They've had their place in the family, and we've done some really good, fun things and also a couple of really dumb things in them. Owned the Spree, they Sevylor Colorado, Sea Eagle, The Firefly, an Airhead K1, and a few others.

For use, I've really enjoyed the ones that have a canvas type outer covering. Really helps prevent punctures, scratches, etc. HOWEVER, that adds a bit of weight and also can be a pain in the neck to try to dry out.

A cheap, simple one, that seems to work pretty well is the Intex Challenger K1 (One Person). It also has a K2 version that seats 2 people.

My kids are mostly grown and I'm kind of tired of pumping, deflating, drying, etc, so I'm not sure I'm going to use them much more. Want to switch to just a lightweight canoe with motor now.