SPEEDO SWIM VESTS A MUST FOR TODDLER UNITS
Written: Oct 09 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Small enough to pack for trips and comfortable enough to have fun in.
Cons: Children can unzip these quickly!
The Bottom Line: The Speedo swim vest is a must if you have a pool in your backyard.
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| fisch's Full Review: Speedo Boy's Swim Vest |
WHY BOTHER BUYING ONE OF THOSE?
We have had a pool for many years and it has been a rule in our house that all children 6 or younger who can still wear a Speedo swim vest, must wear it once the key turns in the bolt to the backyard regardless of if they were going outside to swim or not. This may sound like a silly rule, but all of our boys have taken multiple head dives in the off season while riding scooters, trikes and so forth. The ‘toys' tend to end up at the bottom of the pool, but the shocked and frozen children are able to get out quickly. The vests have also helped us quickly retrieve the boys from the pool during their toddler years. It's not that we weren't watching them or warning them, it's just that talking only goes so far and kids will be kids.
Each child had two vests because after swimming and getting dried off they would invariably want to continue to play outside which required the dry vest; so I would definitely recommend two per child if you have a pool in your backyard. Also, each year we purchase two new vests for each child that still needs them since the sunshine and chlorine fade them out quite a bit during the year; we keep the older vests for an additional year so when the boy's friends or cousins come over, so we have extra vests. The price on the vest was usually around $25; you can also pick these up at the end of the season for the following year much cheaper.
STYLES & SIZING
The styles vary with each season. We have been buying these swim vests for the last 10 years. The very first year we bought the Speedo swim vest, it did not come with the strap between the legs or the Velcro tab at the top of the zipper; so those were nice improvements in functionality for the children. The Speedo swim vest comes in boy and girl styles; honestly the boy styles would work for boys or girls alike, but the pink vest would definitely be too girlish. My boys have had orange vests, bright blue vests, florescent green vests and their current one is a florescent green vest with dark blue edging and sharks on the side panels under the arms. The between leg strap goes from the back and latches under the front zipper; the strap is adjustable and the excess hangs down in front of them. There is also a velcroed flap at the top to cover the zipper when zipped up.
Medium is for a 2-4 year old child with a 22" (56 cm) chest who weighs between 33 & 45 lbs. (15-20.50kgs).
Large is for a 4-6 year old child with a 24" chest who weighs between 45 & 60 lbs.
WASHING INSTRUCTIONS & VEST WARNINGS
Information on the vest itself:
The lining is 93% Polyester and 7% spandex. You must remove the insert to wash the vest; hand wash cold; dark colors separately; only non-chlorine bleach when needed; line dry; do not iron; do not dry clean.
Warning: ONLY TO BE USED IN WATER IN WHICH THE CHILD IS WITHIN ITS DEPTH AND UNDER ADULT SWIMMER SUPERVISION. THIS IS NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE. DO NOT LEAVE CHILD UNATTENDED WHILE IN USE.
PERSONAL USEAGE COMMENTS
Please don't trust this to save your child's life in an unsupervised situation. The vest tips the child forward into a swimming position which makes it hard for them to keep their head up unless they have grown accustomed to swimming with it. With the exception of one of our four boys, you have to practice with them a lot until they get the hang of using it while swimming especially if they have spent a few years floating around in a swim tube (the vest with the attached tire tube and between leg strap). It is really easy for kids to unzip, so pay close attention to them. My boys could get the vest off in a few seconds in the pool which caused us to use it with the zipper in the back - not recommended by Speedo in any way, but it was safer for us and there was no flotation difference in the vest since it is so well balanced. Also, never show kids that the Styrofoam can be removed or they will.
The Speedo swim vest is a great swim training item since their arms are free to move as they would while swimming without the vest on. Each of our boys has easily transitioned from "swimming" in their vests to swimming without them throughout the summers. The vest is also wonderful at the beach, in the lake and at water parks.
BOTTOM LINE
The Speedo swim vest has allowed all of our kids to learn to swim in the pool throughout their many summers and has given us the ability to quickly retrieve them from the pool during their off season escapades. The vest does not hinder them while playing outside or swimming. We have been purchasing these for the last ten years and have never had issue with their design or functionality. They are small enough to pack for trips and comfortable enough for our boys to have fun in.
Enjoy!
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
fisch
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Reviews written: 37
Trusted by: 6 members
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