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Friday, 1 February 2013

infant/toddler life jackets ...

malaysia sucks when it comes to child safety ... among many other things
malaysia also sucks when it comes to infant or toddler friendly sunglasses, read readily available and SUITABLE stuff for their age group

Life jackets/life vests/bouyancy vests or devices or garments generally refer to items such this: 




They carry different ratings for different purposes: PFD1, PFD2, PFD3, etc. It helps to know what to look for when choosing or shopping for one. 
life jackets in S carried by local vendors don't come close to providing adequate safety and/or flotation for infants and toddlers.
mudah.com had some last quarter but stock ran out quickly. RM50/pc is quite good. 
unfortunately, the vendor has absolutely no idea when the next shipment is expected to arrive.


the Salus Baby Bijoux and Sub Zero are what's needed. they come with padded head/neck collar and are designed to turn the child face up in the water. neck opening is not too loose, where it may ride up and the child's head disappears into the jacket. not too tight either to constrict. comes with a handy single handed carry strap sewn behind for convenience. crotch strap does away the possibility of the jacket riding up and over the child to come loose. saw something like this worn by some children during my last Kenyir outing at Bewah Cave. 
finally found it at Ocean Sea for RM45; well worth it. proprietor says not to worry as he has stock. it has the padded collar, not all the way though; an adjustable torso belt and crotch strap - strangely, it comes with a whistle, too. guess it'll come in handy for the adult accompanying the infant/toddler.
glom this family that believes in infant life jackets. good on them.

as for children's shades ... sighhhhh ... NOT one vendor, opthalmologist or optician I know of carry anything remotely similar to Julbo. Not even Singapore, 's far as I know. Real Kids is another purveyor of children's shades. 
we have to make do with frames that offer extremely poor side protection and aren't infant or toddler friendly enough; read infant/toddler/child proof. should anyone wish to conduct product testing, submit it to children; you'll find out soon enough if your toughest is tough enough. Julbo has a wrap around that puts the Silhouette titanium to shame. Had, maybe, as it's been three to four years since I popped into their site.

much of the readily and cheaply available "sunglasses" could be landmines for our children's eyes as their lenses may not be up to requisite standards.

speaking of child safety, we continue to see an alarming rate, trend, percentage, number ... take your pick ... where parents do NOT seat their babies, toddlers and children in car seats. many continue to hold their newborns or toddlers in their arms, seated in the front passenger seat. others allow their children to stand on the front passenger seat, in the vacant slot between the two front seats, on the back seats, stand through sun roofs. some go as far as allow their child to lie sandwiched between the rear windscreen and headrests. ironically, most of these can afford a reasonably good car seat. some make do, understandably so.

they believe as slow and "safe" road hogs, nothing will happen. many of these drive without their seat belts and talk on their cells or text or surf on their smartphones. timebomb waiting to go off. yes, they are the kurang (bel)ajar trend setting example for their children and menace to other road users.






it's gonna take a concerted effort by many, IF they're willing, IF they care enough. Western and Singapore hospitals insist on a child carrier or car seat without which you ain't leavin' the hospital with your newborn. wish it was implemented here, too.

so far, we found The First Few Years forthcoming, upfront and reliable. there's usually something that'll fit one's budget. do not confuse them with the First Years brand.

good hunting.



2 comments:

  1. Hi,

    Where do you buy the infant life jacket? I have been searching but no avail.

    Really appreciate if you could sms or email to me at 012-2915305 or ha_ahmad84@yahoo.com

    Thanks in advance

    ReplyDelete
  2. hi Hafiz, thank you for dropping in ... apologies for the delayed reply

    bought it at Ocean Sea Sportfishing http://www.oceanseasportfishing.com/Contact%20Us.htm
    boy@oceanseasportfishing.com
    you can reach 'em :
    03-89457725
    012-6481706

    15 Jln PSK 6
    Pusat Perdagangan Seri Kembangan
    43300 Seri Kembangan
    Mon-Sat 10am-8pm (i wouldn't try the 8pm slot, they've been known to close earlier)

    they appear to take online orders as well
    bring your child along for the fitting if it's convenient
    all the best, mate

    ReplyDelete