Whether you’re a new triathlete or you’re an experienced age grouper looking to upgrade. Finding the right wetsuit can be a little bit overwhelming. With so many options out there, knowing what’s going to suit your swimming style (and your budget) can be tricky.
We break our handpicked range of triathlon and open water swimming wetsuits down into our top picks for beginners, improvers and top level swimmers – to help you find your perfect match.
Best triathlon wetsuit for beginners – Yonda Spook and Sumarpo Race
If you’re just starting out in triathlon, you’ll want a wetsuit that’s going to offer you enough comfort and performance to get plenty of enjoyment out of training and racing. Without breaking the budget – after all, you’ve probably got plenty of other triathlon essentials to invest in at the same time!
With that in mind, we’d recommend checking out the Yonda Spook or the Sumarpo Race – both excellent options for your first triathlon wetsuit.
Yonda Spook
We really rate the Yonda Spook as a first triathlon wetsuit because it sits at the affordable end of the scale, without compromising too much on function and features. The Yonda Spook wetsuit offers a good level of buoyancy, with 3mm neoprene around your core, that won’t feel completely unnatural compared to swimming in the pool.
But where other entry-level suits would have a similar neoprene thickness all over – this suit is far thinner around the shoulders. This means it’s more flexible, so you won’t feel restricted while swimming front crawl. This wetsuit is also made from a tear resistant material – perfect for when you’re just getting used to how to put a wetsuit on. The brightly coloured sleeves are great for visibility too, giving you confidence that you’ll easily be spotted out in open water.
Shop Yonda Spook women's
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Sumarpo Race
A great option for a buy once, use for multiple seasons wetsuit is the Sumarpo Race triathlon and open water swimming wetsuit. The price point is a little higher than the Spook, but for the extra investment you get some performance-enhancing features that would typically be reserved for the far higher end suits.
Like the Yonda Spook, you’ve got 3mm neoprene around your core for buoyancy and 1.5mm around the shoulders for flexibility. But this wetsuit also features a ‘580% flex’ inner liner which really enhances the freedom of movement. Sumarpo have also implemented ‘Low Modular Technology’ across their full range of triathlon wetsuits, which they say reduces the effort required to make each swim stroke. And you also get a speed coating on the outside of the suit to help you glide faster through the water. We also really like the grooved paddles on the forearms of the Sumarpo suits – it’s easy to find yourself ‘slipping’ through the catch and pull phase of your stroke when you’re swimming in open water. This wetsuit is designed to help you to get a better feel for the water so you make more forward progress per swim stroke.
All in all, the Sumarpo Race packs in plenty of features for the price point which means you’ll be able to train and race in it for a few years before you find yourself itching for an upgrade.
Shop Sumarpo Race women's
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Best wetsuit upgrade to improve your performance
Once you’ve ticked off a few triathlons, you might want to start looking at upgrading your kit to maximise your performance. And as far as bang for your budget goes, we’d definitely recommend the Sumarpo Vanguard wetsuit.
Key upgrades in the Vanguard versus the Race include the use of 5mm thick neoprene on the core and the upper legs of the wetsuit. This will give you enhanced buoyancy and set you up in the optimal body position for speed.
Sumarpo have also integrated premium Aerodome technology into the core of the wetsuit. The honeycomb-like air cells further the buoyancy, but also offer improved warmth. This means you’ll be able to swim in cooler waters, comfortable – ideal if you’ve got early season races booked.
The Sumarpo Vanguard also features quick-release ankle cuffs for lightning fast removal in T1, saving you valuable seconds. It’s a wetsuit that performs beyond it’s premium price tag, and sets you up to improve your swim split at your next race.
Wetsuits for top level swimmers
If the swim is your strongest discipline, you’ll want to maximise your gains and get as much of a lead into T1 as possible. And while it’s easy to spend close to four figures on some of the top end suits, a less eye-watering alternative is the Sumarpo Victory. 8% more buoyant than the, already very buoyant, Vanguard model. The Victory is all about performance.
Upgraded nano coating and Aeroatom technology promote speed and efficiency. The ‘Stable Trinity Support’ system helps to maintain an optimal body position even with a faster arm turnover. And the premium Slip Skin lining means you won’t waste any of the valuable time you’ve gained in the water once you hit T1.
Shop Sumarpo Victory women's
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Check out our full range of Triathlon Wetsuits, handpicked by our team of endurance sports experts.
