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Which life jacket do you need?

The life jacket you need depends on three things: who wears it, what you are out on and which water you are on. Pick your answers below and the finder shows the buoyancy level, the type of jacket, what German law and the Lake Constance rules require, useful extras and upkeep. Every statement is backed by a source listed at the foot of the page.

The four buoyancy levels in ISO 12402

Life jackets and buoyancy aids fall into four levels under EN ISO 12402: 50, 100, 150 and 275 newtons. 10 N is roughly 1 kg of lift. The minimum buoyancy applies to wearers from 70 kg; lighter people, children above all, get less.[1]

50 N is a buoyancy aid, not a life jacket: for people over 25 kg in sheltered water who can help themselves, and only with help close by.[2]

100 N is meant for sheltered, calm water, 150 N for general use, rough water, offshore and fully clothed wearers. 275 N is for offshore in severe conditions and for anyone in protective clothing or carrying extra load.[3][4][5]

In the EU life jackets are category III personal protective equipment, the class for deadly risks. That is why the CE mark is followed by the number of the notified body.[6]

Will it turn me over? What the sources say

Automatic 275 N jackets hold an unconscious wearer safely. At 150 N it depends on build and total weight including gear, says the DGUV; 100 N usually manages it only in swimwear, and 50 N not at all.[1]

The DGzRS rates 150 N more highly: it turns the wearer, with limits in heavy weather gear. It rates 100 N as limited and 275 N as almost always turning.[7]

Closed foul weather gear can trap air and stop you turning onto your back. Dressed like that, or carrying heavy kit, you need 275 N.[1]

Foam or automatic inflatable?

Foam jackets always float, even when damaged, but restrict movement. They come in 100 and 150 N and are only partly self-righting, as an unconscious wearer may stay face down.[1]

Automatic jackets are inflated by a CO2 cylinder, fired either by a tablet that dissolves in water or by a hydrostatic valve at about 10 cm depth that rain and spray do not set off.[8][9]

Manual-only jackets will not turn an unconscious wearer, who cannot pull the cord.[1]

For paddling and dinghy sailing, with frequent dunkings, Austria's maritime authority advises against automatic jackets.[10]

Life jackets for children

Children and non-swimmers always wear a life jacket. 50 N buoyancy aids are unsuitable for children up to 30 kg.[8]

A child's life jacket has a collar that holds the head up, and usually a crotch strap so the child cannot slip out.[10][1]

If the adjusted jacket lifts more than 2.5 cm at the shoulders, it is too big.[7]

On German passenger vessels children up to 30 kg or six years may only wear foam jackets. One maker allows only fully automatic jackets for children under six.[11][12]

Armbands and swim belts are learning aids and do not protect against drowning.[13]

Rules in Germany and on Lake Constance

Germany has no general life jacket rule for leisure craft. The inland waterways code requires them only on vessels with a passenger certificate; the maritime code does not mention them.[11]

On federal inland waterways, jet ski riders and passengers wear a buoyancy aid of at least 50 N.[14]

On Lake Constance, motor and sailing craft must carry a life jacket with a collar and at least 100 N for every person of 40 kg or more.[15]

Servicing an automatic jacket

Check the manual trigger, tablet and cylinder before every trip. Service is due when the maker's label says, usually every two years.[1][7]

About every six months, pump it up and leave it for a day: if it still holds air, the bladder is sound.[7]

Makers give an automatic jacket a life of ten years at most.[8][12]

Questions

Which life jacket do I need on a lake?

For sheltered, calm water a 100 N life jacket is the level intended. Experienced swimmers paddling or sailing dinghies often use a 50 N buoyancy aid, which is not a life jacket and only makes sense with help close by.

Will a 150 N life jacket turn me if I am unconscious?

Sources disagree. The German lifeboat service DGzRS says yes, with limits in heavy weather gear. The German statutory accident insurance (DGUV) says only to a limited extent, depending on build and total weight including gear.

Do I have to wear a life jacket in Germany?

There is no general rule for leisure craft. On federal inland waterways jet ski riders must wear a buoyancy aid of at least 50 N, and on Lake Constance a 100 N life jacket with collar must be aboard for every person of 40 kg or more.

How often does an automatic life jacket need servicing?

The maker's service label tells you, usually every two years. Before every trip check the trigger, tablet and cylinder yourself.

Which life jacket is right for a child?

A proper child's life jacket with collar and crotch strap, matched to the weight on the label. If it lifts more than 2.5 cm at the shoulders, it is too big.

Before you cast off

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Sources

As of 11 Oct 2026. What counts is the label on your jacket, the maker's instructions and the rules of the waters you sail.