Inflatable Life Jackets

Inflatable life jackets come in two basic styles, suspender-style and belt packs. The suspender-style fits over your shoulders and clips in the front and the belt pack, which is worn like a fanny pack around your waist, but is positioned in the front. Some inflatable life jackets have an auto-inflate feature that activates when submersed in water. All inflatable life jackets have a manual-inflate pull cord mechanism and an oral inflation tube. We tested three suspender-style inflatable life jackets; however there are many others on the market.

Spinlock Deck Vest

The most complex of the inflatables, the 150N Spinlock Deck Vest ($399.99) features an integral sailing harness and leg straps. It also has a line cutter to free you from entanglement, a spray hood to prevent the ingestion of water, and a strobe light to be spotted from a distance. Because of all the extra features, including the auto-inflate mechanism, the jacket was heavier and considerably harder to don and to adjust than the others.

Baltic Winner

A more basic version of the European-rated jacket was the 150N Baltic Winner ($89.99). The substantially lower price is partially a result of the manual inflation (an auto-inflate version is available) and simple design relative to that of the DeckVest. The Winner has a crotch strap that proved beneficial in keeping the jacket from riding up. The Winner relies on a zipper that separates upon inflation, and in theory, makes the unit easier to repack. However, testers discovered that the zipper sometimes came apart when it wasn't supposed to.

Mustang Auto Deluxe

The Mustang Auto Deluxe ($247.50) is the mid-priced jacket in this category, and was a “Staff Pick” because of its all around simplicity for an inflatable life jacket and the ability to repack easily, in part because of the Velcro closure. The in-water performance was similar to the other two inflatables, but testers noted this jacket was initially tight around the neck after inflation and they had to let some air out through the oral inflation tube to improve comfort. The Mustang was the only US Coast Guard-approved life jacket tested in this category, although there are several other manufacturers that make Coast Guard-approved inflatable life jackets.

Before making a purchase in this category, you should consider what type of boating you do. Testers felt the DeckVest was the best choice if you venture offshore for days at a time. It floated our tester high and provided a great sense of security, especially if waiting for a rescue. If nearshore boating is more your style and you’ll be taking the jacket on and off, a simpler jacket with fewer accessories might be a better choice. Once deployed, all of the inflatable life jackets were difficult to swim in, but all turned our testers face up, as designed – adding peace of mind, especially if you are rendered unconscious.

Donning the Spinlock Deck Vest was a very complex task.