In Depth Baby Product Reviews Led by a Pediatrician
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By Wendy Schmitz ⋅ Senior Research Analyst ⋅ May 31, 2024
The Best Kids Pfds for 2024
Looking for an effective and useful personal floatation device for your kid? We purchased and tested the top 10 options to find the right choice for each little one in your life. We tested and researched each product for ease of use, fit, comfort, and more during multiple water activities. If you need a great life jacket for your children, you've found the right review to get the insider details you need to make the best decision.
Editor's Note: On May 31, 2024, we reviewed this life jacket review to ensure product availability and pricing. We also added more recommendations in our award section.
The Hardcore Life Vest is a type III vest intended for use while water skiing, wakeboarding (according to the vest), and paddle sports (we assume). This vest is highly adjustable with open sides and three buckles, allowing you to create a custom fit for different body shapes. We like that the buckles are easy to use, and testers enjoyed the graphics on the vest, making it a popular choice during testing. This vest is comfortable to wear, and once on, all testers kept it on without complaint for an entire day's activities.
This vest has little to dislike, but perhaps a brighter color is in order. Dark colors can be harder to spot when engaging in any water activity in a lake or similar waterway, especially at a distance. We think it would be easier to keep an eye on little ones if their vests were brightly colored instead of blending into the darker water. Also, research indicates it is easier to find swimmers in distress with brightly colored suits or vests in use. Parents who would prefer to invest in a brightly colored vest should check out another option like the type III Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry. That aside, the Hardcore vest is an excellent choice for most families and a must-have for those with users of different sizes who may need to share.
The Hardcore is a great, simple, all-around vest for most users.
The Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry is a neoprene-style vest that lists waterskiing as its applicable sport. This product is an economical neoprene option in a sea of vests that typically cost more for the neoprene material. This vest has a center zipper and two front buckles. It is brightly colored pink (though there are other colors), and we liked that it was easy to see from a distance. Testers liked the bright pink colors and the warmth provided by the neoprene material.
This vest is cheaper, and it shows somewhat in the construction with buckles that do not wrap all the way around and a zipper that is harder to use. It also has visible lines under the neoprene showing the floating material edges. This option is also not adjustable as the zipper closure and front buckle design means you can't tighten or loosen it for different body shapes. Despite these minor flaws, it could be a strong contender for those with standard body shapes who want neoprene without the higher price tag. Another neoprene option you might consider is the Stearns Kids Life Vest. The price is comparable, plus it's easy to buckle and zip.
The Airhead Wicked is a nice neoprene option that won't break the bank.
The Stohlquist Youth Fit is suitable for personal watercraft, paddle sports, towables, and general boating. It has a soft nylon shell and open sides, creating a highly adjustable option to fit children of various shapes within the manufacturer's guidelines. This device has floatation padding in the front and back with wide-open armholes, making it more comfortable to paddle and move little arms for fun without chafing.
This economical option feels a little cheaper than the competition, with buckles that aren't as easy to operate. It relies on three buckles for closure, so it is more adjustable and doesn't have the snug feel of a zipper. While it is a basic vest and doesn't have bells and whistles, we love how it adjusts to fit almost any shape child we tried it on. The open armholes were a big hit with paddlers for preventing arm chafes, making it a vest we think is great for all-around fun or multiple children and guests. Another kids' PFD that's adjustable and easy to buckle is the reasonably priced Hardcore Life Vest.
Easy to fit, the Stohlquist Youth Fit was comfortable and a hit with testers.
The Stearns Child Classic Series Vest is a nylon vest listed as a ski vest. This option has three buckles, two of which circle the entire vest. It also has a basic design for smaller children, including a crotch strap to prevent the vest from floating up and over the wearer's head when in the water. This vest has slightly thicker flotation material in the front than the back, which should encourage or help a wearer bob face up in the water while wearing it.
This vest feels somewhat lower quality than the competition. It has a rough crotch strap that could chaff thin skin on the inner thigh. The buckles are also relatively stiff and harder to operate than the competition when tested side-by-side. However, overall, we like this straightforward design and how it is highly adjustable for lots of body types within the manufacturer's recommended range, making it an excellent option to have on hand for smaller water sprites. Still, if chaffing is a concern, the Stearns Heads-Up Child Vest has fabric on the crotch strap, making it a more comfortable pick.
