line
If you aren't strong enough to lift a traditional kayak and carry it to the water (or if you simply don't want to), you can't beat the 17-pound Oru Lake.
Buying Options
Mashable Score 4.5
Wow Factor 5
User Friendliness 5
Performance 4
Bang for the Buck 4
The Good
  • Super lightweight
  • Portable
  • Fast setup and takedown
  • Good maneuverability
  • Stable for the size
  • Roomy enough for gear and a dog
The Bad
  • Paddle and life jacket not included
  • Seat isn't the most comfortable for all-day paddling
  • Not a very high weight capacity

A Mashable Choice Award is a badge of honor, reserved for the absolute best stuff we’ve tested and loved.

There's a lot of gear that goes into a day on the water. At minimum, you'll probably have a kayak, a paddle, a life jacket, maybe your dog, and a dry bag with your lunch, sunscreen, and bug spray. Carrying all that down to the water can be a drag, especially if you have a giant, heavy paddle craft.

As someone who isn't very strong (and who is constantly wrangling my two dogs), I can't fathom having to lift a full-sized kayak off of a roof rack and take it down to the water alone. That's where the Oru Lake kayak comes in.

The Lake model folds down to about the size of a carry-on suitcase and probably weighs less than your average packed carry-on too. Where a traditional kayak might require a roof rack, a kayak lift-assist tool, and a rolling cart to take it down to the water (all added costs), the Oru Lake can be tossed in the back of a sedan, easily carried to the water with one hand, and set up in about a minute by one person.

Is the Oru Lake kayak easy to set up?

The best part of the Oru Lake is how light it is and how easy it is to set up. I can easily fit it in the back of my car, carry it down to the lake with one hand, and set it up in two minutes, max.

Oru Kayaks use origami-inspired folding patterns to make setup and takedown easy. Each boat is pre-creased for easy folding, and they fold down to a nice, buckled, suitcase-type shape with a handle on top. Oru's kayaks are rated for up to 20,000 folds without weakening, so you don't have to worry about the structural integrity getting weak with frequent use.

To assemble, simply undo the top clips, unfold the boat, and push down on the creases to give it structure. Oru's kayaks are rated for up to 20,000 folds without weakening, so you don't have to worry about the structural integrity wearing with frequent use.

Folded Oru Lake Kayak on a sandy beach
The Oru packs down to a compact briefcase-like shape. Credit: Jae Thomas / Mashable
An unassembled, half folded Oru Lake kayak
Unfolding the kayak for assembly is simple. Credit: Jae Thomas / Mashable

Next, just buckle in the seat and buckle the clips on the outside of the boat, and you're ready to paddle.

Oru also has a Lake+ model that features a footrest and an adjustable seat, which is ideal for taller paddlers. The Lake+ is slightly heavier and has an extra step during assembly as you need to assemble the footrest.

Oru Kayaks are ideal for apartment dwellers and small car owners

The Oru Lake gives you more freedom and accessibility to paddle than most other paddle crafts. Because it only weighs 17 pounds, it can easily be set up by one person, so you'll be fine if your friend or partner doesn't have time to go paddling with you. It can also be carried further than a normal kayak because of the lightweight design, so there's no issue if there's a bit of a hike to get to the body of water you'll be paddling on.

Apartment-dwellers will love the Lake's small size since it can be stored in a closet or in the trunk of a car instead of requiring a whole backyard or garage to store like a traditional kayak. You're also good to go even with a small car — I regularly transported my Lake in the trunk of a Toyota Corolla last summer.

Fully assembled Oru Lake kayak on a lake shore
The Oru seat isn't the most comfortable, but it's adjustable. Credit: Jae Thomas / Mashable

Are Oru kayaks stable?

During testing for our best inflatable and foldable kayaks guide, I tried both the Oru Lake and the Oru Beach LT. I found the Lake to be just as stable, if not more stable, than the bigger, more expensive Beach LT. Compared to some other inflatable kayaks that I tested, the Oru Lake is a tiny bit more wobbly, but even for beginner kayakers, it's by no means unstable.

