ZONE3 VANQUISH X
Does this suit, returning for another season, continue to have the X-factor?
CThe Vanquish X from Zone3 is another suit that has stood the test of time to return for 2023. A development of the brand’s popular Vanquish, we last saw the Vanquish X in June 2022 when our (male) tester awarded it 82%. Impressively, this suit has remained the same price in a market where many others have seen year on year increases (though admittedly, it’s still very much a top-end purchase). Like the Agilis, a bag is included – here a handy drybag.
As for the wetsuit itself, there is a dizzying array of tech on display and the panel diagram (showing the materials and buoyancy profile) shows a whopping 11 different types of material used in the construction – there’s no doubt that Zone3 has really thought about every inch of this suit. Tech includes a mix of neoprenes from tissue-paper-thin 0.3mm (yes, that’s 0.3 of 1mm!) on the arms, through 1mm and 1.5mm in the shoulders and under arms, down to 5mm in the core and upper legs, and then 2mm in the cuffs and ankles. Of course, that’s a whistle-stop tour, but what this gives you to start with is a suit that is insanely flexible and thin through the arms and supportive and buoyant through the core.
With the Vanquish X, there’s no difference between the buoyancy profiles for the men and women, which did make the suit feel very positively buoyant, helped by Aerodome material on the front of the legs and buoyant NBR material (as used in life jackets) sandwiched between two layers of neoprene to give even more lift. While this suited our male tester last year, this female tester found it a little too buoyant, as well as a bit of a struggle to get in and out of – although Zone3’s Silk X lining as used here, as well as in much of their range, is always hugely appreciated and makes the suits very fast to pull off, too! We would like to have seen more available sizes, though – this tester found the medium a little small, but the large would have been too big. A size ML likely would have hit the sweet spot. As for the top end of the suit, this really is a buy for the swimmer who wants to feel completely unrestricted in their stroke. That mix of very thin neoprene with 0.3mm panels made it feel almost like you were wearing nothing in places. Zone3 has added an ‘alpha titanium lining’ on the upper body for warmth, but we did find our arms felt the chill a little more on our test swims, which wasn’t helped by the ‘cool spot panels’ on the forearms to help with feel for the water. That said, our tests were done this year in waters around 13°C (thanks British weather!) and we would hope to be racing in waters much warmer than that by race season!
In all, this is a very technical suit with many superb features to recommend it. That may be a little over the top for some swimmers who are looking for a more ‘natural’ feel in the water, but for a triathlete who wants plenty of help in achieving a fast, supported swim and a speedy transition, it’ll be worth the spend for the marginal gains. zone3.com
“THE ZONE3 SILK LINING, AS FOUND ON THE VANQUISH X, ALWAYS MAKES THE BRAND’S SUITS FAST TO REMOVE”