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Kevlar or fibreglass: which material should you choose for your canoe?

3 min read
Canots SCOTT en fibre de verre et en Kevlar sur des supports

It is the question we hear most often in stores: “Is Kevlar really worth the difference?” The honest answer: it depends on what you do with your canoe. Both materials make excellent canoes. They simply serve different needs.

Inside the abitibi&co factory where the canoes are built
In our factory, every hull is laid up by hand, in fibreglass or in Kevlar.

Fibreglass: tough and versatile

Fibreglass is a fabric of glass fibres saturated with resin. It is the most common material for quality canoes, for good reasons:

  • It handles everyday knocks well: rocks, docks, launches on gravel.
  • It is easy to repair. A scratch or a chip is touched up with a little gelcoat paint.
  • It costs less to build, so less to buy.

Its only real drawback: weight. It is a little heavier than Kevlar (5 to 7 lb more depending on the model).

Kevlar: lightness above all

Kevlar is a synthetic fibre with very high tensile strength, from the same family of materials used in protective equipment. For a canoe, its big advantage is simple: for the same strength, it allows a much lighter hull.

On our models:

  • Prospector 15': 60 lb in fibreglass, 53 lb in Kevlar.
  • Prospector 16': 62 lb in fibreglass, 57 lb in Kevlar.
  • Echo 14': 52 lb in fibreglass, 46 lb in Kevlar.

Five to seven pounds seems small on paper. On the third portage of the day, or when you load the canoe onto your car alone, the difference becomes obvious.

SCOTT canoes stacked on racks at the factoryProspector decal on a SCOTT canoe at dusk
Fibreglass or Kevlar, every SCOTT canoe comes out of the same workshop.

How to choose?

Choose fibreglass if:

  • you mostly paddle at the cottage, with family or near the launch;
  • your canoe will often scrape on rocks or gravel shores;
  • you want the best value.

Choose Kevlar if:

  • you go on trips with portages;
  • you often load the canoe onto your vehicle alone;
  • every pound matters to you, for example in a solo canoe.

Protect your hull, whatever the material

If you know your canoe will often meet rocks, two options make a real difference:

  • the protective coating, a reinforced layer on the hull that resists abrasion better;
  • stem guards, which protect the ends of the canoe, the first spot to hit.
Protective coating applied to a boat hull
The protective coating reinforces the hull where it rubs the most.

To learn more about how we build, see our Construction page. All our canoes are hand-laid in Canada and covered by a 5-year limited warranty.

Still undecided?

The simplest way is to lift both versions. At our partner retailers, you can compare the real weight and get advice from people who paddle. And if you are still choosing a model, our guide How to choose your first canoe will help.

See our canoes Compare in store

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