Swim Bag: Tech Suits

Swim Bag: Tech Suits
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Photos: Stephanie Ganey Photography
ur last tech suit review appeared in the
July-August 2010 issue, after the ban on
full-length tech suits, and swimsuit manufacturers 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 elimination of zippers and fasteners, these suits are difficult 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 affect the durability of the suits, as elastane is notoriously 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 welcome 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, prechildbearing hips. Masters swimmers come in far
more shapes and sizes than the pros or Olympians, 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 championship meets, says it can be a challenge to fit
Masters swimmers accurately. The suits are supposed 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 accommodate 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 focused on sizing and fit; be sure to read the sizing
notes for each suit for more information.
1. TYR | tyr.com
AP12 Compression | Women
$320, Men $240–$260
TYR’s Alchemy Project 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 restrictive, 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.
Sizing
TYR 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 measurements. 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 openbacked model has a small opening.
Several testers could not get the openback 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 circular hole offered by the open-back model. Available in women’s and men’s 22–32,
with long sizes available for women.
2. Speedo | speedousa.com
Fastskin 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 threeperson 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-waisted, 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.
» » » Tested
FOR Masters
Swimmers
BY Masters
Swimmers
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.
Sizing
Speedo 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 competition, 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 available for both.
may-june 2012
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Swim Bag: Tech Suits
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Flex 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 appreciated. The gripper material around the inside of the Flex LT’s leg
openings is thinner than other brands’, and the leg openings are larger. 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 $218
The Swift and Hydra suits offer some color panel options to
brighten the all-black look that has dominated in the past. The primary 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.
Sizing
Nike’s size charts run truer for women, with sizing down possible in some instances, depending on body proportion. For men,
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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.com
Hydrospeed 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 appearance 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.
Sizing
The 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
Photos: Stephanie Ganey Photography
3. Nike | nike.com
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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.
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.com
neroXII | 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.
Powerskin 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 reviewed the R-Evo). Testers noted the addition of
thicker material up the center of the trunk, joining the two modesty 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 panels 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.
Sizing
Blueseventy’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-
Sizing
Arena’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.
5. blueseventy | neroxii.com
may-june 2012
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Swim Bag: Tech Suits
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Energize | Women’s $120, Men’s $100
Aqua Sphere’s FINA-approved Energize tech suit
is an option for frugal swimmers who are not seeking the top end of textile technology. The Energize
has external, sewn seams and does not offer the same compression 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.
Sizing
The 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.com
Paper | 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 perfect option for anyone not wanting to spend several
hundred dollars on a tech suit. Testers noted the
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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.
Sizing
Agon 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
Photos: Stephanie Ganey Photography
7. Aqua Sphere | aquasphereswim.com