Parallel Profits Review
Product Reviews

Is Parallel Profits a Scam by Aidan Booth & Steve Clayton?

It's the new year and Aidan Booth along with Steve Clayton are coming out with their new training program. For as long as I remember they have been doing this, coming out with new training programs at the beginning of each year or at least coming out with an updated version each year.

Is Parallel Profits life-changing opportunity that is promoted as? Can you really make up to $100,000 in a year with just 7 sales? I mean that seems like one heck of a lot of money. Is it possible that this is just another scam you should be avoiding?

They claim that it is one of the fastest ways to generate an income from home, but it seems like just about every "make money online" training program out there makes similar claims... So you obviously can't take what you hear as being the truth right from the start.

In this short review I'll be going over my opinion of Parallel Profits and whether or not I think it is something worth getting involved in.

*Note: As I am writing this there is limited information out about the training program since it is still in pre-launch.


Aidan and Steve.. can you trust them?

Aidan Booth and Steve Clayton

One thing I think is important to talk about is whether or not you can actually trust the people behind this program… Which are Aidan Booth and Steve Clayton. It is hard to know who you can trust when it comes to all the different make money online programs out there. There are just so many scams I don't blame you if you are very hesitant to trust people, including myself.

Past training programs they've released

100K Factory

One of their older successful training courses that they released was the 100K Factory series, which included 100K Factory, 100K Factory Ultra, and 100K Factory Revolution. 

I am very familiar with these training courses because I was involved in them, as I will go over shortly.

In a nutshell, the focus of these courses was drop-shipping from AliExpress. Basically you would be guided along with the whole process, setting up a website, loading it up with products that you find on AliExpress, advertising your products (a lot of focus on Facebook ads), fulfilling orders, and everything... it was basically the complete package... not some scam like EB Formula that I exposed recently.

7-Figure Cycle 

They released this after the 100K Factory stuff. The focus here was selling on Amazon...as in actually selling, not just affiliate marketing through Amazon Associates. The training was all about finding products that have good market potential, buying them from wholesalers and having them shipped directly to Amazon, he would turn would take care of all of the order fulfillment and all that stuff.

It is a nice business model because Amazon takes care of a lot of the heavy lifting and you can still sell products at a 50% markup or more. Also… You don't need a website or have to spend money on advertising

My experience with these guys

So I joined the 100K Factory Ultra edition back in 2016 for $2497. Then, the year later I also joined the next updated version, which was the 100K Factory Revolution. I was able to join this at a discounted rate, somewhere around $1200 or something, because I was already a member of the previous version.

My thoughts: Well... You can obviously tell that I was satisfied with the first course that I paid for, because ended up paying for the updated version the next year. Overall I think that Aidan and Steve do a very good job with their trainings. They provide a lot more than just training, but also go over the top providing tools that they have created as well as really good support

Ultimately I pretty much ended up as a failure going through their training, because I didn't end up making any significant money, but at one point things were going very well for me and I was making over $100 a day in profit... of course until I found I was selling a counterfeit product from China... So I had to abort mission. 

I'm not sure what the success rates are with their training programs but I do know that there were some people in the groups I was part of that did incredibly well, some even making well over $1000 a day in profit. That said, like just about any online business model, a lot of people probably failed miserably like I did.

So can you trust them?

In my opinion they are both pretty good guys and do seem like they really want to help people out. And they definitely do provide a heck of a lot of value, even considering the expensive price tags of their courses.

I think they could probably tone down the sales pitches and over-the-top marketing tactics a bit when it comes to selling their training courses, but all in all I think you can trust them.


What is Parallel Profits?

As I stated in the beginning, there is limited information on Parallel Profits right now because it is still in pre-launch.

It is advertised as being a way to hit a $100,000 run-rate with only seven sales… Which makes you wonder exactly what the heck you are selling to make such insanely massive profits per sale.

They do mention that you will be selling to local businesses, which leads me to believe that it is some sort of consulting business type of deal, kind of like Sam Oven's Consulting.

Something also they mention is that you will be able to franchise with them, which means that you don't have to develop your own brand and you don't have to worry about creating things like sales copies, etc.

Of course this is all about making money online so you won't even have to interact face-to-face with these local clients you will be making money off of. They have a lead generation system that is already set up and automated.

But it's NEVER as easy as it seems

Of course the sales pitch always makes things seem a little bit easier and overall better than they really are.

This sounds like some sort of deal where everything is already set up for you, so that you do not have to do much of anything and have very little chance of failing, but if you go in with the mindset that this is going to be super easy then you are probably going to fail.


Is it really worth $2,497?

$2497 is a heck of a lot of money, so if you are thinking about buying into this, you really have to be sure about it. And as I said, things are never as easy as they seem, so if you do buy in then you need to be focused and you really have to be willing to put in the effort to become a success, which was part of my reason for failing in their 100K Factory training programs.

I know that a price tag of over two grand seems like a crazy amount of money, but I also know that Aidan and Steve always deliver. They go over the top with the training and tools, and they also provide support for their members year after year… Even after they come out with new programs (which they will probably do in the future).

It's not all about the money for them

It's true that they do make a ridiculous amount of money selling their training programs. In fact, they mention that they have earned over $35 million in sales in just the past four years… Selling programs like this.

And it is also true that, as already stated, they could definitely "tone down" their sales pitches a bit.

However, it is also true that they only let in a limited number of people into these programs. What they will do is open up registration for a limited amount of time and then close the doors. They do this so that too many people don't get in so that they are able to provide adequate support instead of just being overloaded with the masses of people that would probably have joined have they left registration open.


Conclusion - Scam or not?

So obviously I do not consider this program to be a scam and I am sure that anyone who joins will soon see that this is true.


Stay updated - revisit this page for more honest information about Parallel Profits as it gets closer to the launch.


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Product Reviews

Zippo Pay Review – Scam Exposed or “Magic Button” & Easy Money?

Zippo Pay Review

Zippo Pay is supposedly some “magic button” created by Bryan Winters that can start making you a ton of money… Or at least that is what he claims. But is it really all that it is said to be? Or is it possible that Zippo Pay is a scam you should be avoiding?

Whenever something seems a little bit too good to be true, such as this “patent pending software” dies, it is always good to do a little bit of extra research and digging around before getting involved. When I first came across this new system I was thinking it was going to be a scam for sure.

However, things aren’t always as they seem and there are some things actually like about Zippo Pay. That said, is not nearly the amazing moneymaker that it is made out to be a. While I do think that some people will be able to make money with this, I’m not going to be personally recommending it and you will see why.


 

Zippo Pay Review

You probably got an email about some new software that siphons money into your PayPal account on autopilot, or something along these lines. And maybe you even watched the video presentation that I did, which reminds me of over-hyped scammy products I’ve reviewed in the past such as Viral Traffic Machine & Income League, and refers to this as a “magic” Zippo Pay button..

This software is the creation of Bryan Winters. He acts as if it is some groundbreaking new invention that is going to make everyone rich, but there really isn’t all that much to it.

Some of the claims made include that it works in any online niche, runs autonomously, gets people to generate traffic for you, you get to keep 100% of your sales with it, and that all you have to be able to do is copy and paste to make this work.

But before I get into what exactly this button is and how exactly it works, let’s first take a look at who this Bryan guy is…

Who Is This Bryan Winters Guy?

Bryan Winters Zippo Pay

Let me start off by saying that I doubt the picture shown of him is even real. Why? Well… Because this guy has come out with dozens of online marketing products over the years and uses the same darn picture in every single promotion. It just seems a bit strange that you can’t find any other pictures of him and although I definitely have no proof that it is fake, I have my suspicions.

But anyways… In the video presentation he comes off as a very nice guy. He claims that he wants nothing more than to help others and gets no better joy than to see other people succeed financially through his systems.

However, on the flipside, there was another side to him that I see… That of your typical online marketer who loves to brag and boast about all the money they are making in seem to be more focused on making money for themselves than helping others.

One thing that really caught my attention while looking into the sky it was that he has come out with the time the products/programs over the years. Some of these include…

  • CashBlurbs
    • Advertised as a way to “easily get hundreds of other people to send you free traffic…clicks, leads, commissions, and sales”.
    • Basically it is a membership group that helps other members advertise. Everyone shares everyones ads and helps everyone drive traffic.
  • 5 Figure Day
    • Promoted as asome breakthrough online list and commission building system.
    • Training largely focuses on paid advertising, such as solo ads, and members are provided with “done for you” squeeze pages to get others to buy in.
    • Not a fan of this type of thing.
  • Commission Miner
    • Of course this was based around some “simple secret”.
    • Focus on affiliate marketing and a lot of focus on promoting Commission Miner to other people, as well as building a team to promote it to other people.
  • And others like ViraLighting, Dual Squeeze, MoolaVine, My Traffic Coop, Dumb Little Cash Makers System, etc

The fact that there are so many programs put out there by him makes you question how good these programs actually are? Because it kind of seems to me that he is just pumping out new programs at a fast pace to try to make as much money as possible, and then later abandons them for the most part.

