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Swim Bag: Tech Suits

Our last tech suit review appeared in the

July-August 2010 issue, after the ban on

full-length tech suits, and swimsuit manu-

facturers were scrambling to get their FINA-legal

suits on the market. Most of them have introduced

new suits since then.

As we noted two years ago, with the elimina-

tion of zippers and fasteners, these suits are dif-

ficult to get into, particularly for women. Several

manufacturers, including blueseventy and Arena,

are now using more elastane fibers, also known

as spandex or the brand name Lycra. This has

made these suits a little easier to get into and a

lot more comfortable than the first generation of

post-zipper suits. We don’t know how this will af-

fect the durability of the suits, as elastane is noto-

riously fragile under assault from chlorine.

Another trend appears to be a move to

normalize the size charts somewhat, to reduce

the guesswork of “sizing down.” This is a wel-

come change, as many swimmers don’t have

the opportunity to be fitted, so they buy their

swimwear online. In our product testing dream

world we’d love to see all the size charts

standardized, with measurements that make

sense. Only Speedo and Nike have the body

loop (torso) measurement as part of their

size charts, which, for women, is an important

measurement. Only Speedo and TYR offer

long sizes for women, accommodating a wider

array of body proportions.

Ultimately, tech suits are made for athletes

at the top of our sport: tall, muscular, and in the

case of women, usually with narrow, prechild-

bearing hips. Masters swimmers come in far

more shapes and sizes than the pros or Olympi-

ans, so it takes extra effort to find the brand and

size that works best.

Patti Kast of Kastaway Swimwear, who has

been fitting swimmers for many years on deck at

both USA Swimming and USMS national cham-

pionship meets, says it can be a challenge to fit

Masters swimmers accurately. The suits are sup-

posed to fit more tightly than some want them,

for comfort reasons and because of the energy

required to get into one. Others want to squeeze

into suits that are too small.

And some suit makers simply don’t ac-

commodate larger body sizes. However, Finis,

Aqua Sphere and Agon all offer larger sizes

than the other brands and their suits seem to

run larger than their size charts indicate, which

means more options for Masters swimmers.

Kast points out that the long sizes offered by

Speedo and TYR, although meant for longer

torsos, can expand outward to accommodate

wider hips or bustlines.

As we did with our wetsuit review, testers fo-

cused on sizing and fit; be sure to read the sizing

notes for each suit for more information.

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» » » Tested FOR Masters Swimmers BY Masters Swimmers

1. TYR | TYR.comAP12 Compression | Women $320, Men $240–$260

TYR’s Alchemy Proj-ect suit is one of the most compressive suits we tested. The fabric is

tough and, like the other top-end suits, tough to get into. Once on, the suit feels like a second skin. The straps on the women’s suits are designed to expand, but testers still had trouble getting them on (see sizing notes below). TYR uses a similar arrangement on the insides of the leg openings instead of silicone banding. The elastic is designed to be less restric-tive, but our thinner-legged testers report that this results in slightly more upward creep than in suits with silicone or other grip material. The men’s suit comes in a high- or low-cut waist.

Although we didn’t get to test one (only all-black was available), the black and gold design looks amazing in pictures.

SizingTYR should be purchased true to size

or, for men, one size down from their waist measurement. The women’s size chart uses height and weight ranges only, no bust, waist, hip or torso measure-ments. This simplifies things, but women will need to take into account their own proportions and order accordingly. Many will fit into more than one size because of overlap on the charts, but sizing down may not be an option because the open-backed model has a small opening.

Several testers could not get the open-back model in their size ranges over their (narrow) hips. The closed-back model is actually a little easier to get in, as the straps form a deeper V than the small cir-cular hole offered by the open-back mod-el. Available in women’s and men’s 22–32, with long sizes available for women.

2. SPeedo | SPeedouSa.comFastskin 3 Super Elite | Women’s $595, Men’s $395

There’s been a lot of chatter about the Fastskin 3 Super Elite, some good, some bad. Our testers

loved this suit, and not just because it is the coolest looking one on the market (the blue-white flame motif and subtle banding is stunning). Testers also loved the strong compression and secure fit.

Getting into the high-back version of this model for women is a three-person job—we’re not kidding. The swimmer goes in through the armhole and then needs two friends to help get the straps over her head. This sounds weird, but makes sense after you see it (Speedo has a YouTube video that makes it look easier than it is). For those less adventurous, a traditional open-back model is available.