Smaller children need the crotch strap and multiple buckle design on this vest.
The O'Neill Infant Superlite is a “near-shore” vest suitable for “general boating.” It is not intended for use during water skiing, towable, or personal watercraft. Think of it as an “in-boat” vest for little ones under 30 lbs. This vest has a zipper, two buckles, and a crotch strap. It has a two-part headrest flotation component with a handle for grasping. We like the bright, easy-to-spot coloring, and our little testers liked the open armholes and comfortable fit.
This vest has a challenging zipper that is so close to the thick flotation material it is hard to grasp. It also isn't as adjustable as it could be as the nylon material wraps around instead of only encasing the flotation pads. A highly adjustable and zipper-less alternative is the Stohlquist Youth Fit. Overall, we like the O'Neill and the design that makes it a comfortable option for babies and toddlers, and we think parents will too, but if you need extra adjustability, it might not be the right pick.
The O'Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor is a neoprene lifevest with a crotch strap buckle for smaller users. It is listed for use during waterskiing, wakeboarding, and personal watercraft. This vest is soft to the touch and includes flotation material all the way around for a snug and comforting fit. Thanks to the neoprene design, it also provides some warmth, making it a good choice for kids who run a little cold or dislike cold water. This vest has an easy-to-use zipper and buckles that work smoothly. It also features a handle on the back to help smaller children out of the water or hold them in place.
This vest is the most expensive in the group, and while the quality is there, it may be more than you want to spend on a one-season item. This unit is a full wrap-around style vest, so there is no adjustability, and if it doesn't fit your child, there isn't anything to be done but return it. Also, while you could use it for paddle sports, the neoprene and underarm design might cause chaffing with repeated paddling motions. This product is a high-quality, stylish vest that testers liked, but no one wore it for long as it didn't fit anyone well. So you may want to look elsewhere, like the adjustable and inexpensive Stohlquist Youth Fit.
The O'Neill may not be as adjustable as you'll need, but if it fits, it is super comfortable.
The Stearns Heads-Up Child Vest is a “near-shore buoyancy vest.” This type of vest is designed with younger children in mind and has floatation material in the headrest flap and the front of the vest to discourage face-down floating in the water. This vest is best for recreational boating but not at-speed activities like tubing or skiing. We love that this vet is brightly colored, increasing the child's visibility even at a distance. The wrap-around fabric and softer crotch strap ensure comfort, so little ones won't complain about wearing it.
While this vest is comfortable, it is harder to get on than some of the competition. The zipper is hard to start and doesn't run as smoothly as possible because the fabric around it gets stuck in the track. The buckles are also stiff and take some finger strength to pop open, but this could be seen as a plus if your little one is prone to defying instructions. Overall, we love this vest's quality and thoughtful details for younger kids and toddlers, and we think parents will appreciate the bright color and headrest handle. Another option with a headrest is the Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket. Although the activity use is limited, the zippers are smooth, and the buckles work well.
The Stearns Heads-Up Child Vest is the only option that offers a soft covered crotch strap.
The O'Neill Youth SuperLite is a nylon vest with listed uses for wakeboarding, skiing, and personal watercraft devices. The vest features two wrap-around straps and buckles and a third chest buckle that starts and ends in the front. The jacket has easier-to-use buckles and fits most testers well.
Like much of the competition, the fabric wraps around the wearer instead of just the floatation material. This design makes the vest somewhat less adjustable for size (though arguably more comfortable, according to some). It also means arms could still potentially chaff on the fabric under the armpits. This vest is also darker in color, making it harder to see little ones from a distance. Overall, it isn't a bad vest and looks nice, but we think a more adjustable vest will last longer and be easier to use by multiple people over time. Therefore, we recommend looking elsewhere, like the adjustable Stohlquist Youth Fit.
The Stearns Kids Life Vest is a neoprene lifevest listed as a “ski vest.” This vest is thicker than the neoprene competition and has a long front zipper with two buckles. The neoprene is soft to the touch, and testers liked how it felt on bare skin. The buckles and zipper are easy to use.
