Product Tested By Andrea Kemp – George 3 Years
Andrea Awarded The Swimbest Vest 4.5/5
When we first opened the Swimbest vest the first thing we noticed was the bright and vibrant design it had. The vest look really well made and George wanted to put it on straight away. The design and concept is great and really gives you peace of mind with my young child in the water, George is slowly gaining in confidence and the vest really aids him being able to keep afloat but also have the freedom to move his arms and legs, I love that you can remove floats as they get more confident too. Instructions were easy to follow, and it was easy to work out how to correctly put the vest on and make any adaptions that are needed. I found the fit perfect for George he is quite a tall and robust little boy, but the vest was easy to put on and he was very comfortable wearing it. I always find adjustable straps a little frustrating on most things, but this one isn’t too bad and once you get the hang of it, it really is quite easy to adjust. We found that George was slightly uncomfortable with the strap and kept asking for it to be taken off as he just did not like it there at all even with a long swimsuit on. We opted for having it to the side of him and will keep trying to encourage him to wear it the correct way. George does get very funny with certain things so this was not a surprise. George loves the swim vest and the pictures on it, but at the moment struggles to do the zip up by himself so needed a little bit of help. Other than the extra strap through the legs George absolutely loves wearing this swim vest and when asked he said it was comfortable, and he was happy and loved it. We have used a different vest before but he didn’t like it as it pulled him to far forward so this has been great for him as he feels happy and confident in it. The swim vest has most definitely been great at helping George become more confident in the water he will now explore the water more and not cling on for dear life like he used to before, the swim vest offers the perfect amount of comfort and support to make him feel free and really enjoy the whole swimming experience as its not restricting. The buoyance is perfect in this vest it definitely gives the right amount of help and keeps them afloat it doesn’t pull them forward to the point they can’t stay up straight which has been such an improvement on the last vest we tried. George was able to kick his legs and splash his arms effectively without feeling restricted from the swim vest. George currently needs the full set of 8 foam floats in the vest but we tried the vest and removed one of the floats to see how hard/easy it was and they have definitely made this easy meaning you can change it within seconds. The swim jacket has helped improve confidence in the water. George has always been a little funny with being in the water and clings on for dear life but this time he was happy and loved exploring. I think the fact the vest keeps him afloat but doesn’t have that heavy pulling sensation has definitely helped by the end of our first swim in the jacket George was jumping in to daddy and also happy to go on the inflatables and wasn’t phased at all. I was confident after the first few minutes I am always dubious to start with but as soon as we were in the water I could tell he would be absolutely fine and the confidence was gained. I definitely think that keeping them warmer in the water is a good thing as the pools can be quite cold and also its great for when we are at the Beach as we are lucky to live near the beach and go frequently. I love that is also has sun protection again making it great for the summer days at the beach. We currently go swimming at least once a week sometimes more so the jacket has been used quite a few times already.
George has used this at the local swimming pool and also at a private pool that we hire to have family swims in, it has been too cold for the beach yet but we are looking forward to him trying it there. I think this vest would be a great addition to the suitcase for taking on holiday, it gives such great peace of mind so anywhere your child will be going swimming this would be the perfect addition. The swim jacket did dry pretty quick but left quite a puddle on the floor while it was drying out. George loved the design on the jacket, we have the all at sea design which is a lovely vibrant blue and orange with a lovely boat and whale motif on it. I love the fact that I could relax more and let him enjoy swimming and seeing his happy face loving the water and playing so happily. The quality of the vest is amazing, it feels robust but also soft and comfortable, it feels really breathable and lightweight. I think this product is definitely great value for money. I think the price is really reasonable in fact I would pay more for it knowing it is a great safe product and will last quite a long time for my little one, We have used it so much already and it will continue to get lots of use. I would definitely buy this vest as it has given me peace of mind and given George the confidence and independence in the water that we haven’t seen before. I would definitely recommend this product to friends and family as I feel being in the water is such a massive bonus for children and it’s great to know they are safe and protected so you can breath and enjoy time together. I have given this product 4.5 as it really is a great product that is bright and inviting and definitely has helped so much but the downside is the strap which I know is there to add extra safety but for us it caused more upset and he is still very safe and secure even without it on and just left to the side of his leg. This swim vest definitely ticks a lot of the boxes from confidence in the water to peace of mind for us parents, The designs are vibrant and inviting and