If you're planning to spend any time around water, an infant life jacket is as important for your child's safety as a proper car seat.
Though not always required by law, a lifejacket should be worn at all times when the vessel is underway. Inflatable lifejackets are not appropriate for weak or non-swimmers. A PFD is designed not to ride-up on the body when in the water.
They let you float without using energy and they protect part of your body from cold water. 12 lb. Children cool faster than adults. IMPORTANT MESSAGE- Since infants and children come in many sizes and shapes, the U.S. Coast Guard and personal flotation device (PFD) manufacturers urge that PFDs be tested immediately after purchase. Out of the water, it lays totally flat and out of the way". Here are some additional baby life jacket options that we recommend: Boater Kids is your destination for kids born and raised on the water. with gear, tips and resources that enhance your kid's boating lifestyle. Learn more about, What to Expect selects products based on independent research, and suggestions from our community of millions of parents; learn more about our, Lower cost, fits babies comfortably, durable, Some parents didnt like the thick neck foam, Fun design, zipper adds convenience, two-part headrest, Oversized head support, elastic fabric crotch, bright color, our editorial and medical review policies, Drowning Prevention for Curious Toddlers: What Parents Need to Know, Infant Water Safety: Protect Your New Baby from Drowning, Pool Dangers and Drowning Prevention?When Its Not Swimming Time, Swim Lessons: When to Start & What Parents Should Know, How to Choose the Right Life Jacket Brochure, Life Jacket Wear/Wearing Your Life Jacket, reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts. If one does not work well, try another style. The manufacturers of child and infant PFD can be found currently listed online in our CGMIX equipment list at: Kapok - A natural silky fiber produced from the seed of the kapok (ceiba) tree which floats because of air trapped in the fibers' hollow cells. If you do need to remove the life jacket (like to change a diaper), try to do it in a place where your child's access to the water is restricted, like behind fencing or barriers, and (as always) treat it with caution and plenty of supervision. Below, the best life jackets for infants. Another good strategy? We may earn commissions from shopping links. But PFDs can still help you stay alive longer in cold water. There are two main classes of PFDs.Those which provide face up in-water support to the user regardless of physical conditions (lifejackets).Those which require the user to make swimming and other postural movements to position the user with the face out of the water (buoyancy aid).Wearable PFDs are categorized by performance Type and/or performance Level.Type I, II, III, VLevel 50, 70, 100, 150The number in performance Level Devices (Level 70) indicates the minimum buoyancy of the device. Be aware that cold water (less than 70 degrees F (21 Degrees C)) can lower your body temperature.
Learn more aboutour editorial and medical review policies. 15 lb.
Even good swimmers drown while swimming in cold water. Each PFD sold for use on a recreational boat is required to be provided with a guide to selection entitled Think Safe Choose the Right PFD.
If your body temperature goes too low, you may pass out and then drown. We estimate that a foam vest design will also fit most people of this size. Child Lifejacket Requirements: Federal Law requires that when a vessel is underway, children under 13 years of age must wear their lifejacket.exceptions for when below deck or within an enclosed cabin.State laws may vary. Some styles of lifejackets are not intended for weak or non-swimmers (read the label and be honest). TheAirhead Treasure Infant Life Jacket also features a two-part head rest, which will help keep babys head afloat, along with a waist belt, crotch strap and grab handle. Use of the HELP position will lessen heat loss. Level 50 - intended for use by those who are competent swimmers and who are near to bank or shore, or who have help and a means of rescue close at hand. Still, comfort is important, too and theOBrien Infant Life Jacket delivers on both. Those which require the user to make swimming and other postural movements to position the user with the face out of the water (buoyancy aid). glove approved vision jacket body pfd nylon guard coast type iii Buoyant materials used in Personal Flotation Devices include -.
Child II 7 lb. "Adults wearing them and normalizing them is important," says Livingston, adding, "You want to make sure you are protected as an adult so you can help others and little ones if needed.. Most require only about 11 pounds (50 Newtons) of extra buoyancy to keep their head out of water.