Something else I noticed about all of these programs is that they seem to have a focus on making Brian more money… As in getting people to go out and promote the programs for him.

But anyways, I think it’s always important to look into the person behind program/products/systems before you get involved with them. All in all, I don’t really like what I see here.

But is it different with Zippo Pay? Let’s find out…


 

What Exactly Is Zippo Pay?

It’s described as “the world’s first social viral “payment button” that generates free traffic, email leads, and unlimited income for its users…”

But what the heck does that mean?

He says that all you have to do is paste the Zippo Pay button on to any product page to get it to work… To get free traffic generation from existing traffic.

In a nutshell, what it does is gets visitors to drive traffic to your offer for you… However, these are not affiliates that you have to pay.

 

How It Works

The Zippo Pay button is a second option that people get that check out. They are given the option to either check out via PayPal and pay money as normal for the product being sold, or they can get it free with Zippo Pay…

 

visitors have option to refer others to your offer in order to get access to it instead of actually paying for it – will get their own referral code they can share

And what happens if they click the Zippo Pay is they get the ability to get the products by simply sharing it with three other people. So instead of actually paying money to get access to the product, they “pay by lead” as Bryan says.

In the online marketing world everyone knows that leads are worth money… So they are actually paying you, although indirectly.

In the example that Bryan shows in the video presentation, he acts as if he is a customer interested in purchasing his one “make money online” program called Dumb Little Cash Makers. And when you click the “magic” button can see that all you have to do is enter your email and refer three other people…

But it is important to note that these are not affiliates. It works in a similar way to having affiliates promote your products, but you do not have to pay these people because the incentive for them to promote your product is to get access to the product they were looking into in the first place.


 

Will This Really Work… Realistically?

Sounds pretty awesome, but will this really work… Realistically? What if everyone just starts using the Zippo Pay button… Then what? If that were to happen then you would just be getting a bunch of leads but no one would actually be buying the product which would mean that you wouldn’t be making any money.

Well… According to Bryan Winters, about 50% of the people that are referred are going to check out via PayPal. So some of the people will be sharing your product and helping drive traffic to it while others will be actually buying it and making you money… According to him.

Another Problem

The major problem here is that this simply isn’t going to work well for a lot of offers. He acts as if you can promote any sort of product/program and this is going to be a sure fire way to generate tons of viral traffic and make tons of money. However, it just isn’t going to work like that.

Think about it for second… Sure… If it is a “make money online” product then it might be easy to find people to click on Zippo Pay and refer others to it for you, because everyone wants to make extra money. And it might also work good if you are selling some weight loss product, because the people interested in it might have friends that they could refer it were also interested in losing weight. But what if it was some sort of supplement for a STD, or some boring product, or something along these lines… Then I don’t think it would be very effective.


 

It Is NOT As Simple As Copying and Pasting!

Something else worth pointing out is that, even if this button does work as intended, it is not good to be as easy as he tells you. It is not going to be as simple as just copying and pasting.

The whole goal here is to get some people to actually check out via PayPal into get others to refer friends to your offer. HOWEVER… You’re going to need initial traffic in the first place. Your first going to have to drive traffic to your offer before hand. And anyone who has been involved in online marketing for any period of time knows that traffic generation is much easier said than done.


 

Final Thoughts – Scam?

While I definitely would not call Zippo Pay a scam, I do think that it is definitely another over-hyped products put out by Bryan Winters that, sounds awesome, but is not going to work out as amazingly as he tells you. I just can’t see it working out very well for a lot of products out there that aren’t very “shareable” and therefore aren’t going to have the viral effect that others might.

So no, I will be recommending Zippo Pay. Although I do think it is a unique new method of getting free traffic, which I at least don’t think anyone has came out with yet, and I do think that it could be effective for some products, I also think that it is very overhyped and will not work out well for many.

Another thing about this product is that it is being promoted as a way to make money… Even if you don’t have your own product. Basically what is going on here is Bryan is trying to get people to use his system to promote his products, which he gives you access to in the members area. I’m talking about products like Dumb Little Money Makers as is shown above.

If you are a beginner or at an intermediate level and are looking to make money online, I would recommend taking a look at how I went from $0 to over $6,000 a month online.

 

But anyways… I hope you enjoyed my review and found it helpful. If you have any comments or questions, please leave them down below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂

 

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Product Reviews

Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Work? – From My Experience…

Do Blue Light Blocking Glasses Work

Blue light blocking glasses are increasing in popularity and are sold in just about every major supermarket these days… But are they really worth buying? Do blue light blocking glasses work or is this just another overhyped fad that is going to slowly die off just like the selfie stick?

In this short article I will be going over all you need to know about blue light blocking glasses, including what exactly blue light is, how the glasses work my personal experience with such glasses and more.

First on the list is blue light… What the heck is in the first place? It is important to know what exactly blue light is and whether or not it is harmful before you go buy glasses to block it.

What Is Blue Light?

Blue light gets a really bad rap, some of the undo. While blue light has been linked to photoreceptor damage in the eyes, it is not this new source of light that has come about with human technology.

While us humans do get a lot of blue light from our little devices… Cell phones, tablets, etc., our main source of blue light comes from the sun. Yes… If you go outside out all you are likely getting a heck of a lot more blue light from the sun than anything else in your life.

Blue light is nothing more than exactly what it sounds like… “Blue light”. It has a relatively short wavelength compared to other lights of the visible spectrum and carries with it more photon energy. Violet light is the only visible light that has a shorter wavelength in higher photon energy, as you can see from the table below…

But why does wavelength and photon energy matter to you? Well… Because of this, blue light is able to penetrate the eye much deeper than most other visible lights and penetrates all the way to the retina. Because of this it is associated with increased damage to the eye.

It Can Be Harmful

According to the American Macular Degeneration Foundation, blue light can lead to an increased rate of macular degeneration. Everyone experiences macular degeneration with age to some degree, but if you are one to absorb higher amounts of blue light, you could possibly be increasing the rate at which the degeneration occurs.

It Will Keep You Up At Night

In addition to potentially being harmful, blue light is also associated with insomnia. This is something that has been widely studied and if you really want to learn a lot about it you can read more on from the Harvard Medical School here. In short, the reason it can cause insomnia is because it delays the release of melatonin in the body. Melatonin is a hormone that plays a big role in our sleep cycles.

The problem here isn’t getting blue light, but rather getting blue light at the wrong time. Back before the age of tablets, computers, and smart phones, the sun would set in the blue light would be gone. But now blue light is all around us pretty much at all times of the day and much of the night. When the sun goes down we are still getting blue light from our phones, tablets, TVs, LED streetlights, car headlights, etc.

So if you have been having trouble sleeping and try to solve this problem by attempting to fall asleep on your cell phone or watching TV, you are doing all the wrong things.

What Blue Light Blocking Glasses Do

Well obviously blue light blocking glasses block the blue light. You won’t find any glasses out there that block 100% of the light from passing through the lenses, but good pairs of blue light blocking glasses will keep the majority of blue light from reaching your retinas.

While human eyes are very good at blocking harmful UV rays but not good at all at blocking harmful blue light. This is why blue light blocking glasses are becoming so popular and widely used. Simply put… They do work and I know this from my personal experience with them.

My Personal Experience With Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Anyone can where blue light blocking glasses. It seems that they are most popular amongst office workers, gamers, and other people that are staring at LED lit screens for most of the day, but anyone can potentially benefit from them.

Personally, I make a living working online so I am on my computer most of the day. Not only does this create a lot of strain on my eyes, from reading a lot of small print and whatnot, but it also exposes me to a lot of artificially produced blue light. Obviously eyestrain is going to be a lot worse at night when the computer screen is bright and the background is dark, which is probably the main reason that led me to try out a pair of blue light blocking glasses in the first place, since I often work at odd hours including at night or late in the day.

I originally started searching for “computer glasses” online and that is what led me to blue light blocking glasses which I finally decide to give a try. To make a long story short… at the time of me writing this post I have been wearing blue light blocking glasses religiously while working from my computer for the past 6 months or so and they have made a huge difference.

If you are someone who works from a computer, is an avid gamer, or something along these lines, you will likely experience I relief as soon as you put the glasses on, or at least I did. You will notice the difference right away.

