Which are better for a 3 year old? Life vest or Arm Floaters

[mjkacmom]

I used the arm ones with my kids, up until the age of 3 or 4. After 4, they learned to swim (some did at 3). My kids swim every day during the summer, so they just weren't allowed in the deep end until they could swim independently (a good motivator). We never used anything at the beach.

 

[chrislo]

We use the kind that goes on the back, it has 4 boards and as the child gains confidence you can remove one so that they do more of the work. I like this because it keeps my sons arms free. This is the type that is used for swim lessons.

 

[MSSANDRA]

DGS loves his puddle jumper. We got it when he was not quite two and he is still using it at 3 1/2. He has basicly learned to swim using it!!! It holds him up but lets him use his arms and legs to move himself.

 

[The 4 "Quay"balleros]

Life vests!
When I was in college I was a lifeguard at a condo pool. One busy day all I saw in the middle of the pool was 2 orange/tan things. I jumped in and got the kid, the floaties had slipped up to the poor kids wrist!(he was ok) Needless to say I don't use them on my kids.

 

[AZMermaid]

What's best is teaching your child to swim. The arm floaties are terrible because they give a child a false sense of security.

As the former director of a large reputable swim lesson program, I agree. Attached flotation devices of any kind are not allowed at our public pools because they are so unsafe and give the kid and the parent such a false sense of security. With proper lessons, 3 years olds can and should be able to play on the steps and swim back if they fall/jump off.

That said, IF I was going to use them, I would never use arm floaties. They are awful. The vests are slightly better, but when the child is upright, the can slide down into the vest and underwater while the shoulders of the vest are on floating on top. The best ones are the vests with the removable floats. Take out the front ones so he has to swim on his stomach.

 

[SmallWorld71]

That's interesting....the pool has the advantage that you can constantly see the child, and you don't have the salt water issue. I would think both of these would make it easier for swimming.

Why use a lifevest at a pool? Why not just stay with the child like you do on the lake and ocean?

The salt actually makes it easier to float/ swim, but of course you have the tide and waves so that kind of balances out I guess. Also, FWIW, where I live the beach is not crowded (residential, not public) so your view of the kids is never obstructed like it can be elsewhere. Those crowded beaches are scary!
I think the reason we always used the vests in pool was because my mothers' pool doesn't have stairs, just a ladder, so the whole thing was over the kids' heads. Then when they would go to other pools they wouldn't understand why they couldn't just jump in like they could at Grammies'. It seemed safer to just keep the vests on them.
The only time one of my children has ever gone underwater and given me a fright was in a pool. DS11 was 6 and had been swimming on his own for about a year, but he misjudged or panicked or something and went under. I went right after him (I was swimming with DD(2)) but DS14 (9 at the time) reached him first and pulled him out. DS11 still talks about the time his brother saved his life.
I think the bottom line here is that water safety should never be taken lightly.

 

[Halbleib1]

I see a lot of young children using floaters on their arms in pools public and otherwise. My DGS is 3. I was wondering if he would do better with them as oppose to a life vest. Of course he always has an adult with him but he uses a life vest now when he's in a pool.

Are all floaters the same safety wise or is one type better than another?

Do Disney resort pools allow them?

Some public pools will only allow life preservers that are certified as such. Arm floaties are not certified as a life saving device.

Disney pools have life jackets that you can borrow on a first come first serve basis as do the waterparks.

 

[Zoesmama03]

I think both can give kids confidence in water that is needed for them to learn. BUT they need to be adjustable. Either vests or suits that you can reduce the flotation on.

I was always thinking the arm floaties were useless. But I broke down and bought a pair the year my dd was turning 4. Slowly let air out of them each time(I knew she was capable of floating and treading but she was just uncomfortable not having me holding her) and she was "swimming"(treading anyway) in about a months time without them. She has not used either since that summer. She does occasionally play with noodles and rings but that is in our community pool where they are allowed.

Neither should ever replace a parent or older kid/teen actually being in the pool with and near them. But both will work perfectly arm floaties are just cheaper. Some public pools will only allow coast guard approved life vests here though so check with the places you are going. It may be wise to just invest in life vests that are approved. Regardless I think most pools that do allow them though also have rules that state someone 16+ needs to be in the pool with them.

 

[monkey0816]

We use the kind that goes on the back, it has 4 boards and as the child gains confidence you can remove one so that they do more of the work. I like this because it keeps my sons arms free. This is the type that is used for swim lessons.

Yes, we use these too...

http://www.amazon.com/Water-Gear-Float-4-Color-Split/dp/B0002HRAZ4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1278730854&sr=8-2

 

[ajjollie23]

What we use for our 16 month old and my nieces and nephews that they really seem to like is called a puddlejumper. it is like an old ski belt that is filled with foam just on the front with floaties sewn to the ends of it. My DD wont swin in anything but it. They have them at target, walmart, and bass pro shops for around $20 and offer alot more movement that a vest.

