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Best Kid Life Jacket Reviewed
Water-based sports and activities are super fun, especially in the summer when the sun is shining and the water is crystal clear.
Why would you not want to take advantage of the water sport activities at your summer resort or lakeside refuge? There are so many awesome things you can do.
These days, kids love water activities such as stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, pedal boats, boating, and the power sports like wakeboarding and water skiing.
Although these water activities are how you want to remember your summer, there are dangers in the water. Even experienced water sport enthusiasts don’t dismiss them. That’s why we advocate to take precaution with the best kids life jacket.
One of the most common causes of death in the USA is drowning, and most of these cases are caused by some incident while boating. Now consider the experience levels of your junior children, and it’s clear that important safety measure must be taken when playing on the water or taking part in a water sport.
Whatever sort of vacation you head off on this summer, you need to be aware of the safety issues of water-based activities. It only takes a second for your child to get into trouble in the water, and if there aren’t safety measures in place, like a quality life jacket or coast guard, your vacation might take an unexpected turn.
In this article, we show you the best way forward; that’s the best way to give your children the freedom to play in the water with the peace of mind that they are protected from the dangers. It doesn’t matter if they are paddling at the shore or skimming the water’s surface on a board; your kids need to be wearing a quality life jacket that’s comfortable and fit-for-purpose.
Check Out The Best Kid Life Jacket Breakdown
Top Kid Life Jacket Comparison Chart
Best Kids Life Jackets
1. Old Town Inlet Jr. Kids’ Life Jacket
Old Town Inlet Jr. Kids’ Life Jacket
By the time they get to the age of eight, they have better mobility and coordination, making them better at their games and sports; this encourages them to play more.
Of course, they still like to have fun and feel safe and comfortable, especially in the water.
The Old Town Inlet Jr Kid’s Life Jacket offers the perfect balance of comfort and mobility for kids. Whether it is for a sport or activity like paddling and kayaking or to keep them safe when they’re messing around, the Olde Town Inlet is unmatched.
The Old Town Inlet Lifejacket has an adjustable shoulder, side, and waist, so kids can make the lifejacket fit them correctly regardless of their size and shape. Unlike other lifejackets of its kind, this one has a zippered vest pocket for snacks and fleece-lined pockets to keep their hands warm. Both functional and practical, this lifejacket is the perfect complement to a day at the beach or lake.
If your junior kid loves the water for sport, or you take regular trips to beaches, lakes or pools, this lifejacket is for you. Give your kid their freedom at the water’s edge and eliminate the dangers with this junior lifejacket. It is so comfortable and practical they won’t need to take it off.
2. O’Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor USCG Life Vest
O’Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor USCG Life Vest
These might include wakeboarding, waterskiing, tubing, and wild swimming. At the same time, they need to be properly protected from the dangers of the water – the same as adults – with effective safety water equipment.
What you need is a life jacket for your kids that is approved as safe and suitable for older kids of any gender. A lifejacket such as this will give you peace of mind when they’re off on their own with a wakeboard or a set of water skis. It will also keep them safe when they’re wild swimming or in the water on their own.
The O’Neils wetsuit lifejacket is USCG approved, meaning it has 15 ½ pounds of buoyancy and is designed to turn an unconscious wearer face-up. Unlike other bulkier USCG approved products, O’Neils Lifejacket has anatomical flex points that offer unrestricted movements. This lifejacket is big on safety in the water and gives your child quick-release safety buckles and comfortable expansion panels.
You don’t want to stand in the way of your child if they want to try out a more active or physically demanding water sport. At the same time, you worry that they might not be safe in the water when moving at speed or lacking experience. One way to overcome these issue is to invest in a USCG approved lifejacket.
3. Full Throttle Youth Rapid Dry Flex-Back Life Jacket
Full Throttle Youth Rapid Dry Flex-Back Life Jacket
But, just because a water park is organised doesn’t mean it’s safe; anywhere with water poses a danger to your child’s safety and wellbeing.
The good news is you can get a lifejacket for your kids to keep them safe during these more informal water-based excursions.
What if you could strap them into a comfortable lifejacket before they head off to the flumes or into the lake to mess about with their friends or siblings? You have to worry far less about emergency situations.
Full Throttle Youth Rapid-Dry Flex-Back Life Jacket is a synthetic design that is made in the USA. This means you can be sure it’s made from quality materials by a regulated manufacturer. The lifejacket has a smooth inner for comfort and to allow effective drainage – perfect for kids who love jumping in and out of the water. The jacket also uses rapid drying technology to ensure your kids dry out fast and don’t get cold.
