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10 Best Infant Life Jackets to Buy in 2021

Infant life jackets are a must-have if your little one will be around water. Here are the 10 best infant life jackets you should consider in 2021.

Best overall infant life jacket: Stohlquist Infant

Best life jacket for comfort: Stearns Heads-Up Infant Vest

Best infant life jacket for smaller babies: O’Neill Wake Waterski Infant Vest

Best Budget infant Life Jacket: Stearns Infant Classic Life Jacket

Unique design Infant Life jacket: Full Throttle Infant Safe Vest

Things to consider before buying an infant life jacket

Type of Life Jacket

There are many different types of life jackets. All of the types have different characteristics, which in turn affect who uses them and the way they use them. The types vary in terms of floatation, comfort, and buoyancy.

As per the safety standards, all infant life jackets are required to be type II. This type provides the children with head support that they so much need. Also, the design gives the kids a bit more freedom for extra comfort.

Size

The size is very important as it is recommended that you should pick an infant life jacket that is a perfect fit for your baby. As you will notice in our list, most safety vests come with an adjustable strap, which ensures a snug fit. However, if the vest is too big, this would mean that you would have to fasten the straps tighter, which is not recommended against your baby’s sensitive skin.

To avoid this occurrence, you should know your baby’s measurement before hand and ensure that it matches with the product that you plan on getting.

Regarding weight, most vests have a weight recommendation of 0-30 lbs, so you do not have to worry so much about weight.

Head support

Headrests are very important in infant life jackets. This is because in case of an accident and your baby accidentally falls in the water, it forces your child to float on their backs. This snuffs out any chances of drowning as the head is placed near or above the water surface.

Some headrests are bulky, which means that they function better but, in turn, sacrifice comfort. On the other hand, some are smaller or even come fitted as a collar, and this contributes to the comfort that your baby experiences.

Grab handle

All good infant life jackets will have a grab strap fitted just below the headrest. This makes the rescuing process a breeze. Just ensure that the grab handle is easy to spot and get to in the water.

US Coast Guard Certification

Since the child’s safety is the number one priority, you should check that the life jacket you are getting is up to the USCG standards. It is a requirement that all infant life jackets in the US are USCG certified.

Color

Color plays a very important role in life jackets. A brightly colored life jacket is easy to spot in the water, making the rescuing process fast and easy. Therefore, avoid colors that may be difficult to spot in the water.

Top 10 Infant life jackets

Best overall infant life jacket

Stohlquist Infant

Description

Stohlquist infant life jacket tops our list for very good reasons. It checks all the boxes of features required in a good life infant jacket. This is because it prioritizes safety, head support, and comfort. It balances its features nicely and would be a great pick to get for your little one.

Stohlquist infant is a type 2 PFD, which means it is designed to turn children’s heads to a face-up position. This is achieved by the float below and above the neck area. This is especially useful for infants who cannot yet keep their heads upright for a long time.

For additional safety, it comes with a crotch strap that ensures the life jacket will not slip out of your little one’s body. It also comes with a grab handle, which makes rescuing a breeze as you only need to get hold of the handle and pull your child close.

For comfort, the Stohlquist Infant life jacket comes with a V-neck design to ensure that the front panel of the panel does not ride up the baby’s face making it difficult to breathe.

Stohlquist life jacket comes in a variety of color options, though it is recommended that you make your choice based on the visibility of the color in water.

All in all, we think that this is a great choice as it does emphasize not only safety but also your baby’s comfort.

Stohlquist Infant

What We Like

  • Variety of bright colors to choose from
  • Adjustable straps for security
  • Fastening strap over the zipper
  • Reliable and comfy head support
  • Grab handle for easy rescue

What We Don't Like

  • The wide neck might be too big for smaller infants
Check Price on Amazon

Best life jacket for comfort

Stearns Heads-Up Infant Vest

Description

Stearns Heads-Up Infant Vest is also a great addition to your safety gear to ensure that your kid enjoys safely in the water. It comes in a bright green color, and since it is reflective, it will be easy to spot him/her in the water. Rescuing is also made easy as it comes with a handy grab handle.

