Swimming float recommendations for 3 year old

[glamourbadger]

Can anyone recommend a swimming float vest/suit or bands? I've tried the blow-up arm bands on my 3 year old but she seems a bit annoyed by them, they dig in and scratch her arms.

Have been looking at the suits with floats in them - do these keep children afloat by themselves? I'm reluctant to buy without a recommendation as they are quite expensive. Would appreciate any advice. Cheers

Arm bands and arm discs aren't very good anyway cos they restrict arm movement.

DS' swimming teacher says the float suits, float vest and float belts aren't very good for teaching them to swim cos they make them to upright in the water.

A woggle wrapped around the body and tied in a knot allows freedom for arm movement and gives them a better body position.

Once they can hold their head out of the water without getting tired a swim fin is better than a woggle for body position but they are £17 (on ebay) A back float is almost as good as a swim fin for body position before they can swim properly, but once they are at the stage of using aids for improving their swimming a swim fin will give them a much better body position.

i wouldnt go for a suit or vest,
we have tried several on my 2 kids (now 4 and 3) and my neice (also 4) and they were a nightmare,they are supposed to help them into the swimming position,but TBH they just tipped the kids face first into the water,
i've found the best thing is armbands (maybe try different types) and also those noodles (long pieces of foam)which we got in poundland,

sarah x

We use none of them - we just teach the children in the shallow end. Have used the removable float vests with my own dc, and as you have already found out, there is no 'right' answer and each swimming teacher has their own preference. I prefer the woggles tbh as a teaching aid but if i were taking a child on recreational swims the vote goes to the yellow vests with removable floats

I would go for arm bands or a noodle/woggle.

My 4 yo has been attending private swimming lessons at a purpose built pool and this is what they use, arm bands tend to be for the under threes and noodles/woggles for the over threes.

I bought a float vest which was expensive and a waste of money, they just float very upright in an 'unnatural' swimming position.