Getting Our Swim On With SwimWays {Review} #SwimSteps

Disclosure:  As a SwimWays Ambassador I receive products to review in exchange for sharing my honest opinion. 

As I said last month, I am a SwimWays Ambassador, which means I will be sharing lots of SwimWays products fun this summer!  So far we have had some crazy seasons here in Chicago and as far as summer goes, I don’t even know if it has even started yet.  We have gone from 90 degrees to the 50’s and I have been trying to take advantage of whatever nice weather we get.  So far we have been fortunate to go swimming once so far, and boy did my kids have a blast.  My daughter who is only 23 months really doesn’t remember swimming (obviously) and my 6 year old is kinda a scaredy cat in the water, but they were totally different kids!  My 4 year old was taking swimming lessons and he couldn’t wait to try out his skills in grandma’s pool!

What made pool time even more exciting?  Breaking out our new SwimWays products!  SwimWays is a company that not only makes fun pool toys but they also have a line of products called Swim Steps.  The line is designed to help kids build their confidence in the pool starting at age 6 months and up.  There are three steps of products – water introduction, water exploration and swim training.  Each step allows kids to get acquainted with the water, learn to swim and hopefully learn to love the water.

Since my kids range from 23 months to 6 years old, I do have a range of swimming issues with them like I mentioned.  My boys are still learning but they are definitely trying.  My kids fit in two of the Swim Steps lines right now, my daughter is in Water Introduction (Step 1) and my boys are in Swim Training (Step 3.)  My daughter though is almost 2 years old so she will be moving to the Water Exploration (Step 2) phase probably this summer.

So for my daughter I brought out the SwimWays Baby Spring Float.  It is a float designed with mesh to keep kids floating safely with the child being able to splash and start getting used to the water.  It has a low seat for enhanced security to keep kids more balanced in the water and I definitely noticed that.  Other floats we had tried before I remember feeling like my child was going to tip over, I didn’t feel like that with the SwimWays Baby Spring Float.  It is available in different styles and even comes with a storage bag to carry the float to all your water needs.

For my boys, I received two different products for each of them to try out.  Previously we used regular life jackets on my boys, but I feel like they were using them as a crutch and not even trying to swim on their own.  The two products I received are the Power Swimr System and Sea Squirts Swim Assist.

The Power Swimr System is a graduated floatation device for ages 2-9 years old.  A graduated floatation device is something that allows kids to gradually swim on their own while removing pads as your child gets more and more comfortable in the water.  It is available in sizes Small, Medium and Large, perfect for any sized swimmer who needs a little help.  I really like this product.  Like I said my boys are used to life jackets and while I am trying to break them of that habit, I also don’t want them to drown.  They need to work their way through the water and build up confidence.  My 6 year old was still a little hesitant, but my 4 year old loved wearing his new Power Swimr System.  It fit him snug on the sides with adjustable cords and I like how I can pull out the pads as he gets more confident.

Finally we tried out the Sea Squirts Swim Assist with my boys.  This is a swim vest that uses Buoyancy Technology that allows kids to work on their swim positioning.  It may look like a life jacket, but its made of very thin neoprene that helps kids float but is not as much of a crutch as a life jacket.  We personally like the Power Swimr System better for right now with my boys level because it holds them better.  We will use the Sea Squirts hopefully more by the end of the summer when they are more confident.  I do like though how the Sea Squirts Swim Assist vest is thin and definitely more “cool” then the Power Swimr System, meaning I think as my boys get more confident they will want to wear the Sea Squirts more.  It’s Buoyancy Technology definitely worked though and get them floating when they were laying, but my boys were more used to the strap between the legs that their life jackets had.  Oh and the fin is flexible and allows kids to easily sit and move around.

Overall, I love how SwimWays makes such versatile products and for my three kids we are hooked.  I can’t wait for some warmer weather to really give these products their much deserved use!  I didn’t want anyone though to miss out on these great products since there has to be some warm weather somewhere!  I will be sharing more on our swim journey and SwimWays adventures.

BUY IT:  SwimWays products can be checked out online and found at various retail stores across the United States and on the SwimWays website.