Review on 👶 Stearns Puddle Jumper Deluxe Kids Life Jacket/Youth Life Vest - Original and Improved Choice for Children by Michael Lucas

So there are a number of reviews here claiming to have received fake puddle jumpers. The real difference is that Coleman, a manufacturer of tents and other camping gear, acquired Sterns in 2008 and recently took over full production of the Puddle Jumper. And in doing so, they obviously cut corners and changed the manufacturing process because the product is inferior to the original. If you order samples with Stearns in hand, you will receive the original Stearns. But otherwise, the ones with the puddle jumper on both hands are the Colemans. They have a different buckle, reverse pattern, stitching quality (loose threads abound) and either the fabric to filler ratio is increased or, more likely, the amount of filler is reduced because the sweater is very loose ( the filler is pressed inwards and not wrapped in fabric). For this reason, it also sits looser. My recommendation would be if you can, try to get the original. However, if your child is on the higher end of the 30-50lb weight limit, the Coleman might be a good fit as it has a looser fit. Definitely not for the 30-35 lb crowd. We have Stearns with a 2-3 year old Hawaiian floral print that still works great! Photo of one of the new Colemans with the threads showing and new packaging and buckle. I returned it and bought a regular (non deluxe) starfish puddle jumper, it's high quality and fits my 2 year old like a glove.