Speedo improved their precision straps by adding a high power elastic to increase flexibility, power return and make them a little easier to get on and off. It features a smaller profile shoulder and back strap construction that lines the back at a more natural angle cupping the lats, rather than cutting vertically across the back. Getting it on without too much struggle AND having max compression is a winning combo.
When I tried on the suit, I was able to put it on without much struggle due to the flexibility panels. Because of the flexibility panels, you really have the option to size down one to ramp up the compression even more, so I wear-tested a Speedo has designed flexible zones that allow for more freedom in the kick, better side range of motion for the rotational strokes like freestyle and backstroke.
I really liked this part of the suit, as I was able to rotate my body well when I was swimming and the suit didn't feel too restrictive. One area that is more compressive for this suit is around the glutes, hamstrings and core.
You will be able to feel the difference as you are getting this suit on; it is tighter around the hips and you need to take your time getting it on. The straps were very comfortable and created with more flexibility. They stretch a little more to make the ease of putting on the straps better. I still had to have a friend help me put the straps on and that is just fine.
Overall, I thought this suit fit my body well and was compressive in the areas of my hips glutes, core and hamstrings, which I really liked. Julie Stupp: The Pure Intent features three different types of fabrics all working together to create the most compression without hindering movement. The textured fabric found on the chest, core, glutes and hamstrings aims to eliminate drag on the turbulent areas of the body.
While the flexible zones only have one thin layer of fabric to allow for better range of motion and rotation. Lastly, the compressive dual layers found throughout the chest, core, glutes and hamstrings provide the ultimate compression to support the most dense muscle groups.
In true Speedo heritage, you can tell this is a very-well constructed suit with a high-tech durable fabric. Speedo's less compressive suit is named the LZR Pure Valor and I like the fact that they launched both at the same time, so that you can differentiate the two types of suits right from the get-go. Julie Stupp: As I mentioned in the other Speedo review, the Pure Valor is designed for more flexibility, but it shares the same silhouette and fit characteristics and also comes in the open and closed back.
This suit is very lightweight with moderate compression. It is a tight suit, but not extremely tight. One thing that I did notice about the closed back suit is that Speedo has eliminated the water bubble on the back that would sometimes form as I was swimming in the closed back. The seam in the back is closer to your back and almost forms to the curvature. Overall, this suit is comfortable when I wore it. I would say it is extremely flexible throughout and very comfortable for a swimmer who has to swim a lot of races.
The fabric around the core and glutes is a dual layer that helps with core stability to help give you more power as you are swimming. There is a compressive inner leg seam that gives you more muscle support in your swimming. I just would have loved to have a seen something a bit more fun in terms of color and design - but maybe that's in the pipeline. I noticed the back of the suit had a seam that almost conformed to my spine and as I was swimming I didn't notice any water filling up in the back.
My main concern about closed back suits is a bubble of water forming on my back as I swim - there was no such feeling with the Pure Valor. If you were a big fan of the LZR Elite 2, you will love this racing suit with the new added features. This suit fills an important gap because it has moderate compression and support to help give you more range of movement while swimming. Overall, I felt like I was high on the water and moving efficiently as I was swimming each of the four strokes. As I pushed off the wall on my flipturn, I felt like I was able to glide much further too.
I needed to go down a size to make sure it fit my body better in the water and to feel the compression of the suit, so you may want to consider that although it should still run very similar to your Elite 2 sizing. The TYR Venzo was introduced last fall and was made available to customers in January getting a slight jump on some of its competition that you are reading about here.
The Venzo comes with their Endo Compression Cage and high-tech, durable fabric which are both phenomenal, but it's also a very expensive tech suit that definitely takes patience to put on.
The Venzo hugs the body extremely well thanks to TYR's new patent pending Endo Compression Cage tape design that wraps around the core, hips, glutes and legs not only keeping the suit in place while you race, but also helping to lift my body in the water. They also only have one bonded seam on the back, so they don't dig into your shoulders during long races. This suit definitely has the most compression and hugged my body well.
It is compressive around the hips, quads, glutes and core. There are seams inside the suit around the glutes and inner thighs, as well as on the top of the quads that felt compressive on my legs. I like that you cannot see the seams from the outside of the suit and creates a sleek look while wearing the suit. Overall, the suit fit well and was compressive on my body. The X-finity straps of the suit were easy and flexible to get on myself, but they felt tight on my shoulders, as most racing suits do.
It wasn't too bothersome, but if you are someone that doesn't like the straps pressing down much on your shoulders you might not like that feeling. The Venzo is super compressive with the dual-layered fabric paneling the chest, core, hips and a section that wraps around the quads.