The Oru Lake is also incredibly maneuverable because of how light it is. It's easy to make quick turns and doesn't take a ton of muscle power to really get going. Perhaps one of the only downsides of the lightweight design, though, is that it does tend to get blown off course in very windy weather. You might find that going in a straight line is a challenge when battling wind gusts.

Is the Oru Lake kayak worth it?

Kayak rentals average at about $20 per hour in most places. Taking that price into account, you'd only need to take the Oru Lake out on the water for about 25 hours in its lifetime to make the price justifiable. Assuming you paddle for three to four hours each time you take it out, that's around seven to eight days of paddling before the Oru Lake pays for itself, when compared to a rental kayak.

If you think you'll paddle more than seven to eight days in the entire time that you own the Oru, the price is worth it. Add onto that the portability, the easy setup, and the super lightweight design, and it's easy to recommend it for most casual kayakers. Compared to a heavier, bigger inflatable kayak, the Oru Lake is the fastest way to get out on the water, so you can spend more time exploring and less time trying to wrangle an air pump.

How we tested

I tested the Oru Lake kayak over multiple months to see if it was better than a traditional kayak or a heavier inflatable model. Some points I took into consideration were:

  • Assembly and disassembly: I timed the setup and takedown of the Oru Lake five times each to see if it really could be assembled and disassembled in less than a minute. Once I knew each step by heart, setup took on average one to two minutes, and takedown took about one minute. Oru advertises that the Lake can be assembled in a minute or less, and my average set-up time was slightly higher than that, but the disassembly truly takes under one minute.

  • Durability: Oru kayaks are rated for 20,000 folds and made of polypropylene plastic with a 10-year UV treatment. I tested the durability of the kayak by folding and unfolding it repeatedly, as well as dragging it on multiple surfaces including sand, rocks, and asphalt. I didn't find any surface damage after my durability tests.

  • Performance on the water: I paddled on four different bodies of water in the Oru Lake to see how it performs in action. In windy conditions, it does tend to blow off of a straight course because of how lightweight it is, but it's also remarkably stable even in choppy water, and is a pretty speedy kayak for how small it is. I wish that it came with a skeg (the fin on the bottom of kayaks and paddleboards) for better tracking, but Oru sells one that you can buy separately if you find that tracking is an issue.

Frequently Asked Questions


Oru kayaks are the best lightweight, portable kayaks on the market. They're easier to set up than an inflatable kayak, much lighter and more portable than a traditional kayak, and are still reasonably priced for the value.


Oru Kayaks start at $499 for the smallest, lightest Lake model. There are seven different models in a range of sizes and go up to $1,999 for the two biggest, most expensive models — the Coast XT and the tandem Haven TT.


Oru kayaks are available on Amazon, including the Lake Model. However, we don't recommend buying Oru kayaks from Amazon, as they're more expensive than on Oru's direct site (even considering Amazon's free shipping). Shipping directly from Oru costs between $50 and $75, and the retail price of the Lake is $499. You'd pay $675 when buying the Oru Lake from Amazon instead.

Mashable Image
Jae Thomas
Deputy Shopping Editor

Jae Thomas is a Colorado-based Deputy Shopping Editor for Mashable. They specialize in pet tech, smart fitness gear, finding the perfect gift, and sourcing the top deals on shopping holidays like Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Jae has worked at Mashable since 2020, where they've written countless deals roundups and product reviews. Before Jae came to Mashable, they received a B.A. in Journalism and English Literature from New York University and wrote food and lifestyle content for publications like Bon Appétit, Epicurious, The Daily Beast, Apartment Therapy, and Marie Claire.

When they're not testing products or writing about online shopping, you'll find Jae whipping up an elaborate meal, hiking, camping, or training their dogs, Miso and Dashi. Reach out to them on X at @jaetaurina or by email at [email protected].


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