The perfect BC should fit your body, your budget — and your style of diving. Above are a dozen models that offer smart options for travelers who want to save weight, women in search of ultimate comfort, cost-conscious consumers looking for maximize their investment and flat-out gear heads who want only the best.

Editor’s Pick

Aqua Lung’s Axiom i3 wins our praise for a tsunami’s worth of technology that delivers outstanding diver comfort and in-water performance. See more on our Editor's Pick in the Related Articles below.

Here are four design trends to consider when you decide it’s time to upgrade your ride.

Harnessing Comfort

New backplate and harness designs are boosting tank stability and optimizing positioning for easier maneuvering topside and improved in-water comfort. See this in the Aqua Lung Axiom i3.

Modular Magic

Some brands are translating the flexible, modular design of tec BCs into recreational jacket models with features like removable weight systems, add-on cargo pockets and more. See this in the Mares Hybrid Pro Tec.

Bigger and Better

By repositioning air chambers and adding more capacity to strategic spots such as the lumbar area, some new BCs offer boosted lift capacity without significantly increasing bladder size. See this in the Cressi S300.

Smart Construction

Advancing material technology is giving BC designers new ways to increase durability, functionality and performance to shed weight, resist wear and dry more quickly. See this is the SCUBAPRO Go.