Vest type life jacket

The vest type life jacket has buoyant material on the front and sides, distributed into different-sized blocks with varying thickness. It typically comes with three to four adjustable straps and may have a crotch strap. Some models have buoyant material on the back, while others do not. Vest type life jackets offer good body fit and are commonly used for water sports rescue.

Yoke type life jacket

The yoke type life jacket usually lacks buoyant material on the back but has buoyant material behind the neck. It features two foam blocks or airbags shaped like an inverted U around the wearer's neck, concentrating buoyancy in the chest area. Some buoyancy is also provided at the back of the neck to support the head, ensuring the wearer floats safely in a backward position in water. To prevent the life jacket from slipping off, yoke type life jackets have adjustable straps at the waist and a rope at the back of the neck secured to the lower back or a rope at the front secured to the waist. Some life jackets also come with one or two crotch straps. Inflatable yoke type life jackets can be equipped with single compartment or two compartments, with each compartment having its own inflation mechanism and oral inflation valve.