A personal flotation device (also named PFD, lifejacket, life preserver, Mae West, life vest, life saver, cork jacket, life belt) is a device designed to keep a wearer afloat and their head above water, often in swimming pools, rivers, lakes, and oceans. The term includes all types of such devices from life preservers to lifejackets to survival suits. They are available in different sizes and different designs purposed for various levels of protection.
Lifejackets or life vests are the most multiform of personal flotation devices. They are mandatory on airplanes travelling over water and are also found on sea-faring vessels, accessible to all crew and passengers and to be donned in an emergency. Floatation devices are also found in near water-edges and at swimming pools. They may appear in the form of a simple vest, a jacket, a full-body suit, or their variations suited for particular purposes. They are often made of tough synthetic fiber material encapsulating a source of buoyancy, such as foam or a chamber of air, and are often brightly colored as yellow or orange to maximize visibility for rescues.