Stearns Head-up infant vest is a US coast guard approved type 2 floatation device. It emphasizes head-up position floatation. It accomplishes this by having a contoured float behind the neck that will act as a pillow for your infant. For a tight fit, it comes with two adjustable chest straps and additionally has a crotch strap.

Due to its robust safety features and great fit, it can be used for infants under 30 pounds. The lowest recommended weight is around 15 pounds, although the life jacket may be a little big hence uncomfortable. It is suitable for kids up to 50 pounds.

Overall, Stearns Heads-up justifies itself as a great pick due to its bright color and great features.

Stearns Heads-Up Infant

What We Like

  • It comes in a bright reflective green color
  • Contour float behind the neck to encourage head up floatation
  • Adjustable chest straps
  • Hydroprene crotch strap to ensure a tight fit.
  • It can be used by infants under 30 pounds

What We Don't Like

  • May feel uncomfortable on smaller babies
Check Price on Amazon

Best infant life jacket for smaller babies

O'Neill Wake Waterski Infant Vest

Description

It is a common phenomenon for infant life jackets to be too big hence uncomfortable for infants. However, O’Neil Wake Waterski Infant Vest stands out as it is designed for smaller babies. It is specially designed to be used by babies below 30 pounds, with a baby who is only 12 weeks old being able to use this life jacket comfortably.

O’Neill Wake Waterski is a US coast guard approved type II PFD life jacket. It works in such a way that your baby will be pushed to float on his/her back to prevent drowning. O’Neill Wake Waterski puts emphasis on the head support that is larger than most of its competitors.

The size makes it reliable in ensuring that even smaller infants have their heads up for safety. Even though the head support is functional in terms of safety, it can be restricting, especially in swimming.

For additional safety, it comes with a zipper that is backed up with two adjustable chest straps. It also has an adjustable crotch strap, which is great for smaller infants to ensure there is no chance of them slipping out. Lastly, it comes with a grab handle for easy rescuing.

Overall, this is a great option for smaller infants that emphasizes safety. It also comes in highly visible colors.

O'Neill Wake Waterski Infant Vest

What We Like

  • It comes in highly visible colors
  • It can be used by babies under 30 pounds
  • It has two chest straps
  • It comes with a grab handle
  • Fitted with an adjustable crotch strap

What We Don't Like

  • Not great for swimming
Check Price on Amazon

Best Budget infant Life Jacket

Stearns Infant Classic Life Jacket

Description

If you are on a budget, and you do not want to break the bank but get your baby a good life jacket, then the Stearns Infant Classic Life jacket is the best option for you. Sterns Infant life jacket proves that not all good infant life jackets are expensive as it checks all the essential features needed in a good life jacket.

Stearns Infant Classic life jacket comes with a durable nylon construction that is great for longevity. This infant life jacket is used with kids under 30 pounds. You will be happy to hear that it is also US coast guard approved.

Like most infant life jackets, it comes with a zipper that is backed up with a strap. Just below the strap features a crotch strap to ensure that the life jacket does not slip. And this is topped with a grab handle to make rescuing a breeze.

Stearn’s Infant design ensures that your baby stays on his/her back. To keep your baby in the head-up position, it comes with bulky head support. The head support does a great job but has an issue with smaller infants, especially in terms of comfort.

It comes in two colors, blue and red. However, we recommend that you go for the red one since it is easier to spot.

Overall, it is a great option that competes with its peers, which are priced much higher than it.

Stearns Infant Classic Life Jacket

What We Like

  • It comes at an affordable price
  • Two colors to pick from
  • Equipped with a zipper reinforced with a chest strap
  • It has a crotch strap and a grab handle
  • Robust head support

What We Don't Like

  • Smaller kids might flip to the side
Check Price on Amazon

Unique design Infant Life jacket

Full Throttle Infant Safe Vest

Description

Full Throttle Infant Safe Vest stands out with its design as it does not come with a zipper since it is closed up at the front. Therefore, it offers a lot of buoyancy compared to zipped options. This design has been granted safe as it is approved by the US coast guard.