Infant - users with a weight less than or equal to 33 lbs. Read the label on your PFD to be sure it's made for people your weight and size. Most of the victims owned PFDs, but they died without them. If a PFD manufacturer wishes to provide the body strap extension, we recommend that it be provided with a PFD pamphlet and a caution that the PFD with the extension be tested by the individual user. This is called hypothermia. Fact is, 9 out of 10 drownings occur in inland waters, most within a few feet of safety. Prices and details are accurate as of the published date.
Always wear your PFD. You should test your PFD in a swimming pool.
That includes when you're near swimming pools, too. If your baby is learning how to swim during a special instruction time, that would likely be a time where they wouldn't need a life jacket, because they're being so closely supervised by an instructor but every other time near water calls for a jacket. To work right, a PFD must fit snugly on a child. Swimming lowers your body temperature. There's a supportive collar to make every boat ride comfy, and reviewers consistently remark how comfortable their little ones feel in the jacket. Credit goes to the large armholes (which will also ward off chafing) and open back design great for ensuring your baby wont feel constricted in or out of the water. The Coast Guard recommends and many states require wearing lifejackets: For water skiing and other towed activities (use a lifejacket marked for water skiing). infant vest uscg flotation device approved aqua jacket uscga ocean personal jackets safety State laws may vary. Before use, test this PFD in the water to establish that excessive ride-up does not impair PFD performance. 11 to 15.5 lb. Child size lifejackets are available. The wide armholes improves mobility, which is nice, too.
Type I - has the greatest required inherent buoyancy and turns 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. This type of device is not required to turn an unconscious person in the water from a face-down position to a position 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 have minimal bulk, but cannot be expected to keep the user safe for a long period of time in disturbed water.Level 100 - intended or those who may have to wait for rescues, but are likely to do so in sheltered water. Otherwise we recommend the child not be exposed to any risk in a boat on the water. Inherent - built-in flotation (always buoyant) Adult, Youth, Child, and Infant sizes For swimmers & non-swimmers Wearable & throwable styles Some designed for water sportsusually filled with foam Minimum Buoyancy Wearable Size Type/Level Inherent Buoyancy (Foam) Adult I II & III V70 22 lb. Manufacturers are shown in these lists for Type I devices made with kapok flotation material and foam flotation material. Check with your state boating safety officials. This open-sided vest features a durable nylon shell, a leg strap and a grab handle for extra security. The design ensures that baby turns face-up from a face-forward position, while the collar cradles the head while floating. The educational health content on What To Expect is reviewed by our medical review board and team of experts to be up-to-date and in line with the latest evidence-based medical information and accepted health guidelines, including the medically reviewed What to Expect books by Heidi Murkoff. - The tendancy of a body to float or sink in water or any other fluid. And like the other Airhead life jacket listed above, this one is closed-sided for a secure fit around your little ones sides. and less than or equal to 88 lbs. Waterlogged, faded, or otherwise damaged lifejackets should be discarded.Inflatable lifejackets should be maintained per the manufacturer's instructions.Most adults only need 7 to 12 pounds of buoyancy (31 to 53 Newton) to keep their heads above water. Lifejackets are separated into four broad categories based on weight: Inherent - built-in flotation (always buoyant), I II & III V. 22 lb. Even if you're wearing a PFD, your body can cool down 25 times faster in cold water than in air. - A device which relies on buoyant material for flotation. Level 70 - intended for use by those who have help or a means of rescues close at hand, or who are near bank or shore. The label indicates whether a particular design of Type V can be used in specific application, what restrictions or limitations apply, and its performance type.Performance Level Devices:Level 50 - intended for use by those who are competent swimmers and who are near to bank or shore, or who have help and a means of rescue close at hand.Level 70 - intended for use by those who have help or a means of rescues close at hand, or who are near bank or shore.