QUINTANA ROO HYDROFIVE2
$479 Quintana Roo breaks from tradition with two new wetsuits that feature unisex sizing…
Quintana Roo’s new HYDROfive2 wetsuit comes with many of the features you’d expect from a top-quality wetsuit. Premium Yamamoto neoprene? Check. An SCS nanocoating to help you pass through the water more easily? Yep. An easy-exit ankle design to help with swift transitions? Absolutely. And the brand’s Comfort Seal neck design to increase comfort? You bet.
But what really caught our attention is the brand’s new approach to sizing. The HYDROfive2 (and the new HYDROsix2, $595) uses the brand’s new unisex fitting system, whereby sizes are determined not by gender, but by your body type, and which QR says is the most important metric for achieving an ideal fit.
“Our engineers designed a cross-section of sizing that we’ve found works in a way that best matches triathletes to the suit that fits them best, as a result of opening them up to a much wider range of fit options than the ones a single gender option provides,” says Jamie Ann Rennick, the brand’s marketing director. “And when a suit fits the way it ought to, there’s a tangible performance benefit.” The suits are available in three fit classifications (standard, broad and thin), with 14 different sizes available in total covering a height range from 4ft11in to 6ft6in.
Look out for reviews of both the HYDROfive2 and the HYDROsix2 in the next two issues.
3OF THE BEST: RUN TEES
UNDER £30
ZONE3 ACTIV LITE
£25 As the name suggests this is a lightweight option. It also features flatlock stitching for added comfort and reflective detailing for visibility. Ventilation panels help with temperature regulation, but the fit is a little on the small side. zone3.com
UNDER £50
RAB SONIC ULTRA
£50.99 Designed for challenging or hot runs, the Sonic Ultra is incredibly lightweight and comfortable. The fabric dries quickly, has ventilation holes and is finished with an odourcontrol treatment to keep you fresh. rab.equipment/uk
UNDER £90
THRUDARK VELOCITY
£85 This T-shirt from ThruDark isn’t cheap but it does provide impressive ventilation and a premium feel. Range of movement and moisture wicking both excel, too. thrudark.com