A long of day of paddling out on the water can take its toll on your body. Kayak paddles after all aren’t the lightest things in the world. They can also be a bit awkward to hold, and if you’re not careful, you can end up with some serious blisters. One way to overcome this is by getting some kayak paddle grips to help give your hands more comfort and make it a lot easier to paddle.
In this post, we’ve rounded up some of what we think are the best kayak paddle grips on the market in 2024 along with our reviews of why they could make a good purchase for you.
At a Glance: The Best Paddle Grips For Kayaking
Best Rated Kayak Paddle Grip Reviews
So below are a list of our favorite grips for putting on your kayak paddle. Some are made for take apart paddles and others for solid shaft ones so make sure you get the right kind for your paddle.
#1. Yakgrips Paddle Grips for Take-Apart Kayak Paddle
- CONFORMS TO THE CURVE OF YOUR HAND: This high-quality, patented design cushioned paddle grip makes paddling more enjoyable because...
- QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION: The Surfgrip model of the Yakgrips are made with a hook and loop closure. Simply locate your two hand...
- SIMPLE TO WASH: These Yakgrips paddle grips require very low maintenance. We’ve made them washable! When they get dirty on the...
Our number one choice for top rated kayak paddle grips is these ones from Yakgrips. These ones are a for take apart paddles so make sure your’s is too. They’re really comfortable thanks to their high quality patented cushion design that conforms to the shape of your hands. This has the affect of not only reducing the pressure on your palms and tendons, but, also means that you’ll paddle more efficiently due to the increased grip they deliver.
They’re super easy to put on by wetting the inside of the paddle grip and sliding up the shaft you can then adjust them to exactly the position that you need. We also love that you can wash them too as paddle grips get pretty dirty after a few uses. Available in nine different colors and a very good price they’re a no brainer to purchase.
#2. Yakgrips Paddle Grips for Solid Shaft Kayak Paddle
- CONFORMS TO THE CURVE OF YOUR HAND: This high-quality, patented design cushioned paddle grip makes paddling more enjoyable because...
- CONFORMS TO THE CURVE OF YOUR HAND: This high-quality, patented design cushioned paddle grip makes paddling more enjoyable because...
- QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION: At Cascade Creek, we know youâÂÂre eager to get on the water and minimize setup time. Yakgrips are...
Up next we have solid shaft version of the Yakgrips paddle grips. These ones are meant for kayak paddles that don’t split into two pieces. As a result they use a hook and look closure system to easily set them up by wrapping them around the shaft at the position you want and pressing them together.
Like the two part version, they use the same patented cushioning design to prevent blisters and take some of the strain of your hands from gripping the shaft so tightly. Once you’ve tried using paddle grips like this you won’t want to kayak with out them. Check them out by clicking the link below.
#3. Yakgrips No-Slip Waterproof Paddle Grip for SUP boards
- CONFORMS TO THE CURVE OF YOUR HAND: This high-quality, patented design cushioned paddle grip makes paddling more enjoyable because...
- QUICK AND EASY INSTALLATION: At Cascade Creek, we know you’re eager to get on the water and minimize setup time. Yakgrips are a...
- SIMPLE TO WASH: These Yakgrips SUP grips require very low maintenance. We’ve made them washable! When they get dirty on the...
Up next we have another grip from Yakgrips. These ones are designed for SUP boards although they work fine with kayak paddles too. Again, they’re really comfortable to hold due to the extra cushioning that Yakgrips have on all their products that takes a lot of the strain and pressure of paddling off your hands.
This one is designed for single shaft paddles so you fold it around the shaft and press to secure it in place. Then simply unfold it when you’re done, or leave it in place for your next trip. You can also wash them so if they’re looking a bit worn wash them with some mild dish detergent and they’ll be good to go again.
