I have the original SOSpenders that I bought when they came on the market.  I have never liked them because of the tired neck, shoulders, and back at the end of the day so I usually wear a regular vest.  I have some age and medical issues (3 fractured ribs and a ruptured lung).  They tell me it will be a few months before I can freely move without stiffness and pain so I figure it is in my best interest to get the most comfortable one on the market.

 

I have done some research and the Mustang gets good reviews.  What else should I be looking at?   I am not concerned with price, just comfort and functionality.

I keep a couple of Cabela’s auto-inflatables on my boat for guests and use an Onyx A-33 Insight myself, but you won’t find a better auto-inflatable than a Mustang. A buddy just bought a Mustang MIT-100. I tried it on and will probably buy one.

 

The thing I like most about the MIT-100 is how flat it lays. Less bulk is more comfortable and less obtrusive, for sure.

 

The things I don’t like about the MIT-100 are: 1) it doesn’t include a whistle; 2) it doesn’t have a D-ring on the right side, where you can attach a kill-switch lanyard; and 3) there’s only one buckle on the right side to adjust the length of the waist strap.

 

My A-33 doesn’t include a whistle, but it has a D-ring. It’s on the wrong (i.e., left) side, but at least it’s there and it works okay. The A-33 also has buckles on both sides to adjust the length of the waist strap, which is less awkward to use than a single buckle on only one side.

 

My ideal auto-inflatable PFD would lay flat, include a whistle, have the inflation mechanism and manual pull tab on the left side, have a D-ring on the right side and have buckles on both sides to adjust the length of the waist strap.

 

Sometimes, I wonder whether the people who design these things ever actually use them. 

Thanks for the reply.  I think you are right about the design guys.  I think that their geek brothers work in the sonar industry.  You have to have a geek degree to use one of the new ones.

You got me searching for a new PFD, Jig Man. I don’t care much for the lime green accents, but I just ordered a Mustang MD5183 KF:

 

http://www.mustangsurvival.com/en_US/products/flotation/inflatable-pfds/elite-28k-inflatable-pfd-auto-hydrostatic-MD5183KF.html

 

Mustang intends this PFD for paddlers, but it’s the same as the non-paddling version, except that it has molle webbing and other equipment lash points on it. AND it only comes in black or gray with the ugly lime green accents. 

 

It has a low-profile manual inflation handle, so it doesn’t have a dangling yellow “Jerk Here” handle on the right side. Plus, it has a D-ring on the right side, dual waist-strap cinch buckles AND a whistle!

 

If only it were available in orange. . . .