A buoyant life jacket will not require much regular maintenance. Your intrinsically buoyant life jacket is ready to go as long as the straps and zippers work and there are no rips, tears, or discoloration.  An inflated life jacket, on the other hand, should be checked every time it is worn. It’s critical to check the inflator is operational and that the CO2 cartridge is free of corrosion.  Automatically inflated life jackets will also include an inflator trigger mechanism that needs to be checked on a regular basis. The CO2 cartridge in an inflated life jacket must be replaced every time it is used.