5 Best Infant Life Jackets, Tested by a Dad and Baby

Overton’s Infant Nylon Vest was the best of all the life jackets we tested for two main reasons: First, it showed excellent buoyancy in the swim tests. Safety is obviously of prime importance when it comes to life jackets, and Overton’s vest outperformed the competition, pulling in the highest rating for safety features among the vests we tested. All seven life jackets that I tested faced the challenge of water collecting near my son’s face where the vest’s shoulder meets the headrest—it’s part of being in water—but Overton’s model kept his head above the water even when he squirmed around or looked to the side while floating. Second, this top-rated baby life jacket excelled in comfort. The black panels have a different, softer texture than other nylon life jackets I tried, which helped avoid chafing in the armpit area of the vest.

This life jacket is no slouch in ease of use either. It features one zipper, one waist strap, and one crotch strap, making it very quick to put on and take off. The buckles release in a snap, the straps are easily adjustable, and the catch handle feels sturdy. The only negative I could find with this model was that it was slow to dry after being in the pool. Overall, this jacket offers the kind of quality, durability and buoyancy you’d expect from premium models at an affordable price—at under $20, this is a truly awesome value.

Weight range: Up to 30 lbs., 15" to 21" chest size | Material: Nylon | Weight: 1 lb.

The best life jacket in the world is no good if your kid won’t wear it. A fun print can pique interest and get children more excited about putting on safety gear, and the Airhead Treasure really stands out in that area. The playful under-the-sea graphics on the front were totally unique among the vests tested. (Even my 3-year-old son gravitated towards it when all seven vests were laid out side-by-side.) This model comes in both blue and pink colorways. The blue design blends into the pool a bit, but the bright yellow buckles and zipper help it pop off the water. The pink version is much more visible.

That’s not to say that the Airhead is all style and no substance—it performed well in the float test too, netting one of the highest ratings for safety features of the vests we tested. The front panels of this vest felt slightly thicker and bulkier than the rest, which made it a bit more difficult to carry my son outside the water, but also offered nice buoyancy while floating. It has one zipper, one waist strap, and one crotch strap, so there were no issues getting my son in and out of the vest, even when he was wet and wiggly post-pool.

Weight range: 15 to 30 lbs. | Material: Nylon | Weight: 9.9 oz.

The Stohlquist Infant Life Jacket features the slimmest profile of all models we tested, grabbing the highest ratings for fit and ease of use. The front panels and the headrest are noticeably thinner than other vests, and that reduced bulk made it much easier to carry my son both in and out of the water.

This infant life jacket is a favorite of Ashlee Neuman, content director of The Bump and mom of two, who told us, “Little ones really don't like being uncomfortable (who does?), so if their life jacket is too bulky, too scratchy, too anything, they're going to put up a fight—but wearing a life jacket while boating is obviously non-negotiable. The fit of the Stohlquist Infant Life Jacket is perfect, and it's allowed my family to enjoy many pleasant, whine-free boat rides and kayak paddles.” Little design elements in the Stohlquist stand out, like the oversized front zipper. This may sound like a small detail, but anything that improves the ease of putting a vest onto an irritated baby is a very welcome bonus.

Unlike traditional vests with thick foam on the front and back and tight arm holes, the Stohlquist has most of the foam on the front and a sleeker, more open back design. As with any unique design, any two parents may have two different opinions. I found the lack of a full back covering to be a negative—meant for added mobility, I found that it added another place for the waist strap to rub against my son’s skin. But Neuman found that it allowed her children to sit comfortably and move their arms more easily. “While I (thankfully) have never had to rely on it in an emergency,” she added, “my kiddos always floated easily and kept their faces out of the water without effort. I've been so impressed with this life jacket, I used it with both my babies and then bought the toddler-size Stohlquist vests when they got bigger!”

Weight range: Up to 30 lbs. | Material: Nylon | Weight: 12.8 oz.

Over the course of my testing, it became clear that a quality headrest is one of the most important safety features an infant life jacket can have. As I mentioned above, every jacket we tested faces the challenge of water collecting where the shoulder meets the headrest. What set the safest life jackets apart was how far the headrest kept my son’s face above the water. No other model competes with the Coleman Stearns Classic Series in that regard. This is the only vest that features a squared-off headrest, which adds bulk but provides maximum buoyancy. No matter how hard my son fought the vest and tried to roll over in the pool, he could not reach his face into the water. This vest netted one of the highest scores for safety features in our testing, matched only by our overall best.

Design-wise, the plain color and square headrest don’t look as modern or fun as the rest. But the red pops against the blue water and the old-school aesthetic was well worth the added safety benefits in my book.

Weight range: Up to 30 lbs. | Material: Nylon | Weight: 10.2 oz.

Whether you’re in the pool or out on the open water, visibility is key. In an emergency situation, being able to identify your child in the water quickly can make all the difference. The Full Throttle infant life jacket is bright, bold, and just about impossible to miss in any swimming scenario, with high-contrast colors set against one another in an eye-catching design.

While a bit on the bulkier side, it displayed nice buoyancy in the float tests. The vest offers security and ease with one zipper, one waist belt and one crotch belt. Putting it on and taking it off was painless. It appeared nicely sized for a 20-pound child, as it didn’t ride up above my son’s chin in the water or on land. This vest is priced very similarly to many other comparable models, but the materials felt like good quality for the cost—I could see it being used for multiple kids over time.

It should be noted that I tested the red colorway—while my praise for the quality, durability and buoyancy of this life jacket would hold true across other models, I don’t believe the visibility would be as strong in the aqua colorway, as the pattern would more easily blend into the water.

Weight range: Up to 30 lbs. | Material: Nylon | Weight: 7.5 oz.