Cabrinha Switchblade vs North Orbit: The World's Two Best-Selling Kites

Ask a kiter to name the two most recognisable kites and these are the two. Here is what actually separates them.

The numbers

• Cabrinha Switchblade Apex: 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 14 m². The 10 m at 1 932 €.
• North Orbit 2026: 5 to 15 m², twenty options with colourways. The 10 m at 1 949 €.

The price gap is 17 €. So the choice is not about money at all, which makes the comparison honest.

Difference one: the ends of the size range

We always start here, because the ends reveal purpose better than any description.

The Orbit runs from 5 to 15 metres. A threefold spread in area.

The Switchblade runs 7 to 14. A twofold spread, with a markedly higher bottom end.

The absence of a 5 and a 6 on the Switchblade is positioning rather than oversight. Cabrinha moves storm sessions into a separate model (the Nitro) and keeps the Switchblade in the working band where most people ride.

North instead covers everything with one model. If you ride in thirty knots, the Orbit has a size for it and the Switchblade does not.

Difference two: the character of the lift

Here lies the real distinction, and it is about feel rather than figures.

The Switchblade delivers steady lift. It raises you smoothly and keeps carrying you through the jump. Less height for the same effort, but repeatable results and softer landings.

The Orbit is about maximum lift and hangtime. It is built to put you as high and as long in the air as possible, and it asks for more precise control of takeoff.

Translated: the Switchblade delivers consistent results to people who jump imperfectly. The Orbit delivers more to people who jump precisely.

Hence a non-obvious conclusion: if you have been jumping for two seasons and your height varies from attempt to attempt, the Switchblade will raise your average more than the Orbit will.

Difference three: how each range is built

The brands' philosophies differ, and that affects what you buy second.

North separates characters by build: standard, Pro, Ultra. One model, three variations. Plus the Orbit Ultra with its fractional 5.9 / 6.6 / 7.3 / 8.1 range — even steps in power for anyone building a quiver.

Cabrinha separates by model: the Switchblade for all-round big air, the Nitro for aggressive big air, the Drifter for waves, the Moto X for freeride with drift.

In practice: North makes it easier to hit an exact size, Cabrinha an exact character.

Difference four: depth by season

The point that decides it for many people.

North holds four Orbit seasons: 2022, 2024, 2025, 2026, from 750 € to 1 729 €.

Cabrinha's Switchblade is the current Apex version.

So: if you will take last season, North gives you a big-air kite at half the price. If you want the current model, the brands converge to seventeen euros apart.

On what actually changes between seasons, see our separate article.

Choosing in under a minute

You ride very strong wind → the Orbit, for the 5 and 6.

Your jumps vary in height → the Switchblade: steady lift will raise your average.

Building a three- or four-kite quiver → the Orbit Ultra, for even steps in power.

Limited budget → a previous-season Orbit.

Want one kite for years and dislike changing kit → the Switchblade: the model has lasted fifteen years and is unlikely to vanish.

Waves are a real part of your sessions → neither. Look at the Drifter or the North Carve.

What this comparison does not decide

Plainly, because it matters more than everything above.

Both kites jump higher than the overwhelming majority of riders can use. If you are not consistently clearing five metres, the gap between the Switchblade and the Orbit matters less to you than the gap between your technique now and a season from now.

In that case the money belongs in lessons rather than in a kite. And that is not a figure of speech: two days working on takeoff with an instructor buys more metres than changing kite does.

Common questions

Which one jumps higher?

In a strong rider's hands, the Orbit, thanks to its emphasis on lift. In an average rider's hands the Switchblade may win on predictability.

Which should be a first big-air kite?

The Switchblade: more predictable and less dependent on perfect takeoff timing.

Can I use one bar for both?

Formally yes with four-line setups, but factory trim differs. In detail: our bar comparison.

Which is better value?

A previous-season North: four Orbit years in the catalogue with a twofold price spread.

What if I do not jump?

Then you need neither. An all-rounder like the North Reach or Cabrinha Moto X gives you more for less.

Where to look

Switchblade Apex and North Orbit 2026. Full reviews: Switchblade, Orbit, and the category's third member, the Ozone Edge.