I honestly think that finding the perfect floatation device for a little one is nearly impossible! There are so many floaties on the market for kids who are learning to swim, kids who are not quite swimming, and even babies. While most of them go by weight range and sometimes ages or a skill level, those are not always 100% accurate.
When you are in the aisle at the store and you pick one that you think is going to fit your kid, you won’t actually know how well it works until you get it on your kid and you take them swimming. By then sometimes they are hard to return to the store. Trust me, I have three little ones who are in the beginning phases of learning how to swim and I found this out the hard way!
Today I wanted to share with you just some of the things I’ve personally learned about floaties for kids who are not quite independent swimmers yet.
Finding the Perfect Swim Floaty
Life Vest
The life vest has shoulder straps as well as an under crotch strap so that your kids are securely fastened in. These are great for smaller kids. My little Shrimp is still so tiny that she uses the life vest and it fits her well. The great think about the life vest is that she is securely fastened in to it, there is no getting out on her own. However, I personally don’t feel like it keeps her upright enough in the water to help her learn how to swim.
Puddle Jumper
Our absolute favorite swim floaty is the Puddle Jumper, not to be confused with any other brand that looks the same, they are NOT (more on that in a few). The puddle jumper has arm and chest support and clasps in the back. It is also adjustable in the back, which is nice and you typically buy them based on weight. They are perfect because they help keep your childs’ chest and head out of the water. They can lay on their stomach and begin to learn how to paddle and kick.
Note: Beware of other brands that look similar to the puddle jumper for example Swim School. They are much more loose and don’t fit near as well as the puddle jumpers.
Arm Floaty
The last one I want to mention is the good old fashion arm floaty, which I thought had gone out of style. I am pretty sure that these are the ONLY kinds of floaties that were available when I was a kid and they were bright orange and sticky plastic. Now, they make them with softer covers. Miss B is definitely in the arm floaty stage. She is able to swim but still enjoys wearing them for the extra confidence. These are perfect for your kids that are so close to being independent swimmers but still lack that confidence. Plus they will allow you to breathe a little easier with your little ones as they begin to take more risks while swimming, like jumping off a diving board! Ah.
So many decisions…
Finding the right flotation device is a tough gig. You know you want your kids to be safe, you want them to be good swimmers, and you want to feel comfortable with what they are wearing.
There are so many kinds, brands, and price levels that it can be very overwhelming. You really just have to shop around and find the kind that fits your child the best.
I hope that this will help you in your quest to find the perfect flotation device for your little one. Again, these are my personal recommendations from my personal experiences. You may have completely different experiences. I just wanted to share some of the things I’ve learned over the past few years to help you with that floaty shopping conundrum and ease the stress that comes this time of year with swimming.
I’d love to hear what floaties have worked best for you and your family. I hope you have a wonderful and amazing summer.
I love these tips! It can be so hard to figure out which one is best for our littles. We absolutely love our Puddle Jumper!
Amanda, that’s so true! We want them to be safe and secure but it can be difficult to find the perfect fit!
This is perfect for Summer! We just got our son to use the puddle jumper and I LOVE it! He’s only 21 months and this sort of device allows him to safely explore kicking and paddling! It also gives me a HUGE peace of mind to know that we’re being safe in the water.
Jordan, I totally agree! I love the Puddle Jumper for that same reason. They are fantastic.
I remember going to the store and seeing all the different flotation devices and thinking whhhaaatt haha. My daughter isn’t old enough to be swimming yet but next year when we need to buy one I’ll keep your tips in mind.
Thank you! Yes, it is definitely overwhelming, haha!
It is definitely so hard to find the one that fits your child best! The puddle jumper works great for our two year old but not our 19 month old… still on the search for one that works well for him! It’s hard when they are at the age they want to swim “freely” but not quite able to swim around and help keep themselves up. Thanks for sharing your helpful tips!
The vests are nice for the littler ones… I’m not sure if you’ve tried one yet!
Oooh, this is great! We’ve been wanting to get out little guy to the pool before we go on a beach trip this September. I already have a life jacket that was gifted to us in his weight range, but I don’t know how he’ll like it. I do want him to be comfortable in and around the water, though, because I absolutely love it. I’ll have to look into those Puddle Jumpers. I’ve never heard of them before!
Puddle jumpers are our favorite if your little guy falls within the weight range. I agree it’s all about making them feel comfortable and secure in the water.
Loved the floaty vest definitely going to check it out for my little guy. We’ve been a king him know the pool buts he’s terrified hopefully wearing this vest will ake him more secure in the pool.
That’s why we loved the vest for our Shrimp, it made her feel secure.
We have spent alot of time with our boys going to swimming lessons and thats what we have relied on the most. I would say Papa is our number one floaty. lol.
We have used the Life Vest, as Rakeiora saw one of the other kids with one and decided that it would be good to get one too! So for us this is what we do use if we need one.
Sounds good! I’ve relied a lot of observation and other mom suggestions as well.
This such a helpful post. I am thinking of starting will swimming lessons for my baby and these tips will come handy 🙂
Thank you! Swim floaties can be such a pain, I was just hoping to save other mamas from this drama!