All in all the Venzo fabric is extremely high-tech and very durable. The fabric is a smooth fiber threaded into a frictionless durable fabric. While just holding it, you can tell it is a thicker more durable material that is very strong when you put it on. I was not worried about ripping during the process. The Endo Compression Cage are seams and taping that are designed to be compressive and flexible throughout the core, as well as quads to help swimmers efficiently move through the water to increase distance per stroke.
It felt like it was going to enhance my swimming, as I prefer to wear more compressive suits. First, I pushed off the wall in a streamline and felt no water enter around my chest or bubble anywhere, which can be a concern of mine with racing suits.
I felt the Endo Compression Cage was compressive enough to the point that it wasn't too restrictive on my body. I then swam all four strokes to feel how my body position was in the water.
I felt a high body position on the water and that I was moving through the water efficiently with little to no drag. The only concern I had with the suit was the straps, which were a little tight so I would be interested to wear it for a couple events during a meet to see how my shoulders would feel. Also, I think that I probably could have pulled the suit up higher on my chest and back to get rid of this tightness.
I really enjoyed swimming in the TYR Venzo and think that if you are looking for a suit with the most compression, this could be your go-to suit.
I am so excited to see that Mizuno is finally breaking into the U. It has been a staple on the international swim stage, visible atop many podiums for quite some time and is now available in the U. Mizuno was very methodical when it came to creating the GX Sonic-III tech suit, spending countless hours analyzing how the body moves in the water and what's needed for each discipline.
After their in-depth research and development they ultimately released not one, but two options for swimmers, the Sprinter ST and Multi Racer MR. The Sprinter suit was designed to have more compression and for short, speed races like the fly, back, and free.
The Multi Racer suit was designed for more of the longer distances such as the fly, free, individual medleys and breastrokers.
The Mizuno team shared that the Multi Racer suit provides hip flotation, more mobility on the hips and is not as compressive on the body as the Sprinter. Julie Stupp: I tested the Multi Racer and absolutely loved the fit. The suits come in sizes extra small XS through extra large XL and I tested both the small and medium, ultimately choosing the medium as a better fit for me.
This suit is ultra-compressive and very high-tech. I swim the backstroke and freestyle and I tend to like suits that have more compression around my core and feel snug on my body. I like this feeling because I know that no water will fill up the suit during my pushes off the wall, starts, turns and while I am swimming. The ST was constructed with more taping along the back so it is more compressive on the hamstrings and hips.
Getting the suit on took a little while, to get it over my hips because of the compression in that area. It took a little patience and stopping to take breaks. Once I got it on, it was so worth it. I noticed that the straps were a bit thinner and did not feel the pressure of suit straps. The back and sides of the suit were lower than I am used to, but I felt like this was very comfortable. Because the straps on this suit sit a little lower on the back it helps to keep any pressure off your lats while you are racing, as they have found this is where you get the most fatigue.
Overall, the sprinter suit was compressive in my hips, core, butt and chest, but it did not feel like it was restricting my blood flow. The Sonic Ribtex fabric is thick, durable and comfortable swim after swim.
This Sonic Ribtex fabric and dual-layered paneling is found in the chest, core, glutes and hamstrings for ultimate compression and flotation. On the flip side, the frontal hips and quads have just a single fabric layer for increased blood flow and mobility throughout the race. The GX Sonic-III also features a high-tech water resistant treatment that showed water dripping off of the suit after several wear tests.
Mizuno designed this suit to provide better hip flotation with a polyurethane blend material within it. The material of the suit has different ridges that offer more hip floatation based on the way the material functions. The front material of the suit is a one layer fabric, which offers more mobility along with compression throughout the core.
The back has two layers that wraps around the front where your hips sit and follows to the back of your hamstrings. There is more taping along the back that offers more compression on the hamstrings to create more lift, as well as help keep your body and hips in a longer line throughout the race. So it will feel like there is not much mobility in the back from your hips and as it wraps around your back, bum and hamstrings - but the idea is to help you at the end of a race.
Overall, I felt there was compression in areas of my chest, hips, hamstrings and butt that provided more lift on the water and with that I did not feel like I was sinking when I was swimming fast.
I felt the difference in my body line and felt more efficient as I was moving through the water. Julie Stupp: The GX Sonic's intelligent design and high-tech fabric blend helped me to not only feel really fast in the water but most importantly lifted throughout my swims.
My hips were completely free to move, yet fully supported from the surrounding muscles being double paneled. The Sonic Line seams on the inside of the suit are very sturdy and really snapped me into place on the breakouts and stroke transitions. The thick compressive paneling throughout the core and over the hamstrings helped me to keep my lines in all four strokes even when I fatigued. This suit is a very welcome addition to the tech suit lineup and, for me, hands down the best overall compression of the suits.