This infant jacket comes with an adjustable strap to ensure a tight fit. Just below the adjustable chest strap features an elasticized fabric leg strap. We feel that this is more comfortable than the regular crotch strap, but most importantly, it ensures that the Infant vest does not slip out your kid’s body. This is also ensured by the additional strap that joins the head support to the front part of the infant life jacket.

The unique design of this infant jacket affects the way this infant vest works. As it floats all around as opposed to the traditional life jacket that only encourages the back. It also has an enlarged head support to help with floating at the back where there is more weight.

One major downside of this infant life jacket is that the leg strap is not adjustable, which means that you should ensure that it perfectly fits your baby.

All in all, it is a great infant life vest that comes with a unique design to ensure all-round floating.

Full Throttle Infant Safe Vest

What We Like

  • It comes with a comfy leg strap
  • Unique design to ensure all-round floating
  • Adjustable strap for a tight fit
  • Enlarged head support
  • Highly visible color

What We Don't Like

  • The leg strap can not be adjusted
  • It does not come with a zipper
Check Price on Amazon

Salus Bijoux Baby Vest

Description

Salus Bijoux baby vest also stands out in our list as it comes with a unique design that does its job well. This infant life jacket is one to watch as it has won the Canadian Safe Boating Award (CASB) for Best New Safety Product.

This infant life jacket deviates from the normal bulky design and, in turn, focuses on comfort. It comes with two floatation devices, one larger than the other. The larger floatation device is on the chest, while the smaller one is on the back of the neck. The smaller flotation device has a three-piece design with extra floating at the sides to cradle your baby’s head at the center, which ensures not only safety but also comfort.

Most importantly, it encourages the head up floating position for safety.

Salus Bijoux further enforces comfort through the Dry-Lex Aerospace liner for breathability and drainage. At the back, it comes with a mesh that will ensure that your baby can lie comfortably on a blanket. The mesh can be adjusted to ensure a tight fit. Also, a webbing harness system features to complement the mesh in safety,

Salus Bijoux is designed for babies from 9 pounds to 25 pounds. Therefore, this is another great option for smaller babies.

A major downside of this infant jacket is that it is not infant USCG approved. But since it won the CASB award, we think that it should prove to be a great addition to your safety gear.

Salus Bijoux Baby Vest

What We Like

  • It is breathable for comfort
  • Unique design provides extra room
  • Easy to reach grab handle
  • Large headrest to encourage a floating position

What We Don't Like

  • It is not USCG approved
Check Price on Amazon

Airhead Wicked Kwik-Dry Neolite Baby Vest

Description

The Airhead Wicked Kwik-Dry Neolite Baby Vest is a USCG approved type 2 PFD that is designed for infants up to 30 pounds. This life jacket comes with a closed side design and a bright pink color that is easy to spot.

You will have peace of mind knowing that the airhead infant life jacket comes with a zipper backed up with an adjustable strap above it. Also, a crotch strap is available to maintain a tight fit and ensure the infant jacket does not slip. Both straps come with high-quality quick-release buckles.

Airhead Wicke Kwik-Dry baby vest comes with a large collar that also acts as a headrest to provide head and neck support to your little one. This wicked vest is made from high-quality material that is breathable, flexible, and lightweight. This material is additionally quick-drying, ensuring that your baby is comfortable when wearing the vest around the water.

Like most infant life jackets, it comes with an easy to get to grab handle.

The major downside is that this baby life jacket will not grow with your little one.

All in all, it checks all the boxes of a good baby life jacket and is an option we think you should consider.

