The Inlet is total freedom on the water in a 20lb box I have personally hiked in to mountain lakes that nobody else can access. With its backpack, the ORU Inlet is an incredible, durable, light origami kayak meeting the highest design standards. As a kayaker for 35 years, this advance in design is revolutionary. In the 2 months I've owned it, I've used it over 10 times"”because it really can be set up in 3 minutes and taken from my Corolla's trunk to the water spontaneously, on a whim. It's crazy.

The Oru Inlet works as promised, with a few caveats. I purchased one simultaneously with a friend. (I purchased mine on Amazon. She purchased directly from Oru). I think we've more or less come to the same conclusions about these kayaks. (Oddly, although not very importantly, her kayak did not have one line of folding instructions on the inside flap of the kayak). It took a little practice, but we're both able to assemble these quickly, and disassembly is even faster. This is one of the few cases where the printed instruction manual explains assembly more clearly than the video, which is intended as much for promotional purposes as it is for actual assembly.

The first assembly effort was a bit of a struggle since the flaps seemed very stiff. They are, but I wasn't confident about pressing hard without damaging the boat. As it turned out, these are much sturdier than my first impression. I don't think I could damage the flaps unless I took a hammer to them.

Getting the seat properly positioned for comfort was the biggest challenge, and a few extraneous straps and clips on the boat made this process more confusing than it needed to be. The illustration of the seat here on the Amazon page is slightly different, and functionally more correct than the manual. I wish I paid closer attention to that from the get-go. However, both the thin hard seat cushion and flimsy seat back are the weakest components of the Inlet. I suspect I'll have to order a replacement seat back sooner rather than later since the clip section is showing signs of wear after only three trips. The included seat cushion doesn't offer much comfort and didn't provide enough elevation for an agreeable paddling position. I'm 5'11" and my friend is 5'4". We both agreed about that though, feeling a bit like we were sitting in a bucket. I purchased another seat cushion for $30 here on Amazon (anti-slip from the Hornet Watersports store) that works great and solved both the comfort and height lift problem. You can also order a supplemental cushion from Oru.

I have mixed feelings about the Velcro assisted seals. They're simple and quick enough to attach, but don't always stay in place.

I also learned the hard way about storing pieces inside the boat when disassembling. ( I made a rookie mistake and inserted the pieces before folding the boat back up, and bent the bulkheads. Replacements are $25 each plus shipping. Ouch!). While it's not as slick, we find it easier and faster to simply put the extraneous pieces (bulkhead, seat cushion, etc.) into a dedicated bag. I'll only go back to storing inside the boat if I decide to take this Oru on a plane or train trip.

The Inlet supports my weight (165lbs) without any complaints, but I would prefer a bit more leg extension. The cockpit is large enough but the seat distance from the bow is fixed.

On the water, the Inlet lived up to my expectations. In calm water it tracks well and with a little tail wind moves pretty quickly too. The boat doesn't come with a paddle so it's BYOP, or buy one from Oru.

I can't speak to long term durability since I've only used it three times. So far, so good. I do feel a little more adventurous and confident in my regular kayak when it comes to exploring uncertain waters, but I knew that in advance. Still, it's hard to beat this Oru for sheer convenience, storage, and easy access onto the water. It took a little tweaking and additional expense to get truly comfortable, but overall I'm happy with my Oru Inlet and have recommended it to friends.

I love this boat!! It is very portable, light, and sturdy. I purchased the backpack separately from Oru and I would recommend that if you plan on carrying the kayak for more than 200 yards. Learning to fold and unfold the kayak was pretty easy and after only 2 times, I can do it in under 5 minutes.

Clearly a very high quality kayak with an extremely well engineered design. Very easy to put together and take apart. I like the large space in the sitting area of the Inlet kayak. It paddles smoothly and seems to track amazingly well. As a long time kayaker, I was very pleased. I just love that it fits inside of my car and is lightweight at just 20 lbs.

The level of innovation from this company is amazing. My wife and I used to live in an apartment at the time of purchase and this made it so convenient for us to own a kayak. We also drive a small car and this fits perfectly. We bought two Kayaks and they both arrived in good condition.