We have tried numerous flotation swimsuits, life jackets for our 3-year-old little boy. They were all a huge disappointment - either his mouth was under water or the flotation device overpowered him, bobbing him forward or backward into the water. This swim trainer by Swimline solved the problem, it does exactly what it's supposed to do - keep the child above water, either in an upright or swimming position. He can move freely and switch between swimming and upright floating effortlessly, never losing his balance or confidence.
The vest style upper body goes on and off very easily. We also tried a similar swim trainer with attached shorts, and found that the crotch would just ride up, making it quite uncomfortable for little boys. We prefer this 'vest only' style, worn with regular swim shorts. It stays on him till an adult takes it off. Our son likes to be thrown up in the air, and then splash into the water - the swim trainer stays on him nicely, he cannot slip out of it, no matter how wiggly he gets.
Wearing the swim trainer with regular shim shorts is also nice when we are at the beach or pool party - don't have to strip the child naked when he is ready to get out of the water. He can keep his swim shorts on and continue to play on dry land.
It has a strong inner tube built-in (NOT like the cheap plastic rings that made of material like beach balls). You need a bike pump or air compressor to inflate - if you don't have one, you can take it to the gas station, and use the same pump that you use for your car tires. You cannot blow this up by mouth.
It is truly a great item, looks nice, durable, affordable and most importantly, WORKS. We are very pleased.
5 stars

My kids had these when they were little. Pump up, then throughout the summer as it begins to deflate, just don't refill. Eventually, as the air runs out, they are swimming and don't even realize it. 5 stars

We purchased the tee trainer for our 3 year old grandson. Last year he had the swim sweater, which gave him confidence and taught him balance in the water. Him being a year older wanted another one for him. With this swim trainer he has really gained his confidence in the water and allows him to be self suficient in the water. He has learned to float with confidence. He is now swimming, of course not on his own yet. I would recommend this product for the older toddler. It also allows the child to have some freedom and not have to be held by an adult. Supervision is still required but the child gains a tremendous amount of confidence and allows them to overcome some of the fears of the water. our grandson swims everyday and enjoys his freedom in the water. We found it is also a safety for the toddler if there are a lot of people around. Our son who is now 28 years old also had the swim sweater when he was a toddler. He is a fantastic swimmer. 5 stars

My 2 1/2 year old loves this. It has helped her to develop confidence in the water and lets her be a bit more independent in the pool. Children are a little off balance when first in this, but once they learn how to balance it is great fun for them. An adult still needs to be in the pool with the child but the child does not need to hang on to you for dear life. :-) My daughter loved that she was "swimming all by herself." I also liked that she will not slip out of this from the bottom. 5 stars

My 10 month old grandson, a total water-bug, is loving the freedom he has in this swimmer. He can flip on his back to float and can actually splash and kick enough to move himself in the water. We don't leave him unnatended and yet he has the freedom to "swim" like the rest of us. Good job and don't quit making these. Oh, I also used these for my 3 kids, now grown and for my daycare at my house. It's a great product.
5 stars