I’m just going to come right out and say it: Mustang Survival makes the best kids’ life jackets, period. I know this may seem odd coming from me, since I spend a good portion of this blog trying to help families save money while fishing, and these jackets are so expensive, but I really believe in this product. I’ve bought enough to outfit my entire family with them, and have experience with the various children’s sizes available. I would highly recommend that you pick one up immediately for your infant, child, or youth. Read on to find out why.
Peace of Mind
A quality child’s life jacket gives you peace of mind, making investing in one a prime safety tip. When we think about going off on the water with our families, we envision smiling children, bright sun, calm waves. Unfortunately, nature does not care about your PTO day and none of this is the norm. If you took a week off to head to the lake, you’re going to have to deal with whatever weather you’re confronted by, and it’s usually grim. Even if it starts off nice enough, it doesn’t take much for the wind to pick up and the seas to become dangerous. A good life jacket will keep your kids secure.
“Sure, John, but we just won’t go swimming on a bad day — we’ll stay in the boat.” Well, you certainly think you will. But what about when that drunk weekend warrior comes by and rams you by accident? Have you been to a boat ramp on a holiday? They are out there and they don’t know what they’re doing. Even if you are a strong boater, playing by all the rules, all it takes is one idiot to send your family into the drink.
You share the water with people who don’t value life as highly as you. You must outfit your children with the best protection, period, and Mustang Survival is a brand that will help you do that.
A Durable Life Jacket Your Kids Can Grow With
I appreciate the design of these kids life jackets so much that I’ve kept my son in one for his entire life. As you can see from the three photos below, I’ve been practicing what I preach. I love how Mustang Survival makes a life jacket for the entire family to grow in. Now, my daughter is using her older brother’s old equipment as it is tried and true. These are high-quality kids life vests that don’t break down and can hold up to years of fishing, though they come with a decent warranty for the kids’ gear (as of checking, it’s 2 years, which is about as long as you might expect your child to fit in most of these).
Handy Features
As you can see from the photos above and below this section, these kids life vests have some great features. I love how they come with grab handles as well as neck and head protectors. Further, their double redundancy of snaps and zippers give extra peace of mind. They come in bright colors that kids think are cool and rescuers might be able to find. Finally, they basically act as body armor for your little ones.
Grab Handles
As you can see from the photos on this page, these child life jackets come with a “grab handle.” This is important as it allows you to lift them swiftly from the water should they fall in. The handle will not place any pressure on their neck and instead they’ll be lifted from under their arms.
My wife and I find this handle to be very useful when our children are leaning over staring at fish in the livewell, or even just to hold onto them and give them some security when they’re fighting a particularly large fish on the boat. It’s much easier to grab and hold these handles (which can be done with one hand) than to try and wrap your hands around their torso in any of these situations.
Neck and Head Guard
While you can buy Mustang Survival children’s life jackets without a neck / head guard, it is a feature that I prefer and recommend. We’ve pool-tested this as a family and it helps little ones keep their head above water should they fall in. Further, it is a little bit of padding in case they topple down on a wobbly boat. I like this option and recommend it, though it is a bit bulkier than a kids’ life vest without one.
Zipper and Buckle
Every parent knows that kids get into things, and while you’re out fishing, you aren’t always guaranteed to notice if your little one unclasps a buckle or unzips their life vest. It’s nice to have a little double redundancy here and two levels that the kids need to go past before they can take these jackets off without you knowing.
Bright Colors
Kids like bright colors and these life jackets don’t disappoint. However, these aren’t bright colors simply for style – they also have a very important feature: they can be easily scene by rescuers. I’ve never understood why some life jacket manufacturers offer them in dark blues or murky greens – that can’t be easy to spot from a rescue boat.
Infant Body Armor
If there is any downside to these jackets, it’s that they’re a little bulky for infants. Once you get into the child and youth sizes, they tend to fit better.
All the same, this bulk isn’t necessarily a deal breaker. Indeed, it can be beneficial for younger, clumsier kids who are walking around the boat, knocking into everything they can and falling down left and right.
When I first started taking my son out, he’d often bounce into things while he was on his way up to the casting deck to check out a fish I’d caught. His Mustang Survival infant life jacket no doubt spared him from his share of bruises, especially one time that he fell backward. Do you see the head protection in the photo to the left? That works wonders for keeping your kids smiling happy on a wave-tossed boat.
As mentioned, once your child grows older the bulkiness ends and they become just like any other life jacket. I’ve yet to hear my son complain about any of the life jackets I’ve bought him from this brand, though when he was little I did go out of my way to ensure he had plenty of fish to reel in and play with so he wouldn’t notice any discomfort.
Conclusions
Look, this is a product I really believe in. I know it isn’t the least expensive option out there, but I don’t skimp when it comes to my kids’ life jackets and neither should you. I’ve been fishing with my kids for awhile now, and these life vests work well for them. They’re comfortable and effective. I’d highly recommend that you go ahead and place an order for them. You can find them at the following links:
By all means, click on any of these links and read through some further reviews from parents. You’ll see that these are well-thought of.
Hopefully you found this article helpful. I try to recommend products that I actually use and enjoy. I’m happy that you read this, as it likely means you’re preparing to take your little ones on the water. If you’re just getting started, consider buying my book, Fishing with Kids: A Parent’s Guide. I wrote it to try and help parents take their kids out fishing. If you read it and find some success, I’d love to hear about it! Please drop me an email, or post a comment below!
Have a great day for fishing,
John Paxton
