Reviews / Open Water Swimming Wetsuits
For some swimmers, a wetsuit is a must-have to swim all year round, for others it’s an opportunity to stretch out the season.
Whether you’re simply looking for warmth, or it’s performance you’re after, there is a wetsuit just for you.
The problem is, which one do you choose?
We have harnessed the power of the ocean swimming community to get real feedback on the wetsuits being worn to see how they measure up.
Remember, this isn’t a comprehensive review of every wetsuit on the market, it’s simply an overview of what open water swimmers are wearing and what they think about them.
There are a wide range of benefits to wearing a wetsuit while swimming, here are our top three.
Wetsuits keep you warm when swimming in cooler water temperatures, how warm is completely up to you and the thickness of the wetsuit you choose.
To get the full benefits of a wetsuit you need to find the sweet spot between mobility, thickness and buoyancy. Thicker wetsuits keep you warmer and are more buoyant in the water but can be more restrictive and uncomfortable when swimming.
Whereas, thinner wetsuits give you more mobility but provide you less warmth and buoyancy.
Wetsuits make you more buoyant, which in turn reduces drag, making you faster in the water compared to when you aren’t wearing a wetsuit.
Wetsuits also help to make you more streamlined in the water which makes you more efficient and allows you to swim with less effort. Research has shown that wearing a wetsuit can make you as much as 10% faster.
Because wetsuits make you more buoyant in the water, they often make swimmers feel more confident in the water. A wetsuit is almost like wearing your own life jacket, because if you get tired swimming and need a rest, it will help you to float more easily.
This guide has been developed from survey responses completed by open water swimmers who wear wetsuits swimming. The feedback is not that of oceanswims.com and may not be reflective of the actual wetsuit features and benefits. Visit the brand website for complete information about their wetsuits.
220 swimmers completed the survey
Most worn wetsuit: Orca
Highest overall rating: Volare
Most durable: Volare
Most flexible: Volare & 2XU
Best comfort & fit: 2XU
Warmest: Volare & 2XU
Best performance: Volare
Easiest to put on/take off: Volare
Greatest value for money: Volare
Disclaimer
Please take into account the sample sizes for individual brands as not all brands were similarly represented in survey results. We have chosen to display Orca (s=74), Blue 70 (s=35), 2XU (s=18) and Volare (s=15) ratings and reviews in full, however, the remaining brands were not well represented, resulting in small sample sizes and we have chosen not to display the ratings.
As we get more responses to the survey we will periodically update the ratings and reviews. You can help by completing the survey.
Swimmers have rated Orca wetsuits 4.2 stars out of 5. The brand’s highest rating was 4.3 stars for the flexibility of the wetsuit with many swimmers reporting that the wetsuit had good flexibility and was comfortable to stroke in without putting pressure on the shoulders. Orca’s lowest rating was 3.8 stars for how easily putting on and taking off the wetsuit is. Swimmers were divided, with half saying it was quite hard to put the wetsuit on, while the other half said it was reasonably easy to get an Orca wetsuit on and off. Many swimmers reported liking the floatation and buoyancy of Orca wetsuits and liking the thickness and comfort of the wetsuit. However, some swimmers disliked how expensive Orca brand wetsuits are and how easily they can tear when putting them on and off despite being careful.
Swimmers have rated Blue 70 wetsuits an average of 4.2 stars out of 5. Blue 70 received its highest rating of 4.5 stars for the overall comfort and fit of the wetsuit with many swimmers saying Blue 70 wetsuits are comfortable and flexible to wear in the water. Blue 70’s lowest star rating was 3.9 stars with many swimmers saying the material is prone to tearing and fingernails cuts, as well as the seams giving out easily. Many swimmers liked the reasonable prices of the wetsuits, buoyancy it gives and how fast it feels in the water. While some swimmers disliked the zips going from the neck down making it fiddly and hard to put on yourself.
Swimmers rated 2XU wetsuits 4.3 stars out of 5. Swimmers loved how flexible the wetsuit was, rating it 4.7 stars out of 5 which was closely followed by how comfortable it was, coming in at 4.6 stars. Although, swimmers felt the value of the wetsuit didn’t compare to its high price tag, rating its value for money 3.9 stars. 2XU wetsuit wears loved how lightweight and flexible the material is as well as the warmth levels of the wetsuit. However, swimmers don’t like how thin the material of the wetsuits are and how easily it tears. Some also reported the shoulder seams tend to easily wear out after a bit of wear and tear.
Swimmers rated Volare wetsuits 4.6 stars out of 5. Swimmers loved how easy to move and flexible the wetsuit is as well as its value for money, rating both 4.7 stars. Volare wearers felt the wetsuit could be warmer, rating it the lowest out of all the categories at 4.3 stars out of 5. Swimmers loved how comfortable the wetsuit is in the water and how easy it is to get on and off. Although, they felt the stitched seams mean there is some water seepage and the neckline can get uncomfortable and tight at times.
The wetsuits listed below had a low sample size and we have chosen not to display the individual ratings as they are not likely to be a true representation in comparison to the wetsuits above.
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