Update: Since writing my earlier review, I have had a chance to use this saddle float and the "other float" in the ocean and in a swimming pool. I have found that the Airhead saddle float is a bit more likely to flip over backwards than its competitor; that is, this one seems to have a bit less buoyancy in the back, so it flips over backwards more easily. I suspect this depends in part on the shape (or to be more precise, the distribution of buoyancy) of the person sitting in the float. But for me, the Airhead doesn't work quite as well in this regard. Original Review: I purchased one each of the Air Head Sun Comfort Pool Saddle (this product) and the other major brand of closed-cell-foam saddle float. They differ, but, to me, one is not better overall than the other. The biggest difference between the Airhead and the “other float” (avoiding mentioning other product by name in review) is that the surface of the Airhead is textured with tiny grooves (perhaps about 2 grooves per millimeter?). I can see how the Airhead might chafe one's bare legs where it passes between them, and at least one reviewer has said so. I think this may be more of a problem for women or men wearing "Speedo" type bathing suits, because my bathing suit (shorts) protected my bare skin from contact with the float. The surface of the “other float” is smooth and a bit rubbery, but not slippery. Some people may find the smooth surface of the “other float” more comfortable. The Airhead seems to be made of a stiffer material than the “other float”, and big grooves are molded across the narrow part of the Airhead, where the saddle folds between one’s legs, apparently to overcome the stiffness and facilitate bending there. There are three such grooves in the Airhead, each about ½ inch wide and ¼ inch deep. The grooves are aligned so that the deepest part of each groove on one side is opposite the deepest part of a groove on the other side. Thus, between the bottoms of the grooves, the thickness of the float is about half what it is elsewhere. One might fear that the Airhead would tear in these thin and narrow places, but I don’t recall any reviews mentioning this as a problem. The “other float” seems spongier than the Airhead, but when I squeezed each one between my thumb and forefinger, I found them to be equally compressible. The “other float” is perceptibly more flexible than the Airhead, but not what I would call floppy. Although the Airhead is a bit smaller than the “other float”, in both length and width, they both provide equal flotation; maybe the Airhead is a bit less dense than the other one. I am 5 ft 11 inches tall and weigh 185 pounds; both floats suspended me so that the tops of my shoulders were out of the water but my underarms were submerged. As one who has carried several of these things on a boat, I can tell you smaller is better. Both the Airhead and the “other float” are closed cell foam, and I consider that to be a much better construction than the other kind of saddle float available, the kind made of open cell foam coated in vinyl. I have owned some of these vinyl-coated saddle floats, and I found that the surfaces tend to stick together if the floats are stacked one on another. Reportedly—although I haven’t experienced it myself—the coating sometimes peels off. If the coating peels off or is cut open, water infiltrates the foam, a serious product failure in my book. I haven't owned the Airhead long enough to know about its durability. I have had several of the smooth-skinned saddle floats, and they have lasted for years. In most cases, they were lost (floated away at the beach) before they tore. Tearing seems to be the only failure mode. The two I have had longest still work, although they have torn superficially around the handles, which are simply oval holes at each end. Overall, I guess I go for the smooth-skinned ones, but the Airheads seem like a good product. I may get some more of each.
