MUSTANG SURVIVAL MIT 100 Convertible A/M Inflatable PFD Life Jacket Single

Why it's worth it

The MIT 100 is a USCG-approved inflatable PFD that converts between automatic water-contact inflation and a manual pull. It's low-profile enough that your recipient will actually keep it on, which is the entire argument for buying one.

The best life jacket is the one they're wearing. Coast Guard boating statistics are blunt about this: three out of four drowning victims in recreational boating accidents weren't wearing one. Almost nobody plans to end up in the water. They just don't have the vest on when it happens, because a foam vest on a hot afternoon is miserable.

This one solves that. It wears like a pair of suspenders, weighs a fraction of a foam Type II, and dries fast. Owners who spent years leaving a vest stuffed under a seat describe wearing this all day without thinking about it. That behavior change is what you're actually buying.

From our review of 8 gifts for boaters

What we like

• +The best life jacket is the one they're wearing
• +This one solves that
• +The convertible part is smart
• +The shell is 500D Cordura, the same fabric that survives on gear bags and hard-use outerwear

What to know

• –Inflatables need upkeep, and that's a real string attached
• –It's also not for everyone