STEARNS Avant 200 Paddlesports Vest

I am 5 feet 10 inches tall weigh 190lbs. I'm not that big but I bought the 2XX Large size the largest because I plan to do some winter conoeing. This size will fit me for summer and if I have a shirt on under it but not much else. Lot's of room on the sides for paddling. But when wearing my cold weather clothing I will have to wear it underneath which then will not allow me to fit into my parka because there is just not that much extra room even in 2XX the largest size. I plan to wear wool clothing which retains 85% of heating capabilities when wet - I must assume I will go overboard but unfortunatelly this vest will not fit over all of my needed clothing. I may have to tie it to my chest o<) The gray color I got is cool and it has nice side straps and one in front which I will never use lmao.

I ordered this vest in the 'taupe' color in size small/medium for both me and my husband. I love the color- it's so much better than the usual neon orange/yellow...it's just a nice neutral. As far as the sizing, it fits us both pretty decently- he's 5'11", and about 150 lbs, and takes a size medium in shirts, and it fits. (but if he were 15 pounds heavier, it might be too small). I'm 5'2", 110 lbs, and it feels a little too big for me-- but since it's adjustable I am able to make it work. So basically, the same size is able to fit both of us, despite our 40 pound weight/9 inch height differences. Once on and adjusted, they're pretty comfortable- we used them for kayaking and didn't have problems rowing.

The sizing for this vest is WAY off. I am 6'1" and about 200lbs and the X-large is unacceptably small. However it fits my much smaller wife just fine. The XX-Large size barely fits me, but works. It tends to ride up when paddling my kayak but is more than adequate for the price. Would recommend for casual use.

I searched around on Amazon for a good vest for paddling. This seems to be the most affordable for that purpose. It has 2 adjustable straps on either side with a zipper and buckle up front. The front buckle is non-adjustable but really doesn't need to be. The fit is very comfortable and allows full motion of your arms and shoulders. The back isn't overly bulky and the vest itself doesn't ride up while paddling.I went with the L/XL as I normally wear Medium size coats and Large shirts. It fits comfy with room for adjustment either larger or smaller. I'm satisfied with it and will be getting another for passengers.

This life jacket is well made & looks sharper in person than in the product photo. It's well proportioned to allow for good movement. The zipper is sturdy and the buckle allows for a some adjusting - probably not enough to make up for ordering the wrong size, but enough to make it a little more snug. This life jacket does seem to run small, so if you're debating on which size to order, go with the larger one. If you plan on doing extensive kayaking or paddleboarding, I might spring for a slightly smaller, more elastic/flexible jacket, but for the occasional kayaker, this is perfect.

I bought this for kayaking, as kayaking is a paddle sport and that is how this is listed. This vest sucks for kayaking! The back comes down too far and interferes with the kayak seat. The vest is also very bulky and becomes hot quickly. Might be my fault for not doing enough research but I wouldn't recommend this vest for anything. I ended up getting 4 ONYX MoveVent vest and they are MUCH better.

This vest is good for its purpose, keeping you afloat and lightweight, not for ease of paddling.I feel its too long in length and very bulky.Size fits for floatation. I'm a size small. Not what I was looking for.

Ordered it to use on the river with a small rowboat. It is lightweight and comfortable, and fits very well. Sized appropriately per label. I am 6' tall and weigh 195 and a large-XL is correctly described.