For men, the Super Elite is high-waist-ed, whereas the Elite has a lower waist.

Because of the complex, multipanel construction, these suits fit like they’re actually under your skin, and the lift when hitting the water is just a tiny bit reminiscent of the buoyancy offered by the now-banned full-length tech suits, which made our testers a little nostalgic.

Fastskin 3 Elite | Women’s $375, Men’s $260

The Elite is also a gorgeous suit, a dark navy with rainbow banding. The papery fabric is similar to other brands’, and it uses a combination of bonded and sewn seams.

SizingSpeedo is utilizing a new size chart,

one that loosely corresponds with dress size on the women’s side. The size chart for women is accurate, and because of the girdle-like toughness of the fabric of the Super Elite, sizing down is not an option. The Elite is more forgiving, and testers on the small ends of their recommended size may be able to size down by one.

The men’s size chart for the Super Elite may need some tweaking, as none of our male testers could not get into their recommended sizes, not even close. Most got into the correct size of the Elite, but could get into the same size in the Super Elite. The guys had to size up by two to get the Super Elite over their buttocks and hips.

Note: The yellow rubber triangles and lines stuck on the outside of the suit are meant to be removed prior to competi-tion, but not before deciding on a final fit. Speedo warns that once these are removed, the suit is no longer returnable. Care should be taken; during testing, some of these fell off the suit quite easily.

Available in women’s SR2–SR9 and men’s SR2–SR12, with long sizes avail-able for both.

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3. Nike | Nike.comFlex LT | Women’s $395, Men’s $260

Nike’s top suit is so lightweight and thin, testers thought they would tear it putting it on, but the fabric is as tough as the thicker suits’. The Flex LT doesn’t offer as much compression as blueseventy’s

neroXII, the suit it resembles most closely. It does, however, share the blueseventy nero’s generous leg length, which taller testers greatly ap-preciated. The gripper material around the inside of the Flex LT’s leg openings is thinner than other brands’, and the leg openings are larg-er. Testers with larger legs appreciated this; however, our thin-legged testers, both male and female, said the Nike suits are too loose for them at the leg openings, which resulted in some upward suit-creep.

Swift | EV3 Women’s $375, Hydra HD3 | Men’s $218The Swift and Hydra suits offer some color panel options to

brighten the all-black look that has dominated in the past. The pri-mary difference in these two models compared to the Flex LT is the combination of sewn and bonded seams, as well as the multipanel construction using different fabrics. These models did not offer the same amount of compression as the Flex LT; however, testers loved the fit and comfort of this suit.

SizingNike’s size charts run truer for women, with sizing down pos-

sible in some instances, depending on body proportion. For men,

sizing down by one is required in most cases. One male tester with a 32-inch waist and thin legs sized down to a 28 for a proper fit. Available in women’s 22–36 and men’s 22–34.

4. FiNiS | FiNiSiNc.comHydrospeed Velo | Women’s $300, Men’s $200

The Velo’s ultramodern design with its shiny black panels gives swimmers a very cool, almost insect-like appearance. Most of the female testers loved the fit (see below for fitting notes). Both female and male testers said that the leg openings are a bit too tight for anyone without twiggy legs. The leg

openings are lined with silicone, and an opening with a larger circumference would likely stay in place. The guys liked the ap-pearance of the suit, but several noted that the cut is higher in the front and lower in the back, the reverse of what it should be, which caused a gap in the back.

SizingThe men’s sizes were pretty accurate; our size-32 tester squeezed

into a 30 without too much trouble, and sizing down by a single size is pretty common. (Finis’s website reads “Size down for a competition fit.”) However, the women had to size down at least two and sometimes three sizes to get a competition fit.

The problem lies in the women’s size chart: Finis uses the chest measurement as the suit size, so a size 36 chest is a size 36 suit (or a

Swim Bag: Tech Suits

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34 if sizing down for a competition fit). Our 36- and 37-inch-chest testers were able to get into a size 30, which gave them a good fit below the waist, but not enough coverage up top. The 34-inch-chest tester tried on the 32 and found that it slid on far too easily and was wrinkled and baggy around the neckline and arm openings.

SWIMMER spoke with a Finis representative who confirmed that they have received similar feedback and that they’re looking to update the size chart for accuracy. Available in women’s and men’s 24–36.

