The 7 Best Kayak Carts & Trolleys for Easy Hauling (2022)
Have you recently purchased a particularly heavy kayak? Perhaps your kayak is manageable to transport, but you just want to make that journey to the water that little bit easier? Whatever your reason, kayak carts are here for you. Kayak carts are a quick, convenient way to transport your kayak, eliminating the strain of carrying your boat to the sea, river or lake.
In this buying guide, we'll help you find the best kayak carts while explaining each feature, so that you can choose the best kayak cart for your specific needs.
So, let's get that boat to the water and dive in!
Different Types of Kayak Cart
You may be wondering how to use a kayak cart. Kayak carts come in a few different shapes and sizes to fit different kinds of kayak; the following carts have different types of methods to carry the weight of a kayak safely to and from the water.
Sit-in
A sit-in kayak is a kayak with an enclosed cockpit where the paddler sits, surrounded by the cockpit walls. A sit-in kayak trolley is usually designed with a 'drop-on-top' method that cradles the kayak hull and is secured using a strap placed anywhere on the hull. However, we recommend you place it around 2 thirds along the hull in most cases.
Sit-on-top
A sit-on-top kayak is a kayak that has a raised seat and no enclosed cockpit. The kayak sits the paddler in an upright position which is perfect for anglers or recreational kayakers. Sit-on-top kayak carts are often attached using the scupper holes found on the bottom of a sit-on-top kayak. There are metal prongs that thread up through the scupper holes in your sit-on-top and hold the kayak cart in place.
If you want your trolley to be even more secure because you're concerned about scupper friction and the cart causing damage to your boat, you can also fix a strap around the boat.
Folding
A folding cart can be paired with different kayak types, whether you have a sit-on-top or sit-in kayak. It's perfect for a range of kayakers, with its main feature being compact and transportable.
How to Choose a Kayak Cart
Kayak wheel carts come in different shapes, sizes and with lots of features to consider. It can be overwhelming when searching for a new kayak cart. There are lots to consider, such as the attachment method, wheels and tires, frame material, straps, the width of the cart, the weight, transportation and storage, as well as durability.
Therefore we've set up this little explanation guide to find you the best trolleys for kayaks, to get your kayak on wheels in no time!
Attachment Method
Plug-in Cart
A plug-in kayak dolly cart pretty much says it on the tin. This type of kayak cart plugs into your kayak using the scupper holes at the bottom of the boat. This kind of cart is the best kayak cart for fast and easy use.
Strap Cart
A strap kayak cart is potentially the best kayak cart, from a universal point of view. Using straps to attach the boat to the kayak transport wheels, you can pretty much take any boat with you worry-free! Just remember to make sure the straps are safe and tight.
Wheels and Tyres
If you're looking for the best kayak cart wheels (and we don't mean cartwheels, although that would be impressive!), then you'll want to consider which kind of transport wheels for kayaks are best for you. The whole point of the best kayak cart is to make transporting your boat easier, and if you have the wrong kayak wheels, then you could be in for more of a challenge than you'd hoped.
Wider and bigger wheels work well on sand which makes them perfect for any sea excursions where you'll most likely have to drag your boat across the sand to the edge of the waves. The width makes the wheels more stable on difficult terrains like sand, mud or even pebbled beaches.
The wheels' material is something to look at too, some wheels are inflatable tires and can tackle lots of different types of terrain, whereas some are foam-filled or molded plastic. The ideal tire can tackle all terrains and be puncture-proof, particularly if you intend on taking your wheel carts for kayaks to sharp rocky terrains or difficult river beds.
Frame Material
Usually, we find that the best kayak carts are made using stainless steel or aluminum.
There are also plastic or composite options out there, but we would recommend an aluminum frame as a stainless steel frame; although great for freshwater excursions, will corrode in saltwater should you choose to hit the beach.
Aluminum is both lightweight and will not corrode. If you want your kayak cart to last, the best option would be to look for a powder-coated aluminum frame.
