STEARNS Original Puddle Jumper Kids Life Jacket, Comfortable Life Vest for Kids Weighing 30-50lbs, USCG Approved Type III Life Vest for Pool, Beach, Boats, & More

Update July 2018: Two years later and we are still using this thing. We've been using it on almost a weekly and sometimes twice or three times a week schedule and this thing is still in great condition. My almost three year old can swim with confidence in this and it's allowed him to feel comfortable getting his head wet. Just about the only downside is that he often prefers using this to going without it, which as he approaches three years old, we'd like to get him more experience in learning how to swim and survive without it. Be that as it may, I couldn't recommend this highly enough! My son is a little on the big side at ~22# at nearly 11 months old. He's been swimming since he was 5 months, and has really grown quite independent in the water! But not having any floatation device for him, I have to hold him if we are in too deep. I was looking for something that would fit him easily now and for awhile to come, and give him the independence he's been craving as he constantly tries to jump out of my arms in the pool to explore on his own. I looked at several options - a life vest, the "tube", and this. Floatation helpers under the 30# range seem to be limited to actual floaration devices with neck support, which isn't really appropriate for a pool setting where I never leave my baby's side. So, I ordered this, knowing it could be a little large for him still. AND IT'S PERFECT! My son had no adjustment to this product, and loved it! He dives right in, and is able to swim short distances with it on! Will work perfectly for the beach setting next summer when we go back home to MI! This product allows my son to freely play in the shallow kid area at our pool where it's an incline into deeper water like a beach without me having a pit of anxiety of a stomach, even though I'm right there, as he crawls into deeper water. I will say that the middle part tends to ride up a bit on him a bit, so when he's in deeper water floating without support his chin is kept just above the water, but he sometimes swallows pool water when there's lots of waves/splashing from nearby. This is something that will get better in time with him growing into the product. Overall, I'm pretty excited about this product and so is my son! Believe the hype on this one and just go for it, especially if you're looking for options for fun floating for the under 30 pound but almost there crowd. We ordered the blue starfish and it's beautiful and bright!

We bought one of these last year four our two year old (she had just turned 2). We have tried every floation device/swim aid available last summer. The puddle jumpers are the only ones that we feel are easy for the kids to learn use and safe. At first our daughter wanted to tip forward and her face would go in the water, but after a week or two of using it she learned to keep her body upright and float around in it without assistance. By the end of the summer she was jumping off of the side of the pool and swimming all over. I never let her leave my sight, but I have no problems letting her swim around and don't feel like I have to be right next her while swimming. This year we bought one for our son who is 15 months. He's still in the process of learning how to sit up in the water in it, but it makes holding on to him so much easier because he doesn't want to be held close while in the pool. He wants to move and float around. I'm assuming just like his sister he'll figure out how to use it quickly and we will have two little swimmers on our hands. Great product! Highly recommend! Just remember when they first start using their puddle jumper they will naturally tip forward and their face will go in the water until they learn to stay upright. With some practice and patience they can figure out. You really do need to be next to them at all times wile they learning how to use it, but once they catch on it will make life so much easier! As far as fit goes I long very skinny kids and both puddle jumpers fit and their arms do not come out. Our son at 15 months is still just a bit tiny for his but it's still useable with supervision (and I'm sure he'll grow into it quickly).

The STEARNS Puddle Jumper is a lifesaver — literally! I got the Cancun Starfish design for my child, and not only is it super cute, but it also gives me peace of mind around the water. It fits securely without being too tight, and the material is soft, so there’s no rubbing or discomfort. My kid feels confident wearing it and has full range of motion to splash, swim, and play. Best part? They actually want to wear it. It’s Coast Guard approved, so I know it’s safe, and it's held up really well to frequent use at the pool and beach. Definitely recommend for any young swimmer!

In February 2023, I purchased the STEARNS Original Puddle Jumper Kids Life Jacket in the starfish design, and it has proven to be an excellent choice. Initially, it was a tad big for my tall and skinny toddler, who was around 1 year and 6 months at the time. Fast forward to now, at 2 years and 6 months old, and it's a perfect fit for him at around 28lbs. The adjustability of the back strap is a key feature, and I've tightened it all the way. My son feels happy and secure wearing it while playing and splashing in the pool or the ocean. This life jacket combines safety and fun seamlessly. It's comforting to see my toddler enjoying water activities while being well-protected. Highly recommend the STEARNS Puddle Jumper for its quality and adjustable design.

This was a peace of mind purchase for our 2-year old son for trips to the neighborhood pool. While we are always with him, it helped knowing he had a flotation device as well. We have used it consistently for the past year or so and I can honestly recommend this product as a great swimming aide. The single best thing about this vest is that it allows a freedom of movement to promote the range of motion needed to learn how to swim. My son quickly learned and I think the confidence of the vest really helped in that aspect. It is also nice that the vest is not cartoon-ishly large on him. It is sleek and fits snuggly with a single rear buckle. It dries out quickly so it won't leave a puddle in your car. It is also durable, as we really haven't done anything but wear it and throw it in the pool bag when we are done. With all of that said, I have noticed that this is not the same as a life vest, it wont keep him bobbing like a cork in the water. Instead it is more like a boost to keep him upright and above water while he actively kicks and treads water. It will definitely help bounce him up out of the water when he jumps in, but I don't think it is comparable to a full life vest that you would use on a lake. Great for the pool though!

