20 Best Life Vest For Sailing (2023 Updated)

I got this to be lake compliant on my sup. Its four layers of 1sheets. I never actually put it on all summer. Makes for a nice pillow. Lol I dont know if I would count on this to save my life if I were unconscious.

Runs way too small. I bought a small, which says it fits chests up to 36 inches For reference, I’m usually a 34B and a small in tops/pants. Fit snug around the chest, but can’t imagine it would fit anyone with a bigger bust.

The waist is beyond tight on this life jacket. I’d be able to tolerate the snug chest if it wasn’t for the waist squeezing so hard that stomach would start to hurt. Save yourself the trouble and size up for this product.

It’s also bulkier than most jackets I’ve worn but it does do the job of floating.

Super comfortable. Had to +1 my normal size. Glad I was able to try them on first. Price is what it is. Doesn’t look like it will fall apart like some name brands do. There’s no pocket. There’s no D ring.

I bought this a few days before a trip ro Lake Havasu. At the end of the day it fit good and did its job. Kept me alive. Only knocked down a start due to price. Basically all other retailers had them cheaper, I just don’t like shopping and didnt want to do anymore that day.

It’s what I get for waiting till last minute. But if you have the money then why not.

This life jacket is very well constructed and the material is soft and comfortable. You can get cheap ski vests. Just remember they usually last for years, multiple uses. It is definitely worth it to spend a little more on comfort, making your play time more enjoyable and plus it looks nice.

These will be in a lot of your vacation pictures. Other than that my one complaint is that while shopping for a ski vests online it was very hard to find where it exclusively says that the PFD is for water skiing.

wakeboarding, etc. I don’t know why they don’t just say it in the ads, for all of us who want to see those words. So, I was happy to see the words: “Intended Purpose: Ski Vest” on the vest itself when I received it.

I bought an adult Med. It states that it is for a chest 36-40 inches. My chest is 36 inches and there is no way to possibly put this on. The zipper is at least 4 inches away. Seems like a youth vest with wrong numbers.

Now I am trying to find a way to return.

I bought this jacket for myself (5′ 2″ 120 lbs) in a size small based on the size chart. It was too tight. It ended up going to my 12 year old daughter instead. If buying, size up. Otherwise a beautiful life jacket.

The inner material bunches up inside and folds up on itself. The back of the vest rides up over the childs head making it dangerous. We tried them on bigger kids and got the same result. there was too much play in the strap loops on the back.

Over-all, unsaf.

The life jacket is very comfortable and not bulky. It works perfectly keeping you safe. It very light weight and my son doesn’t complain at all and keeps it on the entire time. Would recommend this life jacket to others.

Your ad is misleading. You made it look like you were receiving multiple life jackets, and that’s not the case. Even in your email you indicate life vests for the FAMILY. Disappointed.

After using random PFDs for lake kayaking or group trips, and then trying other well regarded white water brands and returning them, I found my one! The Layla is the best fit for me (doesn’t squish the boobs like the NRSs did), I love the female taper, fits me great.

I’m 165, 5’8″, curvy hips, size B up top. I tested the size M and L, and the M was the best fit. I use it for Class 2-3 river pack-rafting in current. The female fit is rad, the drink holder/phone holder pocket is seriously the best functionality (you can have an open can in the pocket and snap the top closed for rapids), cool color options, and love the lotus design on the back.

The PDF you love, is the one you’ll wear. and I LOVE this PFD!.

I work for Backcountry. com now but before that I was whitewater guide for almost 10 years all across the country. I have used vests from 4-5 companies over that time and now all of them are Astral. When I say all of them I mean those that I own (4) for my wife and me, plus those I have bought for my brother, sister, and sister-in-law.

This is the model my in-law uses and the loves it for SUPing in the bay at Monterey, CA. It’s also the model my sister uses for SUPing and canoeing in Richmond, VA. The stats on this review are for my sis-in-law since she bought it most recently, she’s short but muscular.

