# Onyx vs Stearns Life Jackets (2026): Basic Vests, Kids' Sizes and Inflatables Compared > Onyx and Stearns life jackets compared on approval, weight bands, straps and fit: the basic adult vests, the 30 to 55 lb child vests, and where only Onyx has an inflatable. - Source: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets - Publisher: SaltProofLab (https://saltprooflab.com) - Published: 2026-09-30 - Category: life-jackets-safety - Tags: Onyx vs Stearns, Onyx life jacket, Stearns life jacket, Stearns Classic Series, Onyx General Purpose, child life vest - Method: picks chosen from Amazon listings and brand specs; not hands-on tested; current Amazon prices are on the page; content checked 2026-09-30. - Quick answer: For spare adult vests, the two are close: Stearns Classic has three buckles, Onyx General Purpose adds Transport Canada approval and a chest strap. For kids, Stearns' vest is labelled 30 to 50 lb, Onyx's 33 to 55 lb. Only Onyx had an inflatable, the A/M-24, sold by Amazon.com. ## Key takeaways - Stearns has been part of The Coleman Company since 2008, per Stearns' own history page. - Onyx labels its child and youth vests with the Coast Guard's new weight bands (33-55 and 55-88 lb); the Stearns kids' vests still list 30-50 and 50-90 lb. - Onyx's inflatables are approved only for users 16 and older over 80 lb; Stearns had no inflatable from a trusted seller on Amazon when we checked. ## Products (chosen from listings, not tested) 1. **Onyx General Purpose Life Jacket, Adult** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B0039STN4E) — Buy it if you fish both sides of the border and want dual approval. - Pros: U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada approved, fits adults 90 lb and over, per Onyx; Adjustable belts and a chest strap to keep the vest from riding up; Open sides and large armholes; Universal and Oversize sizes on Onyx's store - Cons: A plain boating vest with no pockets or tool loops 2. **Stearns Adult Classic Series Life Vest** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B000NV7ONM) — Buy it if you need a stack of basic three-buckle vests for guests. - Pros: USCG approved Type III life jacket for adults 90 lb or more, per the listing; Nylon shell with PE foam, open sides and three adjustable buckles; Standard and oversized fits, per the listing - Cons: The listing names U.S. Coast Guard approval only, with no Transport Canada claim 3. **Onyx General Purpose Life Jacket, Child** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B001U74FBC) — Buy it if your child is 33 to 55 lb and you want the new weight band. - Pros: U.S. Coast Guard and Transport Canada approved; fits children 33 to 55 lb, per Onyx; Leg strap for added safety, plus adjustable belts and a chest strap - Cons: The Amazon listing also describes Onyx's infant/child Type II vest; check the size on the label when it arrives 4. **Stearns Kids Life Vest, 30 to 50 lb** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B000NV7QB2) — Buy it if your child is 30 to 50 lb and you want a three-buckle vest. - Pros: USCG approved Type III vest for children 30 to 50 lb, per the listing; Three adjustable buckles, open sides and a leg strap; Nylon shell with PE flotation foam - Cons: No head float; Stearns sells a separate Heads-Up child vest for that 5. **Onyx A/M-24 Automatic/Manual Inflatable Life Jacket** (details: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B00NXVUM60) — Buy it if you swim well and want the one inflatable this pairing offers. - Pros: USCG approved for users 16 and older over 80 lb; fits 30 to 52 in chests, per the listing; Inflates on immersion or by the handle; converts to manual only with the included cap; 22.5 lb of buoyancy inflated, per the listing - Cons: Needs rearming after it fires (Onyx kit #1352) and regular checks Onyx and Stearns both make the plain foam vests that fill most boat lockers, and both make kids' sizes. They differ in the details that show on the label: approval marks, weight bands and strap layout. And on Amazon, only one of them sells an inflatable through a trusted seller. **How we chose:** we did not test these jackets. We compared what Onyx's own store and each Amazon listing state, and linked only jackets sold by Amazon.com and in stock on September 30, 2026. ## Onyx vs Stearns, label by label | Jacket | Approval (maker or listing) | Weight or size | Straps | Sold by | Amazon price | |---|---|---|---|---|---| | [Onyx General Purpose, adult](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B0039STN4E) | USCG and Transport Canada | 90 lb and over | Belts and chest strap | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Stearns Classic Series, adult](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B000NV7ONM) | USCG, Type III | 90 lb or more | Three buckles | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Onyx General Purpose, child](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B001U74FBC) | USCG and Transport Canada | 33 to 55 lb | Belts, chest strap, leg strap | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Stearns Kids, 30 to 50 lb](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B000NV7QB2) | USCG, Type III | 30 to 50 lb | Three buckles, leg strap | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | | [Onyx A/M-24 inflatable](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets#product-B00NXVUM60) | USCG, 16+ and over 80 lb | 30 to 52 in chest | Body belt, front buckle | Amazon.com | see the current Amazon price on the page | The Onyx figures come from its [adult General Purpose](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/products/adult-general-purpose-life-jacket) and [child General Purpose](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/products/child-general-purpose-life-jacket) pages. Stearns sells through retailers rather than its own store; its [recreation page](https://www.stearnsflotation.com/recreation.html) lists Amazon and Walmart under "Where to Buy," so the Stearns figures come from the Amazon listings. ## Who makes them Stearns' [history page](https://www.stearnsflotation.com/about-us.html) says that in 2008 "The Coleman Company, Inc. added to its family of brands" Stearns. The same page says federal rule changes in 1971 let makers design a Type III vest that "didn't have to be a bulky orange block." Onyx's