We ordered this for our 3 year old who loves the water a little too much, she is fearless & that causes us to feel the opposite. We had been looking for this style of flotation device for quite some time. We were unsure if it was something that could be used as a learning tool on the way to independent swimming or just a crutch. So far it seems that the Puddle Jumper is a great tool. Our pool is 4 ft at the deepest & graded so our little one can swim independently (with close supervision, of course) without us having to be in the pool right next to her. She loves the independence that the Puddle Jumper has given her in the pool and we have seen her confidence in herself and skills rapidly rise. The look of the Puddle Jumper is great without being too bulky it allows for free-movement. The back strap is easily adjustable but doesn't appear to loosen on it's own while in use. We are happy that there is an adjustable strap that will allow for long-term use as our child grows. Stearns is such a trusted company that we wouldn't expect anything less. We, as parents, would recommend this product for anyone who has a little one and a pool or frequently visits a pool/body of water for swimming. We only wish we would have purchased the Puddle Jumper sooner.

We have had this life vest for three or four summers now and it is still as good as new. The kids want to wear it, because it is cute, it gives hem confidence, And it keeps them safe. I expect this will fit my youngest for another year or two and I’m certain it will hold up. I should mention that one of my kids prefers to wear a vest and the other prefers to wear the puddle jumper. Make sure your child is always wearing the life vest around water. The little kids will Simply assume they can float In The water and might go in the pool without it on (if you remove it) thinking they can float. One day we removed it for a Quick snack break and a little went in the pool over their head without their life vest. Thank goodness we were right there to pull them out, but it made us realize how quickly things can turn bad. In the blink of an eye.

My 4 yo (40lb) and 15 mo (28lb) both have Puddle Jumpers. All other vests and floats just reduce the weight, but provide no control for positioning -- not for the kids, not for you trying to hold them in non-drowning/swimming position. All other floats were a struggle of one kind or another. I would be exhausted just trying to keep my 15mo from drowning, even though he was wearing a life-preserver. For my 4yo, she could kind of deal with the difficulties of most floaties/preservers, but swimming was more tiring and stressful than fun -- she'd ditch swimming and go to the splash pad area after just five or ten minutes. Now, she's finally comfortable and can move around without help or periodically dunking herself as she doggy paddles -- she'll swim half an hour before wanting to go splash around. Within minutes of first having the Puddle Jumper on, my 15mo figured out how to keep his head up out of the water and from that point he was shockingly able to be semi-independent... in a floating around and awkwardly kicking sort of way. He was insanely happy to not have me holding him all the time and, frankly, so was I. Of course, for very young kids, you have to still be there and usually have a hand on them most of the time for overall safety and move them around, but the burden of it is gone. The Puddle Jumper almost keeps them in the right position to paddle around and holds up their weight effortlessly. Material and construction seem durable, buckle is firm but pretty easily adjusted (only one and in the back), and it doesn't shift around (up, down, or to the sides) like so many other vest floaties do . Downsides: The sleeves might be tight for some kids -- dry sleeves and sunblock or any oil/lotion applied immediately before sliding on helps (wet sleeves are really difficult, so don't take it off after getting wet unless you're pretty sure about it staying off). Also, they kind of hold water for a while... Like a half cup or somewhat more. Takes them about 20 minutes to mostly drain; they'll still be damp or harbor a small pocket of water still. So, make sure you have time to drain or a watertight bag to put them in for transport. Also, the only swimming that can be taught are pretty much just doggy paddle and floating on one's back, but most kids will be too young to do anything else anyway.

After searching alot for a suitable product ,I purchased the this one in pink colour. Wonderful fit and keeps my daughter on the water independently. She loves to move around with it and do her kicks and she has no Dear of deep water. I am finly hands free but still in arm reach of her in case she needs me . I am super happy with this purchase and toy recommend it to parents with similar age children.

My grandson loves it from the shark design to the freedom he has in the pool

My grandson wasn't too sure at first but loves it now. Gives him the courage to paddle all over the pool. And we adults like it because it gives us an extra second to reach the toddlers if they get into trouble.

Es de las mejores compras que he podido hacer al oriny mi niño no quería usarlo hasta que se animó y definitivamente es lo mejor de lo mejor .Lo súper recomiendo mi niño tiene 3 años y pesa 16 Kg de los brazos le queda poquito grande pero en agua no se le salen es súper seguro y si evita que su cabeza llegué a tocar el agua . Recomendable 100%

Excelente, lo compré con descuento. Llegaron al día siguiente. Es muy buen tamaño y de excelente material.. Resistente y perfecto para los niños pequeños. Flotan sin problemas y se ajusta. Compré dos para. Mis hijos de 3 y 5 años y les quedaron perfectos. Se secan rápido.