MID- PRICE WETS U I TS

Pay a little more for a wetsuit and you’ll see some some top-end tech and the odd compromise. So which is the £250-500 winner? We test 12 to find out

The wetsuit is one of triathlon’s big ticket items and one of the most crucial multisport buys you’ll ever make. While they’ve experienced a host of technical innovations since the mid-1980s, the aim of a tri wetsuit remains the same: to get you through the open-water swim both swiftly and comfortably.

It’s often said a tri is won on the run, and it’s true that you’ll only spend about 10-20% of your race in a wetsuit. But the race can certainly be lost on the swim. An ill-fitting, badly-chosen suit will leave you sinking in the water with a sore neck, whereas your optimum suit will be the finishing touch to all those hours of pool training and will make you feel unbeatable come race day.

When it comes to buying your tri wetsuit, our mantra has always been ‘try before you buy’, as the sizes can vary hugely. Find a tri expo or retailer to try the suits, especially if this is your first tri wetsuit purchase. If not, ensure the online seller has a decent returns policy and study the size guide.

Also be aware of your own swim ability when picking. Make note that many midend features of the £250-£500 suits here – slender neoprene and a possible reduction in buoyancy – are lost on, or even detrimental to, beginner swimmers. Those with sinking legs should look for increased neoprene thickness with enhanced buoyancy. And think about what races you’ll be entering and whether you suffer from the cold.

Features editor Matt Baird is your men’s guide, while age-grouper Janine Doggett takes on the women’s suits. Both will give a close examination to buoyancy for sinking bodies, comfort and fit, plus added tech.

We’ll be testing budget wetsuits in issue 366 of 220, out on 13 June.

SAILFISH ATTACK

£400 In the Attack, the major German brand, Sailfish, are aiming to deliver a suit that does it all. It’s made with flexible Yamamoto 39-cell, a step up from their entry-level Vibrant, and includes stretchy ‘zero resistance’ underarm panels to reduce long-distance ache – delivering total arm freedom on test. Our body position was very flat thanks to stability side panels from abdomen to lower thigh. It’s the only suit here to have this feature, and it’s so effective in action that there was next to no sinking in our no-kick test. Natural swimmers might prefer less leg buoyancy, but the Attack would be a good option for triathletes seeking more support. Fit is true to size, while the silky inner will make T1 a dream. It’s got the fastest fish in the sea printed on the bum, but we think it shines on comfort and support over speed. sailfish.com

HUUB AEGIS III

£299.99 With its superhero lines, the Aegis III looks like it means business – and is packed with tech to echo this. Huub’s mid-range suit is crafted with structure in mind, their ‘X-O Skeleton’ grips the pelvis for a streamlined swim, and they’ve slimmed the hips by 2mm from its predecessor to its new buoyancy ratio 3mm/3mm. As a result, our position felt efficient – the Aegis III stops legs sinking but allows you to kick freely. Unfortunately, it was hard to get past the overly-tight fit and shorter arms, especially for a medium suit on our small-medium build. As a result our stroke lacked energy, and the restrictive neck rubbed 500m into the swim. Aegis’ tech continues with Huub’s breakaway zip – fast with practice, but newbies might prefer a traditional fastening. The make-up of this suit is promising but, for optimum fit, try before you buy. huubdesign.co.uk

SPEEDO XENON

£250 We love the vibrant coral looks of Speedo’s Xenon, and it’s also a serious performer in the water. Speedo’s priciest wetsuit features a thinner neoprene profile than others in our test, and it’s the only suit here with a continuous upper panel – 1.5mm across the chest and arms for a barely-there feel. The flexibility this affords is excellent and left our arms fresh after long swims. The legs feature a nimble 2.5mm; great for a natural kick but not very buoyant – so while Speedo say the Xenon’s for everyone, we think it’s suited to more comfortable swimmers. That said, the 4mm abdomen feels super-stable, and its 39-cell make-up gave us an overall lift. But try first if you’re curvier or have larger feet – there’s very little wiggle room and the tiny ankles took an absolute age to pull off, which could cost you valuable time in transition one. speedo.com

ZOOT WAHINE 2

£350 Continuing the confetti-esque design of its predecessors, the looks of Zoot’s Wahine 2 will add plenty of cheer to race morning. The 2019 version gets an upgrade to 39-cell neoprene and a broader spread of hydrodynamic coating. This is a spaciouslooking suit and it’s easy to pull on, so the Wahine 2 surprised us with just how well it fits – it’s on the roomier side, yet snug in the right places with a watertight result. In action, the AQUAlift panel raises the hips to encourage a stable position without pushing the legs too high. The arms have been slimmed to 1.5mm, which results in a flexible stroke, yet there is some restriction in the shoulders and this led to fatigue over longer swims. Overall, though, Wahine’s stand-out feature is still its GLIDEflex panelling for chest expansion, which we found a comfort in the colder water especially. zootsports.com

