5 Plus-Size Life Jackets for Adventurous Travellers

There are lots of things to think about when you’re planning a holiday. What outfits you want to bring, the activities you’re going to do, where you’re going to stay; but being plus size means having even more to think about, as you’re trying to navigate in a world that might not have space for you. One area where plus sizes might not be taken into consideration is safety – in fact, many activities would rather that you abstain from joining in, than find safety solutions to fit larger bodies. A basic way to be inclusive about safety is for companies to provide life jackets that are going to cater to plus size people. While this remains a pipe dream for now, we’ve put together a list of life jackets that you can get yourself and bring along to advocate for your own safety.

Here are 5 plus size life jackets that we think are worth taking along with you if your holiday includes any kind of water sports.

We’re starting with the life jacket that shares joint first place for the largest chest size, which Full Throttle asserts will fit somebody up to the weight of 400lbs. The sizing is called “oversized”, which makes us cringe a little bit, and it certainly isn’t the prettiest life jacket in our list, but when it comes to safety all that really matters is that it fits, and its buoyant. This seems to only be available in America so expect a long wait and a heavy postage fee. This is a life jacket you’re going to want to buy in plenty of time for your holiday.

Stearns Adult Classic Series Vest – 62 Inch Chest

This second life jacket is a simple design – another bright coloured but basic life vest with adjustable straps and no fancy frills – but their Universal Oversized size is US Coast Guard-approved to offer protection for people up to a 62” chest. One thing that we’ve noticed while looking at life jackets is that all of them seem to presume a flat stomach in their sizing, but of course, many of us have stomachs that are larger than our chests. It’s worth bearing this in mind when taking size measurements to pick your perfect life jacket.

O’Neill Men’s Superlite USCG Life Vest – 68 Inch Chest

This life jacket might be superlite in name, but it offers fantastic sizing, with a 68” inch chest being covered by this life jacket. This is the first jacket on our list that actually looks quite stylish, straying away from the classic red design and going for a sleek, sporty looking black. The O’Neill brand is really well known, which means that its much more easily available and has been reviewed more frequently. One thing we’re not loving, though, is how much the price bumps up as you get in to the bigger sizes.

O’Brien Women’s Impulse Neo Life Vest – 48 Inch Chest

While this is the first life jacket on our list that has been specifically designed for women, unfortunately it has the smallest sizing available. In fact, all of the life jackets we found that were specifically made for women were much smaller in sizing, and this was actually the biggest. What makes the jacket specifically better for women’s bodies is that it has a shorter torso and it comes with extra supportive lining in the chest area. Being for women also means it gets a pretty splash of purple and white in the gorgeous swirly design, which is always nice but we think fat women would probably sacrifice the design element in favour of coming up with a bigger size range. If you’ve got a chest that is smaller than 48 inches, though, this jacket is going to be perfect for safety and support, and at least the pretty design means it doesn’t make you stand out from the crowd in a negative way, like some plus size options often can. 

Onyx MoveVent Dynamic Paddle Sports Life Vest – 70 Inch Chest

We’re ending the list with another fantastic option for people with chest sizes up to 70 inches, which is the biggest size available in our list. This life jacket is unique in design from the others, as it has mesh in the lower back to ensure that you can sit right back up against the back of a seat or canoe (which is fantastic for plus size people who already struggle with space!) and there are zipped expandable pockets, which can give you a little bit more breathing room. The mint and grey design is really cool, and it also comes in an equally-awesome orange and black. Unfortunately the bigger sizes appear to be out of stock at the moment, but this is one to keep an eye on if you’ve got a bit of time before your trip. 

Although it can be really difficult navigating the life jacket situation when you’re plus size, it’s important to remember that safety is non-negotiable. To make sure you can get the very best from your holiday, bringing your own life jacket means that you get to have fun and stay safe. Have you got any other recommendations for plus size life jackets? We’d love to hear them in the comments.