Don’t wait for an accident to happen at a water park or a lake; buy one of these qualities guaranteed gull throttle life jackets that give your children the water-safety measures they need without sacrificing any of the comfort or flexibility. With this Rapid-drying lifejacket, your kids will feel comfortable, safe and happy.
4. Airhead Kid’s Gnar Kwik-Dry NeoLite Flex Life Vest
Airhead Kid’s Gnar Kwik-Dry NeoLite Flex Life Vest
Maybe you go to the same lakeside location every summer, and they can’t wait to get back out on the boat or to dive into the crystal clear water from the dock. It’s great that they have this idyllic vacation spot, but they need to stay safe in the water as well.
Sometimes you need a versatile lifejacket that can be used for watersports and general activity.
A lifejacket like this also needs to be fashionable so your kids are happy to wear it, and they won’t look or feel a bit naff. The Airhead Kid’s Gnar Life Vest delivers on all these fronts; it is also rapid drying for extra comfort and versatility.
The Airhead Kid’s Gnar Life Vest is made in the USA to ensure quality and regulation standards. These lifejackets are not imported or unethically produced. The life vest will fit a child between 39 -50 pounds which is a junior kid between 8-13. This life vest is USCG approved and is designed to be comfortable – it has adjustable straps and quick-drying technology.
If you want a life vest for your kids that you know is produced to a high standard, appealing for them to wear, and super comfortable, then choose The Airhead Kid’s Gnar Life Vest. Regardless of whether they want to play a water sport or head out on the lake in the boat, you can have maximum confidence that they will be safe on the water.
5. Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket
Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket
There are loads to do at the beach outwith sunbathing, reading, and playing bat and ball. There’s swimming, of course, but also paddle boarding, pedal boating, wakeboarding, and much more.
You want to enjoy your time and the beach and avoid any unfortunate injuries or accidents in the water. You can vastly reduce the possibility of this happening by investing in a quality life jacket for your kids. You might think they won’t like wearing it, but these days lifejackets are more comfortable than ever and better than many of the alternatives.
The Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket is coast guard approved, meaning it is suitable for beach wearing and will protect your child from most of the common dangers. It has a wide neck for an extra comfortable fit and a zipper for added security. This life jacket further benefits from padded head support that naturally turns a child to face up in the water.
If you want a lifejacket that’s perfectly tailor to the beach then go for the Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket. It is bright and easy to spot in the water, it is also resilient with advanced features to protect your child’s health and wellbeing while playing, swimming, or boating, in the sea.
Top Kid Life Jacket Features To Consider
If you don’t know about life jackets it’s easy to assume that they’re all the same and one is as good as the other, but don’t make that mistake. Like most products these days, lifejackets are designed with specific purposes in mind, and that’s how they perform best.
Some life jackets are made specially for water sports, for instance, while others are made for swimming, paddling, or boating. If you want your child’s lifejaket to function optimally, you need to decide first on its primary use.
Often, kids don’t like to wear safety gear. It doesn’t matter if it’s knee pads for skateboarding or a helmet for cycling, safety equipment is cumbersome and irritating. It also seems somewhat unnecessary for kids who may not understand the dangers of the activity.
Skateboarding and rollerblading can be dangerous, but the danger levels rise considerably when there is water involved. According to the CDC, one of the leading cause of accidental death in the USA is drowning, and most of the people who die by drowning are involved in boating activities.
You want your child to experience the joys of being on the water boating or having fun, but you need to make sure they are fully protected from the dangers of the water; it also helps if the life jacket is comfortable and appealing, to make wearing the safety equipment for your child a little easier.
Life Jacket vs Life Vest
When choosing a life jacket the fist thing you need to decide is whether you want a life jacket or a life vest. Most people don’t realise there is a difference here, but there is, and it is quite significant. A life vest is a simple floatation device that improves buoyancy and allows the child to navigate the water more easily.
A life jacket is more involved. They are usually bright or luminous in colour, they also have significantly more padding and buoyancy. Life jackets typically have a neck rest or design to flip a wearer face up in the water, and they come with more features, such as zippers, adjusters, whistles, and fast drying technology.
Life jackets are also usually rated by the coast guard or certified by the USCG to ensure they are quality products that deliver on all safety recommendations. Read on to find out more about these rating and how they can help you buy the perfect life jacket or vest for your child.
USCG Ratings
USCG ratings are generally divided into three categories. These are Type 1, Type II, and Type III. The categories describe the size and use of the various life jackets.
A Type I life jacket is the biggest and bulkiest type. They are bulky but provide the best buoyancy.
Type II are the most common type of life jacket; they are used generally for boating and water excursions.
Type III life jackets are designed for shoreline activities and surface water activities where there is a danger of falling in.