History of Life Jackets

Life jackets are defined as a form of life preserver consisting of a jacket of buoyant or inflatable design. They were around in one form or another for thousands of years before evolving into the more modern PFD (personal floatation device). Life jackets and PFDs are responsible for saving the lives of many people throughout their history.

  1. Early Forms

    • Early forms of life jackets and floatation devices include inflatable animal skins (865-860 BC) and small pieces of wood (1700 AD) or cork (1757 AD).

    Cork Jackets

    • In the early 1850s, British captain John Ross Ward used cork to develop the first life jacket for the National Lifeboat Institution.

    Kapok Jackets

    • In 1902, kapok, a fibrous plant material, was introduced as filler for jackets worn by navy seamen. It was banned in 1904 due to flammability and air cell compression, which reduced buoyancy.

    Balsa Jackets

    • Balsa wood was approved for PFD use in the 1920s, but cork block remained the main material for life jackets until the Second World War despite many water-related deaths.

    Inflatable Jackets

    • Water safety developments improved during the Second World War when inflatable jackets and vests designed to keep bodies upright were introduced to the military and private citizens.

    Synthetic Foam Jackets

    • The 1960s brought further improvements with the development of light and flexible synthetic foam fillers, which are still in use today.