The 14 Best Inflatable Life Vests for 2024

The Absolute Outdoor inflatable life jacket from Onyx is one of the best. If an emergency arises, you can inflate it with the easy to pull handle. However, it’s also set up for automatic inflation as well. When you hit the water wearing this vest, the CO2 cartridge will inflate. That’s going to give you 22.5 pounds of buoyancy, which is enough for almost anyone.

The harness design is simple and comfortable. It’s lightweight, and it doesn’t constrict your movement. Be careful with some of the straps around the chest and groin area, however. If not put on right, it can become uncomfortable. The crotch strap in particular can bind.

Onyx recommends this only be used by people who are over 16 years of age or 80 lbs in weight. So this is definitely not one for the kids. It is U.S. Coast Guard approved type III Performance. You’ll need to keep this on you all the time when you’re on the water. If you don’t wear it all the time, you’ll need to have another approved PFD.

When you want an unobtrusive inflatable life vest, this is one of the best you will find. It provides a lightweight alternative to many bulkier inflatable vests. You need to manually inflate the vest by pulling the cord. Once inflated with the CO2 canister, you have 17 lb of buoyancy. That’s on the low end of the spectrum for most inflatable life vests. That said, there’s also an oral inflation tube. When you use that you can boost the buoyancy up to 26.5 lb.

Once it’s been used, it’s fairly easy to get the life vest back in the belt. It rolls up simple and you can stash it away again. The M16 manual inflatable is U.S. Coast Guard approved. Just remember, because it’s manual, you’ll need to activate it yourself. That also means you need to pull it over your own head once you’re in the water. If you’re not a strong swimmer, this might not be a good idea for you.

The big selling point for this particular PFD is the convenience. If you’re one of those people who doesn’t like having to wear a life vest all the time, this is a great alternative. If your boat trip goes smoothly, you never need to worry about it. But if something does happen, you have it right there when you need it. We recommend this for activities like paddle boarding or kayaking. Something where space is at a premium and you need freedom of movement. We think this is one of the best inflatable life jackets available.

This automatic inflation / manual inflation life jacket is another good choice. And you can get it for a reasonable price. The automatic mechanism works thanks to a melting tablet built into the structure. The moment it becomes immersed in water this tablet dissolves. That will release has a pin on the CO2 canister. That immediately inflates the life jacket with CO2 gas in three to five seconds. Of course there’s also the manual option as well. You pull the tab and the same pin will set off a CO2 canister.

We are recommending Eyson because these are high-quality inflatable life jackets. But we do need to stress that they are not certified by the United States Coast Guard. So this can’t be your only flotation devices if you’re going boating in US Waters. That said, there’s definitely a lot of advantages to using one of these. It’s made from top-quality materials. It also features high quality reflective strips that’ll keep you visible in the dark. They’re lightweight, comfortable, and easy to adjust to any body size.

It comes with two tubes for oral inflation and reflective bands. It has one CO2 cylinder and the safety whistle is included as well. You are going to want to pay attention to sizes when you order one though. They tend to size these a little small so you may need a larger size than you think. Compared to similar vests on the market, the price point is pretty good here. Again, just remember this is not a Coast Guard approved life jacket.

The Mustang Survival Khimera is a dual flotation PFD. This one is extremely unique in that it adds inflation plus standard flotation. There is foam inside of this life vest which can offer 7.5 lb of buoyancy on its own. Once you have inflated it you add another 12.5 lb of buoyancy. That gives you 20 lb total, which should be good enough for most people. The foam buoyancy gives you that stability you need to deploy the inflatable part. Unlike other manual vests, you would be less disoriented when you use this in the water. Because it also has the inflatable aspect, it’s smaller than a non inflatable vest. Basically, it’s the best of both worlds.

The adjustable belt ensures that this fits all body types. Mustang recommends users be over 90 lb if they’re going to wear the life vest, however. The low profile design here makes it ideal for active people. It shouldn’t get in your way when you’re boating or doing any water sports.

We recommend this one for people who aren’t super confident swimmers. Many typical manual inflation vests require solid swimming abilities. You need to pull the cord and then slip the vest over your own head. If you’re not a good swimmer, this could be very dangerous. Mustang’s design means you’ll be floating thanks to the foam inserts already. You’ll have the time to orient yourself and pull the cord to inflate.

Another added bonus is that this is incredibly brightly colored. It’s almost impossible to miss this thing in the water.

The Blue Storm Gear Cirrus 26 inflatable life jacket is a great, low-profile life vest. The harness look is discrete and doesn’t get in your way. When you pull the cord to inflate, it expands quickly and smoothly. This is a U.S. Coast Guard approved type III performance inflatable life jacket. It will inflate automatically once it hits the water. And the pull cord manual inflation works as a backup. Once it is fully inflated there is an oral inflation tube as well.

The company recommends this for anyone over the age of 16. It can fit users with a chest up to 56 inches. If you’re towards the higher end of that scale, proceed with caution, however. It says it can handle 56 inches but that will probably be pretty tight. A person with a larger body type may want to check out a different option. We have some larger recommendations.

You’re going to get 26 pounds of buoyancy as well, which should keep you very comfortable floating. The jacket itself is very comfortable to wear. It doesn’t have a lot of bulk to get in your way and make you feel confined. The mesh fabric also allows for good airflow. So if you’re on the boat and then it gets hot, this isn’t going to make you sweat too badly.

