Abstract: A life preserver (1) including an inflatable main body portion (3) having an aperture (5) for a wearer's neck, and first and second inflatable lobes (7, 9) extending from the main body portion which are configured to respectively occupy a position on the left and right hand side of the wearer's body when in use. The main body portion may be formed by corresponding front and rear layers of material that are connected around their outer peripheries and which each have an aperture for the wearer's neck, wherein the main body portion further comprises an additional layer of material that is connected to the front and rear layers of material around the apertures in the front and rear layers to form a surface that, upon inflation of the main body portion, encircles the wearer's neck. A panel (15) of material mounted on a front surface of the main body portion adjacent to, or partially overlying, the neck aperture may protect the wearer's airways from water splashes.

Abstract: A life preserver (1) including an inflatable main body portion (3) having an aperture (5) for a wearer's neck, and first and second inflatable lobes (7, 9) extending from the main body portion which are configured to respectively occupy a position on the left and right hand side of the wearer's body when in use. The main body portion may be formed by corresponding front and rear layers of material that are connected around their outer peripheries and which each have an aperture for the wearer's neck, wherein the main body portion further comprises an additional layer of material that is connected to the front and rear layers of material around the apertures in the front and rear layers to form a surface that, upon inflation of the main body portion, encircles the wearer's neck. A panel (15) of material mounted on a front surface of the main body portion adjacent to, or partially overlying, the neck aperture may protect the wearer's airways from water splashes.