XS Life Jackets
54 products
O'Neill Superlite 50n Buoyancy Impact Vest
Life Jacket
Zhik 2023 P3 PFD Buoyancy Aid Black
Life Jacket
Zhik 2023 P3 PFD Buoyancy Aid Blue
Life Jacket
O'Neill Reactor Ii 2mm Neoprene Vest
Life Jacket
Three tips when buying a lifejacket
It’s of the utmost importance that your lifejacket fits you properly and won’t slide up, regardless of its specified maximum weight. If you weigh 75kg but find a lifejacket for 50–70kg fits you best, choose that one rather than the one recommended for your weight but is far too big. This is why you should never buy a lifejacket for a child to “grow into”. Nor should children wear inflatable lifejackets. There are special lifejackets for children baby och junior.
If you need to be able to move a lot, choose an inflatable life jacket. Automatic inflation means that you won’t need to inflate the lifejacket manually if you fall into the water. On the other hand, manual inflation means that you can choose when you want to inflate the lifejacket – if you need to jump in to rescue another person, for instance.
Lifejackets come in four safety classes that are measured in Newtons: the higher the Newton number, the more buoyancy the lifejacket has.
If you can swim and weigh at least 25kg: 50N will help you to float but not to roll onto your back. As this is a lighter life jacket, it’s most suitable for water sports, fishing and coastal sailing.
If you can’t swim and weigh at least 40kg: 100N and upwards is recommended if you can’t swim or if you want an extra safe life jacket. While this is a slightly heavier lifejacket, it will help you to turn the right way if you end up in the water.
If you can swim and weigh at least 40kg: 150 Newton and above is recommended for swimmers, as it will only help you to float if inflated. 275+ Newton is suitable for use by rescue personnel or others carrying heavy equipment.
The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) has some useful safety information on its website.