Though panels are a continued theme on this list, the Blueseventy Helix goes above and beyond, making sure to provide specialized panels for virtually every part of the wetsuit. For instance, this wetsuit comes with Yamamoto aerodome panels to increase your buoyancy and make sure that your swimming form remains proper for faster speed and to conserve energy. Keeping in line with the company’s philosophy, the Blueseventy Helix also comes with body-fit panels to make sure that the wetsuit is comfortable. Storing your wetsuit properly keeps the materials and seams from creasing and being stretched for long periods of time. It also prevents the material from wrinkling, which can affect both the wetsuit's durability and appearance. Restricting range of motion in the shoulders will cause an undesired stroke alteration and lower muscle output. The Orca Athlex Float wetsuit is ideal for those new to triathlon or open water swimming, with its highly buoyant design providing high levels of stability and confidence in the water. Supportive yet lightweight, this wetsuit is constructed from flexible Yamamoto neoprene, enabling a wide range of motion to limit fatigue on longer swims. The wetsuit is supposed to stay very close to your body and not allow any water into the suit. The wetsuit is not so close to the skin that it causes triathletes to feel constricted in their movement or breathing.

A few panellists did get a little chilly during longer swims on cold days, but the suit is designed for use in warmer temps so that’s hardly a deal-breaker. A great choice for newer triathletes. When the water temperature is greater than 78 degrees but less than 84 degrees, age group participants may wear a wetsuit but will not be eligible for prizes or awards. Enhancing Buoyancy The design team created the wetsuit so that it won’t limit your stroke with its lightweight zipper. This custom-made zipper is more flexible and makes it easy to transition to the bike. Features Less common designs are Short Johns (short sleeves and short legs) and two-piece versions for which the top and bottom are separate pieces. This is because tri suits are designed to be easy to pull off once you’re out of the water. They enable greater flexibility for improved dexterity and speed of movement. Maintaining Body Heat

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Triathlon and open water suits have been designed specifically for swimming. We cannot guarantee correct functioning of the wetsuits for other activities. Any damage to the wetsuit resulting from use in activities other than swimming is not covered by our warranty policy. The winning wetsuits that earned our team's seal of approval are stamped with the Runner's World Expert Tested logo.

Arms Up Construction: Arms Up Construction is another patented ROKA feature. ROKA designed its suit while the model’s arms were above the head instead of at the sides. This means you’ll have more arm movement during the swim. When it comes to the swimming leg of a triathlon, there are few things a wetsuit can provide that are better than increasing your speed. Thankfully, the TYR Hurricane provides plenty of features just so you can shave minutes off of your personal best time. For one, this wetsuit has arguably the best catch panels as the V-GCP forearm panels drastically increase your stroke distance. 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. If you can look past the cost of the wetsuit, I’d highly recommend this wetsuit to serious triathletes. The benefits of this suit far outweigh the financial cost of it.

Orca Athlex Float Mens Comfy Triathlon Wetsuit in Red Buoy

One of the notable differences between the XTERRA Volt and many of the other wetsuits we reviewed is the panel construction. Specifically, the XTERRA Volt does not feature nearly the same level of panel customization as many of the other products we saw. That said, the XTERRA Volt does offer numerous layers to provide similar results. The increased flexibility of Yamamoto 39 neoprene, combined with the high elasticity of Inifinty Skin 2 lining, provides open water swimmers with maximum freedom of movement. Thanks to this combination, 35% less force is required in fast movements than in conventional neoprene. For slow movements and wider strokes, 45% less force is required than in conventional neoprene. SCS coating also helps reduce friction and water resistance, improving hydrodynamics and increasing speed. Finally, the buoyancy of ORCA’s Apex wetsuit helps keep you in the best swimming position without compromising your technique. In conclusion, a great triathlon wetsuit will keep you from burning too much energy in the first leg of the race. It improves overall efficiency in the water allowing you to charge into the transition with plenty of power in the reserve tanks.