Gilet de sauvetage offshore 170N BackTow

Needed a lifejacket and AIS solution for upcoming races. I spoke to TeamO who have good advice and explained which jacket would suit my sailing activity the best. The benefits of the backtow are obvious. Quick delivery was also arranged so jacket and beacon arrived, already plumbed in and good to go.

I looked at a lot of different life vest and found these to be the most comfortable life jackets and with the option of being towed correctly was on obvious choice. Been very happy with the life jackets.

Fits very well, I was able to make all the adjustments necessary to fit me. The instructions are good so read them. I have not deployed the jacket yet. I also have worked out how to attach the MOB1. The tether works as expected and attaches to the jack lines with the clips. All in all, I am very pleased and recommend buying this life jacket.

I purchased this life jacket in January and, although I have (fortunately) not had the opportunity to use it in a real emergency, I have used it several times. The materials and workmanship are excellent and the jacket is very comfortable to wear, despite being an offshore jacket, which is bulkier than many other “coastal” items (the jacket has a light, a built-in hood and can easily accommodate a PLB). For a more in-depth analysis, look for the Yachting Monthly review published in 2022.
There are only two “issues”: the backtow system does not appear to be all that easy to be repacked if the jacket has been activated and the system deployed. The manual is not very clear on this and the videos on the TemO website refer to older and different versions. I hope TeamO will address this by publishing an updated video for the current system. Otherwise, it would probably be a wise idea to open the jacket and record a video showing how the system is packed for future reference.
The second issue is due to Brexit: if, like me, you plan to buy this life jacket from abroad, be prepared to pay very high customs duties. It's not TeamO's fault, clearly (they seem to try to keep prices low), but if you end up paying 30% more than the listed price, other products might become more interesting. Of course, you'll have to give up the backtow system as TeamO is the only manufacturere to offer a similar solution.

I had a chance to use my new vest this October on 14 days offshore sail. It fits very well no problem to wear it many hours and the materials seems good and durable. Considering my heigh almost 2m i would appreciate even longer straps between legs (always easy to shorten than other way). I haven't fall over yet but once it happens, I will write the second part of review.