This baby pool float is a safer option than arm floaties and offers more mobility than life vests — here's why parents like me appreciate the design

• The pool can be relaxing, but it can also be quite stressful for parents who need to keep their kids safe around the water.
• The SwimWays Baby Spring Float is one of my go-to baby and toddler pool products because it helps me keep my daughter safe so I can relax.

I spend a good amount of time at the pool in the summer, which was fun and relaxing before my daughter was born. Now, pool time can still be fun, but it's often more stressful than relaxing as I watch her like a hawk the entire time. Arm floaties can provide a false sense of security and have even been known to slip off little arms. Life jackets are a safer option, but those can also be very restrictive when a kid is just trying to enjoy the pool.

In my quest for a flotation device to help keep my daughter safe in the water while allowing me to relax (a little bit), I found the SwimWays Baby Spring Float with Sun Canopy. When my daughter is in the float, I still don't take my eyes off her, but it allows us both to enjoy the pool.

Using the SwimWays float

The SwimWays pool float is designed for babies and toddlers 9 to 24 months old. I used it with my daughter last summer when she was 11-13 months old, and I plan to continue to use it this summer up until she's 24 months old.

When she's in the float, she sits in a mesh seat with her feet dangling in the water. There is an inflatable portion completely surrounding the seat, followed by a mesh ring, followed by another inflatable portion. Her head always remains completely above water, which is important because even if a child is submerged but appears to be OK, they can suffer dangerous consequences later in the form of dry drowning or secondary drowning.

The mesh play area that surrounds the entire float provides a great place for her to splash in the water or play with small water toys. My daughter has very fair skin, so the removable UPF 50+ sun canopy is a huge plus for us, too.

Any parent who has taken a child to the pool knows that a lot of gear comes along: sunscreen, swim diapers, toys, towels, a change of clothes, snacks, etc. This pool float is one extra thing to bring, but it folds up into its own carrying case, making both transportation and storage simple.

Remember that even with devices like the SwimWays pool float, accidents happen and children can drown extremely quickly. Never leave your child alone in or near the pool; don't let flotation devices give you or your child that false sense of security.

How to keep your kids safe in and around the water

We spoke to Dr. Sarah Denny, MD, attending physician for the division of Primary Care Pediatrics at Nationwide Children's Hospital, to bring you more information on how to keep your kids safe in and around the water because pool flotation products are never a substitute for prevention and supervision.

When it comes to your baby, he or she is more likely to drown in the home — think bathtubs, toilets, water dishes, etc. "This can be prevented by constant supervision while bathing your infant — not leaving them alone, even for a few seconds," said Denny.

She also told us that older children typically drown in pools. Pools, she said, should be completely enclosed with four-foot fencing, and the house should not be considered one of the sides of the fence. When children are in the water, "Close, attentive, and capable adult supervision is very important. This 'Water Watcher' should be free of distraction (not reading, on phones, under the influence of drugs or alcohol), and in the case of young or beginning swimmers, should be within an arm's reach of the child," said Denny.

The bottom line

Kids love the water, and playing in water is an excellent sensory experience for babies. With proper safety measures and constant supervision, babies, toddlers, and parents can enjoy the pool.

The SwimWays Baby Spring Float gives my daughter some freedom to splash around and even though I still watch her like a hawk, my hands are free, which is something that can't be said often about the parent of a baby or toddler.