This vest has thinner neoprene that bunched during testing and became water-stained after one use. It also is not adjustable as the buckles start at the front of the vest and do not wrap around, so if your child isn't the exact right size, there is nothing you can do to customize the vest. While we like the comfort and warmth neoprene provides, this group has better options. The functionality seemed fine, but the looks didn't match the competition. Instead, take a look at the neoprene competition in the Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry, one of our favorite options the kid testers enjoyed.
This Stearns is stiff and harder to fit as it lacks adjustable features.
The Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket is a vest suitable for canoeing, kayaking, and sailing for children 30-50 lbs. It has a soft nylon cover, float front, and triangle nylon back with a floating headrest to help encourage face-up floatation. This vest has a double headrest design with a zipper and a buckle front closure. The crotch strap is nylon, and the buckles work well.
This vest is unsuitable for all activities and could inhibit potential opportunities for fun. It has a relatively smooth zipper, but the ends are hard to grasp as the floatation material makes it hard to keep a firm hold on the zipper. We like this vest, and it could be a good option for little ones on self-paddled boats, but if you think you'll be moving at speed or enjoying an inner tube pulled by a boat, it is sort of expensive to have limited use. Instead, an option like the bright pink Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry may be more applicable, as it's compatible with activities such as water skiing.
The Stohlquist Kids Life Jacket has a double headrest flotation design.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
It is important to always wear the proper safety gear when enjoying water activities.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
How We Test Kids' PFDs
We researched popular lifevest for kids before narrowing the field to well-regarded products suitable for little ones. We tested each vest hands-on for quality, ease of use, fit, comfort, range of motion, and more during several water-related outings with multiple children. We compared the vests to one another to determine which options were best suited for different situations, goals, and budget considerations.
We tested a variety of different vest types in this review.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Why Trust GearLab
Our kids' PFD (lifevest) review is led by Senior Review Editor, Wendy Schmitz. Wendy is a mother of 2 boys who are active lake goers participating in activities from kayaking and standup paddleboarding to innertubes and kneeboarding behind a ski boat.
Our testers wore the vest during actual water activities to provide details on fit, comfort, and functionality.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Analysis and Test Results
We purchased and tested the top kids' personal floatation devices (PFD) (aka. Lifevests) on the market to find the best products for every need and budget.
Water Safety Warning
Staying safe around water is no small thing. Safety should be a top priority whenever you plan to bring people and water together, especially children. This review covers the fit, comfort, and quality of life vests. It is NOT intended to replace safety guidelines or other water safety precautions you should take for your family. Using a properly fitted, U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) approved life jacket for each member of your family is only part of the water safety equation. Each state has its laws governing the use of personal floatation devices. You should always do due diligence before embarking on water activities to ensure you comply with the laws in your area and do your part to keep your child safe. We recommend children partake in structured swimming lessons early and often to help create comfort in and around water, but nothing can replace a properly fitted and approved life jacket. We are not water safety experts and, as such, can not remark on the safety of any product outside of its USCG Approval.
All of the vests meet a certain quality level to gain certification from the USCG.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Quality
Because the lifevests need to pass specific criteria to earn their USCG certification, there is already an inherently high-quality level. These products all have excellent stitching, adequate and even flotation material, and working zippers and buckles. However, some are easier to use than others, and some vests provide extra attention to detail, making them stand out for quality.
Price did not seem to be a significant indicator of quality, and we believe that even the cheaper models provide high-quality features that should last as long as the vest is designed for use. For example, the Hardcore vest is one of the least expensive options in the group. Still, it is easy to use, fits comfortably, is highly adjustable, and we found no flaws in design or execution as this vest saw more action than the competition during testing. The O'Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor vest is the most expensive option in the group, and it shows when compared side by side. While the Hardcore is great, the O'Neil Reactor looks and feels even better. This pillow-like vest features thicker neoprene that hugs the body, extra stitching to prevent shifting of the floating material inside the vest, and a heavy-duty zipper that stays in place even during activity. This vest has two chest buckles and a crotch strap designed for younger users. Compared to the competition, it is clear that this vest costs more to make.
There are higher and lower quality levels to be found in the nylon and neoprene options.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
While quality is undoubtedly important, we think the vest in this review has a quality level that matches or exceeds its price tags. It is more important to look for a good fit and suitability for your activity than to worry about quality (assuming the vest is in new or good working order).
