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BCDs £350+

Mares Dragonfly AT (SRP: £400)

Mark: The Air Trim system works well, but it does take some getting used to! The BCD is very comfortable, and the MRS integrated weight system is one of the best on the market. I found the pockets a bit awkward to get into, but all-round, a good, solid BCD.
Dave: Again, I liked the elasticated cummerbund, and the MRS weight system, which is easy to take out and put in. The air cell inflates away from your body, so there is no squeeze even when it is fully inflated. The emergency oral inflation works, but I think the hose could do with being a bright colour, like orange or red, rather than black.
Jim: The Air Trim, as Mark said, does take some adapting to, but boy, does it ever work well! I like how the controls, being securely fastened to the front of the BCD, are always easy to find. The jacket is very comfortable, and I liked the integrated weight system.
Andrea: I’m not that keen on the Air Trim control, but I guess you would get used to it if you were using it regularly. Otherwise, this is a comfy BCD, with a good integrated weight system.
Liz: I am not a fan of the Air Trim system, and I found the pockets difficult to get into, but the jacket itself was extremely comfortable both on the surface and under the water.

Oceanic Wolf (SRP: £375) BEST VALUE

Mark: This was an extremely comfortable jacket. It just seemed to tighten up in all the right places and fit snugly, preventing tank movement on the surface or underwater. I liked the zippered pockets that sit out front, and the integrated weight pouches – which sit vertically into pockets – worked well. A well-made, durable BCD at a reasonable price.
Dave: I found this BCD held me in a slightly head’s-up dive position, but it also kept me very stable thanks to the wing-like bladder shape around the cylinder. The pockets are quite small, but easy to get into. I liked the way that you could use the integrated weight pouch pockets as spare pockets if you don’t use the weight system.
Jim: There was plenty of lift in this BCD, and I was taken with the titanium-coloured D-rings. The zippered pockets are like little wallets or handbags (Ed – I’m getting worried about him…). I am not a fan of the power inflator’s shape, but otherwise, an excellent all-round BCD.
Andrea: This had plenty of lift and support in all the right places, whether you were on the dive or at the surface. The pockets are easy to access, the integrated weight system works well, and it is very comfortable. A good BCD.
Liz: This was very comfy, and easy to get on and off. The pockets, while accessible, are a bit on the small side, but I liked the integrated weight system, and the pull dumps vent faster than the inflator can put air in. I like this BCD – a good deal for the money.

Ralf Tech Cocoon (SRP: £459)

Mark: This jacket has incredible amounts of lift – it is more akin to what you’d expect from a technical wing! It is quite a bulky BCD, so perhaps not the best choice for travelling divers, but it is comfortable, allows easy access to the pockets and has multiple D-rings. I would expect clips on the integrated weight pouches, not Velcro, for this amount of money.
Dave: This is a lot of money for a BCD, and like Mark, I would expect a clip system on the integrated weights instead of Velcro. The pockets are easy to access, and it is very comfortable – the air moves to just where it needs to be to provide the right support. The power inflator seemed a little on the slow side.
Jim: This jacket does have tons of lift, and it is extremely comfortable. The zips on the pockets should be the other way around to make it even easier to get into. I liked the meaty power inflator. I like this BCD, but am not sure the cost can be justified.
Andrea: This was a bit of a ‘macho’-looking BCD, all black and silver with D-rings everywhere. It is comfortable, and it did provide plenty of support, but it is just too much for me.
Liz: This was a bit butch for me as well, but it was exceptionally comfortable. The double pockets were easy to access, and the power inflator fell easily to hand, though it did seem a little slow.

Scubapro T-Black (SRP: £389) CHOICE

Mark: This is an extremely comfortable, good-looking jacket. It has Scubapro’s excellent power inflator, and large, easy-to-access pockets. The pull dumps vent very fast, far quicker than the inflator can put it in. It holds you well on the surface and underwater. This is a worthy successor to the previous top-of-the-range Glide BCD.
Dave: This is a little bulky around the weight pouches, but it is comfortable, holds you in a good position underwater and on the surface, and you can easy get into the pockets. Much as I hate agreeing with Mr Evans, this is a very good jacket.
Jim: This is just a really comfortable, nice-looking BCD. The pull dumps vent extremely rapidly. Basically, there is nothing to dislike here – it does what it is designed to do, and it does it well.
Andrea: I really liked this jacket. I’m not a fan of the Scubapro power inflator, but the rest of the BCD is so well made and it is so comfy, I could learn to like it!
Liz: The pull dumps on this BCD are awesome! The pockets are a bit too far back for me, but I could still get into them. This is incredibly comfortable and fits snugly around you – there was no movement on the surface or underwater. I really liked it.

Seac Sub Pro 2000 (SRP: £389)

Mark: This BCD has easily accessible pockets, numerous D-rings and an excellent integrated weight system, but I’d expect this to be included, not an option, at this price. It is very comfortable on the surface and underwater, and I particularly liked the power inflator details – the inflate button is concave and lets your finger sit well, and the deflate button is pointed with ridges on it, so no doubts which button you are pressing.
Dave: This is a very comfortable BCD, which seems to mould to your shape. It kept me in a nice position underwater, and on the surface. The toggle for the right shoulder pull dump is a little on the long side and got in the way a bit on the dive.
Jim: I liked this BCD – it has got a good power inflator, easily accessible pockets, excellent integrated weight system and durable build quality. It is also extremely comfortable.
Andrea: I found this a bit bulky around the integrated weight system and pockets, but the latter are easy to get to, and the former works very well. It was comfortable to dive in, but I wasn’t taken with the shoulder straps.
Liz: This was a good-looking, well-built BCD. It was very comfortable, and the pull dumps vent faster than the inflator puts air in. It was easy to get into the pockets even with weights in the integrated pouches. I liked this one – I may even look to buy it!

Tigullio Hover (SRP: £365)

Mark: The Hover impressed in last year’s test, and the sequential inflation actually does work – the rear wing inflates first, keeping you in a good horizontal position underwater, and then the rest of the jacket, putting you into a head’s-up position on the surface. It has huge double-zipped pockets and good pull dumps, but it is a shame they haven’t dumped the Velcro on the integrated weights.
Dave: The toggle for the back rear pull dump appears on the front of the BCD and I like that, it is easy to find. It is comfortable and holds you in a good position in the water and on the surface, but I agree with Mark – at this price, I’d want clips on the integrated pouches, not Velcro.
Jim: I don’t like the style of the power inflator, and found the whole jacket fairly bulky. The pockets are easy to get into thanks to their location and the double-zippers. I think the Velcro should have been replaced with clips to hold the integrated weights.
Andrea: I found the power inflator very sensitive – you didn’t need to press the button much to start air delivery – and it was easy to take out and replace the integrated weight pouches. The pockets are easily accessible, and it was comfy, I just don’t think it was the one for me.
Liz: This was a very comfortable BCD on the surface and underwater. It was fast to inflate, and even quicker to deflate – the pull dumps work very well. The pockets are big and easy to access, thanks to the double-zipper system. Not a bad BCD for the price.