At the latest at the beginning of the next summer bathing season, the children want to jump into the cool water. Whether swimming pool, bathing lake, pool or paddling pool, the water attracts children in droves. It should never be forgotten that especially deep water poses a dangerous risk for children without swimming experience. Non-swimmers, on the other hand, can drown at a depth of just a few centimetres. At the very least, the floating wings prevent the child from sinking uncontrollably. But which float wings are suitable for which child, from which age can they be used and are the conventional float wings on the market convincing in terms of safety?

What are water wings?

Children who cannot swim yet or who are currently learning to swim should use a swimming aid. This ensures that swimming can be learned easily. The buoyancy aids are available in different shapes, colours and qualities. Floating wings are usually made of pre-tested vinyl, because safety and quality should always be paramount. You can recognize a high-quality pair of such wings by the marking EN13138. This stands for the European safety standard and ensures that parents can generally use this product for their children without worrying. The buoyancy wings are always available as a pair and can be inflated with little effort by mouth. The wings are placed on the upper arms of the child. To do this, the child’s arms are each pulled through a wing. Make sure that the floating wings are not too loose, otherwise they will slip off and get lost in the water. Too firm a hold can also make the handling of the floating wings uncomfortable for the child. The buoyancy wings are designed to provide sufficient buoyancy to allow your child to comfortably sit on the and can make his first swim experiences here. Children who have never been in the water before should first test the water wings in shallow water and gradually gain the necessary experience under your supervision.

For which age are buoyancy wings suitable?

The popular swimming aids are manufactured in different sizes and can be selected according to the age. Their rubber or vinyl texture and soft, inflated condition make the swim supports malleable. Therefore the wings adapt in many cases to most child arms. However, the use of such floating wings is recommended at the earliest from an age of 36 months. The duration of the assignment depends on the swimming experience of your child. Floating wings are often used up to an age of six or seven years, and in some cases significantly longer. The use of the wings is always important if you assume that your child does not yet have sufficient swimming experience to be able to keep above water. As soon as you realise that the child can swim independently in the water and feels safe, you can reduce the use of swimming aids. Especially at the beginning, the water wings serve as moral support, provide reassurance and take away the fear of the element of water.

The quality of the floating wings

Swimming aids are designed to take away the child’s fear of the water and to learn how to swim in a controlled way in a playful way. However, even children with floating wings should never go into the water without supervision, as unforeseen situations may occur that require the intervention of an adult swimmer. Whoever buys floating wings should always remember that they give the child a certain buoyancy, but do not give any guarantee in the event of drowning in water. Floating aids such as floating wings can, however, be an ideal help in the water if they are used correctly. In addition, it should be noted that floating wings should have test seals and other quality features. Not every pair of these buoyancy aids can withstand such conditions. Especially in holiday countries, where bathing boats, air mattresses and other bathing utensils are offered at a reduced price near the beach, inexpensive and bad swim wings can often be found. In many cases these buoyancy aids offer no to moderate safety and hardly have the necessary quality. Some of the products even present themselves as counterfeit floating wings in retrospect. Therefore, it is worth taking a second look to invest to be on the safe side. Do not use products that contain descriptions in a foreign language and can only be used with dismembered German instructions for use and safety. It is worth it, as many tests have shown, to invest a little more money at this point in order to finally have a product that can withstand the conditions of the water and the requirements of safety.

How safe are water wings?

As already mentioned, floating wings are no guarantee to avoid an accident in the swimming pool. What counts here is primarily the duty of supervision of an adult person. Therefore, never let your children out of your sight despite the swimming aid. A high-quality floating aid in the form of floating wings offers one inflation valve per pair. Unlike earlier models, today’s versions have two air chambers. Even if for some reason the float wings are damaged, it is difficult for the air to escape from the inside without being powerfully compressed. This prevents your child from being given an additional safety aspect and from having to that high-quality floating wings prevent submersion. In addition, most manufacturers install a so-called non-return valve. The non-return valve also prevents the air from escaping without any initiative on the part of the user, thus underscoring the safety of the floating wings.

Where may floating wings be used?

The practical swimming aids can generally be used wherever water invites you to take a bath. Only a supervisor is necessary to support the child’s swimming. The use of floating wings in swimming pools is recommended, as this is an ideal way of being able to assess the water in advance. The use in wild waters looks different. No matter whether swimming lake or river, dangerous safety risks can lurk in both waters, which ensure that the safety of the pair of floating wings is impaired. Protruding branches or twigs, stones or other natural obstacles can, in the worst case, damage the outer shell of the wings and cause your child to fall into distress. Also the use of floating wings in the sea should always take place under supervision. Even here, dangers such as mussels, fish or currents lurk which, depending on the holiday destination, can be dangerous for your child. Therefore, always find out in advance where your child can use the floating wings. Even with their wings attached, children should not enter the pool or deeper parts of the water. The buoyancy aids are not intended to prevent your child from drowning without supervision. Therefore, always make sure that your child does not leave the non-swimmer pool or the non-swimmer area. In such places, children can usually still stand in doubt and do not run the risk of drowning.

From time to time up to what weight,

Can floating wings be used safely?

The use by weight depends on several factors. Different models can allow different weight classes. As a rule, floating wings intended for children from 3 to 6 years of age are designed for a weight class between 18 and 30 kilos. It is therefore advisable to pay attention to the respective regulations, which are indicated by the manufacturer on the packaging, before purchasing the floating wings. Some swimming wings can allow a higher weight, other manufacturers even dispense with such specifications and some products have a very low weight that is more oriented towards the use of small children.

What additional security risks need to be considered?

Ensure that the floating wings are securely stored. High solar radiation can make the material porous in some cases. Also pointed objects or sharp objects should not be stored in the immediate vicinity of the floating wings. Especially on sandy beaches it is important to remove as much sand as possible from the floating wings as this can also damage the outer skin of the wing or the valves. Floating wings should always be used when inflated to ensure optimum safety.