Straps
The kayak cart straps can come as bungee straps, cinch straps and ratchet straps.
Each kind of strap does the job necessary to attach your kayak to the kayak cart. The straps with the least longevity would likely be the bungee straps. After lots of wear and tear, bungee straps lose their elasticity.
Width
Some kayak carts come conveniently adjustable in width to accommodate skinny or thin kayaks and thicker or wider kayaks. This is a useful feature should you have different boats you switch to and from, or if you have different boats, you need to get to the water using the trolley one at a time.
Weight Capacity
When you are searching for the best kayak cart, you'll find that every cart has a weight limit specification that will state the weight capacity of the cart so you can make sure the cart can withstand your kayak.
Most kayak carts are made to handle heavy weights, but it's always better to make sure it can comfortably handle the weight of your kayak. This is why you should view your kayak's weight at least 80% of the cart's stated weight capacity to make room for extra kit or equipment you intend on taking with you.
Transporting
As we've said above, the best kayak cart to transport and store tends to be the folding kayak cart as it can be easily folded down to a compact size you can stow away until you need to bring it out again.
If you are looking for a transportable and compact, easy-to-store kayak cart, then you should pay attention to the materials as they will have a direct impact on how lightweight the cart is as well as the size or foldability of the cart.
Durability
If you want your cart to be durable, the main things to consider are the frame material to make sure the material will not corrode over time and become rusty and easily bendable. It would be best if you considered the strap materials to make sure they have good predicted longevity, and finally, any extra features such as rubber pads to protect your boat or inflatable tires should be wear and puncture-resistant.
Our Recommendations of the Best Kayak Carts
Now that all the jargon is out of the way, let's get you to the water or rather you and your boat easily and efficiently to the water using one of the best kayak carts on the market.
The following are our recommendations for what we think are the best kayak carts readily available today.
1. C-Tug Trolley Cart
This kayak cart is of the folding variety sporting a UV-resistant, corrosion-free composite frame and an easy and convenient tool-free assembly.
The wheels are puncture-free and include a high grip tire tread making them perfect for trapesing over mud, rocks or sand.
This kayak cart weighs only 10 pounds making it easy to transport and lift while also using its fold-away design to store. The lightweight doesn't take away from its weight capacity, as this kayak cart can take up to 300 lbs worth of kayak.
It's easy to strap your boat in and get it to the water with the C-Tug Trolley cart.
This kayak trolley has a strong anodized steel frame which makes the cart lightweight and easy to transport with a weight capacity of 200 lbs.
The tires are inflatable, and at a width of 9.5 inches, different types of terrain will not be anything to worry about.
This trolley also comes with oversized foam bumpers and a 12-foot strap. The foam bumpers will ensure your kayak will be protected from any scratches or dents, and the strap is more than capable of securely strapping in your boat.
This cart is also easy to store as, you guessed it, it's a foldable trolley! When you're ready to pack up and go, the cart will happily fit into a large backpack.
This kayak cart is a plug-in cart that fits all standard sit-on-top kayaks. It's an efficient and versatile kayak with handy variable-width locking control that can adjust from scupper holes as wide as 16.5 inches to 6.5 inches to fit any width of kayak.
The frame is made using aluminum which is non-corrosive, so it should last a long time. The weight capacity of the trolley is 200 lbs, and the weight of the cart itself is 7.2 lbs which makes it lightweight and durable.
This kayak cart is versatile; you can use it for different types of kayaks, canoes, paddleboards and many other large crafts.
The weight capacity of the cart is 300 lbs, and it only weighs 16 lbs, making it lightweight and transportable as well as compact as it's able to break down for storing convenience. Its tires are made using powder-coated steel frame and vibration-reducing solid urethane tires, making them durable and heavy-duty.
To top it all off, this cart also makes sure your boat is protected using its adjustable padded top bars and secure cinch straps.
