REASONS TO BUY
Great glide
Quality construction
Adjustable seat
Ample storage
REASONS TO AVOID
Heavy to carry
Seat can become stiff to adjust
Old Town Loon 120 Review
A very comfortable kayak that moves well on the water and has ample dry storage space to support quite a range of adventures
Credit: Sara James
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Our Verdict
The Old Town Loon 120 is a well-made touring kayak that excels in glide and comfort. It provides ample on-deck storage thanks to its bungee strips and a large rear dry hatch compartment. The Loon is not the most agile kayak, but with some gentle edging, kayakers can move where they need. Paddlers looking for a highly comfortable and roomy ride along with decent performance and storage will enjoy this well-designed craft. The spacious Loon 120 is ready to support you on your next adventure, whether that's a lazy float down the river or a multi-day camping trip.
Editor's Note: This review was updated on July 24, 2023, to reflect updated metrics after our latest round of testing.
Compare to Similar Products
 This Product
Old Town Loon 120 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  Best Overall Kayak | Best Sit-on-Top Kayak |  Great Value for a Sit-on-Top Model | Best Bang for the Buck | |
| Price | $1,199 at Backcountry Compare at 2 sellers | $1,219 at REI Compare at 4 sellers | $1,079 at Backcountry Compare at 3 sellers | $800 List $799.99 at Backcountry | $550 List $405.79 at Amazon |
Overall Score  |
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| Star Rating | |||||
| Bottom Line | With one of the most comfortable seats we tested, this kayak delivers performance on the water and lots of dry storage | This sit-inside kayak delivers comfort, storage, and stability while maintaining maneuverability and having plenty of storage to suit | Whether fishing, swimming, taking photos, or just exploring your favorite body of water, this kayak won’t let you down | If you are looking for a fun and safe kayak that the whole family will enjoy, then this boat offers a great bang for your buck | An entry-level recreational kayak that can keep you and your bank balance afloat |
| Rating Categories | Old Town Loon 120 | Wilderness Systems... | Wilderness Systems... | Ocean Kayak Malibu... | Pelican Argo 100X EXO |
| Glide and Tracking (30%) | |||||
| Stability (20%) | |||||
| Maneuverability (15%) | |||||
| Ease of Transport (15%) | |||||
| Comfort (10%) | |||||
| Construction Quality (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Old Town Loon 120 | Wilderness Systems... | Wilderness Systems... | Ocean Kayak Malibu... | Pelican Argo 100X EXO |
| Measured Length | 12.00' | 12.17' | 10.50' | 11.42' | 10.00' |
| Measured Width | 30.0" | 29.0" | 32.0" | 32.0" | 28.0" |
| Measured Weight | 54 lb | 49 lb | 57 lb | 59 lb | 38 lb |
| Measured Height | 15.3" | 14.0" | 15.3" | 12.0" | 14.0" |
| Weight Capacity | 375 lb | 325 lb | 325 lb | 360 lb | 275 lb |
| Material/Construction | Rotomolded polyethylene | Polyethylene | Polyethylene | Singler layer polyethylene | Polyethylene |
| Features | Active Comfort System 2.0 (ACS2) seat, removable workdeck with USB, thigh pads, match ACS2 padding, support track foot brace system, quick seal hatch with bulkhead, bow and stern deck bungees, bow and stern carry handles, paddle clip, drain plug, sharp keel line | Rigid handles, replaceable skid plate, Orbix hatch with sealed bulkhead, thigh pads, XL foot braces, SlideTrax and 2 mounting platforms, removable dry box, 2 cup holders, lithium battery recess (battery not included), phase 3 AirPro seating system | Quick-park paddle holder, rigid carry handles, SlideTrax accessory rails, magnetic water-bottle strap system, removable DryTec dry box, sectioned storage tray, phase 3 AirPro seating system, dog-friendly deck | Tri-form hull with an integral keel and sponsons, AirGo molded in seat and seat pad with adjustable AirComfort backrest, molded-in foot wells and calf rest, paddle holders, side/stern/bow carrying handles, molded-in oversized bow and stern tank wells with bungees, splash resistent QuickStash dry hatch, 2 molded in fishing rod holders, 3 water bottle holder, replaceable skid plate | Small front storage hatch, rear well with removable ExoChill 17-liter storage compartment, bottle holders, padded backrest with seat cushion, molded footrests |
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Our Analysis and Test Results
The Old Town Loon 120 is a 12-foot long, 30-inch wide sit-inside-kayak. It has a large storage hatch with a removable plastic lid. The Loon comes with a removable deck pod with space to store your additional gadgets or gear.
Performance Comparison
Overall we enjoyed our time paddling the Loon, in particular we appreciate the comfort and quality paddling performance it delivers.
