We've covered how life jackets are legally required in all 50 states. So, which jackets are the best?
The Best Life Jackets
Picking a comfortable jacket ensures you get to focus on enjoying your time safely wakeboarding, boating, tubing or kayaking. Here are our top picks for men, women, and kids alike!
Connelly Promo (Most Affordable & Popular)
Connelly's Promo is arguably the most popular life jacket for men and women. The Promo keeps things affordable, costing well under $100, without sacrificing form nor function.
The Promo jacket's deep under-arm cuts and segmented foam provide extra mobility while two rows of adjustable, wrap-around buckles offer a snug fit around the waist that prevents the vest from riding up.
Narrow shoulder straps, a generous neck line cut, and a new BioLite shell -- which is lighter and quicker to dry than neoprene -- make the Promo one of the most comfortable life jackets on the market. Despite having a low profile, it retains a proper U.S. Coast Guard Life Jacket Safety Rating (Type III), making it 50-state legal on all waterways.
For men, women, big/tall (men), teen/junior (boys & girls), youth (boys & girls), and children (boys & girls).
O'Brien Flex V-Back (Best for Mobility & Water Sports)
The O'Brien Flex V-Back Life Jacket is about as about as close as you'll get to wearing a non-CGA comp vest, while retaining a U.S. Coast Guard Type III Safety Rating.
Tucked shoulders and a thin collar provide maximum range of motion for the arms, while the multi-segmented front and aptly named V-shaped backside provide the flex needed to bend, twist, arch, and roll your way through the wake on any wakeboard, water ski, or surfer.
A slight inward taper around the waist forces the jacket down toward the hips when tightened with both buckles, ensuring you're never caught with the jacket creeping up your chest or choking your neck when crouching or sitting in the water.
For men, women, teen/junior (boys & girls), youth (boys & girls), and children (boys & girls).
O'Brien Arsenal (Best Paddle/Kayak Life Jacket)
The O'Brien Arsenal is the perfect specialty life jacket for standup paddleboarding and kayaking. Featuring an ultra-low profile design with the narrowest shoulder straps possible, it's the perfect minimalist vest for accompanying you on your paddle expedition.
The Arsenal's bell-shaped profile provides all the room you need to push your paddle for hours without chafing your arms or chest, while its high-riding panels avoid digging into your belly when seated. The Type III U.S. Coast Guard certification ensures you have the protection you need if you go overboard or take a dip.
Unisex fit, available in XS (28" chest) to XXL (56" chest)
HO Pursuit (Best Toddler Life Jacket)
The HO Pursuit is perfectly blends safety with comfort. Its U.S. Coast Guard Certified (Type II) design ensures your toddler's happy wearing his or her life jacket all day, while providing extra buoyancy and safety, with an "always-face-up" floating position to prevent drowning.
The Pursuit features narrow shoulders and low-cut sides, letting your little one flap n' splash without feeling constricted, while its thick neck support and extra front-side foam keeps their head oriented up and out of the water.
The underside buckle helps ensure the Pursuit jacket doesn't ride up when swimming and bobbing, and the low, full-length zipper and buckles make it quick and easy to get on and off.
Unisex fit, for toddlers up to 30 lbs
Connelly Babysafe (Best Infant Life Jacket)
The Babysafe is one of the most popular infant life jackets for two reasons: It's incredibly easy to get on and take off, and its flotation pads ensure your baby's head always stays oriented up and out of the water, even if they turn and roll.
The Babysafe's wraparound neck support contains a full segment of buoyant foam and a single side buckle. The jacket's fully open backside and elastic crotch support helps ensure the jacket remains centered on baby's back with a snug fit. The Babysafe also provides full freedom of movement for baby's arms and legs, allowing them to learn to kick, paddle and swim.
The Babysafe jacket is approved by the U.S. Coast Guard for infants up to 30 lbs and fits infants of all sizes -- just adjust the horizontal and vertical buckles to accommodate your child's width and height!
Connelly Otis/Bella (Best Dog Life Jacket)
Got a Houdini hound who hates wearing any vest? That's where the Connelly Otis and Bella come in. These dog life jackets were designed by Connelly's aquatic dog team to ensure your pup can swim, paddle and prance without any restriction, while enjoying a snug and minimalist fit similar to a standard chest collar, so they won't want to tear these vests to shreds.
The Otis and Bella use light and thin materials with an adjustable neck strap and two underbelly buckles that create three points of contact. The jacket wraps around the top of the shoulders and behind the neck, staying out of the way of limbs and teeth.
Top-of-the-back and behind-the-neck foam provides upright buoyancy, allowing your pupper to keep his or her head above water while they float or doggie paddle.
A reinforced grab handle provides the owner with a hand restraint to stop Fido from chasing sand crabs and seagulls. Sizes range from 2XS for dogs as small as 8 lbs, up to XL for big ole' woofers wearing 80 lbs or more.
Available in Otis Blue and Bella Pink (sizing is the same)