I only wish they had a closed back option. I felt compression throughout my chest, core, ribs, hips and around my hamstrings. Also, I was able to feel my hips were higher on the water, as I was swimming freestyle and backstroke. I tested out how the suit felt pushing off the wall and into a glide to feel if any water would bubble in the suit and there was no sign of water getting into the suit.
Next, I tried swimming all the strokes at an easy speed and moved into race speed. I felt the suit was compressive in my chest and hips, so I was able to stay up on top of the water. Again, no water felt like it was getting into the suit and I could feel that I was moving through the water efficiently and with a good body line. With the compression around the hips and hamstrings, I was curious to try some starts and turns.
When I practiced the starts and turns I was able to easily do them without the suit feeling extremely restrictive at the hips. Sometimes I feel like suits can be too tight around the quads and my legs end up being sore from the suit, but this suit gets that leg balance right.
The Rival 2. The improved compression throughout the suit, especially in the chest, was something I was really hoping to see differently from last year's Rival and the FINIS product folks hit the mark there. This suit takes over 20 minutes to put on and it's probably the biggest critique, but once it is in place it feels really good and is worth the effort.
The thin shoulder straps are great on deck because they don't dig into your muscles, but are super tough to get on and off by yourself. You will definitely need a friend to help you in the locker room. Overall, the fit-testing that FINIS performed paid off because this suit fit my body type perfectly and will most certainly fit the masses as well. I loved the double-layer fabric for a good feel of compression in the suit throughout the chest, core, hips and legs of the suit.
When putting it on the first time, I found it tight to pull over my hips as any racing suit should feel and then I just had to ask for help putting on the straps and they were too tight to put on myself. After I received help for the straps they did not feel extremely tight on my shoulders and I was happy to know this. I think that because I am a smaller chested female athlete that I probably could go down a size for this suit because I did feel like it felt comfortable without being too restrictive.
I also like when my suits are a bit tighter on me. Overall, the size and fit of this suit was very comfortable and with the double layer fabric felt compressive enough in the water while I was swimming.
Julie Stupp: The Rival 2. This suit is ultra-durable yet has multi-directional stretch due to the fabric's specific weave pattern. The Shield Tech material also allows for a small amount of water to stay on the surface of the suit, helping you to slip through the water easier with less resistance.
After all the testing, I found this to be the most durable fabric of all of the tech suits. When designing the suit, FINIS wanted swimmers to feel confident when putting on the suit to know that they wouldn't have to worry about it ripping. I noticed just holding the suit and feeling the fabric that it was a tough suit and I was not really worried it was going to rip. It was flexible enough and tight enough to put on.
The fabric is designed to retain a small amount of water on the surface of it. FINIS says their research shows that that when you have water gliding on the surface of the fabric, it is faster in the water rather than the suit directly rubbing against the water.
The fabric is multi-directional stretch so it stretches in many ways and designed for flexibility. I really liked the fabric because it felt tough, while also being flexible and comfortable to wear. There are many seams throughout the suit that create core compression around the ribs and chest.
The seams on the back help roll your hamstrings and engage your quads to help create lift for your hips and ultimately give you a better body position in the water. I noticed that FINIS took the time to pay attention to many of the details in compression, core stability and help improve lift in body position in the water. The dual layering and seam design not only dramatically improved the suits overall compression but helped me to feel like I was floating on top of the water.
The single layer of material found on the inner thighs helped me to feel flexible on the starts, turns and especially while swimming breaststroke making this a great suit for IMer's as well as sprinters. My hips were definitely lifted and the Rival 2. I liked hearing that comfort was a big factor in the design, while thinking about ways to enhance core and chest compression. When I tested the suit, I first tried pushing off the wall and gliding in streamline.
There was a bit of water that felt like it parachuted as I pushed off the wall, but I think that would have been solved with a smaller size because my chest is a bit smaller. I was able to move through the water comfortably testing out all the strokes. It was very interesting to feel the lift in my hips on the surface of the water, as I was swimming freestyle.
If you are looking for a suit that is durable with a good combo of flexible, comfortable, and compression this is a good all-around choice. Arena has been in the tech suit game since the beginning and always has high-quality fabrics, cuts and well-fitting suits; the Carbon Air2 is no different.
Arena's Carbon fabric technology never fails to disappoint and I was excited to see some of the awesome improvements on this next iteration of the original lightweight arena Carbon Air that has became quite popular over the past few years.