Credit: Sara James
Glide and Tracking
Thanks to its length and v-shaped hull, the Old Town Loon excels in gliding capability, outperforming other kayaks of a similar length. It does not have a skeg, but users did not complain that it was difficult to maintain tracking without this. Overall, this was one of our top choices to enjoy glassy mornings or longer evening paddles. It provides a superior feel when cutting through the water compared to other kayaks with less refined designs.
The Old Town Loon delivers superior glide thanks to its length and hull shape.
Credit: Sara James
Stability
The Loon 120 is reasonably stable, even for beginner kayakers. It wasn't so stable that our testers wanted to jump up and down inside the hull, but we felt comfortable on flat water and in gentle moving currents. This boat has decent primary and secondary stability, meaning it feels stable both when on the flat and when put on a gentle edge.
The Old Town loon is quite wide making it a relatively stable kayak to enter and exit.
Credit: Sara James
Maneuverability
The Loon is easy to pivot, but it takes a few hard paddle strokes to rotate it a full 360 degrees. This is predominately due to the extra length and its V-shaped hull. Leaning in the opposite direction of your turn will help you rotate more quickly.
In moving water, the Loon can maneuver adequately down class 2 rapids, however, it's not designed for any quick eddy turns or navigating rocky rapids. If you do capsize this kayak, it will likely fill with water quickly due to the large cockpit size. This makes it quickly become a large, heavy object that is difficult to get to shore. You could equip your Loon with floatation bags to prevent it from filling with as much water if it capsizes. This will, in turn, make it easier to haul to shore and quicker to empty and reset. It has a drain plug on the nose of the kayak that can be removed to further help you empty out that last liter of water.
The Loon's hull shape requires a little more effort to make sharp turns quick and maneuvers.
Credit: Sara James
Ease of Transport
The Loon 120 is not a light kayak, and therefore most users won't find it easy to lift on their own. This kayak is best carried by a pair. Even if you do have the strength to lift this kayak solo, the large cockpit length makes it hard to find a decent place to lift from. That said, the retractable and padded toggle T handlebars are appreciated.
The retractable, toggle T bars are relatively comfortable for carrying this kayak.
Credit: Sara James
Comfort
The seat and footbed adjustability help to keep you comfortable when sitting in this kayak, regardless of your leg length. The cockpit is 53 inches long, giving ample room to get inside without requiring extra flexibility.
The outfitting in the Loon 120 is among our favorites. Testers particularly appreciated the opportunity to raise the angle of their legs and the ventilation on the seat. The attachable paddle holder is also a nice perk, as you can free your hands for other activities without worrying about the paddles' security.
The dry hatch on the Loon is one of the largest both in terms of space and access area. This makes this boat a great choice if you want to overnight camp from your kayak. The dry hatch is easy to close, a quality we did not find in all the hatches we tested.
You can raise or lower the front of the seat on the Loon kayak, personalizing it for comfort and paddling efficiency.
Credit: Sara James
Construction Quality
The outfitting on the Old Town Loon stands out for its high quality. With multiple points of adjustability on the seat, you can pick your desired height and ensure decent lumber support. The foot pegs are also easy-to-adjust and can be altered from the security of your seat.
The removable workbench is surprisingly secure once locked down and is our favorite out of similarly designed work trays. It feels robust enough for the job, and there are several compartments for storing different gear or gadgets. In addition, there is a rail for you to attach equipment you want to keep at hand. On the flip side, we wonder if the USB charger port is really a necessity or just an opportunity to try to sell users additional accessories.
The dry storage on the Loon was the easiest to access and close of all the dry hatches we tested. However, when swamped by water (i.e., if you capsize), this storage compartment is not as dry as some of the other options we tested.
This orange model pictured is the older model. The newer model has a slightly more secure closure on the latch but we still did not find this to be 100% watertight.
Credit: Sara James
Should You Buy the Old Town Loon 120?
The Loon delivers a great performance all around. Although it was not an award-winner in the end, it does give some of the other kayaks a good run for their money, particularly with regard to comfort and tracking. This kayak is well worth its price tag and a lot of fun.
What Other Kayaks Should You Consider?
If you are looking for an exceptionally comfortable and well-made kayak that delivers superior performance in terms of glide and tracking, then the Loon may be your match. This kayak will take you where you need to go with grace. However, if you're looking for something more maneuverable and lighter, the Eddyline Skylark is a favorite. The Wilderness Systems Pungo 120 is also a great all-around option and less expensive than the Skylark. If you really need to save some bucks, the Ocean Kayak Malibu 11.5 and Old Town Vapor 10 should be on your shortlist.
—
Sara James
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