**Pro-tip: if you have pups then check out the dog-beds made by Astral. They use the very tough material from their vests as the shell and the left-over cuttings from the flotation inside of these vests as the bedding.

One of our dog beds is 8 years old and the other is 3 yrs, and our pups adore them. Help the environment and yourself!.

The Astral Layla does a really good job of accommodating the female form. It has extra room in the chest, and is cut slightly shorter waisted than most unisex full profile jackets. I appreciate the pocket in the front, which is easy to access and holds a regular size beverage can, but I would always welcome more and bigger pockets in anything.

The colors are all really cute and easy to coordinate if that’s your thing. If you have trouble with unisex vests because the chest is too tight or they cut you in the stomach because they’re too long, definitely give the Layla a try.

I only have two negative things to say about it, and both of them really depend on how you use it. The first is that the flotation is packed pretty thick in the back, so if you use it with a high-backed seat, it can be a little annoying.

The second is that it’s still just a little too high-profile to make rolling easy, so if you use this for whitewater or sea kayaking, you do have to work a little harder to tuck forward for a roll depending on your body shape.

It took me a few tries, but I can still roll with it; it just takes a little more effort. All in all a good vest, and one of the best fitting in the industry for curvier women.

I purchased this PFD from your Kanata store a few weeks ago for my two year old daughter. She’s a petite, 25lb child who is well within the recommended weight restrictions. We had an incident on our boat in which she fell and once she entered the water she was held sideways with her head underwater.

I am VERY fortunate that I was within arms reach to scoop her up. Had this happened without anyone noticing she would have surely died as she couldn’t even make a sound because her little face was right under the water.

It is VERY important that you test your lifejackets on your kids before you blindly trust them. I no longer have any faith in this particular PFD so I have purchased something safer.

Bought this for my Son-in-law for his birthday. Love the yellow color because it is different than the orange ones in my boat. Now maybe mine won’t end up in his boat because of the color.

Fabric is amazing, not to bulky, but the only thing I would say that slightly confused me was that everyone was saying this jacket ran small in size so I ordered a size bigger, and it ended up being to big, but fit my brother perfectly.

So I would tell you to order true to size otherwise it might be loose on you. The assault vest I have does run a little snug, but still pretty true to size. So dont listen to all the people saying runs small, I think they just think they are smaller then they are lol.

The Laval states it is a type 1 , on Laval it says large but only fits a child way too small for an adult .

Operate a tour business so life preservers are essential. These are perfect and come in a protective cover. Definitely worth the money.

I am a plus sized gal who loves to paddle a canoe. My old life vest was big and bulky and made paddling tough. This life vest is the perfect solution. It is very thin and light when paddling, but inflates instantaneously when you hit the water.

How do I know that? I got to see it in action when my husband and I accidentally flipped our canoe. Fortunately we were near shore, but this thing inflated within seconds. I was very impressed with how much buoyancy it had.

Luckily you can purchase rearming kits, too, so I will be able to reset the vest for our next trip out. I love this life vest and have purchased another one for my husband.

Shipping took less than a week, ****** responded to my only question which was regarding whether the cylinder is included or not, and YES IT IS INCLUDED. I would definitely repeat buying from this ******.

As for the PFD it self: – IMPORTANT: This PFD is US coast guard approved. There are other quality and good reviewed Inflatable PFDs out there, that have different certifications, but are not US Coast guard approved.

So keep this in mind. – I have not tried it on the water yet. But I did a lot of research online about different types of Inflatable PFDs and their firing mechanism. If this is your 1ST inflatable PFD like me, it can be a bit confusing.

-So here is the summary: There are two main types of inflatable PFDs: Auto and Manual only. This ONYX PFD has an option to switch from Auto to Manual only mode. All inflatable PFDs (including Auto) can be inflated by pulling the jerk to inflate handle and or by plowing air into the mouth piece.