Julie Stupp: I tested a size 28 open back and it fit me really well, but I would suggest going down one size for anyone looking for extra compression. The Carbon Air2 is easy to slip on and to get into place due to the ONE technology, which means that the suit is cut from one single piece of Carbon Air2 fabric and eliminates extra seams. The only downside to the Carbon Air2 fit is a poorly placed seam that runs down the back of the suit creating an uncomfortable crotch design for my taste.
The suit sits mid-way down my legs and has an extremely comfortable, yet durable shoulder strap design. The fabric is light and thin.
If you are a younger swimmer or a masters swimmer who isn't looking for much compression in your suit but rather for comfort, then this suit would be for you.
Also, this suit was extremely easy to put on. The only thing I did not like about this suit was that there was a seam in the crotch area that was somewhat uncomfortable. Julie Stupp: This lightweight, electric blue, second skin fabric is not only extremely bright, stylish and comfortable, but it also molds perfectly to your body.
The same Carbon Air fabric is used in the Carbon Air 2 which features carbon bands that wrap horizontally around the body, giving an overall compression that's not quite as substantial as the Carbon Ultra but more moderate and flexible. This new fabric allows for much greater freedom of movement throughout all four strokes and is perfect for anyone racing multiple events per session.
You can feel the difference from other suits just by holding it. The suit is extremely light and easy to put on. I tried on the blue suit - the color pops and is fun to wear.
There are horizontal carbon bands that allow for breathing room and light compression. With this light compression in the suit, you can swim comfortably without much drag. The straps were comfortable as well and I did not feel any pressure there while I was wearing the suit or swimming.
I felt like this suit was extremely flexible during testing. Julie Stupp: The enhancements that arena made from the original Carbon Air2 greatly improved my performance in the pool, especially when it came to the flip turns and undulation. The Carbon Air2 compression panels gave me superior flexion in the water, most notably throughout longer swims.
The three separate inner linings ensured comfortable chest, core, hip and glute compression without hindering my strokes. I am personally a fan of tech suits with greater compression like the Carbon Ultra, but this is the perfect suit for anyone who dislikes a highly-compressive race suit and needs a very durable, yet flexible high tech suit.
Ali DeLoof: Overall, this suit was the most comfortable suit I tried on with not much compression. I like to have suits that hug my body around my core, glutes and hamstrings, so I know that everything is tight and I am ready to race. If you do not like a suit that is very compressive and feels more comfortable or lightweight this new version of the Air2 is a winner. Like the arena Carbon Air2, the clear advantage of this suit within this group of suits is that putting it on is a breeze - even in the closed back style.
Funkita has featured suits in the U. Julie Stupp: The Funkita open and closed back suits both fit me very well. They both feature a long leg and high neck design, which is great because more of your skin is covered with the lightweight Funkita fabric. Both the open and closed back suits have uber thick and durable shoulder straps that stay in place while you swim and are comfortably constructed to sit lower down your back, eliminating unnecessary shoulder stress.
When picking the right size Funkita, I would suggest going down one size to make sure it fits tight enough and improves the suit's compression.
The closed back suit has one poorly placed seam that wraps around the midsection creating an unnecessarily tight crease. Overall, Funkita fits quite well and has a comprehensive fit throughout the chest, back and legs.
Ali DeLoof: The size and fit of the Funkita suit was very comfortable for me. It was not extremely compressive on my body, but the fabric is light and thin. If you are a younger swimmer or a masters swimmer who isn't looking for much compression in your suit, this suit is one to check out especially at that price point.
It felt like the suit molded to my body well without being too restrictive. I am an athlete with a smaller chest so it did take on a little water when I was swimming and I think that would have been remedied with a smaller size.
Also, this suit was extremely easy to put on, so if you're looking for a suit that doesn't take too long to put on, this is one option. The straps were comfortable on my shoulders and they had some give, too, so I was able to put them on myself. Julie Stupp: The lightweight Funkita fabric is great for those not craving an ultra-compressive tech suit. It is thin, flexible and allows for ultimate freedom of movement in and out of the pool.
The Funkita tech suit is perfect for all ages and is great for long swim meets. The combination of single and double layers allow for comfortable compression and non-constrictive movements. The best part of the Funkita fabric is the high-quality water resistant treatment that creates a protective sheen on the suit propelling water after multiple wear tests.
Ali DeLoof: The material of the Funkita suit is their rigid stretch fabric that molds to your body. I didn't feel an extreme amount of compression. This suit material most compares to the arena Carbon Air2 in this review, which is on the thinner side for racing suits, as well as it being lightweight.