5. blueSeveNTY | NeRoxii.comneroXII | Women’s $375, Men’s $285

Like the 2010 model, the neroTX, the neroXII receives big tester kudos for fit and comfort. One of the favorite features of the neroXII with testers, especially taller ones, was the generous leg length.

Even our 6-foot-plus testers had enough material to compress and streamline their entire upper legs. The silicone grips at the legs and waist (men’s) helped to keep the fit perfect, and appear to be of much higher quality than similar suits’. Testers said the neroXII rocks for fit, compression and overall quality. Testers felt sleek, compressed and streamlined off the blocks in the neroXII.

SizingBlueseventy’s size chart lacks hip or torso measurements. On

their website, blueseventy recommends being fitted by a swimwear retailer to ensure the correct fit, but that doesn’t help when buy-

ing online. Our advice is to order using the measurements on the chart, which appear to be true to size, knowing that wide hips or a short torso can change things for women. Available in women’s and men’s sizes 18–34.

6. aReNa | aReNauSa.comPowerskin R-Evo+ | Women’s $390

Arena’s newest tech suit, the Powerskin Carbon Pro, was unavailable for testing, but they did send us the women’s Powerskin Evo+ (in 2010 we re-viewed the R-Evo). Testers noted the addition of

thicker material up the center of the trunk, joining the two modes-ty panels that made the previous model look like a two-piece when the light hit it just right.

Female testers loved the high-necked, sleek fit. Testers who also wore the Evo for the 2010 review said the Evo+ offers more compression. The material bridging the two modesty pan-els is also more attractive and may serve to keep the suit from stretching out.

Bonded seams and compression panels in all the right places got the thumbs-up from testers.

SizingArena’s size chart is fairly accurate—only one female tester on

the small end of her size on the chart could have sized down one size. Available in women’s and men’s sizes 24–34.

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7. aqua SPheRe | aquaSPheReSwim.comEnergize | Women’s $120, Men’s $100

Aqua Sphere’s FINA-approved Energize tech suit is an option for frugal swimmers who are not seek-ing the top end of textile technology. The Energize

has external, sewn seams and does not offer the same compres-sion as the more expensive brands. Testers loved the snazzy silver thread used for the seams and appreciated the silicone grips inside the leg openings and in the waistband of the men’s cut to hold the suit in place. However, the legs on both men’s and women’s suits run short—they don’t extend all the way to the top of the knee, even on the shorter testers. Male testers liked the inner lining of the Energize.

SizingThe Energize runs a full size larger than what their sizing chart

indicates. Our dress size 2 female tester found the 28 too big, and a male size 32 tester had to drop to a 30 for a good fit. Available in women’s and men’s sizes 28–40.

8. aGoN | aGoNSwim.comPaper | Women’s (Knee-Length) $118 and up, Men’s (Jammer) $78 and up

The Paper suit is Agon’s top-end, lightest fabric and is designed for racing. Testers felt Agon is a per-fect option for anyone not wanting to spend several hundred dollars on a tech suit. Testers noted the

lack of bonded seams or compression panels; however, those who are new to competition in our testing ranks were not concerned. Experienced or serious competitors said they would wear the Paper suit at midseason meets, but not championships.

Streamline | Women’s (Knee-Length) $75 and up, Men’s (Jammer) $46 and up

Agon’s next in line competition suit is the Streamline, consisting of a less expensive fabric than the Paper, the Streamline is a little thicker and heavier and offers more coverage. (The Paper, if fitted too tightly, can appear somewhat transparent.)

The range in prices reflects many options: grab bag styles, solids, prints and team pricing. Clubs who want to show up on deck flying team colors will find it easy: Once a design is created, Agon creates a custom online portal so individual team members can order any practice or competition suit style desired.

SizingAgon warns on their website against sizing down too much.

However, testers found that Agon suits still run at least a full size larger than what is on their size chart. One female tester whose measurements put her in a size 28 or 30 on the chart actually needed a 26 for a snug (but not overly tight) fit. A male size 34 tester was swimming in the 34 and probably would have fit in 30 in the Paper jammer. Ordering Agon’s sizing kit (samples in different sizes) is a good way to avoid problems. Available in women’s and men’s sizes 22–38. —Laura HameL

Swim Bag: Tech Suits

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