10 Best Big And Tall Life Jackets In 2023

Designed for plus size feminine frames, the Airhead Trend women’s closed side life vest is the best big and tall life vest for full-figured women. It has a roomy chest area for large busts, comes in large to 3XL women’s sizes, and features four adjustable belts.

Since the Trend is non-bulky and doesn’t obstruct movement, it’s a top rated big and tall life vest for water sports, boating, and personal watercraft. Beyond the feminine sizing and styling, another good thing about the Airhead Trend oversized life vest is just how affordable it is without skimping on safety or quality. 

The best thing about the O'Brien Traditional Neo Life extra-large life vest is that it’s made of neoprene. This means that it stretches well to form to your body and provides a snug fit without getting in the way of your activities on the water.

Available in XL to 4X life jackets sizes, it can fit large and tall men with chest measurements up to 56 inches. With the stretchy fit and generous arm cutouts, the O'Brien big man life jacket doesn’t restrict movement whether you’re sailing, paddling, tubing, or wake surfing.

A beautiful plus size life jacket designed for female bodies, the Stohlquist women’s Flo Personal Flotation Device offers big and tall women a perfect fit and top-notch comfort. Featuring built-in supportive foam cups, it’s one of the best big and tall life jackets for large breasted women.

Due to generous armholes and a cross-chest cinch harness that prevents ride-up, it’s perfect for kayaking and canoeing. To complement the XL, 2XL, and 3XL life jacket sizes, the adjusting straps allow you to customize the fit. Comfort-wise, the Flo is non-bulky and features a mesh lining and a padded neoprene waistband. 

Thanks to a 6-panel design, the NRS Vapor oversized life vest wraps around your torso to provide a snug yet flexible fit that doesn’t limit your movements. This combined with the roomy arm openings makes it one of the best life vests for big and tall paddlers.

The XL/XXL NRS Vapor plus size life jackets can fit chest measurements up to 56 inches. To provide all-day comfort, this low-profile life jacket is lightweight and features cooling mesh panels and cushioned shoulder straps. To cap it off, reflective accents keep you visible in low-light conditions.

Originally designed for freestyle kayakers, the NRS Ninja is the ultimate big and tall life vest for kayaking, rafting, SUP, and rafting. In addition to being a lightweight low-profile vest, the soft foam panels mold to your body and follow your movements. Best of all, the arm openings are huge giving you all the range of motion you need for paddling.

This top rated big and tall life vest is also a winner when it comes to features. It has an awesome clamshell pocket, a lash tab, a hand-warming front panel, and dual entry zippers. It comes in XL and XXL sizes for chest measurements up to 50inches and features six adjustment points.

Being an inflatable life jacket, the SALVS big and tall life jacket offers the ultimate comfort and mobility without compromising safety. It’s pretty lightweight and provides a full range of motion for everything from rowing to casting. With universal sizing and full adjustability at the waist and back, this top rated big and tall life vest can fit adults up to 330 lbs. 

If you go underwater, the SALVS will self-inflate in 3-5 seconds and keep your head above water. You can also blow it up manually by pulling the cord. As a bonus, the PFD is very compact when folded in the dry sack it comes in and sports a handy zippered pocket.

Offering maximum freedom of movement for paddling, rowing, fishing, sailing, or swimming, the NRS Oso is one of the go-to big and tall life jackets for recreational kayakers and rafters. The excellent range of motion is due to a 5-panel design that conforms to your torso and follows your movements. As for fit, the XL/XXL sizes fit chest sizes up to 56 inches and offers six adjustment points. 

The Oso is a medium-profile life jacket with the foam evenly distributed to reduce bulk. However, it has a ventilated, thin-back design for compatibility with the seats on watercraft.   Handy features include two large zippered pockets, lash tab, shoulder-strap keepers, and reflective accents.