One of the biggest things wasn't the padding, it was the lack of lower belt at the bottom of the pfd. I have an old Lotus Designs whitewater pfd that I used for a long time that had the lower belt. I find the belt helps keep the pfd from riding up all day... To be rather blunt, I'm fat, and if I can cinch that belt around my waist, the pfd stays put. As soon as I sat down with the astral on, it wanted to start coming up. The NRS chinook has a lower belt and thus stayed put. Furthermore, the high back clears the seat back allowing me to get full enjoyment out of the first class seat (the main reason I never wore the Lotus anymore).
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