When Bryce was born, the nurse would swaddle him in a blanket, wrapping him like a little caterpillar, nice and snug as a bug. She told me it would make him feel comfortable and safe. Being a new parent, and wanting my son to feel comfortable and safe, I kept trying to master this swaddle technique, and honestly wasn’t really good at it. I remember driving the nurse nuts as I called her into my hospital room about 5-8 times a day as Bryce would break free from the wrapped blanket, sticking his arms out and above his head. I just wanted Bryce to be comfortable and safe.

That’s the first thing I thought of when I heard about The Snug Vest.

“The Snug Vest™ is an inflatable vest for providing Deep Pressure Therapy. Firm pressure to the torso helps to relieve anxiety as well as increase focus and attention, and is especially effective for individuals with high levels of anxiety, stress, or with sensory disorders.”

Snug Vest company contacted me offering a month trial with their product, and see if it was something Bryce could benefit from. Since Bryce has always loved the feeling of gentle squeezes and pressure, hugs that would be extra tight, and holding hands that have evolved to locking arms as he’d flex and push his chin into my arm, I had to try it out.

So here’s my honest review:

Snug Vest is a Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, (local to me) company. The package came in the mail 3 days after it was shipped, which was great! The Snug Vest package came with an easy to use hand pump, instructions manual, warranty and care instructions, informational pamphlet, and the Snug Vest wrapped in a bow with a little note. I thought to myself that if the presentation of the packaging was any indication on how this trial was going to be, then we were in good hands!

“The stylish Snug Vest promotes independence as the user can self-inflate their vest in a discrete way to get the exact amount of safe pressure they need.”

One of my favourite things about this product was how easy it was for Bryce not only to put on and take off by himself, but to be able to inflate it himself (being monitored of course.) The instructions were very simple and easy to understand, which I really appreciated.

“Snug Vest enables the user to complete daily tasks with ease anywhere they go!”

Well one of Bryce’s ‘daily tasks’ is playing on his computer, and the vest wasn’t in the way and he was able to sit down without any bulging of material or discomfort. He wore it for the therapist recommended 20 minutes at a time and he didn’t get hot or sweaty as the holes in the back of the vest provide ventilation.

The hood is a great size for protecting against weather, but designed to provide a sense of comfort blocking out anything that can be overwhelming. The vest is durable with a ton of adjustable features ensuring a snug fit. The inflatable part of the garment is removable and easy to clean with a damp cloth and the fabric part is machine washable.

So it’s comfortable, it’s fashionable, but does it serve it’s therapeutic promises?

“Deep Pressure Therapy is a sensory integration therapy that applies surface pressure to the body in order to create the feeling of a firm hug, hold, or swaddle.

The result of applying pressure has a relaxing and calming effect as it helps relieve anxiety by regulating the sensory system when it is over stimulated from environmental input and overload.”

Bryce is honestly already a very chill and relaxed child, so it was hard for me to see if the vest contributed to any ‘relaxing and calming effects to relieve anxiety’, but when he was wearing the Snug Vest, he had a huge smile on his face, and I could easily see he was enjoying the pressure. (Not to mention, it gave my arm a break from being squeezed!)

So it’s comfortable, it’s fashionable, and serves it’s therapeutic purposes. Now let’s talk costs.

The Snug Vest was super kind enough to give us a DISCOUNT CODE to share with YOU! (offer expires April 10th, 2015) Enter 'SnugBubbles' at the checkout to receive $40 OFF YOUR ORDER! Best part?? Snug Vest is 100% covered by the BC government autism funding! How awesome is that?! See how you can get The Snug Vest funded for you!

I honestly would recommend The Snug Vest to anyone who is considering deep pressure therapy as part of their therapy routine, or if your child is like mine, and enjoys gentle squeezes. It’s lightweight, comfortable, therapeutic, and fashionable making it not only wearable anywhere, but beneficial to help manage stress and ease anxiety!

Thanks for reading,
Tanaya and Bryce

Disclaimer: Snug Vest company contacted me offering a month trial with their product, and see if it was something Bryce could benefit from. I wanted to write a review to share my experiences (they never asked for one). I am not being paid or compensated in any way for sharing my honest opinions in this review.