Bridging an Industry Gap and Advancing Water Sports Safety — T/SHFZ 09-2026 Standard for Sports Life Jackets Officially Released

On July 7, the official release ceremony for T/SHFZ 09-2026, the Standard for Sports Life Jackets, was successfully held at the Run'Aosheng Lecture Hall of Donghua University in Shanghai.

As the first dedicated group standard in China specifically developed for sports life jackets, T/SHFZ 09-2026 was jointly led by Donghua University and Shanghai WaterFun Outdoor Supplies Co., Ltd., together with a number of leading organizations and institutions, including the Water Sports Management Center of the General Administration of Sport of China, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai Textile Association, Shanghai Sailing and Windsurfing Association, and Jiangsu Qifeng Jinlan Sports Culture Development Co., Ltd.

The standard was officially released on April 30, 2026, and came into effect on May 30, 2026. The full standard is available through China's national group standards information platform.

Representatives from Shanghai's standardization authorities, universities and research institutions, water sports organizations, and industry enterprises attended the release ceremony.

In recent years, water sports such as dragon boat racing, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP), sailing, rafting, and recreational fishing have grown rapidly in popularity.

However, existing life jacket standards have traditionally focused on emergency use and passive protection, particularly in boating and rescue scenarios. These requirements do not fully address the specific needs of modern water sports, where equipment may need to be worn continuously for extended periods.

Compared with conventional life jackets, sports life jackets place greater emphasis on freedom of movement, comfort, appearance, personalization, and activity-specific performance.

Before the introduction of this standard, China lacked a dedicated technical specification for sports life jackets. This resulted in inconsistent product terminology, inaccurate or overstated buoyancy claims, insufficient Chinese-language labeling, inconsistent technical parameters, non-compliant accessories, and inadequate suitability for different water sports environments.

The absence of a unified standard created challenges for manufacturers, consumers, testing organizations, and regulators, while also increasing potential safety risks.

T/SHFZ 09-2026 officially recognizes sports life jackets as an important category within the broader life jacket family, providing a clear definition and moving away from vague terms such as "buoyancy vest."

The standard clearly distinguishes sports life jackets from other types of life-saving equipment and establishes dedicated technical requirements tailored to water sports.

One of its key innovations is the introduction of a scenario-based and weight-based classification system.

Sports life jackets are classified into four major application categories:

The standard also establishes quantitative buoyancy requirements according to different water sports scenarios and user weight ranges.

In addition, specific requirements have been introduced for critical safety and performance factors, including:

Together, these requirements establish a professional safety framework specifically designed around the characteristics of modern water sports.

Experts attending the event highlighted that the standard is based on real-world water testing data and closely reflects the practical requirements of both competitive training and recreational water sports.

By establishing unified and measurable technical requirements, T/SHFZ 09-2026 provides practical guidance for:

The standard is expected to help reduce product mismatches and inadequate equipment performance while providing a stronger and more consistent safety baseline for the rapidly developing water sports equipment industry.

Following the release, the industry will continue promoting the standard through training and educational programs, while launching pilot applications across different water sports scenarios.

A dynamic revision mechanism will also be established to ensure that the standard continues to adapt to emerging business models, new technologies, and evolving demands within the water sports industry.

As China's first dedicated standard covering sports life jackets across a wide range of water sports applications, T/SHFZ 09-2026 represents an important milestone in the standardization of sports life jacket products.

The implementation of this standard will help improve product quality, promote fairer competition, eliminate low-quality and underperforming products, and strengthen the safety foundation for public participation in water sports.

It will also contribute to the standardized, high-quality development of China's water sports and water-based tourism industries, helping create a safer and more professional environment for water sports enthusiasts.

As one of the organizations leading the development of T/SHFZ 09-2026, Shanghai WaterFun Outdoor Supplies Co., Ltd. remains committed to advancing innovation, safety, and professional standards in water sports equipment.

Through continuous product development, technical innovation, and industry collaboration, WaterFun aims to provide safer and more reliable equipment for water sports enthusiasts, professional athletes, rescue teams, and outdoor users worldwide.