#4. Seattle Sports Paddle Grip for Solid Shaft Kayak Paddle
- DURABLE silicone hand grip
- UNIVERSAL fit for kayak, canoe, sup paddles
- COMFORTABLE silicone grip prevents blisters and acts as a thermal layer to protect your hands
Up next we have another decent option of paddle grips this time from US brand Seattle Sports. They’re made from a durable silicone material that’s comfortable and easy to hold. It’ll help prevent blisters and also helps to keep your hands warm as gripping a cold kayak shaft in the middle of winter is not a pleasant experience!
They’re able to fit all sorts of different paddles due to being able to fold around the shaft easily. Note that this is only one grip though so make sure to purchase two if you want to use it on a normal kayak paddle. A few previous customers have mentioned that they sometimes have to readjust them as they can move during use but that’s going to be the case with ever kayak grip that’s not built into the shaft and considering the price, we think they’re a good option.
#5. KAPCO HoldFast Kayak and Canoe Paddle Grips
- Contains two Black ~6" grips to assist with hand placement & comfort
- Perfect for Kayaking, Canoeing, and other water sport paddles with 1”-1 1/8” shaft diameter
- This paddle accessory provides more efficient paddling and helps to prevent blisters and calluses
And lastly, but by no means least, we have the KAPCO HoldFast Kayak and Canoe paddle grips. These are a set of two 6 inch grips, made in the USA, to help you hold your kayak paddle more efficiently and prevent you from getting nasty blisters and wearing out your hands too quickly.
They are designed with thousands of tiny soft, gel fingers that cover the grips that have the effect of helping you grip the paddle better due to the increased surface area. Customers reported that these feel a little more permanent than some of the other options that use velcro and so we thought they definitely deserve a place on our best grips for kayak paddles list.
How to Choose a Kayak Paddle Grip: Buyer’s Guide
Before we get to our individual reviews of some of the top rated paddle grips we’ve found, we’ll run through a few questions and features that should help you choose the right ones for you.
Why Use Paddle Grips?
First of all, do you even need to use kayak paddle grips? Well they serve a few different purposes. The first is that they help you grip the paddle. Even the top kayak paddles can get slippery, especially when wet and so using a grip can help you paddle more efficiently and get better control over your strokes.
Another benefit is that they’ll help prevent blisters on your hands. The repetitive motions that paddling entails can often mean painful blisters and calluses after a long day of kayaking and grips help to keep them at bay.
Paddle grips also have the added benefit of keeping your hands warm. Especially in the cold weather, if your paddle has a metal shaft, they can very cold and having a soft, warm grip can alleviate some of the cold and help to keep your hands more comfortable.
Types of Paddle Grip
There are two types of paddle grip available: Ones made for a take apart paddle, and ones made for a solid shaft paddle. The different between them is that a grip made for a solid shaft paddle has velcro so that you can wrap it around the paddle’s shaft to keep the paddle grip in place.
Ones made for take apart paddles don’t have velcro and are designed for you to slide them on when the paddle is in two pieces.
Materials
Kayak paddle grips can be made out of a few different types of material. Each material has its pros and cons and different kayakers will prefer certain kinds.
Neoprene, which is a type of synthetic rubber is one of our favorite materials for paddle grips due to its insulating properties which can help keep your hands warm in the cold water.
Paddle Grips vs Kayaking Gloves
One of the alternatives to using paddle grips is kayaking gloves. Like paddle grips they can help you to hold the paddle more efficiently and give you better control when paddling. They also will help to prevent blisters.
One reason you might prefer gloves over paddle grips is that they will keep your hands a lot warmer. If you are going kayaking in colder and more extreme weather conditions, you might prefer to use gloves instead.
That’s it for Kayak Paddle Grips
We hope that helped to explain some of the questions you might have had along with help you choose which paddle grip is best for you. They’re the sort of kayaking accessory that once you’ve used them once you won’t be able to paddle without them!
If you’re still undecided about which one to go for, we’d suggest one of the Yakgrips Paddle Grips. They’re strong, comfortable to use, very affordable and get great reviews so we don’t think you’ll be disappointed. Click the button below to find out more and get the best price.