With this light compression in the suit you can swim comfortably without much drag. If you like fun and different patterns this might be a suit to check out. The racing suit I tried was a light blue, green and grey in color that was a marble pattern.
I thought it was a fun and different type of racing suit if you like to stand out. Julie Stupp: The Funkita performed well in the water. I had great flexibility in and out of the walls, off of my starts and throughout all four strokes.
I felt really comfortable wearing this suit over a several hour period and it was easy to get on and off. I definitely felt more compression and lift from the open back suit because of the dual layering found throughout the body. The closed back Funkita only featured dual layering throughout the chest, hips and glutes, but had more fabric coverage overall. Both suits lack compression in the legs, which is tough for lactic acid build up, but is great for body proprioception in the water.
Ali DeLoof: Overall, this suit was another one that was very comfortable to test. I think that if you've liked the Arena Carbon Air over the past few years, you would also like the Funkita racing suit because of how thin and comfortable the suit is to put on and wear. I would rather have a suit with more compression in it and a more durable thicker fabric, so I don't have to worry about it ripping.
Also, I like to feel some areas of compression in a suit especially around my core, glutes and hamstrings, so I know that everything is tight and I am ready to race. But if you do not like a suit that is too compressive and feels more comfortable or lightweight, this is absolutely a suit for you to consider.
Web: v Back to The Swim Blog. Elite Tech Suit Trends There are three trends I found in almost every one of the new suits from this year's review, along with some of the top selections from last year: a blend of materials, seam support, and technical taping.
This suit has less compression in comparison to the Carbon Core. The Carbon Glide also has a good amount of stretch, especially in the straps. You want to move comfortably in and out of the water. Take your mark without fear of the butt of your suit splitting. VICI is engineered with a special, one-way stretch fabric across the back of the suit.
This fabric allows athletes to bend down for a start, tuck tight for a turn, and swim as they normally would, while still maintaining compression. Not to mention, the core compression system built in the inside of VICI, allows for great compression and flexibility, without sizing too small or too big. Who has time to do this every, single, time you need to put your tech suit on? Thirty minutes or more of aggressively tugging, pulling, and squirming is the right way to ruin your taper. We understand that these suits are tight.
On average, women who have tried on an A3 Performance VICI tech suit have gotten their suits on in minutes, and guys…even faster, way faster! Not to mention, almost all of them are smiling once they have the suit on. So, the process of putting it on cannot be all that bad. Looking for a tech suit that will unleash serious speed on race day? Here is a detailed look at the best tech suits for sprinters to dominate the competition. Our breakdown of the best training suits for competitive swimmers.
He writes all things high-performance swimming, and his articles were read over 3 million times last year. He's also kinda tall and can be found on Twitter.
In this ultimate guide to tech suits we are gonna cover it all: Are tech suits actually faster than regular swimsuits? What effect do tech suits have on my stroke and stroke length? Are tech suits worth the cost? How much drag do they actually cut down on? Does the compression effects actually help me swim faster? A series of swims that to this day still seems impossible to comprehend… Over the course of a week in Rome that July 43 world records would come tumbling down in a record-smashing spree that set the swimming world completely on its head.
Which, if you think about it, is completely insane. He dropped 4 seconds in less than one year to break the WR that summer in Rome. The psychological effect can be a double-edged sword, however. Tech suits reduce drag and improve oxygen economy. Tech suits have an effect on stroke rate and stroke length. In other words, swimmers could swim faster, easier. And this means that I will be more relatable than some mathematical calculation. You are probably asking, well how much faster?
Generally, I believe that tech suits have helped me to swim about a second or two faster on most of my races. But to us, as swimmers, a second or two faster just by throwing on a different suit is a substantial amount of time to drop and can easily be the difference between making the podium or missing out altogether, breaking that big meet record or just missing it, qualifying for that big team or swimming meet or getting left behind. Keep in mind, my main racing distances are 50s, s, and s which are on the shorter side of things.
For swimmers who swim longer distances such as s, s, s, s, and so on the performance enhancements will probably be even bigger than a second or two. So with everything said and done, you might be wondering well how do I know how much the tech suit actually helped?
This study investigated the effects of tech suits on swimming performance and gave a straight-up average performance enhancement of 3. Rather, the study gave an average time drop which was between 0,4 seconds and 0,52 seconds for the 50m event across all of the strokes. The 0,4-second drop was given for high-resistance strokes, namely butterfly and breaststroke and the 0,second drop was gives for low-resistance strokes, namely freestyle and backstroke.
Also, keep in mind that these times were pulled from 91 professional swimmers that competed at either the World Swimming Championships or at the World Swimming Championships.
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