10 Best Pontoon Boats 2024
Last Updated on July 12, 2024 by Boatsetter Team
Pontoon boats are the ultimate party platform, great for relaxing on the water, and excellent watersports boats, too, but choosing the best pontoon boats from a very crowded field is no easy task. Confused as to which are the very best pontoon boats? Among all the top pontoon boat brands and all the different models on the market, each of the 10 on this list offers something special (listed from A to Z).
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1. Barletta Cabrio 24UE
This mid-range pontoon is designed for entertainment (UE stands for Ultra-Entertainer). The interior highlight is a bar-style high-top table accompanied by two upholstered swivel stools plus an aft ultra-lounge that can be converted to five different seating/lounging positions.
Other features include a power Bimini top, a six-speaker Hertz Marine audio system, a Lowrance Hook4 GPS/depth sounder, USB charging ports, and a cell phone charging station. Options include a stunning Blackout Package.
- Estimated MSRP range: $118,232
Visit Barletta Pontoon Boats to learn more
2. Bennington QX Sport
Bennington QX Sport is beautiful inside (and out). New for 2024 there are new colors and heated and cooled seats offered as optional features. Any way you cut it, this 25-foot Bennington tritoon makes a real statement on the lake. Molded fiberglass deck sides rather than the usual aluminum fences incorporate sweeping details that are mimicked in the Roswell sport arch.
The interior is finished with extraordinary detail. Standard features include a built-in commercial-grade refrigerator, premium Rockford Fosgate audio with two subwoofers, and up to 400 horsepower on the transom. Hop on it for a thrilling performance.
- Estimated MSRP range: $159,000
Visit Bennington to learn more
3. G3 Suncatcher Elite 324SS
Ready for plush? The 23-foot 10-inch tritoon Elite 324 SS features luxurious full-length twin aft loungers, wrap-around bow furniture, and a contoured mid-ship lounger. All seating is contoured and deeply cushioned, with armrests and drink holders.
The captain gets a high-back helm seat facing a command center equipped with a Yamaha multi-function gauge, power steering and custom tilt wheel, Garmin GPSMAP 743XSV navigation display, and an upgradable six-speaker Fusion sound system with subwoofer and amplifier.
- Estimated MSRP range: $89,999
Visit G3 Suncatcher to learn more
4. Harris Sunliner 230
This is a new line of Harris pontoons offering boaters amazing features in a mid-price series that’s a great value. Fit and finish, and materials are all top-notch. It’s available in two- and three-log versions, and nine different furniture layouts.
The 25-foot 3-inch Sunliner 230 offers a long list of options to customize your pontoon for your budget and how you want to have fun on the water. However you choose to have it outfitted, you get perks like pillow-top vinyl upholstery, a 10-foot Bimini top, and a Clarion stereo system.
- Estimated MSRP range: $59,775with a 115 hp outboard
Visit Harris Boats to learn more
5. Ingenity EL1
The Ingenity 25-foot, six-inch EL1 brings electric power to the pontoon segment. Its flat deck rests on a pontoon-like fiberglass hull propelled by a sterndrive powered by a standard 63 kWh or an optional 126 kWh battery.
The top speed is reportedly 30 mph. Boaters can enjoy up to 14 hours of use at low speeds, and maintenance is virtually nil. Your interface with the boat’s systems comes via a mobile app that taps into data like charge status, battery voltage, operating hours, and more. Using the automotive industry standard CCS system, recharging time can be as quick as one and a half hours using an 80-kW supercharger or four hours at 25 kW DC, and it takes 10 hours using 240V/50A current. The design is modern, and the performance pur-fect.
- Estimated MSRP range: $249,000 MSRP
6. Manitou Explore 22 MAX
The sleek shape of the stamped aluminum sides is bedazzling, but the real story is out of sight: the latest Explore series (and lower-priced Cruise models) are powered by an exclusive new 150-hp Rotax S motor that tucks under the expansive four-foot rear MAX Deck swim platform. They call it an “outboard,” but this engine lives with its powerhead in a low-profile cowl sitting parallel to the water, rather than being oriented upright. The design eliminates the sound and space intrusion of a traditional outboard motor, as it’s contained entirely under the swim platform.
