Impact Vests 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide
With steady growth in all directions, the market for Impact Vests continues to look promising. Find out more in our 2025 Retail Buyer’s Guide by Anna Langer.
MARKET DEVELOPMENT
Things seem to be looking good on the water, with most brands reporting steady growth in various segments. “The market is growing in terms of both the number of participants and the range of products available to meet the specific needs of riders,” says Forward WIP Marketing Manager, Benjamin Tillier: “More riders in the water, getting more confidence and pushing the limits but also democratisation of foiling, have a big impact on the necessity to wear an Impact Vest. Rules on competitions evolved to enforce wearing the helmet and the vest.” Liquid Force states that “2024 was a strong year for us. Globally we saw steady demand, with growth fuelled by competitive pricing and a continued focus on comfort and mobility.” Ronix even found that sell-through exceeded their expectations: “This gave us the opportunity to dive right back into R&D and continue pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.”
From Jetpilot’s perspective, there is strong potential, but also fluctuations as the industry stabilises following the post-pandemic surge. “However, consumer sentiment has improved compared to the previous year, with growing demand for innovative and high-performance products,” adds Watersports Marketing Manager, Dallas Morgan. O’Neill also found the market fairly flat, with retailers still working their way through high inventory levels and slower demand, but seeing significant increase from the foiling market.
“Wing Foil has clearly the biggest growth by getting more speed and jumping higher,” agree WIP and also Jet Pilot notice that “foiling has seen a surge in popularity, with increasing numbers of riders eager to explore this exciting discipline” while at the same time “the cable wakeboarding sector continues to thrive with the number of parks world wide, making the sport more accessible to a broader audience. This shift has led to a rising demand for adaptable impact vests that accommodate multiple water sports.” Liquid Force sees the most growth in vests with more mobility: “Riders are looking for lightweight, flexible vests that provide protection while allowing unrestricted movement,” says Rich Jonas, Marketing Director. Ronix highlights the youth and family market: “Families seek impact vests that strike the perfect balance between protection, style, and comfort.”
TRENDS
With the market growing both vertically and horizontally, the big trends for 2025 are speciality and adaptability. More riders diving deeper into specific areas of their sports have a need for products that cater for exactly what they need. WIP states that “trends are moving towards 2 points in particular: 1. the development of ultra-targeted and optimised products (example of the Wing Impact vest or the Kompact vest) with details developed by riders for greater functionality and ease in the water, and 2. adaptability to different sports with a base that can be customised (example of the Raley jacket for wake and wing, or the Light Vest for SUP or downwind with the Downwind back pack accessory)”.
When it comes to style, Ronix aims for edgy, standout designs that make a statement on the water for teens, while for parents, they’re leaning into classic, high-end aesthetics. In addition to that, they extended the torso length for a better fit and redesigned the armholes to be oversized, eliminating the risk of abrasion: “tailored fit with ample room under the arms, giving riders full range of motion for both wakeboarding and swimming, all while ensuring zero irritation.” Also Liquid Force focuses on comfort and mobility with a competitively priced vest with less restriction, while Sooruz highlights their Jules Charraud & Katinka Buiting pro models, showcasing their deep commitment to wakeboarding and its athletes: “Beyond product technology and pricing, consumers seek a compelling story. The same approach applies to our new Strato Vest, developed in close collaboration with our riders. By working directly with them, we ensure that our gear evolves alongside the latest trends and performance demands in the sport.” O’Neill also reports a redesign for 2025: the original outlaw, to create a low profile multi discipline vest that can be used for foiling, wake and ski. This still uses the traditional durable neoprene shell but has NytroLite, O’Neill’s exclusive – PVC free – super lightweight PE foam core.
TECHNOLOGY
With Silk Skin, Ronix introduces a new material that is less abrasive and extra water repellant – on top of being super smooth. Jack Youngquist, International Sales Manager at Ronix continues: “We also bought a robot that can thread the needle and weave the dream like no other impact jacket, stitching our way to happiness with 39 individual precision flex segments. This allows for a 4 way stretch to move along with you no matter how you contort your body on the water season after season.” Sustainability is at the core of Jetpilot’s innovation: “Our groundbreaking Ecoprene program is a testament to this commitment. By transforming recycled plastic bottles into raw material, which is then spun into yarn and developed into high-quality neoprene, we’ve engineered a fabric that is not only environmentally responsible but also 30% lighter than traditional neoprene. This triple-layer construction ensures that Jetpilot maintains its signature durability and flexibility while delivering a more breathable, agile, and comfortable ride.” Liquid Force also uses sustainable foam paired with glue-free multi-flex panels and Sooruz integrated the hook of their Wing model directly into the vest for 2025.
O’Neill’s highlight is their NytroLite PE foam core in all comp vests that is 20% lighter and absorbs less water than traditional foams: “Keeping the vest from absorbing as much water as possible has always been at the core of all our vest designs, keeping you on the water longer.” WIP have all their vests independently certified for buoyancy and impact testing.
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