There are different types of firing mechanisms. This specific PFD gets inflated when the yellow bobbin gets wet then it triggers the firing pin which then pierce the CO2 cylinder causing the PFD to inflate.

If you switch it to the manual only mode, it will not get inflated unless you pull the jerk to inflate handle. The manual only PFDs are ideal for when you are worried about accidental firing/inflating.

For my fishing and boating needs the automatic mode is recommended. If however, i wear this while skiing or with similar activities, I will have to switch it to manual only mode to prevent it from accidental inflating.

– Important: The PFD gets delivered unarmed. You must arm it by installing the CO2 cylinder before putting it on. Doing so is easy enough, yet its a bit intimidating if its you first ever inflatable PFD and if you are trying to rely only on the text manual.

Watch these YouTube manuals and you will find it so easy to setup and arm. 1) Rearming and repacking instruction video:youtu. be/Wy6aEZxJsnA 2) Switching from Auto to Manual only mode video:youtu. be/gMFGwHZyp1A – Its also recommended to buy and carry a rearming kit which you need to rearm the PFD and to replace the CO2 cylinder each time you inflate the PFD.

Make sure its the compatible rearming Kit Onyx A/M-24 Rearming Kit for Automatic/Manual Models ONYX KIT ITEM#K320 or part #1002295. Sold on walmart /ip/Onyx-A-M-24-Rearming-Kit-for-Automatic-Manual-Models/21439606 for $19.

– Rearming kit should include: (1) 24-gram CO2 cylinder with a 1/2-inch thread (2) yellow water-soluble bobbin for automatic activation – this should not be older older than 3 years from the production date and some recommended that it should be replaced at least once a year (3) green indicator clip – Fit is nice and its very light weight.

– Appearance is very basic but I dont care much – It comes with a mesh carrying bag which is nice.

While I like to wear a foam life jacket when paddling, when fishing I very much appreciate inflatables. I have had several over the years, and found this to be really comfortable and affordable. Yes, inflatables require a little maintenance occasionally, but the benefit of staying cool and comfortable (and SAFE) is worth it.

My wife insists I wear it when fishing alone, and I actually do! I haven’t had to use it in the water thankfully, but love the confidence it provides on the water. The folks at Onyx provided product for me to test, and it performs great.

I may do a swim test and jump in when the weather warms up. it only costs a small amount to rearm and is easy to repack.

Floats. Graphics are non-ugly. Girlfriend has a small waist and a big bust and it fits well, doesn’t make her look huge or feel bulky.

After tons of research I finally settled on the Astral V-Eight Fisher. I live in the southeast and primarily kayak during the summer months. I wanted a vest that was comfortable during long days on the water and wouldn’t leave me sweating all over.

This one has performed flawlessly over my 1 full season with it. It’s in perfect shape even though it’s had some hard days on the water. I’m more than impressed so far.

After decent online research including calling Astral, I ordered this vest – size M/L, my chest is 39” – with the primary purpose of paddling. I loved the large clamshell pocket and how ventilated it is in the back.

The issue is that there’s a lot of material on the sides – a lot – making paddling and even walking quite uncomfortable. I don’t know if I should’ve gotten a smaller size or if this pfd just isn’t good for paddling – though when I called astral they said it’d work well.

The trend has been for rescue vests to have all of their flotation at your belly. The problem with this is that it makes it more difficult to tuck and roll. The Ringo spreads its floatation over a slightly larger area, thinning the profile, without restricting shoulder range of motion or forward tuck.

It’s built to accept a rescue rescue belt, and has a generous pocket in front. The only thing it is missing in my opinion is a quick release webbing loop on the front of the jacket to which one could attach their tow tether carabiner (I McGyvvered one on the the knife attachment point).

Truly the most comfortable solid time tested jacket out there.

I use this for coastal sailing in good weather. Yes I know it’s not made for that BUT. I used to sail with an inflatable life jacket that fit like a harness. I loved it because it was not bulky and I would forget I was even wearing it.