The colors you see are slightly distorted while wearing the glasses, of course because it is blocking the blue light, but it really doesn’t matter too much to me and is something you get used to easily. It is well worth the decrease in eyestrain and another benefit which I can’t really explain is increased detail. After wearing the glasses it is easier for me to read on the computer screen. It is almost like the print is more clean and crisp, but I’m guessing that is just because it is easier for me to focus without strain.

Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses Out There

There are about a bigillian brands of blue light blocking glasses out there and not all of them are created equal. When I first started looking into them in before I purchased my own pair, I did a lot of research to make sure I got something that was worth it.

Many pairs of glasses claim to block a high percentage of blue light, but one tested do not even block close to that. There is a lot of false advertising out there and you have to be particularly cautious when purchasing blue light blocking glasses from places like China, where laws are pretty stringent and tons of products are produced.

If you want my recommendation, my topic would be the Swannies Blue Blocker Glasses. Swannies or made by a FDA registered company in the US which means that you can trust them and they do actually do what they claim to do.

You can also read a list of what I consider the “top 6 blue light blocking glasses” for more options.

Anyways… I hope you enjoyed this article and found it helpful. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below and I’ll get back to you as soon as I can 🙂

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Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses
Product Reviews

Best Blue Light Blocking Glasses 2018 – The Top 6

Blue light is essential for our health and vision but too much of it can cause problems, including eye damage and insomnia. Luckily there are plenty of glasses on the market today that are designed to stop over exposure to blue light. But there are lots of them so can be a tough decision knowing which to get. That is where this article comes into play. Here I will be going over six of the best blue light blocking glasses out there.

With increases in technology and scientific research catching up with the many health problems that arise from this, it is becoming more and more well known that most people are being overexposed to blue light throughout the day.

Why is this?? If blue light comes from the sun and the sun has been around for billions of years then why all of a sudden now do people need blue light blocking glasses?

Well the reason is because of the technology. In a report released by comScore it was found that the average American adult spends around 3 hours per day on their mobile device. And this is just one study. Some show the amount of time on average being much higher than this. Why is this important? Because guess what you’re getting exposed to while on your mobile device…… You guessed it: blue light.

Blue light coming from unnatural sources is everywhere. You get it from your TV, your phone, your tablet, and the growing number of LED lights that are beginning to replace nearly all incandescent lights out there.

What Overexposure To Blue Light Can Do

According to Dr Mark Dunbar (OD) and Dr Ronald Melton (OD) in this article, blue light can reach deeper into our eyes than other lights of the visible spectrum. Overexposure in the worst case scenario can cause damage to the retina and lead to vision loss. Have you ever felt your eyes being dry and itchy after a long time staring at a computer screen? This can in part be caused by the blue light that you are staring directly at.

And there are other more common health concerns that arise from overexposure, mainly being problems sleeping. You see the human body has, over many many years, become accustom to the sun rising in the morning and setting in the evening, meaning that there was normally a long period of time every day where humans were not exposed to blue light. Nowadays it doesn’t work like this. When the sun goes down people are on their devices, watching TV, getting high-beamed by that really annoying car with bright LED lights, and so on.

The problem with this comes from blue light’s effect on melatonin production, which is necessary for sleep. Blue light can impede the production of melatonin which means you won’t get that sleepy feeling that you should be getting at night, or at least not as much of it.

So if you want to protect your eyes and keep your biological clock on track in today’s society then a good pair of blue light blocking glasses is something that you should consider.


The Top 6 Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Starting with #1…

1) Swannies Blue Blocker Glasses

Swannies Blue Light Blocking Glasses

 

[one_half_first]

Pros

  • Made by a FDA registered company in the USA
  • Amber lenses block more blue light than any other color
  • 100% UV protection
  • Acetate frames that can be adjusted to your face
  • Small, regular, and even kid sizes
  • Anti-reflective and anti-glare

[/one_half_first][one_half_last]

Cons

  • Flimsy frames can get mis-shaped easily
  • The dark amber tint might drive some people crazy
  • No magnification option
  • Frames don’t wrap around
  • Don’t know how much blue light is blocked

[/one_half_last]

Swannies Blue Blocker Glasses are probably the most popular blue light blocking glasses out there. They have plenty of endorsements from celebrities ranging from Arnold Schwarzenegger, Tai Lopez, and a list of many others.

The company these are made by is called Swanwick Sleep and what is nice about them is that they are FDA registered. They manufacture sleep products and these glasses are actually considered a medical device, which is why they have to be registered. This gives you some peace of mind knowing that a regulatory authority like the FDA is checking in on them and making sure that their products do what they say they do.

As you can obviously tell in the picture of these glasses above, the lenses are a dark orange looking color. This amber tint is used because it is able to block more blue light than any other color. So while you might not like the look of the lens color, it is necessary to block as much blue light as possible. In addition the lenses are also antireflective and antiglare as you would expect. What you wouldn’t expect is that these lenses actually add contrast and sharpen details. This reduces eye fatigue as well.

Now how much blue light to these lenses actually block? This I do not know and I was not able to find any information on. Many glasses will tell you that they block a certain amount blue light, such as 50% or 75% or something, but I cannot find any information on this anywhere. However from what I can tell they do a pretty darn good job.

They come in a variety of sizes including kids sizes so there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to find a pair that fits your face. However I have noticed that there are a number of people complaining about the acetate frames. These frames can be adjusted to better fit your face but the problem is they can become misshaped easily.

There is also no magnification option with these glasses. Most people probably are not looking for magnification anyhow, but it is still a nice option to have.

2) Duco PRO Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Duco PRO Blue Light Blocking Glasses

[one_half_first]

Pros

  • Not too expensive
  • Look professional & stylish
  • Filters out 90% + of blue light
  • High quality lenses imported from Germany
  • Ergonomic fit
  • Rubber earpiece for comfort and so they don’t slide off
  • Bendable frame to protect against breaking
  • Extremely light weight

[/one_half_first][one_half_last]

Cons

  • Dark amber tint distorts colors
  • No magnification option
  • Frames don’t wrap around

[/one_half_last]

Duco PRO Blue Light Blocking Glasses are a great choice if you’re looking for a pair of glasses a block most blue light, look stylish and classy, but don’t cost quite as much as the Swannies above. I actually would even say that I prefer the look of these classes over the Swannies.

You can see that the lenses are that dark amber color. Like I mentioned above, this is what you want if you are looking for a pair to block as much blood as possible. These glasses have lenses that are imported from Germany and are rated as blocking 90% of all blue light, which is nice because it gives you plenty of protection while still allowing you to see some blue. The downside of course is that colors will be distorted when looking through these glasses because of the thick tint.

One thing that I want to touch upon about this particular pair is the fit. They have a comfortable ergonomic fit with rubber earpieces and a soft nose pad. This provides added comfort where you need it most, on the bridge of the nose and behind the ears, and also helps keep the glasses from sliding off your face. In addition to this comfort there also very light weight for an even more comfortable fit when wearing them for long periods of time.

Because they’re so lightweight you might be worried about the durability. While I’m sure some durability is sacrificed with their comfort prioritized design, they seem to be well made and have a bendable frame that will keep them from breaking easily.

Included with these glasses is a hard clamshell case, a soft drawstring bag and a cleaning cloth.

3) SPEKTRUM PROSPEK Premium Computer Glasses

SPEKTRUM PROSPEK Premium Computer Glasses

[one_half_first]

Pros

  • No color distortion
  • Block UV light & electromagnetic rays also
  • Different sizes and colors available
  • Optional magnification lenses
  • Anti-glare
  • Come in nice hard shell case

[/one_half_first][one_half_last]

Cons

  • Only block 50% of blue light
  • Smudge rather easily
  • A bit flimsy
  • Don’t wrap around

[/one_half_last]

The SPEKTRUM PROSPEK are another great choice for blue light blocking glasses. Just from looking at them you can see that they look nice. They have a very professional appearance to them and do not have the orange lenses that some people think look ridiculous.

However, as I mentioned with the Swannies above, the orange lenses are the best for blocking blue light. The SPEKTRUM PROSPEK here only block 50% of blue light which might be due to the fact that they are not tinted so much. There is actually a slight Amber tend that you will notice when wearing them but it is minimal and not very obvious. So this isn’t quite as good for blocking blue light but it is nice that it doesn’t give you all the color distortion.

In addition to blocking blue light these are also designed to block electromagnetic rays, block 100% of UV light, and have and antiglare coating. However, even those these block 100% of UV light they are not good to use in place of sunglasses. Like I said, they don’t really offer any tint at all so they don’t offer much protection from the sun in that respect, whereas the Swannies do.

