Buoyancy

12skipper Automatik 165N Navy vs NOARD Black Edition, 90–120 kg

Which category of equipment are you actually buying?

These two are not competitors. One is declared to ISO 12402-3 in the 150 N class and inflates automatically; the other is declared to ISO 12402-5 at 50 N and is foam. This site reports what each maker declares and tests nothing. What the comparison can do is make the difference between the two categories impossible to miss.

12skipper automatic lifejacket in navy with crotch strap

12skipper Automatik 165N Navy

Wins 1 of 10

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NOARD Black Edition 50 N buoyancy aid, 90 to 120 kg size

NOARD Black Edition, 90–120 kg

Wins 3 of 10

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Line by line

Compared on	Automatik 165N Navy	Black Edition, 90–120 kg
Standard declared by the maker	DIN EN ISO 12402-3	ISO 12402-5
Buoyancy declared	165 N, in the 150 N class	50 N
Type	Automatic inflatable	Foam buoyancy aid
Trigger	UML, automatic on water contact, plus a manual pull cord	None — it is foam
Servicing	First service no earlier than 24 months after the production date on the label	None stated
Fit range	40 to 150 kg, chest 55 to 140 cm	Five bands from 25–40 kg to 90–120 kg, matched to chest
Weight of the garment	Not published	0,42 kg; the range is 340 g to 420 g
Harness	None in this version, stated explicitly	Not applicable
Extras	Crotch strap and signal whistle	SOLAS reflectors, YKK zip, ITW buckle
Markets priced	Germany, France, Italy	Germany only

A tick means one listing published something the other did not, or published a better figure. It does not mean the product is better, and the column is not a score out of anything: a maker who says less loses lines here without losing a comparison. The two verdicts below are where the page is settled.

Which one, for whom

Buy the 12skipper Automatik 165N Navy

Declared to ISO 12402-3 at 165 N, inflating automatically on water contact with a manual cord as well, a crotch strap to stop it riding up and a whistle. The listing states plainly that this version has no harness — which is a sentence telling a sailor who clips on to buy a different one, and that candour is worth noting. The service rule is published twice: the date on the label governs, not the one on the trigger housing.

Buy the NOARD Black Edition, 90–120 kg

Declared to ISO 12402-5 at 50 N, in foam, with SOLAS reflectors and named YKK and ITW hardware. It publishes a five-band fit table matching body weight to chest measurement, and the only garment weight on its shelf — 340 to 420 g by size. There is nothing to service and nothing to rearm. It is a different category of equipment from the inflatable, not a cheaper version of it.

The questions a pairing like this raises

Are these two comparable at all?

Only in the sense that they are on the same shelf. They are declared to different parts of the standard and are different categories of equipment. Read each listing’s own declaration and choose the category first; this page reports what the makers publish and verifies nothing.

What does the service warning mean?

The inflatable states its first service is due no earlier than 24 months after the production date shown on the vest label, and that the date printed on the yellow plastic of the trigger is not the one that governs. It says so twice, which suggests the mistake is common.

Does the foam aid need anything done to it?

Nothing is stated. There is no cylinder, no trigger and no cartridge. That is the practical trade against an inflatable, and it is why a foam aid is the one that is actually worn.

The full reviews

Buoyancy aids

12skipper Automatik 165N Navy

Automatic lifejacket · 165 N in the 150 N class, declared to DIN EN ISO 12402-3 · UML trigger, inflating on water contact, with a manual pull cord · crotch strap · signal whistle · no harness or lifebelt in this version · one size, 40–150 kg, chest 55–140 cm · first service no earlier than 24 months after the production date on the label

The single-jacket version, and the listing is explicit about what it does not have.

Best for: A boat or a big water where an inflatable jacket is wanted and no tether is used

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Buoyancy aids

NOARD Black Edition, 90–120 kg

50 N, declared to ISO 12402-5 · extra-strong SOLAS reflectors · 100 % 210D polyester Oxford, tear-resistant, UV-resistant, stated to withstand salt water · soft EPE foam panels · YKK front zip · ITW side-release buckle · adjustable chest and waist straps · this variant 90–120 kg, chest over 112 cm · 0,42 kg

A fit table in five bands, three named components and a weight in kilograms.

Best for: An adult at the top of the size run who wants a foam aid rather than an inflatable

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The figure beside a product asked the shop for itself the moment this page opened; a figure inside the text has sat still since the sentence was written, and the first of the two is the one to trust.