Then one day it inflated by itself while stored away in my boat–and then soon deflated. It had a pinhole in it. Ok–you have to check these things every year, test them, and replace the cartridge and dissolving tab every time you do.

Otherwise you don’t know if it works. Even if you do all that you can’t be sure it will work when needed. Anyone who boats knows that things always fail at the worst possible time. Too many moving parts, too much maintenance, and too unreliable for me.

I want a life jacket that has no moving parts, is adjustable and fits trimly so it isn’t an impediment, and one that I know with 100% certainty will work if I fall overboard. This life jacket fits the bill.

I am in my third season using it. I love it. The green color is great too. Stands out like a safety vest.

I wear this while on a boat that I expect to get wet on, ie; Hobie Cat, Kayak, etc. It fits great and allows excellent mobility while providing needed safety. The 4 pockets are not dry but offer a handy storage option for small items.

The sewn in accessory pad is perfect location to hear hand held radio or PLB device. Well made with quality materials.

This vest was obviously designed for looks, as it the worst sailing vest I’ve ever owned. I race Lasers & Sunfish , and simply can’t use this vest. It is overly bulky low in the front, preventing one from ducking when tacking/jiving.

The open side straps (another sailing no-no) often catch on the mainsheet blocks = DANGEROUS! I now race using an old zippered Coleman canoe vest (safe, nothing snags) and I kayak using this “sailing” vest.

I was adamant that I was going to try on this life vest purchase. I was tired of feeling like a stuffed sausage in an ill fitting foam wrapped shipping container. I am soo glad I did. THIS jacket is IMHO a game changer.

I normally wear XL street clothes and I tried on an XL Platinum Life Jacket and it fit perfect and comfortably just like a suit coat. Now. I have expectations of this jacket. I would like to wear it in the hot summer months with just a fishing shirt underneath without the life jacket being too floppy large.

Then. in the spring and fall, to be able to put on a sweatshirt in the evenings and still be able to wear the life jacket without the life jacket being too snug. As an expectation beyond my wildest dreams.

it would be nice (but I expected to purchase an additional jacket if necessary) if I could wear this over a winter parka. I was able to adjust and wear this XL life jacket comfortable over my heavy long sleeve shirt, down vest, and winter jacket quite comfortably!!! WOW.

Now I was thinking that I might have been confused because I have never experienced this with a life vest before, so I tried on an XPS Deluxe vest in XL and sure enough it was snug. I tried on a 2XL and again, snug.

and no shot that I would be able to wear it over a parka. So this is an easy decision. The XPS Platinum Jacket is well made with the heavy Courdura material of construction, has reflectives, and a heavy duty zipper and clips.

It is super comfortable. I think this is due to the extra panel in the back that provides for some expansion and flexibility. The only negative are the crotch straps which do not have a proper place to store when not in use (or remove).

Before you buy your next life jacket I would seriously recommend that you consider this jacket. You will not be disappointed.

I purchased one of these four or five years ago. Overall, I like it a lot. I take the collar off in warm weather and put it back on on cool, breezy days. It keeps your neck nice and warm. My only complaint is that all (but the main front) zipper heads have corroded leading to the pockets being permanently open.

This is kind of my fault. I use the jacket in the ocean and I never took the time to wash it in the fall and lube the zipper heads. These are made of some kind of soft metal and will corrode it they get seawater on them.

They need maintenance.

This jacket runs true to size unlike a lot of jackets I have purchased recently. A Large is a Large and an XL is an XL. Other jackets often run small and you have to buy a size larger to get the right fit.

The two big zippered pockets are nice and the two front D-rings are handy. One D-ring detaches by way of a quick release clip. You can attach a tool to it that you use regularly while fishing so you always have it handy.

Just unclip it. I use the quick release clip for my outboard motor kill switch lanyard. That makes it fast and easy to detach and re-attach.