When buying these you have a good bit of different options to choose from. You can choose from red/black frames or gray, and you can also choose between small and regular sizes. In addition these do have a magnification option where you can choose to go with 1x magnification.

And something that isn’t completely necessary but is a nice little bonus is the fact that these come with a hard case you can carry them around and so they don’t get damaged.

Some downsides to this particular pair of blue light blocking glasses is that they seem to smudge rather easily and, like pretty much every other pair out there, their frames are not too durable. They are plastic and somewhat flimsy. That said, they get the job done and look really nice which is why these are one of my top picks and why I own a pair.

4) CGID CT12 Blue Light Blocking Glasses

CGID Blue Light Blocking Glasses

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Pros

  • Very inexpensive
  • Nice looking
  • Many frame colors and designs to choose from as well as lens tint variations
  • Claim to block 90% of blue light (questionable)
  • Frames are decently strong
  • Block electromagnetic radiation

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Cons

  • Questionable blue light blocking capabilities
  • No magnification option
  • Only come in one size
  • Lenses don’t wrap around

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The CGID CT12 Blue Light Blocking Glasses or a good choice for their very low price but do not do as good of a job as the Swannies or SPEKTRUM’s above.

From the picture you can see that they are nicely designed glasses. They have a professional look while still having somewhat of a trendy look as well. There are many different frame color variations as well as style. There are also different lens tense you can choose between, some of which have very little tint at all while others have a darker amber color. I would assume that the ones with darker amber lenses would block more blue light but there is no mention of this anywhere.

As far as blue light blocking capabilities go, these are said to block 90% of blue light. However this is questionable and while it does definitely block blue light to some extent, I’m not sure if I believe it blocks 90%. They do show pictures of tests that they have performed that show it blocks this amount blue light, but I’m just not sure if I believe them. I have read some reviews comparing these to Swannies where the Swannies proof to perform much better. These are made by a Chinese brand and are not regulated by the FDA or anything so you kind of just have to trust what they tell you.

On the upside these do block electromagnetic radiation as well and their frames seem to be stronger than most. I also was not able to find anything about UV protection the. There is no mention of this so if you’re looking for blue light blocking glasses that you can also use it as somewhat of sunglasses then these are definitely not what you want.

Overall the CGID CT12 Blue Light Blocking Glasses seem to perform well, but like always you get what you pay for.

5) Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Glasses

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Pros

  • Inexpensive
  • Uses “Spectrum Control Technology” to absorb 98% of blue light
  • Filters out 99.9% of UV light (most companies would just say 100%)
  • Sharpen detail
  • Uni-lens allows for better viewing
  • Wrap around lens for more protection
  • Fit over top of most prescription glasses
  • Can be used as safety glasses (meets ANSI Z87+ standard)
  • Adjustable length frame
  • Made in USA

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Cons

  • Heavy amber tint, distorts colors
  • Curved lens can cause unwanted reflections
  • Not a pleasant appearance in many people’s opinion
  • No magnification options

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The Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Glasses are a good bit different from the others on the list but are actually pretty darn good. They are a totally different style from most of what you see and have somewhat of a sporty/safety glasses look to them.

“Spectrum Control Technology” is what these glasses are advertised as using, but this is really just a fancy term meaning that they block certain lights and allow other lights and, as all blue light blocking glasses do.

As you can see they have a fairly heavy amber tent. Of course this is going to distort colors to a degree but on the upside it blocks 98% of blue light. In addition to blocking blue light they also block 99.9% of UV light, which most companies would just list as 100%.

The uni-lens of this pair is something that should not be overlooked. This does not have frames going down the sides or bottom that will obstruct your view. The lenses are also very wide and wrap around the sides to block as much blue light as possible. The downside to this is that because the lens is surrounded it can create unwanted reflections at times.

If you are looking to wear something that is going to fit over top of your prescription glasses then these are pair that will work for you. They are fairly large and as long as you don’t have some massive glasses to wear them over top of they should do fine.

Oh yeah… And they look like safety glasses because they are safety glasses. They meet safety standards for protection against projectiles.

So pretty much these are a very affordable pair of blue light blocking glasses that offer great blue light protection, can be worn over top of normal glasses, and can be used as safety glasses. Since they provide 99.9% UV protection and have a dark amber tint they also work good as sunglasses.

6) Northland Anti-Blue Computer Glasses

Northland Outpost Anti Blue Computer Glasses

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Pros

  • Block 95% of blue light
  • FDA approved
  • Fit over top of most prescription glasses
  • Includes hard case, cleaning cloth, and soft bag
  • Large lenses & no rim on bottom for better viewing

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Cons

  • Dark amber tint distorts colors
  • Not the most attractive (rather large)
  • No magnification options
  • Durability issues

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The Northland Anti-Blue Computer Glasses are another good choice if you are looking to be able to wear a pair of these blue light blocking glasses over top of prescription glasses. And they are a better choice if you are looking for something a little more classy looking.

These are actually FDA approved as a medical device just like the Swannies are. And they are made in the USA by a family owned company which is nice to see I think.

Like most, the lenses are tinted a fairly dark amber color and this allows for 95% absorption of blue light. And since there FDA approved this is a statistic you can trust.

When it comes to the fit they guarantee a “fab fit”. Now I don’t actually know what that is supposed to mean but based on many reviews I have read they seem to fit comfortably and offer a good one-size-fits-all approach.

You will also notice in the image that they or frameless on the bottom edges. This gives you better viewing and is particularly good if you are going to be wearing them while using a computer or such, when you might be constantly glancing down at the keyboard or mouse.

I have read a few reviews of people complaining about the durability of these glasses but nothing to concerning… You will find complaints like this no matter how good the glasses are.

While these glasses can be used whether you have normal glasses or not, I would probably only get these as a pair of blue light blocking glasses to go over top of normal glasses. If you don’t need them to go over top of normal glasses I would probably just go with the Swannies or SPEKTRUM’s.

Included is a hard case, a cleaning cloth, and a soft bag.


Top Picks

There is no “best pair of blue light blocking glasses” because it depends on what you are looking for. Different pairs are good for different people depending on their situation. Because of this I have listed what my pics would be depending on different situations to help guide you in the right direction…

Professional Look with Maximum Blue Light Protection = Swannies Blue Blocker Glasses

If you are looking for a pair that are going to have a professional look with maximum blue light protection than the Swannies are probably going to be your best bet. The Duco PRO glasses are another great choice however if you are looking for something a little less expensive. Both of these glasses have a dark amber tint and offer plenty of blue light protection.

Fit Over-top of GlassesNorthland Anti-Blue Computer Glasses or Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Glasses

Need a pair of blue light blocking glasses that are going to fit over top of glasses that you already wear? Well then the Northland Anti-Blue Computer Glasses and the Uvex Skyper Blue Light Blocking Glasses are going to be the only two choices on the list and what you choose should be based on your taste. They both offer good protection but look very different.

Inconspicuous Blue Light Blocking GlassesSPEKTRUM PROSPEK

The SPEKTRUM PROSPEK are going to be the best choice if you are looking for a pair that don’t look strange. These glasses do not have that dark amber tint and did not stand out all that much. But of course the downside to this is that they do not block as much blue light. Another okay choice, but not quite as good, would be the CGID CT12 Blue Light Blocking Glasses.


Who Should Be Wearing Blue Light Blocking Glasses?

If you are part of modern society then grabbing yourself a pair might be worth it. Now if you live on the outskirts of society then this is a different story, but I’m guessing since you are reading this that this is not you.

Pretty much everyone can benefit from a pair. Even if you are on your phone minimal times per day, don’t work on the computer much, don’t play video games etc., you still are probably exposed to much blue light on a daily basis coming from artificial sources.

If you are a gamer, work online like me, or a student who is on the computer a lot, or just someone who is on their phone every chance they get then this is definitely something you should seriously consider. I hear stories all the time about people complaining from having dry itchy eyes, having trouble sleeping at night, etc. and then having it all turn around after getting a good pair of blue light blocking glasses.


When Should You Wear Them?

As I mentioned in the beginning of this article, blue light is not all bad. It is actually necessary for our vision and health so you do need it. Because of this I would not suggest wearing a pair of these glasses around 24/7. Of course this depends on what strength of glasses you get and how much blue light actually block, but as a general rule of thumb don’t wear them around every minute you are awake.

If it is early in the morning or late in the evening, then throw on a pair, or if you are working on your computer and are going to be doing so for a while, but if it’s a nice day out and there is some good sign take them off and absorb some of that good old nature.