One of the best things about the Stearns inflatable life vest is the appearance. You’ll notice most of these life jackets are extremely brightly colored. Obviously that’s a safety feature for when you’re on a boat and go overboard. But not every inflatable life vest needs to be designed for boating in the open ocean. This is a great vest for fishing. A good automatic vest should be a part of your fishing gear if you do kayak fishing. If you want some added safety, this one from Stearns is great.

Available in camouflage, the Stearns inflatable life jacket is lightweight and unobtrusive. Under 2 lb, you’ll barely notice you have it on. The camo pattern won’t make you stand out like other life jackets when you’re casting your line, either. It’s automatically inflatable once it hits the water. Of course there’s also the manual option by pulling the ripcord. The harness like design gives your arms lots of freedom of movement. You won’t feel like you’re being restricted when casting your rod. It’s US Coast Guard approved, so you can rest assured that it will keep you afloat and safe if you need it.
Some anglers feel a standard life jacket is too bulky. And most life jackets look too bright. So Stearns may offer the best life vest for you. It’s the perfect life jacket for a fisherman who wants that extra safety.

If you’re a fan of something like stand-up paddle boarding or kayaking, check out the NRS Zephyr. It’s another inflatable belt style life jacket. It’s extremely easy to use, putting it away as a breeze as well. The waist strap is wider than many so it won’t dig into your back when you have it on. It’s also well-padded. One of the smartest design features of the Zephyr is the pull strap that you use to inflate it. If you seen other belts you’ll notice it’s often set right in the middle. This makes sense from a design standpoint because it’s easily accessible. But from a practical standpoint it can be annoying. Especially if you’re kayaking, then the pull tab get stuck between your legs. There’s been more than one kayaker who pulled it by accident trying to get it out of the way. The Zephyr has it off to the side so you’re likely only to come in contact with it when you need it.

When you use a manual inflatable life jacket, you’re going to need to slip the inflated life jacket over your head. That means you need to be confident in the water before you invest in a PFD like this. If you’re not sure of your swimming skills, you don’t want to be fumbling with this and then securing on your body.

Made for West Marine, the Mad Dog inflatable belt pack is small but effective. This inflatable life jacket only weighs one pound, so it’s easy to keep with you. The Mad Dog will manually inflate and comes with one CO2 cartridge. Just pull the cord and it inflates instantly. If the cord fails you can switch to the oral inflation backup method. When inflated, it has a typical life jacket look but it’s yellow as opposed to the blue belt.

This one has US Coast Guard approved type III performance. This is ideal if you find normal vests restrictive and uncomfortable. It’s very low key when you have it on. Remember, as a manual life jacket, this is less effective in emergency situations. If you get knocked overboard, you’ll need to be able to reach the cord to pull it. You also need to manually put it over your head after it’s been inflated. Because of that, you shouldn’t use this unless you have strong swimming skills.

With 26 lbs of buoyancy, the Mustang MIT 100 survival vest is a top quality choice. It’s one-size fits all so it should be versatile enough for most users. Just be careful when checking measurements. Larger or smaller body types may find it uncomfortable. Most people should be fine, though.

As with any good life vest, this one is US Coast Guard approved. Automatic inflation triggers within 10 seconds of being in the water. Once inflated, the life jacket is self-righting. You shouldn’t have to worry about going under once the canister inflates the jacket.

Mustang is good about making comfortable and high quality inflating life jackets. Even on a hot day this won’t make you feel gross. That’s something you’ll appreciate if you’ve ever been in a sticky, hot life jacket before.

Overall, this is a lightweight jacket. It doesn’t feel like it gets in your way, either.

Another Mustang Survival Corp product, the Survival Work Vest is ideal for workers. If you’re putting in hours on a boat, you need a reliable life vest. Their work vest is bright orange like a traditional safety vest you’ll see on a construction worker. It also offers up to 35 lbs of buoyancy. That should be enough to keep a 700 lb human afloat.

The bright orange color adds increased visibility. So do the reflective tape patches. This is key in case of a man overboard situation. It makes use of hydrostatic inflator technology. That means it can handle normal rain and spray with no trouble. Once it becomes immersed in water it will go off, though.

Because this is also a work vest, it’s not bulky or constricting. There’s a lot of freedom and movement here. But at the same time it closes surprisingly securely. Don’t worry about this coming undone or slipping off. It’s also comfortable in high heat or humidity. This is the best inflatable life jacket for serious work on the water.

Let’s face it, you’re not the only one who’s going swimming. Many of us enjoy taking our dogs out on the water. And as great as dogs can be at swimming, they need to be kept safe, too. The Namsam dog inflatable life jacket is a great option. If a traditional life jacket for your dog is a little too bulky, then this version just might do the trick.

There’s a leash loop on the back and it hooks underneath like a traditional harness. Velcro straps will ensure your pup doesn’t slip out. There’s an inflatable bladder inside to add buoyancy. It’s perfect for dogs of any size. Make sure you check their measurements chart to make sure it’ll fit. We found the small wasn’t really ideal for a very small dog. If you have a teacup anything, like a very small chihuahua, this may not work. That said, it should comfortably fit most other dogs.

When the bladder is deflated, the vest rolls up easily. It can be stored just about anywhere so no worry about it taking up space.