We also you the puddlejumper for our almost 3 year old. He loves it. it gives him a little more stability than just swimmies but also gives the flexibility

 

[raynlyz]

We use the puddlejumpers also. They look like a vest with floaties attached to them. They are the best!!! They are not consticting at all either. My 2 year old uses it in our pool and it's like he is swimming on his own.

 

[TinkerbelleAbbysMom]

I have been looking into swim lessons for DD3. I spoke with one director of a center who warned against using the arm floats b/c it causes their feet to point down vertical immediately. He explained she needs to be more horizontal in the water. He also explained how their buoancy changes every year which can be confusing for the child. They recommend year round lessons. Anyway, He recommended one of the swimsuits with the floats in them until we can get her started with lessons. Unfortunatley, he has nothing avail until sept.

 

[TwinsinCA]

My youngest uses the vest AND the arm floaties.

With my girls I used both as well. It was the only way I knew both of their heads would be out of the water. With just one or the other they could tip forward or sink too much.

My kids were probably 5 before they were tall enough to touch the ground of the shallow end of the pool. Sticking to the steps until then was too limiting, and with two little ones I felt better with the vest & floaties.

 

[letsgoagainsoon]

I just bought both this week for my kids. I may be in the minority here, but my 2yr olds did MUCH better in the pool with the arm floaties. They have some experience in water, but when I put a vest on my son, he immediately started spinning and was face down...he is too young to understand to keep his head back, plus he could not even move with it on. On the other hand, my 6 yr old did great with the vest. Either way I'm right there with them and won't trust anyone but myself to watch them. I had never used a life vest before so I would just make sure you and your child knows how to use them before getting in a pool. HTH!

 

[DisneyLaura]

My sons used vests but my DD4 uses arm floats. I think it depends on their ability to swim. My DD4 is much better at this age than my DS11 and DS8 was at her age.

 

[arielsleepingbeauty]

I would never use arm swimmies again. When my DD was 2 . We were swimmng in my ingroundpool which is 4 feet deep, but we have a part that jets out to the side with a seat and that is where she was. She was jumping off the seat into the water. I was in the pool with both her and with my youngest DD who was a baby. I was holding my baby and noticed my daughter was slowly sinking. Her arm and head were going under while one stayed above the water. I was close to her, but my mom jumped in because she could get to her faster.
One of the floaties had come unplugged and was deflating.
I got her a vest after that. My niece is 9 and cannot swim. She is developmentally delayed. She has a suit that she wears with flotation devices already in it. No need to worry about anything becoming deflated.

 

[CindyMcClung]

The life vest is the best for sure! I hate to see the floaters on the children and they slide off an scare them to death....not fun for anyone!

 

[busyshrew]

At 3, I'd vote for the vest or nothing. I think water wings are dangerous for young pre-swimmers because they give the parents a false sense of security. Better to have no flotation device at all, and have a vigilant parent an arms length away is my opinion.

My DD is now 6 and has passed a level of swimming (they all have different names, don't they?) where she can swim 15 metres unassisted, tread water for 20 seconds unassisted, and has been taught how to jump into the pool safely. So for her, water wings are fine. They are a toy.

Interestingly enough, now that she can swim, she doesn't WANT to wear the wings, she finds them annoying and restrictive now.

 

[mom2AandL]

another vote for puddlejumpers! my sons (4 and 3) love them. They both had vests but I think they were cumbersome and sometimes would tilt their face in the water if they were not careful. With the puddlejumpers, they practice their kicks, jump in the water and practice putting their face in. They also feel more comfortable floating on their back in these than anything else. I think what you can see here is that everyone has their opinions. I dont like just the arm wings, I do think they are dangerous but I really like the puddlejumpers because they seem to give my kids more confidence when they are practicing.

The boys take lessons at the Y (I did too as a kid) and they use the float belts and sometimes a floatable barbell thing. they have done so much better with these than they did with nothing at all. they were too afraid. Now both of them will try swimming without anything for a little while and then go back to the puddle jumpers if they want to swim around. with just one parent in the pool (me) I feel so much better knowing they have something rather than nothing.

http://www.amazon.com/Stearns-Puddl...e=UTF8&s=sporting-goods&qid=1278898369&sr=8-1

 

[Bephus]

I hate floaties! They are dangerous and misleading. They don't allow the child to be in the proper position to swim and can slip off, pop, etc. I don't use anything with my kids except my hands. They can swim away from me when they can swim. DS4 has had two years of lessons and can swim indepentantly now and DD2 is in my arms playing. Period. If we go to a lake or in a boat and they will just be splashing at the shore, they wear a CGA life vest. At the beach they don't go on the water without me so we don't use anything yet.
Vests are cheap and effective if used correctly.