Pressure or weighted vest?

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I am going to try the weighted neck item used in my wife's class over the holidays. If I like it have have decided that I will get a weighted or pressure vest regardless of whether I end up being diagnosed autistic.

I understand that some vests do both weight and compression but I was hoping to get one with the remainder of my Christmas money (so, budgeted) and possibly one that would I would be able to wear in public. This restricts my budget a bit, as the most expensive one I would consider is approximately £80.

I am wondering if there is any difference between 'deep pressure vest', 'weighted compression vest' and 'weighted jacket'. I have only found articles which describe pressure and weighted vests as a singular entity. Do you know if there are sensory differences between these description types/types of vests you have used.

Should I lean towards a pressure vest if I want a tight one?

Here are the three vests I can considering:

Deep pressure vest - Indoors (I have seen this in person as a child in a class I volunteered in had one):


'Weighted compression vest'- Indoors.


Weighted only - outdoors

Just checking in to see if you have a verdict on what worked for you. I'm looking into this, too, and I found your thought process on this helpful.

I'd love to find a way to wear one in an office. I was thinking compression underwear (I used to love wearing leotards under my clothes) but a weighted vest may be better. The bottom one looks doable for an office, but I'm not sure if it's as effective as some of the others.

Anyway, sorry you didn't get responses earlier, but I appreciated your post.

I had decided that I would very much like a large children's quilted jacket as it was discreet. I've been waiting for it to come back into stock since January but they've discontinued the line.

I haven't yet ordered a vest but I have tried a weighted neck wrap. I've found that the neck wrap is very useful but sometimes when I am very distressed it isn't enough and I would prefer to be squeezed.

I am thinking of buying this one instead, though I am unsure how discreet it actually is despite claims that it is stylish.


Ideally, I would have both the pressure vest and a weighted one.

Cool! Please post on how this stuff works out. Do you have a recommendation for where to get the weighted neck thing? I've seen a few, but I'm hesitant to splurge without knowing a good one.

I've wanted a weighted vest for ages but can't afford one. Unless there are cheap ones in the UK. There are weighted vests primarily for exercise / weightlifting on Amazon.co.uk but I am not sure if those are suitable as a) I am quite small and b) is it the same as an autism weighted vest?

Are there benefits to using a pressure/weighted vest instead of a parka with full pockets?

My weighted products
I am also quite small - I have ordered a Large Child vest from SensoryDirect (UK). I have sent off a form to order it VAT free. It says that diagnosis is not necessary, but I have mental health issues and a sensory disability (hearing) so I've put those down. I know someone who has had great success with the velcro pressure vest sold there.

Sensory direct have a video about their different products here.

I think the neck thing I have has been discontinued because I can't find it on either website, although CDA is very difficult to navigate. It weighs approximately 1.5kg. My vest will weigh 2.5kg.


Cheaper options

I'm planning to have a close look at the placement of the weights and possibly build pockets into other jackets. I'd quite like something more semi-/formal that I might wear to social events/job interviews. I think I will borrow my grandmother's over-locker to ensure durable seams. I will photograph the inside of the jacket when it arrives for your perusal.

If you are able to buy a cheaper vest, you may be able to build the weighted pouches into your own clothes by copying the placement, however you may be limited to a vest-like placement rather than a clothing one. You are welcome to look at photos of mine when it arrives, but will have to the sizing scale up or down so it may not be very reliable. Additional weights are available separately.

Alternatively, if you are happy with a pressure vest these retail from £45.95 - £49.95, plus £6.00 postage. Price assuming VAT exemption.

Another retailer - Cheap Disability Aids
I'm not sure where the one I'm borrowing is from, but the only other big retailer of sensory supplies (that I know of) in the UK is Cheap Disability Aids. Most items are cheaper on this website, however we ordered bath toys for my nephew and they broke within a month and my SIL ordered a vibrating pillow from there and the fuse broke.

We've had some success with non-electrical items from there and possibly some electrical devices but I can't be certain where they've come from. There is little choice in the weighted options and they are not terribly discrete.

Alternatives to weighted vests
I'm not an expert in vests, but I think the placement of the weights may be important to avoid injury - which could be a difficulty with filling up the pockets of a parka.

For sports weighted vests, I know very little about them but I would be careful to keep within the 5-10% of body weight rule and be much more careful about maximum wearing times. The vests on SensoryDirect do seem to come up a little light - mine will be just over 5% - but it is possible to buy extra weights (at an additional cost) for them. They are not the same as autism weighted vests - they are designed to burn calories/build muscle strength.

Something like this has removable weights and is cheaper than autism ones. So if you really wanted to try one, perhaps? But I do not endorse it.

If you are looking for a cheap hug/pressure vest as apposed to a weighted one. then consider using a ski/life vest like this one shown below. Just remember to get one that is a size smaller then the one you would normally get. That way, you have some play with the straps and can get to to fit tighter. These cost around $50 as appose to several hundred dollars for a medical hug vest.

Thanks! Please keep us posted with how this goes.

Here is the only weighted scarf I'm aware of for sale (that is something I'd be willing to wear at work): ttp://themagicblanket.net/Scarfs.html

Well, my vest arrived and despite me checking that the equivalent clothes size for measurement maxed out at a UK size 8 (one size bigger than me, but size 6 was within the range) it's enormous on me!

It would cost me to return it and get another size so might be cheaper for me to get it taken in. The advantage to getting it taken in would be that I would still have weights within the range suggested for my weight, but the disadvantage would be that it might skew the placement of the weights.

Quite sad, really. With the bank holidays around Easter my jacket's arrival had already been delayed. I'm quite disappointed.

I'm sorry to hear that. . A clever tailor may be able to keep the right weight distribution, though. Good luck, and I hope it works out.

In related news, the company I ordered my weighted blanket from has been bought, and though their website says they are honoring old orders, they are not returning my emails. .

Hopefully we'll both soon have all this sorted out!

Ah, damn. I couldn't get in contact with SensoryDirect by email either, but when I called it turned out that they'd processed it but not replied. Is there a number you or someone you know could contact them on?

Hm, well, my wife says that it's for "specuial kids" so I shouldn't be surprised that its loose and that "it's not a t shirt". She thinks it's the right size.

But I can grasp more than 10 cm of material at the front at still have it loose at the sides so I beg to differ. I wouldn't wear a coat this loose (although I will admit to having a preference for tight clothes). I'm going to ask my grandmother to take in the sides around the front zipped as I think this will be the easiest place. It will shift the front pouches closed to the zipper though.