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Best Inflatable Tandem Kayaks
Product Reviews

Best Inflatable Tandem Kayaks 2018 – The Top 9

If you are looking for a tandem inflatable kayak then you are in the right place. Below I have compiled a list of the best inflatable tandem kayaks of 2018 depending on what exactly you are looking for. There is no single answer for the “best” inflatable kayak out there. This is subjective and depends on many different factors such as how much you are willing to pay, what types of adventures you are looking to take your kayak on, etc. This is why I created this list of the top 9 depending on different factors.

There are some downsides to buying an inflatable kayak but overall I think there are plenty of upsides balance this out.

Generally speaking inflatable kayaks don’t perform quite as well when it comes to tracking. But this all depends on what kayaks you are comparing. There are some expensive inflatables kayaks out there that track much better than cheap hard shell kayaks. But yes… generally they do not track as well because they are not as rigid.

However, think of all the upsides to having an inflatable kayak over a hard shell one… they are super easy to transport and take up practically no space. You can carry them around in a bag and there is no need to buy a rack for your car or hull them around in a trailer. I’m sure you already are well aware of this, which is probably why you are reading this article in the first place, but I just wanted to touch on this because have their place in the world of kayaking and some people never go back to hard shells once they buy one.

But anyways… lets move on to the list. I have it broken down into 3 sections: Best Performing, Under $100, and For Fishing. If you want to jump ahead to any of these sections you can do so here…


Best Performing:

#1) Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Inflatable Kayak

Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Inflatable Kayak

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Kayak is one of the best performing inflatable kayaks that you will find. Of course this depends a bit on what type of kayak you are looking for, but overall this kayak is great. As you can see from the picture it has a very sleek and rigid design, making it almost not even look like an inflatable Kayak.

It measures in at 15 feet long and 32 inches wide. With slim dimensions like this and aluminum ribs in the bow/stern, it cuts through the water very well and is one of the fastest inflatable tandem kayaks you will find, probably the fastest.

The weight limit on this model is 550 pounds so it should have no problem supporting two people and still performing great.

One of the “claims to fame” of this model is the fact that it is convertible. What does this mean? Well you can convert it in between a solo kayak and a tandem kayak. It comes with different zip top decks that you can easily zip on in zip off making it how you want. The seats are also movable so that when you convert it to a solo kayak you can position the seat more in the center for better control. To better show you what I’m talking about here you can take a look at the pictures below…

Now you may be worried about the stability with a narrow kayak like this one but this is not something I would worry about too much. Stability does not seem to be an issue.

One thing that is always a concern with inflatables is getting a hole while out on the water far away from land. Luckily this model has a whopping six air chambers. What this means is that if you get a whole only 1/6 of the kayak will deflate. So it doesn’t really matter where you get the hole in this you will still be able to stay afloat and make it back safely. You won’t see this with the cheaper inflatable kayaks.

With Advanced Elements kayak models like this one you shouldn’t have much of a problem with punctures anyhow though. This company does a great job making their kayaks durable with triple layering their material.

Overall there is a lot to this kayak that makes it one of the best. It performs well in calm and semi-rough waters in the fact that it is convertible is great. Tracking is very good and this thing goes through the water with ease. If you are lazy and don’t feel like converting it you also can paddle it from the back seat pretty easily too.

The one downside to this is the seating. A lot of buyers do not care for the seats. They are not very comfortable and they do not offer much support. A fix to this would be to play something behind your seat for added support, which I see a lot of people doing based on the reviews I have read through of this kayak.

#2) Driftsun Voyager Kayak

Driftsun Voyager Inflatable Kayak

The Driftsun Voyager Kayak is a good choice if you are looking for something that performs well in both calm and choppy water. This kayak measures in at 10 feet long and 35 inches wide. It has the capacity to carry up to 400 pounds and what is really crazy is that it only weighs 27 pounds, making it very easy to transport. Not only is it easy to transport around but it also is incredibly easy to inflate. Now I’ve actually never inflated one of these but they say that it can be done in five minutes, once you get good at doing it that is.

There are several reasons that the Driftsun Voyager performs well in more than just calm water. For one, it has a removable skeg. This is nice to attach on when you are in calm waters but when waters get rough you’re going to want to take it off for increased maneuverability. Number two, which you can’t see from the picture above, but this kayak has a V-shaped hull that allows it to cut through the water better and provides better tracking. Now you would think that this would decrease the stability of the kayak, and it probably does to some extent, but overall the stability is still very good with this design. And the third, it is designed with a rocker profile, which you also can’t really see in the picture. This allows for easier maneuverability and is a good design for rougher waters, but of course the downside is that it takes away from the tracking.

It seems as if this kayak was designed to be somewhat of the best of both worlds. Of course the more you design a kayak to perform well in calm waters, the worse it is going to perform in rough waters, and vice versa, but overall this kayak seems to be very well designed in perform good in both. The tracking definitely isn’t going to be as good as the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Kayak that I just went over above but its still seems to track surprisingly well.

As I was reading through reviews from other users of this kayak I noticed that there were quite a bit of people saying how comfortable the seats are. There were literally reviews that talked about how nice they are and nothing else. They look nice but of course you never really know until you test them out and based on what I have read through it seems that they should perform as well as they look.

One complaint that I noticed more than once has to do with the detachable skeg fin. Apparently it doesn’t stay in place all that great. This is something that is common among detachable skegs though.

Overall I would say this is a great choice if you are going to be using your yak in calm/rough waters. It offers a good balance of design and performs well. It is somewhat on the higher side when it comes to price but many buyers swear by it and believe it is worth every cent.

#3) Advanced Elements Lagoon 2 Inflatable Kayak

Advanced Elements Lagoon 2 Inflatable Kayak

The Advanced Elements Lagoon 2 kayak I would say is somewhat of a step down from the Advanced Elements kayak that I listed as number one, but I guess this just depends on how you look at things. It still performs great as long as you use it as intended.

Just by looking at this Lagoon 2 model you can see that it is a good bit different. Some noticeable differences are that it is much shorter, measuring in at 12 feet, and that is not convertible. It does not have the zip tops that you’re able to remove. What you see is what you get.

As you can imagine with it being smaller, it is also much later at only 37 pounds. And as you also can imagine the capacity is much less. It is listed as having a capacity of 350 pounds and based on reviews I have read from users who have tested this, you want to stay clear of this limit. This kayak sits fairly low in the water and if you get close to this upper limit you will likely have problems with too much water splashing in.

When it comes to tracking it performs well, but it’s not going to give you quite as good tracking as the AdvancedFrame Convertible model. What’s nice is that it does come with a skeg and it also has a rigid bow in stern to improve the tracking. If you take this kayak out in calm waters, which is intended for, then it is going to perform well and tracking will be good. However this thing just isn’t made for rapids and rough waters and would not be a good choice for such.

What about stability? The Lagoon 2 has a nice design for keeping things stable. It is 34 inches wide and as I said sits down in the water a fair amount. There aren’t really any reviews from people that I could find complaining about the stability that this kayak offers.

In my opinion this is one of the best tandem choices out there if you are looking to go on nice peaceful adventures in calm waters. The only big downside that I see with the Advanced Elements kayak such as the Lagoon 2 here or that the seats do not offer much support. If you are on the taller side then you’re going to have more problems with this than if you are shorter. It’s something that I hope to see fixed but the good thing is that you can stuff something behind your seat to deal with this. And I guess another downside you could say is that there isn’t much space for storage at all. There is some bungee deck lacing for added storage but it’s really not much.

#4) Sea Eagle SE 370

Sea Eagle SE370

The Sea Eagle SE 370 may not look like much, and it is a step down from those listed above when it comes to price, but it still is a pretty darn good Kayak or a tandem inflatable. I know I know… This thing kind of looks like a blowup air mattress, but this is something you’re just going to have to ignore because the way it performs is worth its price tag.

Measuring in at 12’6″ long and 34 inches wide, the Sea Eagle SE 370 is a decent size kayak. You can also tell by the look that it holds quite a bit of air, which, as you can guess, correlates to it being able to hold quite a bit of weight. It’s capacity is listed at 650 pounds and up to three people.

There are five different air compartments which means five different valves to fill up with their. They list them as “deluxe” one-way valves and based on reviews I have read they are just that. The company does a good job on making this very easy to inflate. If you have experience using inflatable kayaks then you probably know what I’m talking about because it can be frustrating at times when going through the inflation process.

Tracking is always a concern when it comes to inflatables and luckily with this Sea Eagle there are two skegs on the bottom for improved tracking and speed. This is great if you’re going to be using this on calm waters, but the downside is they are not removable so if you’re looking to take this out and rapids they might work to your disadvantage. On the bottom side of the kayak you can also see that inflatable hull of the kayak on the bottom has grooves that run front and back due to the i-beam structure, which also help with tracking.