catches the eye of the child for sure as it was the first thing George noticed on his and he absolutely loved the colours and design. The material is breathable, lightweight yet soft and robust and in my little boys own words it is comfortable and he likes wearing it, My little boy could swim kicking his legs and moving his arms with no restrictions and as a parent you get that peace of mind that they are safe and the buoyance aid will keep them afloat so you can give them that extra bit of freedom in the water. The vest is easy enough to pack in the bag and take with you and it would be perfect for holidays; beach trips or just trips to the swimming pools. The price is amazing, and you really do get great value for money as this product will last a good amount of time. George didn’t like the extra safety strap and found it more of a hindrance but he is very fussy with materials and things so this will probably not be the case with lots of other children. The vest is sure enough without the strap and with it just being left to the side of his legs. Overall this swim jacket is a great product that I would highly recommend and I am so grateful we have now found a swim vest that doesn’t pull forward to much and is so easy to adapt and adjust so it can advance with your child’s swimming capabilities. Andrea Kemp – George 3 Years
Product Tested By Heather Green – Callum 4 Years
Heather Awarded The Swimbest Vest 5/5
This arrived well packaged, attractive colours for kids. Love the design and colours of the vest – like that they all have a different theme. Easy to follow instructions and easy product to use. This fitted him lovely, he really loved it. The adjustable straps are very handy! My son is very tall for his age so needed to adjust to fit. The strap sat nicely between his legs, the strap is excellent- previous jackets haven’t had this and they come up and make him fall over. My son loved this and was able to do most of it himself. He also appeared to be comfortable wearing this. My son is currently doing swimming lessons but not strong enough to be in a big pool without a float. He loved this jacket. This has been effective keeping him afloat. He had kept head up and didn’t seem to tilt. This did deliver freedom in the water and he was able to paddle about as he wanted. The buoyancy floats are an amazing added extra. These were easy to remove and put back in as needed. This helped build my son’s confidence in the water and he loved it. I was confident he was safe in the water wearing this. Very important this helps keep them warm in the pool and also offers UV protection in the sun. we would use multiple times a day. 100% perfect to take on holiday. Love that it’s quick drying, stops it becoming smelly or damp. My son liked the freedom it gave him in the pool. I liked the fact you can remove floats and leg straps. Excellent quality, really well made. I think it’s an excellent price especially for the versatility that it offers. I would buy this as it is a lovely jacket and fits our needs perfectly. I would recommend as it is a fab jacket with many great perks. We love this jacket! Everything you could ask for. From the eye catching colours, leg strap, ability to remove floats and the UV protection it’s excellent. Our experience with this product has been amazing, my son absolutely loved the colours and design of it. For his age (4) the ability to remove the floats as their swimming ability betters is amazing! Having a leg strap is also such a brilliant extra, this keeps the jacket in place. Heather Green – Callum 4 Years
Product Tested By Zoe Scale – Tamara 5 Years
Zoe Awarded The Swimbest Vest 5/5
Was very impressed when this arrived, colourful, looked high quality and my daughter could not wait to try it on. Good design and good swimming aid. Instructions clear and easy to follow. I was surprised this was ideal fit for my daughter as she is tall for her age. This was easy to put on, fitted her around the chest perfectly and the adjustable strap between the legs worked well and stopped this riding up. She did also say it was comfortable and did not worry her at all. Good to be able to adjust to fit her needs. She found this easy to use in the pool. She is quite determined to do everything herself so would pout it on easily and we would just double check the adjustable strap to ensure secure and comfortable. My daughter has been going swimming for a few years now and this really did help her with backstroke. It also really enhanced her confidence in the water too. This kept her afloat no issues. She enjoyed wearing this as it helped her freely move in the water and try out different strokes knowing she was buoyant and safe in the water. For some of the swim strokes we did adjust the floats as she is more advanced in front crawl. So easy to adjust the floats when required. My daughter is fairly confident in the water but this did boost her confidence when doing certain swimming strokes which she was not that good at. I was totally confident she was safe and happy in the water. Liked the fact this kept her warmer for longer in the pool and had the UV protection for summer. We have used this weekly for swimming lessons, and also taken on holiday so was used at the hotel pool and on the beach. My daughter loved the design and comfort. I loved the fact it kept her safe in the pool, and also happy and comfortable in the beach and I could clearly see her when on the beach on holiday. The quality is outstanding and will last a while. You cannot put a price of keeping your child safe in the water so for me excellent value for money. If they went up to a larger size I would buy this. I have already recommended to parents at her swimming classes. We all loved this jacket. Easy to use, easy to dry, comfortable and kept our daughter safe and happy in the water. Zoe Scale – Tamara 5 Years
