How to Choose the Best Kickboard for Faster Kicking (and Swimming!)
Olivier Poirier-Leroy
Author, swimmer. Obsessed with helping swimmers level up in the water (and life).
Ready to kick your swimming to a new level? Here is the ultimate buyer’s guide to the best kickboards, including expert recommendations.
Kickboards are one of the essential types of swim gear for swimmers of all levels, whether you are easing into the slow lane at lap swim or vying for a podium finish at the Olympic Games.
Kickboards allow swimmers to isolate the lower body and focus exclusively on building a stronger and more technically proficient kick.
While kickboards are relatively simple in function, the kickboard you choose can make a big difference in how things go in the pool.
In this expert guide on choosing the perfect kickboard, we’ll look at the best options for every kind of swimmer.
Let’s dive in.
The Best Kickboards for Swimmers
Here is an overview of the top kickboards for swimming:
Next, we’ll take a deeper look at each kickboard, examine key features, and help you line up which kickboard is right for you.
1. Speedo Team Kickboard
? Best all-purpose kickboard
The Speedo Team Kickboard is a tombstone kickboard, the most popular type of kickboard seen at swimming pools, and tops our list as the best all-around kickboard for swimmers.
The design of the board features multiple ergonomic features that make it better than standard kickboards, including:
Contoured edges along the side for easier gripping
Curved bottom for swimmers who like to kick “up” on the board.
Lightly textured top and bottom that increases grip on the board.
The Speedo Team Kickboard is hilariously durable, made with long-lasting EVA foam, and sealed to prevent flaking away from extended chlorine and UV exposure.
Speedo is the leading name in the game when it comes to developing the best swimming gear for competitive and recreational swimmers, and this kickboard checks all the boxes for a high-performance board that is comfortable, fast, and durable.
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2. Sporti Adult Kickboard
? Best budget-friendly kickboard
The Sporti Adult Kickboard is your best option if you are looking for a basic kickboard without breaking the bank.
Compared to the Speedo Team Kickboard, the Sporti Adult Board is about half the price while retaining the same durable construction and some of the same ergonomic features.
Made with 100% high-density EVA foam, there is a little more flex with this kickboard compared to other tombstone boards, but still rigid enough that it won’t fold or wobble when using it for your favorite kick sets.
Additionally, Sporti offers this kickboard in a TON of different solid colorways, giving swimmers lots of options.
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3. Arena Swimming Kickboard
? Best kickboard with handles
The Arena Swimming Kickboard is a tombstone-shaped board with handles near the top.
This feature is a great option for swimmers who don’t like gripping the outside of the board or struggle to maintain a steady hold of the board when kicking.
Additionally, when you pair the handles on this kickboard and use a swimmer’s snorkel, you can get into a very efficient bodyline as you kick.
The main thing I didn’t enjoy about the Arena Swimming Kickboard was the bottom of the board, which has a protruding curve that pushes against the sternum for swimmers.
The Arena board is priced the same as the Speedo Team Kickboard (without the ergonomic side contours and extra surface grip).
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4. Sporti Momentum Kickboard
? Best arrowhead kickboard
Kickboards come in a wide variety of shapes, with tombstone boards being far and away the most popular. However, not every swimmer likes this shape.
The Sporti Momentum Kickboard is an alternative to the standard board. Its arrowhead shape is hydrodynamic and offers a wide range of grip options.
Swimmers can kick in a streamline, with both hands at the top of the board, or in a neutral position, with the arms stretched out in front of the shoulders. For swimmers who find kicking with a board to cause pain in the upper back and shoulders, the increased grip versatility can be a game changer.
The Sporti Momentum Kickboard also has two slits mid-board where swimmers can grip the board and put their head down and kick. These slits also serve as a convenient carrying handle, too. Bonus!
Beginner swimmers may struggle with this type of kickboard as the shape isn’t as buoyant and balanced.
Like its cousin, the Sporti Adult Kickboard, the Momentum is also budget-friendly, retailing for less than $20.
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5. TYR Kids Training Kickboad
? Best kickboard for kids
The TYR Kids Training Kickboard is the best board for kids.
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It has a slightly smaller length and width compared to the adult version, making it easier for smaller arms and fingers to properly grip the board when learning the basics of kicking.