There are three different furniture layouts for the 22 MAX. It features an easy folding Bimini on gas-assist struts, loungers that convert from front to rear facing, and the helm boasts wireless cell phone charging.
- Estimated MSRP range: $74,420 MSRP
7. Playcraft Powertoon X-Treme 3000
If you like a healthy dose of speed and excitement with your pontoon boat, the Playcraft 2700 Powertoon X-Treme fits the bill. Rigged with up to 450 horses, you can see highway-like speeds of around 60 mph. This pontoon looks as hot as it runs, too, with triple powder-coated tubes and zesty baked enamel graphics.
To handle all that speed and power, the center tube has strakes that grab the water in turns and surface-piercing nose cones, while the structure is beefed up with aluminum cross-members under the deck on 16-inch centers.
- Estimated MSRP range: $170,000 MSRP
8. Sea-Doo Switch
The Sea-Doo Switch is a pontoon reimagined. For starters, its hulls are rotomolded plastic, not aluminum. Propulsion is by jet drive rather than an outboard motor or stern drive. Control is through a PWC-like handlebar, not a steering wheel.
The Switch series is comprised of four model lines each available in different lengths (13 to 21 feet) and trim levels. The deck is covered in large plastic tiles, each with slots that accept modular seat and table components so you can rearrange the interior to suit any activity. The largest models weigh just over 3,500 pounds on the trailer with fuel, so all of them are readily towable with a mid-size vehicle.
- Estimated MSRP range:$23,699 to $50,999
Visit Sea-Doo Switch to learn more
9. Sun Tracker Bass Buggy 18 DLX
One of the most popular fishing pontoon boats to ever hit the market, the 20-foot (deck length 17’8”) Bass Buggy 18 DLX is rigged with bow and stern aerated live wells, rod holders, and fore and aft casting decks with fishing chairs. An optional fishing package adds a Lowrance HOOK2 4x fish finder and 55-pound-thrust Minn Kota PowerDrive trolling motor.
Weighing about 3,000 pounds on its trailer, this pontoon is easy to tow with a mid-size vehicle. This is a stable fishing platform that’s great for angling with kids, and also offers all the elbow room you’d like for cruising. There are plenty of luxury amenities, too, including a Wet Sounds stereo system, 26-ounce top-coated marine grade vinyl upholstery, and a nine-foot “QuickLift” Bimini top.
- Estimated MSRP range:$25,870 MSRP
Visit Sun Tracker to learn more
10. Sylvan L-1 DLZ
This 21-foot eight-inch pontoon is easy to tow, and with a max of 200 horsepower on the transom will have plenty of pep. There’s room for 11 passengers, so nobody is likely to get left on the dock, and the interior layout features a pair of curved lounges forward – great for conversation – and a swing-back aft seat for sun lounging at the sandbar.
The curved rails in the side fence and multi-color upholstery add some flair to this mid-range model. Touches like a changing room (a Porta Pottie is optional for use as a head), 24-ounce carpet, and blue interior mood lighting enhance the luxury level to that of a more expensive model.
- Estimated MSRP range: $51,370
Visit Sylvan Marine to learn more.
Did you find your perfect pontoon on our list? Maybe and maybe not, but if it didn’t happen don’t despair. There are countless different makes, models, and designs in the world of pontoon boats and it’s a sure bet the ideal one for you is out there somewhere. The next step in your search? Check out some of the options for renting a pontoon on Boatsetter so you see for yourself and try before you buy.
Check out reviews on the latest or browse through our Boat Guide to find your next water destination.
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Charles Plueddeman is a self-employed writer and photographer based in Wisconsin. A staff editor and contributor to Boating Magazine since 1986, he is the author of its “Off My Dock” column. In the marine realm he specializes in engine technology and trailerable boats. His editorial work has appeared in many national publications, including Popular Mechanics, Men’s Journal, Playboy, Popular Science, Cycle World, and Harley-Davidson Enthuisast.
