About this product
This is a training jacket rather than a lifejacket. The foam panels sit on the chest and back and two float bands wrap the upper arms, which gives a young child enough lift to hold their head clear without an adult holding them – and enough freedom at the elbows, hips and knees to actually kick and reach.
That balance is the whole design problem with children-s floats. Arm bands alone push the shoulders up and tip a child face-forward. A plain foam vest with no arm support lets a nervous child roll. Combining the two keeps the body flat and level, which is the position a swimmer needs to learn anyway. As the child improves you can deflate or remove the arm sections and let the vest do less.
The chest strap adjusts for size and buckles behind the shoulders. Two things follow from that. The child cannot release it themselves, which is the point; and the strap stops the vest floating up over the chin when the water lifts it, which is what happens with an unstrapped vest and is frightening for a small child.
None of this makes it a lifesaving device. It has no collar to turn an unconscious child face-up and it is not a certified buoyancy aid. It is for a supervised pool or a calm shallow shore with an adult in the water within reach.
Kids Swimming Float Vest - Adjustable Training Jacket with Arm Bands