Fading Vest
You should investigate your vest before each use for wear and tear or other indicators that it is time for retirement. Most of the manufacturers included instructions that once the vest starts to fade, it is time for a new vest. However, if you use your vest frequently, it could start to wear before fading starts, so we still advise giving it a good once-over before each use.
Some options are easier to use than others depending don't the design of the zippers, buckles, and adjustment styles.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Ease of Use
Most of the life vests were similar in their ease of use. The products must meet similar standards to pass inspection, thanks to stringent guidelines. All of the vests have buckle closures and strap adjustments. Some neoprene options also have a zipper, but the buckles are still required to ensure overall safety, even with the zipper closed. The jackets for younger kids also have a strap between the legs and buckles from the back to the front. This strap is designed to prevent the vest from rising above the wearer's head. These buckles seemed somewhat harder to disconnect, perhaps to prevent little ones from releasing the clip independently.
Properly fitting a vest is one of the most important parts of making a vest selection.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
The O'Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor is a comfy and well-built jacket with a smooth zipper and straightforward buckles. It has a handle on the back and is brightly colored. The Hardcore is also easy to use with increased adjustability and straightforward buckles and straps.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Fit and Comfort
Two critical aspects of a great lifevest are fit and comfort. Fit is non-negotiable and the key to ensuring safety in the water (see the box below for fit testing). Comfort impacts whether your little one will wear the jacket without complaining.
Most testers agreed that the neoprene vests were more comfortable, but they are harder to fit and some cause arm chaffing during paddle sports.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Our testers found the neoprene jackets to be more comfortable. However, the neoprene is more form-fitting, and there is little to no wiggle room in these vests to adjust for circumference changes over time. While each vest has a weight range and chest dimension guide, a child's day-to-day measurements can shift as they grow. Typically little ones grow fast like weeds. Neoprene is more comfortable the longer you wear it and is highly suitable for activities that involve speed, like tubing behind a motorboat or water skiing. Our testers' favorites were the Airhead WICKED Kwik-Dry, O'Neill Wetsuits Child Reactor, and the Stearns Kids Life Vest.
Not all of the vests have straps that wrap around for adjustability and the neoprene vests have wrap-around fabric inhibiting their ability to be made smaller or larger.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Other vests have side adjustments that allow for significant changes to circumference and a more customized fit. The floatation material is in the front and back of the child with open sides. This design allows for a potentially longer life as long as your child is within the size guidelines of the jacket and fits well. Our favorites of this style are the Stearns Heads-Up Child Vest, Stohlquist Youth Fit, and the Hardcore Life Vest.
Safety Tip
No matter what, the fit should take precedence over comfort. While both are important, the fit is potentially lifesaving.
It is important that you find the right-sized vest for your child as well as the right vest for the activities you plan to do.
Check the manufacturer's label to ensure that the life jacket properly fits your size and weight.
Make sure the jacket is fastened correctly.
Hold your arms straight up over your head.
Ask a friend to grasp the tops of the arm openings and gently pull up.
Ensure no excess room is above the openings and that the jacket does not ride up over your chin or face.
Personal Flotation Devices come in various types intended for the wearer's different activities and abilities. Be sure to select the type of PFD most suitable for your child's ability and the planned activity.
Floatation is the name of the game and each vest type is designed for a different kind of floatation and user.
Type I - greatest required inherent buoyancy and can turn most unconscious persons in the water from a face-down position to a vertical and slightly backward position, therefore, greatly increasing one's chance of survival.
Type II - intended to turn some unconscious persons from a face-down position in the water to a position where the wearer's respiration is not impeded.
Type III - intended to support a conscious person in the water in an upright position. This type of device is not required to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face-down position to one where the wearer's respiration is not impeded.
Type V - is approved for restricted uses or activities such as boardsailing or commercial white water rafting. These devices may not be suitable for other boating activities. The label indicates whether a particular design of Type V can be used in a specific application, what restrictions or limitations apply, and its performance type.
Credit: Wendy Schmitz
Conclusion
Finding a comfortable and safe floatation device for your child can provide peace of mind when enjoying any activity near water. It can also increase a child's confidence when engaging in water play. This review is designed to help you choose a quality vest that is comfortable and easy to use for most children in the appropriate age group. We used each vest with multiple kids in pools and lakes and on boats and SUPs to get the details you need to make an informed decision for your child and budget. We think there is something for everyone in the lineup of great options.
