Customer Reviews

Speedo Begin to Swim Classic Swim Vest

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

My son has used his size large from 5 to 6 years old. It was absolutely perfect for him to gain confidence in our pool at home. Now my older son is growing out of his and able to swim on his own. But my toddler is about ready for a vest of his own, so I'm back to buy a medium for him.

In case there is still any confusion about the use of this vest, let me help clear it up:

This vest is a swim trainer, not a life-jacket. It supplies enough support in the water for weak swimmers to gain strength and confidence. Any circumstance they would be practicing swimming in a pool, on the shore of a lake, pond, or the pool of a waterfall, this vest will allow them to swim without sinking easily. They will have to work a little to keep their head above water. It is a swimming vest, not a lazy floating vest. When my son was about 5, it took him an afternoon to get used to the vest and taking partial responsibility for keeping himself up and swimming. After that we both felt reasonably confident of his general water safety and became very comfortable swimming with this product. He was free to use his arms to paddle, as well as kick around. This vest gives kids a good strong start in the water.

(Please note, this is not for use in the ocean in most circumstances. Sometimes a floating child in the sea is in more danger than a sinking one. Better keep kids safe, within your reach in shallow water they can stand in, and/or secure in a certified life vest. No young child should be allowed to swim unsupervised regardless of how great their floatation device is.)

This life vest is great. The medium fit my 2 yr old perfectly. He is 30 lbs 36 inches. I felt a lot safer with it in the pool.

I ordered this for my 2-year-old, 27-lb. son to use in the pool. Amazon and Speedo's website both do not have poundage information for the sizing but I guessed and ordered a medium. I was worried when the tag said "2-4 years 22" chest 33-45 lbs" as my son is definitely below the weight, but this vest fits him perfectly. Hopefully this information will help others. My son loves the vest because he can kind of float a bit on his own and I feel safer knowing he's not going to sink to the bottom (of course I stay near him in case he goes under).

Not too bulky, but gives plenty of support. My only issue is that sometimes it rides up and gives my son a rash on his neck from rubbing against it.

Purchased this thinking it could be used for our child on a boat. Nothing in the description and nothing on the Speedo site states its use until I purchased the jacket and clearely stamped in the inside of the jacket, it says "not to be used for boating." I'm not sure how you would use this vest since most pools don't allow swim vest in the regular pools and if you are at a lake, you will probably be on a boat as well. Seems to be too specialized for casual use, so we had to return it. I would have saved time and Amazon would have saved shipping costs if they would provide more information in the item description. Even the tags for this item suggest it as a life jacket.

I was also disappointed that the sizes didn't state a weight. Again, had to go to the Speedo site to determine the Medium was 30-40 and Large was 40-50 pounds. I have been an Amazon customer for 11 years and recently have found descriptions lacking resulting in several returns when I had maybe one over the previous 10 years. Would always purchase through Amazon if an item was available, but help us out with updating some of the descriptions. :)

These are not Coast Guard approved and they will not let my child wear this at our Health Club pool. They also do not allow it at swim lessons. Some people may already know that, but if you buy it and want to use it at a club or a place where they have lifeguards, they will not allow these into certain pools. Whether or not the vest actually works, I cannot say. I don't have my own pool to try it out in. We opted for a puddle jumper because it's coast guard approved and we can use it at our gym. Kind of a bummer, I liked the neoprene factor to keep them warm.

I bought two of them for my kids for our trip to Jamaica. The kids (3 and 5 years old) loved them and used them everyday in the pool and on the slides. They are great and fit well and did not restrict my kids' movements or made them uncomfortable. I think the best proof it is a good product is the fact the my kids asked to wear them, I didnt have to force them at all! It was a good investment.
Please remember it is not design to keep the child above the water completely. It makes swimming for young child easier that's all. You need to supervise your child at all times.

This vest is perfect for your little one who is more confident in the water but not ready to swim on their own. The swim vest does not hold a child's head out of the water so I would not recommend it for infants, but for a 3+ who is ready to navigate the pool on their own, it is a great buy. I did not give it 5 stars because in the first few months that we had it the inner layers of foam got twisted and moved out of place. The inner layers are several pieces of foam stacked together that allow your child to swim freely, but they move out of place easily making it not lay flat anymore. I hope others have better luck with it. We are on our second season of using it and the bumpy bulky back doesn't seem to bother my daughter. I am considering buying another one for my niece.

We've tried a few different flotation devices. We look for comfort, durability and effectiveness. This vest is well-made, stays on without sliding up to my child's neck and is comfortable enough that he isn't begging to take it off, which was a concern, particularly where the strap (ehem) is concerned. Since I was unclear about the right size to purchase for my 6 year-old, I'll note that this fit him well.

This is a great light weight secure vest. Both my boys learned to swim this past summer, but I require they wear a vest at the Ocean beach. Also, when an adult is not in the pool with them, they also wear the vest for extra safety. Safety comes first. Never underestimate the dangers of the water.