store does not state a parent company on the pages we read, so we don't name one. ## The adult vests: close on paper Both are foam vests for adults of 90 lb and up, with nylon shells and open sides. The Stearns Classic closes with three adjustable buckles and comes in standard and oversized fits, per its listing. Onyx's General Purpose uses adjustable belts plus a chest strap "to keep vest from riding up," and Onyx lists Universal and Oversize. The one hard difference is the approval mark. Onyx states "U.S. Coast Guard approved and Transport Canada approved." The Stearns Classic listing states Coast Guard approval only. If you run into Canadian water, check the label on whichever jacket you buy. Either vest covers the Coast Guard's one-wearable-per-person rule. The Coast Guard's [How to Choose the Right Life Jacket](https://www.uscgboating.org/images/howtochoosetherightlifejacket_brochure.pdf) brochure adds that each must be the proper size for the wearer, in good and serviceable condition, and readily accessible. Our [USCG equipment checklist](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/uscg-required-safety-equipment) covers the rest of the list. ## The kids' vests: different weight bands This is where the labels part. Onyx's child vest "fits children 33-55 lbs," and its youth vest fits 55 to 88 lb, per Onyx. Those match the categories on the Coast Guard's [life jacket wear page](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/life-jacket-wear-wearing-your-life-jacket.php): child over 33 up to 55 lb, youth over 55 up to 88 lb. The Stearns kids' vests on Amazon still list the older bands: 30 to 50 lb for the child vest and 50 to 90 lb for the youth vest. A 52 lb child fits the Onyx child vest but is over the Stearns child range. Buy the vest whose label includes your child's weight today; our [kids' life jackets guide](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/kids-life-jackets) covers leg straps, head support and the fit test. Both child vests have a leg strap. Neither has the head float of Stearns' separate Heads-Up child vest, which the kids' guide covers. ## Inflatables: only Onyx on Amazon We found no Stearns inflatable sold by Amazon.com or a Stearns store when we checked. Onyx's A/M-24 is: it inflates on immersion or by pulling the handle, and the listing says it is approved for users 16 or older over 80 lb, with 22.5 lb of buoyancy. Onyx's [FAQ](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/pages/faqs) says its inflatables are made to be worn over clothing, never under it. The Coast Guard brochure marks every inflatable style "not for children under 16 or non-swimmers." Our [inflatable vs foam guide](https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/inflatable-vs-foam-life-jackets) covers rearm kits and the belt pack. ## Who each one suits **Choose Onyx if:** - you boat in U.S. and Canadian water and want both approval marks on the label; - your child sits in the 50 to 55 lb gap between the older bands; - you want the family's vests and an adult inflatable from one maker. **Choose Stearns if:** - you want three-buckle vests for a boat that takes guests; - your child is 30 to 33 lb, below the Onyx child vest's range; - you may later want Stearns' Heads-Up child vest, with a neck float, for a toddler. **Either works if** you need a basic Coast Guard approved foam vest for every adult aboard. ## Recalls Our [marine recall list](https://saltprooflab.com/recalls), built from [CPSC recall notices](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) since January 2023, has no entries for Onyx or Stearns. You can search either brand in the CPSC database yourself. ## Frequently Asked Questions ### Are Onyx and Stearns the same company? Stearns says on its own history page that it joined The Coleman Company in 2008. We found no statement of Onyx's ownership on Onyx's store, so we can't confirm a link between the two. ### Does a Transport Canada approval matter on a U.S. boat? Not for the U.S. rule: [33 CFR 175.15](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/175.15) asks for a wearable PFD approved by the Coast Guard for each person aboard. Canada approves jackets through Transport Canada, which is why Onyx prints both marks on its General Purpose vests. ### Why do some kids' life jackets say 33 to 55 lb and others 30 to 50 lb? The Coast Guard's wear page defines the child category as over 33 up to 55 lb, and Onyx labels its child vest that way. Older labels used 30 to 50 lb, which is what the Stearns kids' listing still shows. --- *SaltProofLab is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Specs are Onyx's and Stearns' own, from Onyx's store and the Amazon listings.* ## Sources - onyxoutdoor.com: [Adult general purpose life jacket](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/products/adult-general-purpose-life-jacket) - onyxoutdoor.com: [Child general purpose life jacket](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/products/child-general-purpose-life-jacket) - stearnsflotation.com: [Recreation page](https://www.stearnsflotation.com/recreation.html) - stearnsflotation.com: [History page](https://www.stearnsflotation.com/about-us.html) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [How to Choose the Right Life Jacket](https://www.uscgboating.org/images/howtochoosetherightlifejacket_brochure.pdf) - U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety: [Life jacket wear wearing your life jacket.php](https://uscgboating.org/recreational-boaters/life-jacket-wear-wearing-your-life-jacket.php) - onyxoutdoor.com: [FAQ](https://www.onyxoutdoor.com/pages/faqs) - U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission: [CPSC recall notices](https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls) - law.cornell.edu: [33 CFR 175.15](https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/33/175.15) --- Last updated: 2026-09-30 Canonical URL: https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets How to cite: "Onyx vs Stearns Life Jackets (2026): Basic Vests, Kids' Sizes and Inflatables Compared", SaltProofLab, https://saltprooflab.com/life-jackets-safety/onyx-vs-stearns-life-jackets (checked 2026-09-30). Disclosure: as an Amazon Associate SaltProofLab earns from qualifying purchases. Safety information summarizes public guidance and is not medical advice.