The TYR Kids Training Kickboard is constructed with closed-cell EVA foam, which doesn’t absorb water and can handle the repeated abuse of being at the pool.
Remember: Kickboards are not meant to be used as a floatation device. They are a form of swimming aid to help learn swimming skills and fitness.
The board's textured shell keeps swimmers' arms in place and prevents slipping. A contoured edge at the bottom of the kickboard also ensures proper positioning for optimal buoyancy, helping kids focus on kicking like champions.
TYR offers the kid board in several solid colors and offers it for less than $20
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6. FINIS Alignment Kickboard
? Best for improving kick technique
The FINIS Alignment Kickboard is the best board for swimmers who want to not only improve kicking endurance and power but to do so in a manner that promotes excellent body position and is highly transferable to regular swimming.
The FINIS Alignment Board is smaller (but thicker) than a regular kickboard.
The board allows swimmers to use both hands on their front, like a standard board, but also one arm to kick on their side or in a slanted position, a position more akin to what they experience when swimming.
In other words, with the FINIS Alignment Board, you are training the kick that you are going to use when swimming.
The Alignment Board can be used slightly submerged, which reduces shoulder, neck, and trap strain while doing kick sets.
The board has an arrowhead design, is made with long-lasting EVA foam, and also features a hand strap to lock the board to your hand when kicking (handy for pulling into the wall and doing a flip turn).
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7. Speedo Elite Kick Pull
? Best kickboard and pull-buoy
The Speedo Elite Kick Pull is a kickboard that pulls double duty, allowing swimmers to switch between kick and pull effortlessly.
The versatility is obviously the big benefit of this type of kickboard. Swimmers can alternate 25s (or 50s, when done long course) between isolating the upper and lower body without needing extra swim equipment.
Swimmers who want more buoyancy from their kickboard will want to shop elsewhere; the smaller footprint produces less buoyancy compared to regularly sized kickboards.
The Speedo Elite Kick Pull is inexpensive, cheaper than the Speedo Team Kickboard, while also resulting in the additional cost savings of not having to purchase a separate pull buoy.
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How to Choose the Right Kickboard for Your Swimming
Here is what you need to know when trying to choose the perfect kickboard to help you achieve your goals in the pool.
Shape
Kickboards come in standard (also known as “tombstone”), arrowhead, and kick/pull combo shapes.
Standard kickboards are the ones most frequently seen at the pool, as most users find them effective for kick training.
Buoyancy
The buoyancy of the kickboard is important as an overly buoyant board can force the arms up in the air, dropping the hips (creating needless drag) while also placing strain on the back and shoulders.
Standard kickboards provide the most buoyancy, while specialized boards like the FINIS Alignment board have less buoyancy.
Size
The size of the kickboard factors into buoyancy, but it also influences how well swimmers can affectively handle the board. A kickboard that is too large makes it difficult for swimmers to stabilize.
Choose a kickboard that is appropriate to your size so that you can focus on kicking and not getting bucked off the board.
Ergonomic features
Look for ergonomic features like ribbed side handles, slit handles, a textured shell, and a contoured bottom edge that allows you to properly mount the kickboard.
These ergonomic features offer a variety of hand and arm positions, reducing discomfort and even pain in the shoulders and back.
Material
A quality kickboard is made with closed-cell, high-density EVA foam. The closed cell seal ensures that the kickboard doesn’t absorb water, and EVA foam is buoyant and durable, capable of enduring thousands of hours in even the most chlorinated swimming pools.
What are the different types of kickboards?
There are several different types of kickboards catering to different needs and goals in the water.
The most common kickboards include standard (also known as tombstone), arrowhead, kids’, and kick pull combos.
Each type of kickboard provides different levels of buoyancy, comfort, and performance.
Wrapping Things Up
Kickboards are one of the essential types of swim gear for both beginners and highly experienced competitive swimmers.
Kickboards isolate the lower body, giving swimmers a chance to build a legendary finishing kick, improve overall leg endurance, and mix things up in training with leg-specific training.
By choosing the kickboard that aligns with your goals, body type, and training, you can level up your kick and do it in comfort.
Happy swimming!