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BCDs -£250

IST Saturn (SRP: £249)

Mark: This was one of the leading budget BCDs last year, and while it is still a fantastic performer – it is comfortable, has plenty of lift and features accessible, double-zippered pockets and an integrated power inflator/air horn – it has been caught up price-wise by the competition. It is good to see that IST has dumped the old Velcro-fastening on the integrated weights and used a clip, but I’d like to be able to tighten the pouches.
Dave: This is still one of the top-performing BCDs in this price bracket, and I am also pleased to see the use of pinch-clips on the integrated weight pockets instead of just Velcro. It is very comfortable and holds you well on the surface and underwater. Power inflator/air horn needs getting used to so you don’t press the wrong button!
Jim: This jacket has tons of lift and all the D-rings and clips are easy to find and use. The weight pouches have pinch-clips and Velcro, which is a nice touch. The double-zippered pockets are simple to get into and spacious.
Andrea: This was a nice, comfy jacket. It was easy to get the weight pouches in and out, and the pockets are great – I really like the double-zipper. I think the integrated power inflator/air horn is a neat addition. I wouldn’t mind owning one.
Liz: I kept using the air horn instead of the inflator, but I guess you’d get used to that. I was also not that keen on the integrated weights – I like pouches you can just pull on to release. Otherwise, a comfy jacket, with excellent pockets.

Mares Vector Epic (SRP: £239) CHOICE

Mark: This is a very nice jacket. You can easily get into the pockets, it vents through the pull dumps faster than the power inflator can put the air in, and it holds you in a good position underwater and on the surface. I think £239 for a BCD with Mares’ durable MRS integrated weight system is a bargain.
Dave: The elasticated cummerbund is a nice touch, and it holds you in a good diving position underwater. The power inflator and pull dumps work well, and the MRS weight system is a secure, easy-to-use addition to an already high-spec jacket. I wouldn’t mind owning one of these.
Jim: This is a gorgeous jacket. The power inflator is ergonomically designed and sits nicely in your hand. It is an all-round extremely comfortable BCD. I’d buy one tomorrow.
Andrea: The pockets were a bit far back for me to easily get into them, but otherwise this was a very comfortable jacket both above and below the waterline. The weight system is easy to use.
Liz: This is far better than I expected it to be. It is very comfy, the power inflator is solidly made and works well, and the weight system is one of the best around. To have it on a jacket for this price is a huge bonus – I’d buy one.

Northern Diver Guardian (SRP: £185) BEST VALUE

Mark: This BCD had huge pockets that were easy to get into, but I’d like to see a couple of plastic D-rings inside so you could secure torches, reels, etc. It would also be nice to see zippers instead of Velcro. That said, this was a cracking BCD for the money. It has loads of D-rings, an integrated power inflator/air horn and was very comfortable. It’s missing a pull dump on the right shoulder, though.
Dave: This jacket has lots of lift, and it actually sits you back a little at the surface in a nice head’s-up position. The massive pockets are easy to get into, and it is comfy. However, I did find that I kept hitting the air horn instead of the inflator.
Jim: This was really comfortable, but I’d need to buy loads of gadgets to fill all the D-rings! I like the Velcro-closing pockets, they are simple to access. This is a fantastic jacket for the price.
Andrea: This was not a bad BCD at all, it is reasonably comfy, had large pockets – though I reckon they’d be better with zippers – and it had huge amounts of lift. A good deal for the price.
Liz: This is very comfy indeed. It needs a right shoulder pull dump, but that said, it has lots of D-rings, big, easily accessible pockets and it comes in at a very good price.

Scubapro T-Sport (SRP: £239)

Mark: This was an extremely comfortable jacket, and while I maintain that the Scubapro power inflator is one of the best on the market, the pull dumps still vented quicker than it could put the air in. Excellent performance – the only thing which lets this BCD down is the lack of integrated weights.
Dave: I like the swivelling shoulder clip, and the performance is exemplary – it held me perfectly upright on the surface, and underwater the air migrates to just the right places. If Scubapro could figure out how to get their integrated weight system into this jacket at this price, I’d buy one!
Jim: I’d be tempted to buy this jacket – and not just because Mark liked it! It is very comfortable above and below the water, and it fits around you extremely well. Awesome power inflator.
Andrea: I personally am not a fan of the Scubapro power inflator, I find it a bit small for my hand, but this is a comfortable BCD which performs very well, especially for the price.
Liz: I liked everything about this jacket – the power inflator works well, the pull dumps are easy to find and vent quickly, the pockets are accessible, and it is an all-round comfortable BCD.

Seac Sub Pro Club (SRP: £199)

Mark: I found this jacket was a bit ‘flappy’ underwater, mainly due to a lot of the bladder being lower than the cummerbund and pinch-clip on the front, and the pockets are quite small. The power inflator is also one of the slowest I have ever seen! I was disappointed with this BCD.
Dave: I didn’t like the ‘novelty’ neoprene octopus keeper, and I also found the power inflator dreadfully slow. That said, the jacket itself holds you in a good position underwater and on the surface and, while the pockets are small, you can get into them quite easily.
Jim: You definitely won’t have to worry about ascending too fast in this jacket! Oral inflation would probably be as quick as the power inflator! I found the pockets too small, and I didn’t find it that comfortable. Not my favourite.
Andrea: The inflator hose seemed a bit short to me, and once you did find the power inflator, it was so slow it didn’t seem worth the effort! It was comfortable enough, but I was expecting better performance.
Liz: I also found the jacket ‘flapped’ around underwater, but otherwise it was comfortable, maintained your position underwater and at the surface, and I could get into the small pockets. The power inflator needs overhauling, though.

Tigullio Sea Rider (SRP: £189)

Mark: This is a very lightweight and extremely comfortable BCD. Sadly our test model had a faulty shoulder pinch-clip which would not stay fastened, and the other side wasn’t fully locking in place – perhaps quality control needs addressing. Dodgy clips aside, this is a good BCD for the money.
Dave: This is a comfortable jacket – well above average for the price. The pull dumps vent faster than the power inflator, and the single zippered pocket is easy to access, if a bit small. Shame about the dodgy pinch-clips.
Jim: This BCD inflates really quickly, but the pull dumps are more than adequate to deal with it. It holds you in a good position on the surface and underwater. Very comfy.
Andrea: I liked this jacket. It fitted well, held me well up at the surface and supported me in a good diving position underwater. The power inflator was comfortable, and worked very well. It was only let down by the pinch-clip issue.
Liz: I found this lightweight BCD to be quite comfortable, and it did hold me in a nice position underwater, but I found the single pocket hard to find – and the pinch-clips were driving me mad.

Tusa Liberator E (SRP: £248)

Mark: This BCD has small pockets, but they are easy to get into. It is comfortable, the pull dumps vent faster than the power inflator puts it in, and the integrated weight system features a locking mechanism to prevent accidental jettison of the pouches. An all-round good BCD.
Dave: This jacket has plenty of lift, and the power inflator works well. It is very comfy underwater, and the air migrates to where it needs to go. This is a nice BCD, well made, and at a reasonable price.
Jim: This has an excellent integrated weight system, but I couldn’t get into the pockets. It held me in a good position at the surface, and also underwater.
Andrea: This was a comfortable BCD with lots of lift, and it worked well above and below the water. The weight pouches seemed a bit stiff when I tried to release them, but this was probably because it was brand new.
Liz: It lacks a right shoulder pull dump, but the pockets are easy to access, it is very comfortable and felt secure underwater, and the weight system is excellent. All-round a decent jacket.