Sian Lewis shares her top picks of the best cold water swimming wetsuits that will keep you cosy all year-round…Ready for a season of open water swimming? Swimming outdoors for fitness has rocketed in popularity in the UK, and a Sport England survey reveals that over four million of us now swim for health in lakes, rivers and the ocean. Whether you\u2019re starting to take wild swimming more seriously or are progressing to entering events or even triathlons, you\u2019ll need one key bit of kit to keep you comfortable in the water \u2013 a great swimming wetsuit designed with cold water in mind.
\nA good swimming-specific wetsuit will keep your core and body warm while making sure your arms and legs have enough freedom and flexibility to keep you moving, and will ensure that your new hobby can be a year-round activity, whatever the weather.
\nSwimming wetsuits can be roughly divided into two categories \u2013 full-length wetsuits, suitable for year-round use, and \u2018shortie\u2019 suits without arms, legs or both, best worn for a bit of added warmth in summer. Swimming wetsuits are usually made from thick materials like neoprene and yulex rubber, which trap in heat and warm water around your body, keeping you at a comfortable temperature for longer. They have slimmer neoprene around the arms and legs, to reduce drag in the water and keep you feeling flexible as you move.
\nOur top six picks of the best swimming wetsuits will suit different budgets, seasons and levels of experience, but they\u2019re all reliably cosy in the cold without stopping you from swimming freely.
\n6 of the best swimming wetsuits<\/p>\n
Zone 3 Thermal Aspire Wetsuit
\nBest swimming wetsuit for cold water
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Neoprene
\nSizes: S-XL
\nGender: Male\/female
\nThickness: 3-5mm
\nReasons to buy: Warm fleece lining, flexible neoprene, cosy core
\nReasons to avoid: Too warm for spring-autumn swims
\nIf you feel no fear in the face of winter and love to swim outdoors in any season, you need a great wetsuit that can handle the colder months. Our pick of the pack is Zone 3\u2019s excellent Thermal Aspire suit.
\nLined with warm heat-trapping fleece, it\u2019s impressively warm but still flexible enough that you won\u2019t feel restricted. 5mm of neoprene keeps your core warm while 3mm on arms and legs keeps you moving powerfully through the water.
\nBuy Men\u2019s Zone 3 Thermal Aspire from wiggle.co.uk
\nBuy Women\u2019s Zone 3 Thermal Aspire from wiggle.co.uk
\nNote: We may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site, at no extra cost to you. This doesn\u2019t affect our editorial independence.<\/p>\n
Orca Openwater Core wetsuit
\nBest swimming wetsuit for training
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Neoprene
\nSizes: 4-11, XS-XL
\nGenders: Male\/Female
\nThickness: 2-2.5mm
\nReasons to buy: Bright orange panels, flexible neoprene, good price point
\nReasons to avoid: Not warm enough for winter weather
\nIf you\u2019re taking your open water swimming up a notch and are regularly training outdoors, or even considering entering your first triathlon, you\u2019ll definitely be in the market for your first decent swimming wetsuit.
\nThere are a myriad of styles out there \u2013 but we reckon the perfect all-rounder is Orca\u2019s Openwater Core. Warm enough for wear from spring through to autumn thanks to 2.5mm of neoprene, wit bright orange panels for extra visibility and with great freedom of movement to help you up your game, this is the suit to improve with.
\nBuy Men\u2019s Orca Core Suit from wetsuitcentre.co.uk
\nBuy Women\u2019s Orca Core Suit from wetsuitcentre.co.uk<\/p>\n
Sola Open Water Unisex Wetsuit
\nBest budget swimming wetsuit
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Neoprene
\nSizes: S-L
\nGenders: Unisex
\nThickness: 2-3mm
\nReasons to buy: Varied sizes, portable, good value for money
\nReasons to avoid: Limited warmth and flexibility
\nKeep it simple with this entry level suit, which gives a lot of bang for your buck at its \u00a3100 price point \u2013 the Sola suit is swimming-specific, easy to pop and off and flexible enough not to impede your strokes (but not as flexible as most premium suits).
\nThe sizing is unisex, and plus-size women may find that the men\u2019s Large or Medium Tall fit them better than some women\u2019s suits, which don\u2019t always come in varied sizes. The Sola suit is lightweight and easy to pop in a backpack, so it\u2019s good for travel.
\nBuy SOLA Open Water Swimming Wetsuit from Amazon<\/p>\n
Decathlon Nabaiji Combi Wetsuit
\nMost comfortable swimming wetsuit
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Neoprene
\nSizes: 6-16\/29-31
\nGenders: Male\/Female
\nThickness: 2mm
\nReasons to Buy: bright neon panels, good comfort and warmth
\nReasons to Avoid: hard to get on and off
\nA lot of more affordable swimming suits seem to compromise on comfort \u2013 not so Decathlon\u2019s Combi suit, which fits so nicely you won\u2019t notice you\u2019ve got it on.
\nThe downside is that it\u2019s a bit of a struggle to actually pull this suit on and off, so it\u2019s more suitable for swimming for fitness than competing in fast-paced triathlons.
