Cressi Travelight BCD - Review 2023

Designed to Travelight

It is clear that the Travelight is designed for divers on the go. They have thought of almost everything, down to the small cinch bag to carry it in.

The Travelight’s lightweight design and small footprint allow you to carry 95% of your dive gear onto a plane. This little BCD (weighing 5.5 LBS compared to the Zena at 6.2lbs, LadyHawk at 8lbs, and the Pearl at 10lbs) would allow you to put your BCD, Mask, Regulator, and even airplane-safe accessories, like flashlights into a carry-on bag.

Remember, dive knives should be packed into checked backs. The Travelight is perfect if you fear losing your checked bag with your dive gear on your travels or regularly take short trips with only a carry-on.

Unique Features

For a Travel BCD, there are plenty of features. There are ample (8) Light Alloy D-Rings to manage gear. The location of the chest D-Rings is perfect for flashlights, tank bangers, and cameras.

The D-Rings on the side of the pockets, help to control the safe second/octopus and console computers. We love the D-Rings under the weight pocket to manage things like surface marker buoys (SMBs).

Some of the features of this BCD even serve a dual purpose. For example, the cinch strap used to pack the BCD for travel can double as a crotch strap. The cinch strap is either folded away and attached mid-back to the inside of the BCD or threaded through the legs and attached to the velcro inside the cumberbund.

This optional crotch strap is an ingenious design feature, given the BCD chest strap is not adjustable and feels high on the chest. The crotch strap should help to prevent the jacket from riding up on a giant stride entry.

The BCD feels secure and well-fitting out of the water, even when you choose not to use the chest strap.

Cressi added a tank safety strap, but it is not adjustable. If the safety strap were an adjustable memory strap, it would have made more sense to us.

When you are on the go, having one less thing to adjust, i.e., BCD to tank height, makes achieving the perfect dive setup easier. Other BCDs like the Zena, LadyHawk, and Pearl include a memory strap.

Instead of trading two tank bands for one to reduce weight like the LadyHawk or Pearl. Cressi made the top tank band on the Travelight a simple slide-through buckle. It doesn’t have the same secure feel as the bottom band, but the redundancy is nice.

The Travelight’s trim tabs are attached to the back of the BCD, not on the tank strap like some other BCDs, and close with a snap. The Travelight also has two full-size pockets, like the Pearl making storage of extra gear easy.

Fit and Function

Because the Travelight is designed to travel, there is not much to it. It is back-inflated, like other women-focused BCDs (ex. Zena & LadyHawk). To help prevent tank roll, the Travelight uses an extra nylon patch versus a rigid backplate to improve tank stability.

It has well-placed side pockets; they sit over the locking weight pockets. The weight pockets function like most jacket BCDs and click into place with an intuitive design.

However, they are also configured to slide backward. The weight pocket sliding feature improves the fit and comfort of the BCD by allowing the weights to sit more comfortably on the hips.

Chest Strap

The chest strap on a typical jacket-style BCD either adds to comfort and security or increases anxiety. If the strap sits too high, which is often the case for women, it feels like it is choking you, especially after a boat entry.

The Travelight chest strap is its one drawback on fit. Comparing it to its closest competition, it falls a bit short. The Zeagle Zena uses a corset-designed front panel in lieu of a chest strap to create a more comfortable fit for women.

The LadyHawk and Pearl chose to keep the chest strap, but they made theirs adjustable and removable.  We are surprised the Cressi Travelight couldn’t incorporate a removable chest strap, given its streamlined, minimalist design.

The Travelight tends to run a bit on the small side, and the addition of a high and unmoveable chest strap affects the overall comfort of the Travelight’s fit. If you purchase one, make sure you try it on, or fully understand the return/exchange policy.

Price & Quality

Cressi manufactures sturdy BCDs, and the Travelight is no different. Areas where BCDs tend to wear, fray, or fail, have been reinforced. The Light Alloy D-Rings will hold up better in the ocean environment than the plastic ones found on BCDs like the Aqualung Pearl.

Along with dive computers, BCDs are one of the most expensive pieces of your scuba diving kit. Both the Aqualung Pearl and the Cressi Travelight come in on the low end of the price spectrum.

Comparatively, the Zeagle Zena and the Scubapro LadyHawk are more expensive but also have more unique features.

Overall, the Travelight is a high-quality BCD for a fair price.

Do We recommend it?

Yes, we do! We recommend the Travelight BCD for a diver who is especially concerned with the weight of their gear.

The Cressi Travelight has a sturdy build and will last, but you need to be willing to sacrifice some comfort for the portability of the gear. The price matches this; it has a pared-down price for its pared-down design.

The Travelight can be a great first BCD for a new diver looking for a lightweight, fully functional BCD that can travel with them. Or as a second Travel BCD for those looking to travel with minimal gear.