Water Gear Progressive Swim Trainer Reviews

By Linden from Portland, OR on 8/14/2012

Size: Feels too small

My son, who is now four, used one of these suits and learned to swim independently by age 3.5. My daughter, who is now two, uses this suit and loves to splash around in the water. She can go in and out of the water on her own, swim around, and is starting to blow bubbles and get her face wet. It's fantastic that our kids have been able to grow comfortable in the water at their own pace. It is also a huge benefit that they never learned to cling to adults in the water. Compared with water wings and other flotation devices, we have found that this suit allows the kids to learn to use their arms and legs as they would without flotation. I highly recommend. Note that these run small, so I would buy a size larger than normal. My son (who is big for his age) used size 5/6 even at age 2, and my daughter (who is average size, wears 2T clothes) uses size 3/4 at age 2.

By Grandpa from Chicago on 6/25/2012

Size: Feels too small

I've taugtht my 3 children to swim by the ages of 3 and 4 over  25 years ago with this type of swim trainer. I'm glad I was able to still find one. It is now time to teach my 2 year old grandson how to swim. I'm sure he'll be swimming on his own by 4 years old without the inserts giving us peace of mind knowing that if he fell into a deep end of a swimming pool, he would be able to swim to safety.

By Happy Mom from North Dakota on 6/3/2012

Size: Feels too small

My son is an average sized 3 1/2 year old, leaning toward the smaller end of the scale & this size 5-6 suit barely fits. But it works GREAT!!! He used it at the water park last weekend & went on every slide. He is not afraid to have his head underwater, but with this product he did not go under when he came off the slides, so it gave ME the confidence to let him go alone (his greatest desire). He is fast & fearless, so it is nice to know you have a few extra seconds to rescue him if he goes where he shouldn't and encourage his autonomy. This style of suit is a little tricky to get off when wet, so if you are in the process of potty training that could be a problem. I thought the fabric was a bit light, but still a great product.

By Gale C. from Sacramento, CA, CA on 5/10/2012

Size: Feels true to size

It's great to have for a little one to be around a pool with supervision but he needs to be watched carefully because the suit doesn't keep him afloat with his head out of the water.   Still a good safety measure though.

By Miss Pat from NY on 5/6/2012

Size: Feels true to size

This suit is perfect for the child who is learning to swim.  As they get more experienced, just remove another styrofoam tube and before they realize it they know how to swim!  The bright colors make it easy to find them when playing on the beach. It''s comfortable, just remove the floatation tubes and let them play!  Coverage gives them more protection from the sun too!  Wish you made it in size 5-6 for the child who's starting their training later.

By Alexandra from Rockwood, ON on 4/10/2012

Size: Feels too small

I bought this last summer for my almost 3yo daughter, and she loved it right away.  I just wanted to update my review now that we've had the suit for almost a year.  We've used this suit in the in the oceans, lake, and regularly at the pool, and we both still love it.  My daughter's confidence in the water is amazing - she was swimming out into the ocean on her own, playing in the waves, and although I was nearby, I could let her feel independent.  We have now progressed to having half of the floats out so she is almost swimming independently.  I can't say enough how much I love this bathing suit.

It DOES fit small.  At 3, the 5-6yo size fit her well, and although she has grown, the suit has stretched along with her, fortunately.  The sizing really needs to be updated and a true size selection to 5-6 years old added.  This is my only complaint.

By jill from thermopolis, wy on 1/24/2012

Size: Feels true to size

used the same suit for two grandkids.  swam a couple times a week all year long.  works great to keep their bodies upright and their faces out of the water.  they are able to swim alone with no help holding them up.  the styrofoam floats inserted into the suit are stiff and uncomfortable  (we were able to slide them out the bottom openings and replaced them with softer ones)  just bought the next size up works just as well as the smaller one.  has two extra floats for the added weight.

By Femi from Austin, TX on 12/11/2011

Size: Feels too small

Simply put, you need to work on the sizing. Good product but made my 6 year old boy look like a barley dancer. Had to wear additional swimming shorts to make him feel comfortable. Work on more sizes.

By cindy from illinois on 9/23/2011

Size: Feels too small

my thin 16 month grand daughter found this too tight and it was the sz 3-4 yr old size

By Amy R. from Edgewater, MD on 8/21/2011

Size: Feels too small

First of all if you are ordering for a boy, you must go with blue.  The site does not tell you this.  It states that there are 2 colors available but does not specify one is for boys and one is for girls.  The trainer works great. There are a total of 8 floats that can be slowly taken out based upon child's needs.  Seems to run a little small as my son is 4 and I ordered the 3T/4T and it was too small.