What nice accessory that I think is worth mentioning about this particular kayak is that it has bow and stern grab lines. This is something you don’t see too often and it’s a nice little touch in case you get thrown overboard or end up flipping, which hopefully you won’t because the stability that this Sea Eagle brings to the table is very good… No complaints about this that I can find.

And of course one thing that everyone always wants to know is how comfortable the kayak is. If you’re going to be out on long adventures then comfort is a must. Luckily they have done a pretty good job with the design here. The seats are sturdy and very “cushiony” so hopefully you won’t get a sore back if you decide on this one.

One thing that many people don’t really like about this particular kayak is its color. Shortly what color looks nice when it’s clean but the problem is that it gets dirty so darn easily. This is definitely a downside to it but the good thing is that it is simple to wipe it clean.

Something else you might notice is that there is no added storage in this kayak. There is plenty of room inside the seating areas to store items but it would be nice to see some bungee storage or something like this.

Overall the Sea Eagle SE 370 is a pretty nice buy. Tracking and speed aren’t going to be as good as the Advanced Elements’ kayaks listed above, and it might not look quite as nice, but for a more moderate price I would say it’s a nice buy.

#5) Airhead MONTANA Kayak

AIRHEAD Montana Kayak

The Airhead MONTANA Kayak is designed for calm and moderate white water, but based on what I see most people seem to be using this inflatable kayak for waters on the rougher side. Just based on the looks you can see that it appears to be more of a white water type of kayak with its bright orange color and all.

The capacity is listed at 500 pounds in the overall length of this kayak is 12 feet. As far as tracking goes it does pretty well. The floor of this kayak has an I-beam structure which helps give a better tracking and in addition to this it also has four small skegs on the bottom to help increase the tracking a bit more.

You will be happy to hear that the seats offer good support. They are removable and seem to deliver in the area of back support.

Some features that aren’t essential but give this kayak a nice touch are the neoprene elbow pads, feet braces, and bungee cords for storage. The elbow pads can provide you some comfort if you are bouncing around out there in the rapids and the feet braces are definitely something that you would rather have in a kayak than not have so that you can keep yourself securely in place. Now if you look at the bungee cords you will see that they are not on a deck… Because there is no deck. Now of course there is a downside to that but on the upside you can store a heck of a lot in both the front and back of the kayak with these bungee cords storage areas.

On the bow and stern of the kayak you can see black material that looks like leather anyway. This is the “skid plate” and is a reinforcement covering over much of the bottom of the kayak. The reason I mention this is because there are a lot of users of this particular kayak that are very impressed with the durability. I’ve read all kinds of reviews about people taking this on white water and hitting rocks without damage. So as long as you take care of this kayak and use it as intended you shouldn’t have a problem with it being punctured easily.

Now if it does get punctured the downside is that it only has three chambers, meaning that one third of the kayak will deflate if you get a hole, but hopefully this will not be a problem and based on my research and what I see is shouldn’t be.

This kayak is a good choice for those looking to experience the rougher waters. It’ll still perform well on calm water but something like the Lagoon 2 would be a better choice for just that. The Airhead MONTANA it is durable offers good tracking while still giving you good maneuverability when you need it most in rough waters, and isn’t too expensive. It’s not what I would call “cheap” but it is more moderately priced than some of those listed above.


For Less Than $100…

Believe it or not you can get some decent inflatable tandem kayaks for less than $100. Of course there are going to be some sacrifices you will have to make. They will not perform as well, they won’t be quite as durable and will not last as long… But in my opinion some of these cheaper inflatable kayaks or a bargain for their price.

Below I have listed what I consider to be two of the best inflatable tandem kayaks that you can buy for under $100. If you are a kayaking newbie and looking for an entry-level yak or you are just on a budget and really don’t want to spend much, then these two kayaks are great choices that you should consider.

#6) Intex Explorer K2

Intex Explorer K2

The Intex Explorer K2 inflatable kayak comes at a price that you can’t really beat.

It is a 10’3″ long kayak with a width of 36 inches. So it’s fairly short and wide but this just means better stability. The capacity is listed at 400 pounds and I probably wouldn’t push this if I were you. It’s also nice that it has a bright yellow color in case of emergency, since most users of this kayak are going to be novices.

While you could use this kayak and rougher waters, which you could with any kayak, it’s more for calm water. Tracking isn’t so great and it doesn’t cut through the water with ease like some of the more expensive kayaks out there but it does a decent job. It actually comes with a removable skeg but you are going to want to be careful with this because I have read some reviews from people saying that they lost theirs when they went into rougher water… So only use it when you are in calm water.

One thing that helps increase the tracking performance of this particular kayak is the floor design which features inflatable I-beams, also helping with the rigidity of the kayak.

If you take a look at the front and back of the kayak you will see that they curve upward. This is a nice feature that makes it better for rougher waters such as going through rapids. It helps the kayak ride on top of the rapids and also will decrease splashing a lot.

Something that you don’t see very often with inflatable kayaks are grab lines. Luckily this kayak does have grab lines in both the front and back so that if you fall out or capsize, you can easily grab on to stay safe.

The seats aren’t the most comfortable, they could offer more hire back support, but something that is nice about them is that they are removable. They attach to the bottom via Velcro strips.

Some of the downsides to this kayak include tracking not being all that great, the removable skeg not staying in place all that well, seat support lacking a bit, and durability being a bit questionable. They list the material as “super tough” vinyl, but this is debatable. As you can imagine with this kayak being less than $100, the material it is made out of is not as durable as those more expensive models listed above. Another downside is that it only has two air chambers. This makes for easy inflation/deflation but really sucks if you get a hole in your kayak.

Yes there are definitely complaints about this kayak but one thing that you may find somewhat surprising is that this gets some of the best reviews out there of any inflatable tandem kayak. Why is this? Well because of the price. It is well worth the price and is a great entry-level product. If you are a serious kayaker that is used to the best then you’re going to be disappointed but for those that are just getting started in looking for something very affordable to buy than it is a good choice.

They list it as being intended for calm waters but it also has features that would allow it to handle rapids and rougher waters to some degree.

#7) Intex Challenger K2

Intex Challenger K2 Kayak

Another good inflatable kayak that seats 2 people and is less than $100 is the Intex Challenger K2… yes another Intex model like the one above.

The Intex Challenger K2 obviously looks a lot different from the Explorer K2. It has a longer more pointed bow and is a somewhat bright green color. It may appear to be shorter than the challenger and the seats may look like they are more crammed but this is not the case. The overall length of this kayak is 11’6″, which is over a foot longer than the Explorer K2. Not only is it longer but it is also 6 inches more narrow with a width of just 30″.

With a long and narrow design like this you may expect it to have very poor stability but surprisingly it doesn’t seem to. No one is really complaining about this. I have read reviews from people claiming that this model does sit lower in the water though, although it has the same 400 pound weight limit.

Much of this kayak is pretty much the same as that mentioned above. It has the same i-beam inflated floor for more rigidity and better tracking, it has a removable skeg (which you have to be careful with because it doesn’t stay on that well), it has grab lines on the bow + stern, it is made from “super tough” vinyl which is questionable, and it only has 2 air chambers so if it ends up getting punctured then its a problem. I’ve also seen some reviews complaining that the seats don’t offer enough support just as I saw with the other Intex… but then again, this is something you see for pretty much every inflatable kayak.

One nice thing about model is that it has a large cargo net in the front. This makes for a nice storage area.

As far as tracking  and speed goes, this Intex Challenger K2 model will be better because of its length, width, and pointed shape. So if you are looking for something to take out on the calmest of waters and are looking for something entry-level, then this would be a good choice. If you are looking to venture out into rougher waters but still want something entry-level and cheap then the Explorer listed above is going to be the better choice.

Both are good choices for tandem inflatable kayaks under $100 though. It just depends on what you are looking for.


For Fishing…

In last on the list are two tandem inflatable kayaks that are great if you are looking to do some fishing with a partner. While you could use any tandem kayak to do this, ones that are specifically designed for fishing will make it much easier. However, the downside to this is that some of the kayak’s performance capabilities are sacrificed for the sake of making it better for fishing. So you might not want to buy a fishing kayak if you are planning on in the doing a small amount of fishing and using it more for kayaking alone.

#8) Elkton Outdoors 10′ Foot Fishing Kayak

Elkton Outdoors 10 Fishing Kayak

The Elkton Outdoors 10′ Foot Inflatable Fishing Kayak is one of the best choices that I have been able to find. As you can see right off the bat there are plenty of fishing accessories to make your life a little bit easier while out on the water.