\nWe like the bright shoulders (orange for men, fluoro pink for women), and the Combi is warm enough to wear outdoors in three seasons. All in all, good quality for a modest price.
\nBuy Men\u2019s Nabaiji Combi Wetsuit via Decathlon
\nBuy Women\u2019s Nabaiji Combi Wetsuit via Decathlon<\/p>\n
Dhb Aeron Lab 3.0 Wetsuit
\nBest swimming wetsuit for racing
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Neoprene
\nSizes: XS-2XL
\nGenders: Male\/Female
\nThickness: 2-4mm
\nReasons to buy: top quality, easy to put on and off, great comfort
\nReasons to avoid: expensive
\nIf you\u2019re a serious swimmer looking for excellent protection that\u2019ll never drag you down in the water, Dhb\u2019s premium Aeron suit will be your new second skin.
\nThe Aeron is pricy, but it does feel fantastic to wear, and is warm enough but breathable enough that you can train in it year-round.
\nIt\u2019s easy to pop on and off if you\u2019re into racing, too \u2013 you can tell it was designed with input from pro triathletes. With sizes ranging from XS to XXL it\u2019ll also fit a winder range of swimmers than some suits.
\nBuy Men\u2019s Dhb Aeron Lab wetsuit from wiggle.co.uk
\nBuy Women\u2019s Dhb Aeron Lab wetsuit from wiggle.co.uk<\/p>\n
Finisterre Nieuwland Long John\/Long Jane Yulex wetsuit
\nBest sustainable swimming wetsuit
\nSpecification
\nMaterial: Yulex rubber
\nSizes: 6-18\/XS-XXL
\nGender: Male\/Female
\nThickness: 2mm
\nReasons to buy: Made from sustainable yulex, comfortable sleeveless cut, bright colour available
\nReasons to avoid: Only suitable for warm weather
\nIf you\u2019re looking to swap your neoprene suit collection for something more sustainable, invest in yulex, a more planet-friendly option derived from rubber and with great heat-trapping properties.
\nFinisterre do a great range of both surfing and swimming wetsuits for men and women \u2013 our favourites for spring and summer are the Long John and Long Jane, sleeveless suits that keep your body and legs warm with 2mm of yulex and leave arms and shoulders free to glide through the water. A bright orange version is available for low light.
\nBuy Nieuwland Long John from finisterre.com
\nBuy Nieuwland Long Jane from finisterre.com
\nWhat we look for in the best swimming wetsuits
\n-Thickness: Swimming wetsuits are designed using different thicknesses of neoprene, which you\u2019ll see rated in millimetres. Swimming wetsuits have thinner neoprene around the arms and armpits than surf suits for ease of movement, and are cut in order to reduce drag in the water. If you\u2019re only buying one suit for casual swimming a 2mm is probably your most versatile pick. If you swim year-round, owning a full-length thermal winter wetsuit with 3 or 4mm of neoprene on the torso and a short-sleeved \u2018shortie\u2019 wetsuit of 1.5 or 2mm thickness will keep you comfortable in every season. Winter wetsuits are sometimes also lined with thermal fleece, which adds welcome extra warmth in cold conditions.
\n-Length: Swim wetsuits come in more designs than you might think, to suit different seasons. \u2018Full\u2019 wetsuits with long arms and legs are suitable for all seasons, while from late spring to early autumn you can swap to a \u2018shortie\u2019 wetsuit with short arms and legs, or a sleeveless or a legless wetsuit. These offer warmth around the torso with more freedom to move your arms and legs.
\n-Material: Most wetsuits are made of neoprene, a warm wetsuit material that\u2019s ideal for swimmers heading out in cold conditions. This petroleum-based fabric may be good at trapping heat, but its production is not kind on the planet. If you\u2019d like to make a more ethical purchase, there\u2019s a new material that wetsuit makers are now using to create wetsuits \u2013 yulex rubber. This renewable, plant-based rubber is more sustainable than neoprene, but it\u2019s still flexible, durable and has heat-holding properties, so it\u2019s ideal for winter waters. Yulex suits are often more expensive than neoprene, however. Whatever material you go for, look after your new wetsuit by rinsing in fresh water after each wear, and leaving to dry in a shady place.
\n-Fit & Design: Swimming wetsuits are designed to be quick and easy to pull on and off, to suit the needs of triathletes, who need to change as fast as possible. Try your suit on in person if you can \u2013 sizes can vary greatly between brands. Some suits allow you to trim the legs and arms to fit, which is a good choice if you\u2019re short. While most wetsuits are black (neoprene\u2019s base colour, which offers good UV resistance), some swim wetsuits also feature bright pops of colour such as acid orange, which have the added benefit of making you easier to spot in open water, especially when used along with a tow float.
\nDidn\u2019t find what you\u2019re looking for? Head to Amazon\u2019s dedicated sailing page for more marine products.
\nThe post Best swimming wetsuits: 6 top options for year-round swims appeared first on Yachting World.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Sian Lewis shares her top picks of the best cold water swimming wetsuits that will keep you cosy all year-round…Ready for a season of open water swimming? Swimming outdoors for fitness has rocketed in popularity in the UK, and a … <\/p>\n