REVIEW OF NRS CVEST MESH BACK PFD -

Introduction
Features of the PFD
On the Water Tests
Sizing
Pros of the NRS cVest Mesh Back PFD
Cons of the NRS cVest Mesh Back PFD
Summary

1. INTRODUCTION

A Personal Flotation Device (‘PFD’) is an essential piece of kayaking kit. They provide you with assistance to stay afloat should you end up in the water and in that sense they could potentially save your life.

The NRS cVest Mesh back PFD’s generally seem to retail for about £60-£100 in the UK as of November 2025.

The NRS Crest Mesh Back comes in 2 colours, lime and red.

I ordered the Lime coloured version but I do like the look of the red too, especially with the orange trim around the pockets.

2. FEATURES OF THE PFD

The NRS cVest is a Type III, medium profile life jacket with 16.0 pounds of flotation. The photo below is of my PFD after almost a year of quite regular usage. The bright lime colour of the PFD has not noticeably faded despite almost a year of use although it probably could have done with a wash at the time of me taking these photos!

**My well-worn NRS Cvest Mesh Back PFD**

Designed specifically for touring, the high-back flotation accommodates most sea kayaking seats well and alleviates the issue I had with the Helly Hansen PFD due the rear padding of it interfering with the seat back.

**The high back flotation fits comfortably above the back of kayak seats**

The mesh lower back provides good ventilation when I am paddling in very hot weather in the Summer. Two lash tabs and 4 d-rings offer opportunities for attaching a strobe, whistle and other accessories.

With my iPhone 17 Pro Max in the chest pocket, I can still zip the chest pocket most of the way up but the strap from the lanyard phone case which is secured around my neck means that I cannot quite close the zipper fully.

**The 2 chest pockets are roomy and accessible**

The chest pockets are just about big enough to fit an iPhone 17 Pro Max into. I always have the phone in a lanyard case with the strap around my neck, just in case I manage to drop the phone.

**The upper 2 should straps are adjustable for securing a good fit**

**The straps on the back are also very adjustable**

Two large zippered side pockets are even roomier than the 2 chest pockets.

**The 2 side pockets are even roomier than the chest pockets**

**The high back profile can clearly be seen from the side view**

The PFD is made from 400 denier ripstop nylon fabric. I have found this PFD to be very durable after almost a year’s usage over which period I’ve used the PFD about 40 or so times. The zips on the pockets are great and I can see no signs of wear and tear on the fabric of the PFD

3. ON THE WATER TESTS

I had used the NRS Cvest Mesh Back PFD about 40 times at the time of dog this review, in a range of both Winter, Spring and Summer conditions.

I have found this PFD to be very comfortable and have had no issues with any parts of it rubbing even when wearing nothing underneath it on my top half.

The NRS Cvest Mesh Back PFD is quite insulating itself. I definitely feel noticeably warmer as soon as I put it on and feel colder when I take it off after a paddle. Its almost like having a jacket on.

**The PFD helps to keep you warm on colder days**

I have found the 4 pockets to be extremely useful and roomy for storing all sorts.

In the Summer, on hot days I am often more than warm enough just wearing the PFD on my top half with a pair of neoprene shorts and some kayaking shoes.

**When it’s hot you can just wear the PFD on your top half**

The Story kayak we have has a higher seat back than the other drop stitch inflatable kayaks we use but I still found that the high back of the PFD meant that there were no issues with the seat back.

**The high back pad fits comfortably above kayak seats**

The PFD has 6 adjustment straps so the fit is very adjustable which helps to accommodate the extra layers you may want to wear underneath it in colder weather, including wearing it over a dry suit.

**The adjustable straps enables the PFD to be worn over dry suits**

4. SIZING

I am a size 36 inch chest, am about 5 foot 9 inches tall and weigh about 60KG. I therefore bought a size XS/M and it fits me very well. The size chart from the NRS website is below.

Size	Chest
XS/M	30″-42″
L/XL	42″-52″
XL/XXL	50″-56″

The 6 adjustable straps (2 on the shoulders and 4 on the lower back of the PFD) allow for a lot of adjustment if you want to, say, wear the PFD over a few layers and/or a dry suit or dry jacket in the Winter.

5. PROS OF THE NRS CVEST MESH BACK PFD

The high-back flotation accommodates most sea kayaking seats
mesh lower back adds ventilation in warm weather
Two lash tabs and numerous D-rings offer opportunities for attaching accessories.
Reflective patches and bright colors for good visibility
Two large zippered pockets and two small, dual-entry clamshell pockets provide very good storage options.
Six adjustment points for a customisable fit and front-entry zipper for easily slipping the jacket on and off

6. cons of the nrs cvest mesh back pfd

The mesh lower back means it may not be as insulating as a PFD with a full thickness back pad.
Not a cheap PFD, with prices ranging from about £100 to £140 in the UK as of the date of this review
The chest pockets could be very slightly deeper for accommodating large phone (I can fit my iPhone 12 Pro Max in there but it’s a bit of a squeeze to close the zipper)

7. SUMMARY

The NRS Cvest Mesh Back PFD is a great PFD and is well suited to my type of kayaking, which is generally touring on rivers and coasts. I would certainly recommend it and have found it to be very well made. The best features for my are the high back to it and the ample storage in the 2 large chest pockets and the 2 even larger side pockets.

**Thumbs up for the NRS cVest mesh back PFD**

The link to our video review of this PFD on our Youtube channel is below:

REVIEW OF NRS CVEST MESH BACK PFD

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