This kayak cart model is a sturdy, stable and durable option which includes a tie down strap which is 12 foot long.
The cart is easy to install and has a solid metal frame as well as foam bumpers to protect the cart and the kayak from friction and damage.
The tires are large at 9.5 inch in diameter and 3.5 inches wide. which allows the cart to roll smoothly over any surface. It also has stainless steel fasteners and chrome lynch pin and it easily breaks down for your convenience so that you can transport it and make it compact from storage.
The only downside is that it hasn't got the largest weight capacity at 120 lbs, however the weight capacity is adequate for a small one person kayak or lightweight canoes and kayaks.
Wilderness Systems Heavy Duty Kayak Cart is (no surprises here) pretty heavy duty. The inflatable beach tires, apart from looking like something built by NASA, are 13 inches and designed to make going to the shore with your kayak a stress free experience.
The weight capacity is 330 lbs so plenty of room for a decent sized kayak and the kit that you may bring with it.
The kayak cart has a bunker bar frame that's fully adjustable to suit the width of your kayak or canoe, and prevent any twisting or slipping.
It also has two height options. The higher to suit unusual shaped hulls that might rub on the kayak cart wheels or lower to suit the desire for a lower center of gravity to prevent unbalance and tipping.
The cart is durable due to its high strength, marine grade, heat- treated aluminium alloy and comes with two security straps to keep your boat secure and safe.
This is a nice convenient end cart that easy to use, durable, has a weight capacity of 150 lbs and comes in two different sizes large or extra large.
It has airless tires that are ready to handle pretty much anything you want to throw at them! They can tackle sand, gravel with no worry of pictures or rips.
It also sports a powder coated aluminium frame which will be corrosion free so perfect for saltwater ventures and using stainless steel hardware.
The boat is protected from friction using 600D nylon covered foam pads providing a barrier between the boat and the frame.
One of the best things about this cart is that it can fold down to 25"x 13"x 3" and fit inside a handy mesh carry bag.
Common Questions & Answers
1. What is the best brand of kayak to buy?
This is an impossible question as it all depends on what works best for you! For example, if you like to fish, then a sit-on-top style kayak may be your best option and under the sit-on-top category you can look at hard shell, inflatable, tandem, pedal and the list goes on. We do however, have other articles about the top kayaks in specific categories on our website which will have all the answers your heart desires!
2. Do I need a kayak cart?
Are you struggling to carry or transport your kayak to the edge of the water? If the answer is yes then you might ant to look at a kayak cart. If your kayak is particularly heavy or always full of lots of kit then a kayak cart may be for you.
3. What is the best kayak cart for a larger person?
If weight is your problem then you need to look for a kayak that has a high weight capacity to accommodate both your own weight and your kit.
4. Are scupper carts bad for kayaks?
No. The reason they get a bad reputation is because of the friction that the scupper holes face when the kayak is bouncing up and down with the movement due to uneven terrain.
If you are concerned about friction, perhaps you could try strapping the kayak cart to the kayak to reduce the friction.
Alternatively you can try to insert something soft to prevent rubbing and act like a foam bumper so that the kayak doesn't get damaged, nor the kayak cart.
Our Top Pick!
Ready to get your boat glide across the sand or gravel in your new kayak cart? Ready to find out what we think the best kayak cart on the market today is? Well, there need not be more postponement as we've ran through the jargon, looked over the specs and inspected the tires and we have come to a conclusion. So out of all the best kayak carts we've looked at, the best of the best on the market is the C-Tug Kayak Cart Trolley!
The C-Tug is a brilliant option for those looking for something with a bit of oomph! It's so easy to assemble requiring no tools to put it together. It has puncture free, high grip tires to enable you to be street free when rolling your kart down to the water.
On top of that this cart weighs only 10 lbs making it so convenient to transport and store and has an incredible weight capacity of 300 lbs!
This is a perfect option to take your kayak or canoe to the shore or riverbed stress free.