HUUB AGILIS

The top-end suit with design input from the Brownlees is still going strong in 2023

The Brownlee Agilis wetsuit from Huub Design (to give it its full name) has been around for a few years now, but is still going strong – its popularity reflected by two new colourways released this year (red for men and coral for women). It’s a striking suit with design input from the Brownlee brothers, who stipulated two requirements: to “swim like they’re not wearing a wetsuit throughout the full stroke cycle and to get their hips and legs as high as possible and keep them there.”

But does this translate for the average age-grouper? Well, we last included the suit in our June 2021 issue when our (male) tester awarded it 91% on his second time testing it, remarking that it continued to grow on him offering “a hugely supple and flexible wetsuit that really moves you through the water with each stroke”. Our male tester also appreciated the 3:5 buoyancy on the male suit, which did a great job of lifting sinky legs. Here, we have the female version on test (though the male colourway is shown here), which is slightly different with a 3:3 buoyancy profile, reflecting the fact that women typically have more buoyancy in their lower body thanks to fat distribution.

For this tester, this is our second time in the Agilis. We were so taken with our last one that we chose it to take part in the Coniston end-to-end swim (8.5km) in 2021, such was the superb combination of flexibility through the arms and support through the core and lower body that made swimming long distances feel much less fatiguing than in other suits we’ve tried. That’s thanks to Huub’s ‘arms neutral’ design, which reduces the amount the suit needs to stretch through the front crawl cycle and certainly made things feel easier, even on this swimmer who tends to have quite a ‘swinging’ style of swimming.

The lower part of the suit feels much more supportive, with Huub’s +43 buoyancy foam through the core and thighs. Once on, this really helps with rotation through the core and felt like it helped us avoid snaking, especially when fatigued. That said, it does make the lower part of the suit feel quite rigid, which made it tricky for this curvier swimmer to squeeze in to. There’s also a fragile area where thicker neoprene attaches to thinner, very flexible neoprene on the back, which means you need to take your time pulling it on.

In short, though, this is a great feeling suit, if one that has to be treated with care (plus it’s worth noting this suit has Huub’s trademark ‘breakaway’ zipper, which won’t be for everyone). We’re happy to have it back in our kit bag, though, even if we might be saving it for ‘best’ and race day rather than the rough and tumble of daily swims!

“OUR MALE TESTER ALSO APPRECIATED THE 3:5 BUOYANCY ON THE MEN’S SUIT, WHICH DID A GREAT JOB OF LIFTING SINKY LEGS”

huubdesign.com