Top 3 Water Sports Life Jackets for Kids

Zurich has a lot of water sports activities to offer, full of adventure like sailing, water-ski, surfing and wakeboarding.

Water can be really fun especially during summer, but it can also be dangerous. This is why all parents should be informed about the best quality safety gear they should acquire for their beloved children. For sports such as the ones we mentioned above every child should have a good life jacket that is specially designed for their age and weight.

A good life jacket for kids must provide head support without being too bulky and get in the way of a fun time.

Most children’s life jackets, for 12-23 kgs are rated USCG Type 3 which are fine for almost all water activities like Wakeboarding, wakesurfing and water-ski lessons, available at the Wakeboard Academy in Zurich at Frischer's Fritz campground.

But for offshore boating purposes like sailing lessons at the Yacht Club Horgen or the Kids Sailing Kilchberg School, we’d recommend a Type 2. It might be more bulky but it provides children with additional buoyancy and can automatically flip an unconscious child face up in the water.

Here we have a list of the top three kids life jackets you can shop:

Stohlquist Kids Life Vest

The best-selling Stohlquist has a great range of sizes and colors, and a clever design and comfort construction with a V front instead of a high zip to the neck. The child size (30-50 lbs) is a type 3 PFD, it is a sleek, low profile vest with a lot of buoyancy. Its filling is well distributed to keep a child floating high in the water and the collar design is quite low so it won’t get in the way, but still does a fantastic job of keeping the head safely up, while a separate neck rest gives some extra support. It fastens securely and has a security strap as backup and a crotch strap along with adjustable side straps for a good fit. It is made of nylon so it is durable, easy to clean, and quick to dry.

Stearns Heads-Up Child Vest

The US Coast Guard approved Type 2 life vest is a much better option for activities in the open water and especially for younger children. Type 2 kids life jackets are a bit rare but this one is a great pick. It can turn a non-swimmer or unconscious child on their back to a face-up position and has 2 straps around the waist and a padded crotch strap that will keep it in place no matter what. Like any Type 2 life vest it will feel a bit more restrictive but safety always comes first.

TRC Recreation Super Soft Swim Vest

The kids’ Super Soft USCG Swim Vest from TRC Recreation is a USCG approved Type III PFD and has a great range of sizes and colors that both boys and girls will love. It is designed with comfort in mind, which is incredibly important if you want children to keep wearing the vest. This life jacket is made from vinyl-covered foam and comes with an adjustable back slot so it fits perfectly. Sizes extra small and small include a crotch strap to prevent small children from sliding off the vest. The easy to snap closures on the front make putting on and off a game.

These were the best picks of kids life jackets all parents should know about. Buy the one that suits your child and his favorite water activities and you’ll have a peaceful summer for sure!

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