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13 best wetsuits for open water swimming and triathlons, with big summer savings
Take the plunge or dip your toe with these tested suits
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Fancy dipping your toe into triathlons or adding open-water swimming to your cross-training routine? Then you're probably going to need one of our expert-tested wetsuits to train in.
The best wetsuits offer a layer of insulation against Britain's infamously chilly waters, allowing you to swim in comfort for longer, while also providing some buoyancy and protection against any floating debris.
Is a swimming wetsuit different?
Unlike 'normal' wetsuits, such as those you may use for surfing, wetsuits designed for wild swimming and triathlons are stretchier and extra flexible around the hips, knees and shoulders to help you swim more freely.
They are also more buoyant, helping you maintain the best body position in the water and therefore swim more efficiently.
Can you swim in a normal wetsuit?
While you can swim in a normal wetsuit, they are made from a different type of neoprene that's thicker and less comfortable and efficient to swim in.
Wetsuits designed for triathlon and open-water swimming also have a Super Composite Skin (SCS) coating, which is smooth and helps you to be more streamlined in the water.
Opting for an open-water specific swimming wetsuit will ensure you don't overheat and will make getting in those strokes easier.
How does a wetsuit work?
It’s vital you find a tight-fitting wetsuit because they keep you warm by acting as a second skin. When you submerge yourself in the sea (or your lake, pond or river of choice), a thin layer of water gets trapped between your skin and the neoprene. This is quickly warmed by your body heat, creating an insulating barrier between you and the icy currents.
But, be warned: cold water will rush into any baggy areas, causing a deeply unpleasant sensation known as flushing. It really is all about the fit.
What should I look for in a wetsuit?
The best wetsuit for you will depend on what you want to use it for, as competitive triathletes will have more demands than casual paddlers. That said, there are some common key factors to consider.
Fit: Quite simply, your wetsuit will be useless if it doesn’t fit snugly – loose areas around the joints are an open invitation for flushing.
Flexibility: Wetsuits for open water swimming should have plenty of stretch around the knees, hips and shoulders. If you can’t raise your arm past your ear, then front crawl is a no-go.
Thickness: Wetsuits come in varying thicknesses for use in different seasons. This is usually displayed as two numbers separated by a slash or colon.
For example, 3:2 suits are among the most popular in the UK. The first figure represents the thickness of the torso (in millimetres) and the second, the thickness of the limbs (also in millimetres). The arms and legs tend to be thinner to allow for greater flexibility.
Buoyancy: Thanks to their thick neoprene build, wetsuits will provide a bit of extra buoyancy. But there’s a touch more to it than that. Wetsuits with thick buoyancy panels on the hips and legs are great for beginners, as they will lift your lower body in the water, placing you in a more powerful position for front crawl.
Stronger, more experienced swimmers, however, may find their legs are lifted too high by these panels. Triathletes are likely to prefer a neutral buoyancy that will allow the legs to rise and fall in the water more naturally.
What thickness wetsuit is best for swimming?
For swimming in Britain, a 2.5mm torso is best suited to tepid summer waters, 3.5 or 4mm will keep you cosy in spring and autumn, and 5mm will help keep the cold at bay in winter (providing there’s not a dusting of snow on the beach).
British Triathlon Federation race rules state that wetsuits must not exceed 5mm in thickness, but don't worry too much about this – most major brands will have taken it into account when manufacturing their wetsuits.
How we test
Our Runner’s World Lab testers took a range of wetsuits out for a series of swims, submerging themselves in ponds, lakes and the sea in the name of research.
They then fed back on each wetsuit's performance, letting us know if they kept them warm and proved flexible enough for a race-winning front crawl.
The best models fitted like a glove and offered plenty of protection from the cold, allowing our testers to stay in the water for longer. They were stretchy enough to let them swim freely, and they didn’t dig in or chafe.
The winning wetsuits that earned our team's seal of approval are stamped with the Runner's World Expert Tested logo.
The remaining suits below have been tested and rated by our editors and contributors, all of whom swim in open water regularly and compete in triathlons. Some of these wetsuits are a little more technical – and therefore more expensive – than the wetsuits we tested in the lab, making them better suited to more competitive swimmers and experienced triathletes.
Yanar was our former Fitness Group Testing Manager. She managed health and fitness product testing across all the magazines, overseeing all testing processes and ensuring our lab and panel tests are conducted to the highest standards. Yanar spent 15 years as a health and wellness content editor and writer for national titles such as Runner’s World, Men’s Health and Women’s Health. Yanar is a Level 3 qualified PT, trained yoga teacher and a registered yoga therapist. She has been into fitness and wellness her whole life. After many years running races and marathons, she now trains and competes in CrossFit and Olympic lifting. She passionately advocates strength training for women to build a stronger mind and body for life.
Jodie is our Health and Fitness product tester. She runs tests on a wide variety of products, including gym leggings, walking boots, fitness trackers and more. Jodie has managed the testing for 577 products to date, including working with over 600 panellists.
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