Review: Liquid Force, the one PFD to rule them all

I spend a fair amount of time on the river, mostly floating with some alcohol involved—legally of course (and no glass). Here’s my thoughts on this jacket.

Functionality ★★★★

This vest is incredibly comfortable and easy to use. The air-prene fabric on the sides helps to keep it taut on your chest while not making you feel claustrophobic. I only flipped the boat twice and in those two (embarrassing) moments, the vest stayed on securely and kept me afloat, without limiting my movements when I was struggling to flip the boat over. Although I did not have the opportunity to test this beast out while wakeboarding, I believe it would hold up quite well in the those high-stress moments when you need absolute maneuverability. This vest fit very tightly, but after a short time I forgot I even had it on and it didn’t restrict my movement at all.

Here are a few of the vests features:

• Flex-Span Neoprene
• Flex-Architecture
• PVX Foam
• Smart fit

Design and Aesthetic ★★★
I find this PFD to be decently designed. The back zipper and front drawstring are well placed and make getting into the vest as simple as slipping a koozie over your beer. One major issue I experienced was getting the vest off after it was wet. If I didn’t have assistance from my buddy, I’m fairly certain I would still be wearing the vest 3 days later. It’s incredibly difficult to take off, which could have something to do with their sizes running a bit on the smaller side. I am only 5’8” and 150 pounds, so I am normally a medium size. This vest was a size medium but it felt as if I was wearing an extra small. I understand that, being a competitive vest, it needs to be tight, but I feel it is my duty to warn you of the severity of the tightness that these run. I did really like the simplicity of the grey and black colors. It isn’t too “loud” for someone like me that isn’t a professional on the water. Although, it does have an almost generic look to it, not a drop-dead fox but not ugly by any means. If you’re trying to stand out, perhaps even peacock out there, they also offer this vest in a cherry red which should do the trick.

Durability ★★★★
The flex-span neoprene used to make this vest seems to be quite durable. I put all of my strength into pulling and tugging at it and there is no way it would come apart. This is another advantage of using a flexible neoprene material, even if it gets snagged on a rock or something hard, it will stretch enough that it shouldn’t rip. Also important is the quality of the stitching. It’s quite obvious that they didn’t cut any corners in making sure this vest is well put together and will not fall apart without some considerable effort.

Value ★★★★
Whether you are a competitive wakeboarder or just a weekend warrior, I would say this is a good value. Just make sure when you wear it that you have someone there to help you get it off. It is about average in cost and superior in quality so I would definitely give it a recommend.