This kayak has two vertical rod holders along with four trolling rod holders… Plenty of rod holders to go around. You can also see that it has paddle holders on the outside of the kayak so that you can have both hands catering to your fishing activity rather than worrying about the paddle getting lost at sea. And something that isn’t a big deal but is something nice is that there are six mesh pockets throughout the inside of the kayak that you can place different fishing gear in for easy access.

One thing that is a must when it comes to fishing kayaks that are inflatable is that they must be durable. The last thing that you want to happen is to be out there fishing and to snag your hook on the kayak you are floating on and puncturing it. Luckily Elkton Outdoors takes this into consideration and it is made with 18-Gauge rip resistant 1000D PVC, a thick tarpaulin and a tough nylon, which you should do the trick at making it hopes resistant and of course also protect it from getting punctured on other sharp objects such as rocks, sticks, etc.

The performance of this kayak is decent. It has good stability but tracking is not one of its strong suits. It does come with an attachable skeg but apparently this doesn’t help all that much and, like most attachable skegs, it doesn’t stay in place well.

As you can see in the picture, there is a nice upward curvature of the bow and stern. Like some of the other kayaks discussed above, this allows for better performance in rougher waters and it helps keep water from splashing into the kayak, which is good because this kayak does not have covers in the front or back. The fact that it is just 10 feet in length with a design like this makes it fairly easy to maneuver around.

One of the big downsides to getting this kayak is also one of the big upsides. What am I talking about? Well it is the rod holders. The problem with the rod holders is that they stick up and limit paddling movement. This is going to be particularly a problem for the person sitting in the front seat. Range of motion when paddling will not be that great and it might be a bit frustrating.

#9) Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak

Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak

The Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak is another good choice if you’re looking to go out fishing. As you can see it has many of the same features as that mentioned above and has a similar shape, however it is a little bit bigger, measuring in at 10’9″ long and 39 inches wide, and is a bit different.

Okay, so first let me go over some of what is the same as the Elkton fishing kayak above. They both have fishing rod holders, they both have paddle holders, they both have mesh storage pockets, they both are made of rip/tear resistant 1000D tarpaulin with a nylon cover, they both have an upward curved design at the front and back of the kayak, and more.

But there are several things that make these two kayaks different. First off you may have noticed that the Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak features Berkley® quick-set rod holders along with normal ones. These are more expensive and are made to be easier to use. Some people like them and some people don’t care for them much but they are a little added bonus that comes with this one. And something that you cannot see in the picture is that this Sevylor kayak here has trolling motor fittings if you want to throw motor on it to make it a little easier on yourself. However I will tell you that it is a small motor with little power and the battery won’t last long.

Tracking also seems to be slightly better with this Sevylor kayak than the Elkton above, which could just be due to the fact that it is longer. And when it comes to the fishing rod holders being in the way, this kayak also seems to be a little bit better designed. They still get in the way and will impede your paddling ability to some extent, but it does not seem to be quite as bad.

And not that it matters but I kind of like the army green look that this kayak has. Overall however there really isn’t all that much of a difference. Fishing kayaks are fishing kayaks… They usually do not perform quite as well when it comes to the kayaking part of it.


Which Kayak Would I Buy?

Best Performance = Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Kayak

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Kayak is just an all-around beast. If you get in this thing you might even forget you are in an inflatable kayak. It offers great tracking and cuts through the water very easily, partly due to its rigid frame with the aluminum ribs in the bow/stern. And of course the fact that it is convertible between a solo and tandem kayak is great among many other things. Overall it performs amazingly.

Under $100 = Intex Explorer K2

The Intex Explorer K2 is a heck of a deal for the price in my opinion. Sure it doesn’t perform as well as the more expensive ones but it still is pretty decent and can be a lot of fun. The reason I would go with the Explorer over the Challenger is mainly because it is more versatile. The Explorer is better if you’re looking to go in calm and rougher waters whereas the challenger will not fare too well in rapids.

For Fishing = Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak

As I said, there really isn’t all too much of a difference between the two fishing kayaks that I listed, however, there are a few small things that I like more about the Sevylor Coleman Colorado Fishing Kayak. It looks better (my opinion), the fishing rod holders aren’t in the way quite as much, and it seems to track better.


Tips For Keeping Your Inflatable Kayak Nice

Wash With Fresh Water After Use

This is going to be more of a big deal if you are kayaking and saltwater. You want to make sure to keep your kayak clean when you are finished with it. Washing off all dirt, salt, and debris will help it last longer and luckily these kayaks tend to wipe off pretty easily.

Keep Out Of Sun When Storing

Of course some of the stuff you probably already now, just make sure to keep it out of the sun when you’re storing. The sun can be damaging and when you don’t need it to be on the sun then don’t leave it out in the sun.

Do NOT Over-Inflate

This is something that a lot of people do wrong and end up destroying the kayaks. You do not want to inflate your kayak so much so that it is as hard as a rock. If you do this you will only end up damaging the inner tubes and deforming the kayak or, at its worst, blowing out a hole.

Whichever kayak you buy will come with instructions on how much air pressure you should be filling it with. Make sure you follow these!

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Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 SS Kayak Review
Product Reviews

Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 Kayak Review – What You Should Know

Welcome to my Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 Kayak review!

If you are wondering what Sun Dolphin is bringing to the table with this particular model then you are in the right place. In this review I will be going over all aspects of this particular kayak, the good and the bad. This review will be broken up into the following sections so if you just want to skip to a certain section you can click on them below, but of course I would suggest reading it all if you are seriously interested in this kayak.

Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 SS Kayak Review

Overview of the Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 Kayak

The Sun Dolphin Aruba 12 model is a sit-in kayak which has its ups and downs. While sit-in kayaks like this one usually offer more stability and better tracking, they are of course harder to get in and out of as you can imagine and you also have less room to move around. This particular kayak offers some decent tracking without making it too difficult to maneuver.

Overall this kayak is a fairly good bargain for the price. It is constructed of Fortiflex high density polyethylene, has plenty of storage space, offers good stability, has decent tracking, has a fairly large cockpit area to sit in, is described by pretty much everyone as comfortable with cushions on the back and bottom of the seat, and is lightweight (47 lbs)… Just to name some of the good sides.

This Aruba 12 model is something I would mostly recommend to recreational yakers who are looking for a little more control and stability than the sit-on yaks that are out there. It will do well in calmer waters but isn’t that great if you are looking to take it out and rougher areas. The reason for this is because of its straight-line keel which will do fine moving forward in calm lakes and rivers but won’t offer the tracking ability (ability to go in a straight line) that a skeg will, for example.

It’s also good kayak for those looking to do occasional fishing with the bill in fishing rod holders that it features.

As far as fit goes, no one should really be limited by the weight limit. It can hold up to 395 pounds which isn’t a problem. The problem comes with height. If you are tall, like really tall, this might not be that great of a choice as I will go over in the complaints section.


Features

Nice Amount of Storage: One thing that’s usually nice about the Sun Dolphin kayaks is that they offer a nice amount of storage. You have the bungee strap on the front and rear of the kayak that allow you to strap down larger items. These are great if you want to bring camping gear and can hold quite a lot. In addition you also have the waterproof compartment and the P.A.C. (that I’ll be going over below) along with a little lidded storage area right in front of you that is not waterproof.

Waterproof Compartment: There are two waterproof compartments, one of which is located in front of you and is good for storing small things you don’t want to get wet such as cell phones, iPods, money, etc.

P.A.C. : This stands for Portable Accessory Carrier. And it is the black looking storage unit that is located directly behind the seat. This thing can actually be detached and you can drag it along behind the kayak while you use the spot it was then for additional storage space. The compartment inside this little carrier is also waterproof.

Thigh Pads: If you are planning on going on long kayaking adventures then this is something that should not be overlooked. On each side of the kayak located a little bit in front of the seat are black pads. These pads are to protect your thighs. They might not seem like a big deal but they will protect you from scrapes and bruises on long trips.

Built In Fishing Rod Holders: Behind the seat are two built in fishing rod holders that are flush with the top of the kayak. They are nice because they won’t get in the way if you aren’t going to be fishing but if you are there always there for easy use.

Skeel on Bottom: On the bottom of the kayak there is a straight line skeel that will help with tracking.


Complaints

Thin Build, Dents Somewhat Easily – One complaint that I’ve seen multiple times is that the construction of this kayak is too thin. It’s made of a strong polyethylene plastic but is just too darn thin. Based on my research there are a fair number of people that are upset with how easily it dents. So if you’re going to be kayaking in a a shallow area with lots of rocks or something along this line it may not be that great of a choice.

On the upside, the dents are pretty easy to fix with a heat gun in a rubber mallet.