ORCA 3.8

£449 Our priciest suit on test sits in Orca’s ‘progressive swimmer’ range. The aim of the 3:8 is maximum buoyancy to elevate without compromising flexibility – and on this, it delivers. It’s a slick piece of kit that glides effortlessly thanks to the assisted position and panelling: 3mm across the chest, 4-5mm on upper legs, and a thinner 1.5mm across arms and shoulders. The latter gives total freedom of movement, bolstered by strategically-placed 40-cell neoprene (second only in flexibility to 44, as seen in a 220 Best on Test, Orca’s Alpha). The supple fabric gives a natural feel through the water, with stiffer leg materials for a corrected kick. The fit is close enough for a water-tight swim, but still comfortable. One catch on the fit, though, is the sleeves are really long, so if you’ve got shorter arms, the elbow stability panel could end up displaced. orca.com

YONDA SPIRIT

£349 The Yorkshire-made Spirit from Yonda (who won our top-end men’s test last issue) is intended for beginner triathletes, and it’s certainly buoyant from top to toe and comfortable to wear – with some unusual features. It’s got a reverse zip, which prevents accidental unfastening, though it’s nearly impossible to secure without help. But its stand-out feature is the long, thin fabric catch panels. While they did increase water-feel, they also increased chill – a drawback in spring training. Otherwise, it’s a cosy number, snug in all the right places with a wide, soft neck that creates a tight seal without the hint of a rub. The flexibility is good, too, not our best on test but we felt unrestricted. Its ‘Y-Kick’ smooth lining makes it every bit as fast as claimed to remove – though the wrists are tiny, and took a good bit of wriggling over cold hands. yondasports.com

DHB AERON LAB

£250 Do you like breakaway zippers? No, not the opening line in a triathlon speed dating event, but a key question when choosing to pick the Aeron Lab from Dhb. Because the Aeron Lab is the only men’s suit here to offer this function, which saves a few seconds in transition, but – and it’s a major but – it makes it nearly impossible to do up if you’re on your own. It’s the cheapest suit here but Dhb haven’t skimped on the tech, with 10 different variations of neoprene used in the construction (ranging from 1.5mm to 4.7mm), 39-cell Yamamoto used throughout and SCS coating for hydro gains. The result is a smooth, evenlypositioned suit for swimming in, with a snug but chafe-free fit and plenty of reach provided by the 1.5mm shoulder panels. The result is an affordable and stylish suit, but we just don’t think the zipper is justified for the slim T1 gains. wiggle.co.uk

ZONE3 ASPIRE

£330 The Aspire has a storied history on these pages, garnering plenty of high scores since its inception a decade ago thanks to its winning mix of flexibility, buoyancy and affordability. Key updates for 2019 include an integrated one-piece shoulder and chest panel design, while the upper body freedom continues to impress in its current guise, helped by the 1.5mm thick and 39-cell Yamamoto build and swift removal. The SCS Nano coating pushes the hydrodynamic appeal and the already noteworthy buoyancy profile is enhanced further by the new air bubbles built into the fabric. Where we struggled, however, was with the new laser cut neck, which invited noticeable water ingress on the move. Beefier athletes might not suffer the same problem, but it’s definitely something to consider. A positive touch is the more eco-friendly limestone build as opposed to petroleum. zone3.com

AQUA SPHERE RACER 2.0

£399.99 The Racer 2.0 from Aqua Sphere has some of the loudest graphics on test, but it’s a quietly-graceful suit that does everything efficiently well in the water. There’s minimal water ingress, no chafing around the neck and a blend of SCS-coated Yamamoto 39 and 40 panels for some superior comfort and suppleness. The 1.5mm thick arms are an improvement on the previous Racer in terms of reach and flexibility and they’ve retained the impressive quick-release ankle panels (and 1mm sleeves) for a hasty T1 time. The 4mm and 5mm combination of neoprene thickness in the core and back place it at the higher end here, but it’s still far from excessive. It’s also one of the warmer suits on test (but not overly so) thanks to the Thermo-Guard technology on the shoulders, chest and legs if you struggle with the cold. aquasphereswim.com/uk