Airhead Wicked Kwik-Dry Neolite Baby Vest

What We Like

  • It comes with a lightweight, breathable material
  • Equipped with an adjustable strap
  • Easy to get to grab handle
  • Innovative collar
  • It comes in a bright pink color

What We Don't Like

  • It does not grow with baby
Check Price on Amazon

Mustang Survival Lil' Legends 100 Flotation Vest

Description

This life jacket comes from a company that has been doing it for a long time therefore, the quality is top-notch. Mustang Survival Lil’ legends is a great option if you are looking for comfort. This is especially evident for smaller babies under 30 lbs.

Mustang Survival Lil’ Legends will fit your petite baby perfectly without feeling bulky. This is contributed by the adjustable strap that also helps to tightly fit this vest. The crotch strap features just below.

It also comes with panels shaped for enhanced mobility to ensure that your baby is comfortable if he/she is going to be wearing it for a long time. The airsoft floatation foam is segmented to keep the vest in place.

The head pillow is segmented to cradle your baby’s head hence preventing immersion. The shape of the headrest also prevents your baby’s head from rolling sideways. Above the headrest is easy to get to grab handle.

At the back features a ventilated mesh to prevent any chances of your baby overheating in the hot sun.

Overall, it is a great option if you are looking for an infant life vest that focuses on the baby’s comfort.

Mustang Survival Lil' Legends 100 Flotation Vest

What We Like

  • It comes with a back mesh for ventilation
  • Great for petite babies
  • Comfy headrest
  • Design enhances mobility
  • Headrest prevents baby’s head from rolling

What We Don't Like

The headrest makes it bulky

Check Price on Amazon

O'Neill Superlite Infant Life Vest

Description

If you are looking for a less bulky infant life vest, then O’Neill Superlite is the best option for you. It comes with an anatomically cut lightweight foam floatation made of polyethylene. This foam is coated with polyester that is durable, making this vest strong yet comfortable.

O’Neill’s Superlite life vest is designed to provide a tight fit for your little one. This minimal bulk design ensures that your baby is comfortable throughout the day, and it also makes it easy to go on and off.

It comes with webbing belts, which are easy to fasten and are additionally adjustable to ensure a snug fit. The straps are fitted with quick-release buckles for ease of use.

O’Neil Superlite vest is designed to keep babies on their backs. It has a collar that doubles down as a headrest. For convenience, the collar folds down when not in use. And for safety, a grab strap is available.

O’Neil Superlite vest comes at an affordable price with a minimum bulk design that prioritizes your baby’s comfort.

O'Neill Superlite Infant Life Vest

What We Like

  • It comes with a lightweight floatation foam
  • Foam is coated with durable polyester
  • Easy to fasten webbing belts
  • A comfy collar that folds doubles down as a headrest
  • It comes at an affordable price

What We Don't Like

  • Not suitable for teaching your kid how to swim
Check Price on Amazon

Airhead Treasure Life Vest

Description

Airhead Treasure Life Vest comes in a cartoon design that will capture your baby’s attention at first glance. The design is important since kids always want to wear something that they love. Therefore it will be less of a hassle to persuade them to wear and keep on this vest.

Airhead treasure life vest comes with a chest strap that goes above the zipper. Below features the crotch strap meant to ensure that the vest does not slip out from your baby’s body. The chest strap is adjustable, meaning that you can safely fasten it on smaller babies.

At the top of this baby, the vest features a headrest to help keep your baby’s face above water. The headrest is split into two panels, making it great for preventing your baby’s head from turning sideways.

It is also fitted with a grab strap to make pulling your baby a breeze. However, the grab strap is also blue, which may be hard to spot in the water. Generally, we do not like blue on baby vests since they do not stand out.

Overall, we love the design, and we are confident that your baby will love it too.

Airhead Treasure Life Vest

What We Like

  • It comes with an adjustable crotch strap
  • The headrest is not too bulky
  • Eye-catching design
  • The vest is lean and lightweight
  • Chest strap for extra security

What We Don't Like

  •  Does not grow with baby due to closed sides
  • Grab handle has the same color as the vest
Check Price on Amazon

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