Not The Best Tracking – The tracking is good I would say but of course this all depends on where you are using it. It will do just fine in calm waters but if you get out to rough currents, or say the wind is blowing pretty hard in sideways directions, then the kayak will likely go off-track. Its still much better than sit-on Sun Dolphin models such as the Sun Dolphin Bali though.

The Solution? Only use this kayak in calmer waters.

Not a Good Fit for Tall People – If you are over say around…6’5″ or so you might have some problems with this kayak. The problems that some tall people seem to be having is that the cockpit cover where your legs go underneath is somewhat low and may scrape your shins or make it very hard to get in and out of.

The cockpit is rather large overall but it just goes down a bit too far it seems.

Waterproof Compartment Problems – I’ve read over some complaints about the waterproof compartments not being, well… Waterproof. I’ve read through more than one complaint about this so it seems that it’s kind of a hit or miss. If you get one the compartments might be sealed to be completely waterproof whereas others of the seal may be lacking in areas. So what I would do before putting your precious devices in the hands of these waterproof compartments would be to test them out. If they leak then it should be an easy fix with some sealant if you are willing to put in some work.


Pros vs Cons

A look at this kayaks pros and cons side by side…

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Pros
  • Like all Sun Dophin kayaks, this kayak is on the lower side when you look at prices
  • Tracks well in calm waters
  • Good stability which you would expect with a sit-in kayak like this
  • Comfortable, has a seat cushion on the back and bottom
  • Plenty of storage space for all your traveling needs
  • Fishing capable in case you want to go on a little fishing trip

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Cons
  • Think build that can dent easily
  • Not good for rough waters or high winds. You will have difficulty controlling the yak
  • Not a great fit for tall people
  • Waterproof containers could be made better

 

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Is It Worth The Price?

The answer to this question really depends on your situation and what you are looking for. If you are looking for recreational kayak that has a good job on calmer waters, is comfortable, has a fair amount of storage space, etc. then this could be a good fit for you. It’s a good affordable entry-level kayak that offers a little more when it comes to control, stability, and tracking than the sit-on Sun Dolphin kayaks out there.

Something else that is nice to see is that Sun Dolphin gives buyers a lifetime warranty on all of their kayaks. Now of course this doesn’t mean you can take it off a waterfall onto jagged rocks below and expect to get your money back, but if anything breaks or goes wrong with it when using it reasonably you will be able to.

If you have any questions about this particular kayak that I did not cover in this review, you can leave them below and I’ll get back to you when time permits 🙂 Also if you have your own review of this product I would appreciate it if you left it below to help out other readers if you have any additional points you would like to make.

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Product Reviews

Sun Dolphin Bali 10 SS Kayak Review – What You Should Know Before Buying?

Welcome to my Sun Dolphin Bali 10 SS Kayak review!

In this review I intend to give you a better understanding about this particular kayak so that you know whether or not if its what you are looking for. There are plenty of different kayak variations out there and its important to get what fits your situation. Here I will be going over pretty much all you need to know about this kayak, including what its best for, features, complaints, price and more.


Overview of  the Sun Dolphin Bali 10 SSSun Dolphin Bali 10 SS Kayak Review

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Pros
  • Low price
  • Durable
  • Lots of storage space
  • Easy to get in/out

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Cons
  • Tracking isn’t that great
  • Stability issues

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The Sun Dolphin Bali 10 foot SS Kayak is a pretty good choice for beginners just looking to have some fun but for experienced yak enthusiasts it might leave a little bit more to be desired due to its lack of control and balance, which I will go moreover in the complaints section of this review.

This 10 foot kayak comes in an array of different colors such as pink, lime, red, blue, tangerine, etc., and is very appealing to the eye. With a very comfortable sit-on seat and plenty of room for storage, this kayak is best suited for people looking to do light paddling on calm waters. It is decent on lakes, ponds, and slow flowing river but is not well-suited for mild currents or stronger.

So if you’re looking to do some light paddling and floating out on a lake then go for it. But if you are looking for something to maneuver about as you read the currents of a river then this is not for you.

The weight limit on this thing is said to be 395 pounds so this isn’t going to be an issue for many people. I have also read reviews of people going over this weight limit without a problem.

The price is also pretty darn good for what you get. This kayak has some downsides no doubt but is well constructed (made of Fortiflex high-density polyethylene) and you shouldn’t have any problem with it lasting. Overall it’s a great entry-level kayak for people who aren’t all too serious.


Features

Sit-In Seat – As you can see in the picture this kayak is a sit-on model, meaning that you just plop yourself down right on top of the kayak without extending your legs down inside. This allows for easy on/off but at the same time decreases the stability of the kayak because you’re sitting higher up, which is one of the reasons it is best suited for calm waters. You will also see that the back of the seat rests against the plastic frame. This is nice because it adds stability and comfort. There is no seat cushion on the bottom but you can easily bring something with you to sit on and besides it’s probably more comfortable than you would think.

Adjustable Foot Braces – You are able to adjust the foot braces back-and-forth according to how long your legs are. This is important because you are going to want to apply pressure to sort of lock yourself in place as your paddling.

Waterproof Container – If you’re sitting in the kayak you will notice right and from your groin area that there is a small compartment with a lid. This is a waterproof compartment that is great for storing devices such as phones, wallets, and other things that you don’t want to get wet. It is also in a great location right there in front of you within reaching distance.

Some of the bigger smart phones, such as the iPhone 6, might not be would’ve fit in here just to let you know.

Cup Holder – The cupholder might not seem like that big of a deal but it can really come in handy when you’re flooding out in the baking hot sun. Again this is right there in front of you within reaching distance making it very convenient.

Bungee Storage – There is plenty of room for storage so if you’re planning to travel to a campsite that is only accessible by water then no problem, strap your tent and sleeping bag to the front or back and off you go.

Portable Accessory Carrier (PAC) – This just gives you even more storage room if you really need it. In a nutshell, this thing is a compartment on the rear of the kayak that you can pop out and tow behind it while using the space where it was located for storage of something else. A picture is worth a thousand words and this might sound a bit confusing so here you go:


Top Complaints

When reviewing a product like this I always make sure to read over as many customer reviews as possible, which I’m sure you do to judging by the fact you’re reading my review right now. After sifting through literally hundreds of reviews these are some of the top ones that I’ve seen repeated multiple times:

Difficulty Steering – If you have been reading reviews I’m sure you have seen this too. This kayak doesn’t track well, meaning it isn’t all that great when it comes to steering. This is common with sit-on kayaks because they lay more flat on the water than sit-in kayaks. When you are just getting moving paddling left and right the kayak will likely turn back-and-forth with each paddle motion until you get up to speed. And if you get moving then stop paddling it isn’t uncommon for kayaks such as this one to “fishtail” where the back-end might start to come around instead of staying in a straight line.

Of course this is something that you can get use to and better at controlling but sit-on kayaks such as this will never be as good for steering as sit-in kayaks. It is only 10 feet but also which limits “track-ability”. The longer the kayak the easier it is to keep going in a straight line.

Stability Issues – This is also not the most stable kayak in the world. Because you are sitting relatively high up on the water you have to be more careful with your movements. For taller people this is even going to be more of a problem, but if you are on the shorter side it shouldn’t be such a big deal.

I have read a couple people’s reviews claiming that they can hardly turn around to access luggage they brought with them in the back of the kayak because it is so unstable. Now of course I have no idea how tall these people are or anything but I’m willing to bet that the people making claims such as this are rather tall.


Conclusion – Is It Worth The Price?

This all depends on what you are looking for. It is a great entry-level kayak for people looking to cruise around on open lakes and calm rivers but not great for people looking for super easy paddling or to go out in rapids.

There are definitely complaints about this kayak that are worth considering (that I just went over) but it’s not like there are any real serious concerns as far as I see. Most of the complaints that I read through are expected. They come with the territory of sit-on kayaks. Sure there are good sit-on kayaks in there are not so good ones, but with pretty much any out there you are going to be sacrificing a little bit of steering capability and stability.

For the price that the Sun Dolphin Bali 10 foot SS is sold at I think it’s a pretty good deal honestly. It’s far from the greatest kayak out there but for the price it’s a darn good one and a great choice for beginners looking to have some fun but not spend too much money.

How much does it cost? Well I’m not going to list the price here because as soon as I listed it will probably change a bit and I don’t want to have to keep updating this post, but you can check the price below.


If you have any questions comments or concerns you can leave them below and I’ll get back to you when time permits. Also if you have your own review of the Sun Dolphin Bali 10 foot SS kayak that you would like to share you can leave it below as well to help other readers out. I hope you enjoyed my review and I also hope you have a great time kayaking no matter what kayak you decide to purchase in the end.

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