SHORT-SLEEVED TRI-SUITS
As one of the only pieces of kit you wear throughout an entire race, picking the right tri-suit is vital. We put 10 to the test
Short-sleeved tri-suits are increasingly ubiquitous across all triathlon distances, the benefits being better sun protection, aerodynamic prowess and, yes, a greater aesthetic appeal over the older vested sibling. The downside can be restriction on the swim and the possibility of chafing from the increased number of seams, so choose your sizing wisely.
As the popularity has risen, so has the affordability, with the prices of the suits here starting at an inflation-friendly £40 (you can also spend a hefty £200+ if your racing needs desire). As already stated, finding the right fit is essential for race-day comfort and aerodynamics, so study the sizing charts and returns policies intently. Also key is what your intended triathlon schedule and future goals will look like. Some of the suits here, in the pads especially, are for shorter distance racing, while others fit the bill for going long in the world of Ironman. So think about pocket type and size, aerodynamic qualities and material composition.
What you can’t tell from the brand websites is the breathability of the fabric, the internal comfort, pocket prowess, effectiveness of the arm and leg grippers, ability to dry swiftly and how the zipper performs in the irritation stakes. That’s what we’ll be reporting on and more with the 10 suits on test.
Men’s
ZOOT ELITE TRIATHLON AERO RACESUIT
£232 Zoot’s famously bold designs are missing from this sleek pinstripe suit and we miss them. Luckily the Elite has a trick or two up its aero sleeves, with a full-length zipper for speedy toilet stops, Zoot’s reliably smooth Italian fabrics and a sizeable mesh back for warmer climes. There’s plenty of ribbed ‘Highway Aero’ fabric targeted at maximising any drag reduction, although we haven’t seen any wind tunnel or CfD data and we couldn’t detect recovery gains from the touted compressive fabric. Those who prefer a plumper pad and are racing longer than Olympic distance may well want a beefier chamois, although the positive is that it’s near invisible on the run. We’d prefer flatlock internal seams and more than one rear pocket. For all its class, the Elite struggles to justify its price tag. zootsports.eu
76%
VERDICT CLASSY FABRICS BUT THERE ARE MORE VERSATILE AND BETTER VALUE SUITS HERE
SANTINI AAHONOUI VIPER
£279 This Ironman collaboration from top-end Italian brand Santini instantly shows its class, with silky smooth materials and lengthy ribbed sleeves aimed at increasing the aerodynamic prowess. So far, so expected. It continues to impress in the innovative details, the best being a grippy exterior that runs on the outside of the high-quality and supportive pad to prevent saddle slippage after the swim. And yet it’s not all good. The lack of a breakaway zipper is an oddity on a suit with Ironman racing intentions in 2022, and the irritable inside of the zipper also tends to graze the skin on the bike and run. The duo of rear pockets is also a little shallow for securely holding taller energy gels and the leg grippers, although seriously effective, may be a little too tight for those with stockier legs. Stylish design, however. santinicycling.com
80%
VERDICT SLEEK AND STYLISH, BUT ZIPPER TROUBLES ARE A WORRY AND REAR POCKETS ARE A LITTLE SHALLOW
APTONIA SHORT-DISTANCE
£39.99 Decathlon’s in-house brands largely score well on these pages for their functional design and affordability, yet Aptonia’s trisuits haven’t yet answered the demands of tri racing. Until now, with the new Short-Distance Trisuit. Neat triathlon touches abound, with a mesh strip along the spine for ventilation, leg pockets for gels, a full length zip guard and a covered rear pocket for swim gains. We even felt some compressive properties in the thighs. Of course, there are compromises. We’d prefer more than the single back pocket, the material composition and design can’t compete with Santini et al, and the elastic grippers are pretty limited. The legs come up quite short as well. Given their quality bike kit, we’d like to see what Decathlon’s Van Rysel brand could do with twice this budget, but this is still a strong beginner suit with a welcome price. decathlon.co.uk
80%
VERDICT A FEW COMPROMISES, BUT WE’D RECOMMENDED THIS AS A DEBUT TRI SUIT FOR BEGINNERS
TRI-FIT EVO NEXT GEN
£189 Tri-Fit’s debut Evo suit was just a couple of tweaks away from near maximum marks when we tested it in 2019 and the acclaim keeps flowing with the Evo Next Gen in 2022.
The suit builds on what made the Evo so good, the combo of Italian and German fabrics providing a silky-smooth internal experience and aerodynamic ribbed outer, with smartly-placed underarm mesh vents and superior leg grippers, adding to the winning composition. The Next Gen again utilises the floating back pocket trick, which stops the pockets pulling on the suit when loaded, and yet there are swim benefits thanks to the side entry points. That said, stuffing gels into the stealthy hip pockets in T1 at speed is tricky. The pad is a reliable one and the finishing quality has been improved, but some might want more padding for Ironman. It features a great full-length zipper and garage, though. tri-fitathletic.com
91%
VERDICT A CLASSY CONTENDER WITH SILKY SMOOTH FABRICS AND WELL CRAFTED TRI FLOURISHES
ORCA ATHLEX AERO RACE SUIT
£149 We don’t look at the price tags of these suits until after the testing has finished and I figured the dimpled fabrics, superior meshing and breathability of the new Athlex would put it above the £200 barrier. Happily, it’s well below that. The cooling material composition and sizeable white back panel also lends this one to warmer racing climes. Those aero dimpled sleeves are the business, while the pad is supportive yet supple on the bike and run, respectfully. The covered rear pockets and stretchy material make this the one for non-wetsuit swims, although the swallow depth of the two rear pockets means that taller gels can dislodge. Points are also lost for lack of a zipper garage and the relatively basic leg grippers tend to move up and down the legs when cycling, though this is a mild irritation rather than a full-blown catastrophe. orca.com
83%
VERDICT A BRILLIANT SUIT THAT’S SPEEDY YET SUPPORTIVE AND IS A GOOD CHOICE FOR WARMER CLIMES
MEN’S VERDICT
The high scores across the board are evidence that trisuit design is alive and well, with those on a tight budget and athletes with lofty racing goals all being catered for in this men’s test. And yet there are still frustrating flaws at play here, the zipper issues with the Santini Ironman X being an obvious – yet easily fixable – example.
The Zoot Elite Triathlon Aero Racesuit, meanwhile, struggles to create a clear identity for itself and we’re still struggling to see on which tri arena it would excel for the high price. Staying on monetary matters, the Aptonia Short-Distance Trisuit from Decathlon really is a decent debut tri-suit for the £40 outlay, and we’d really like to see the French giants produce a mid-end suit.
The Orca Athlex Aero Race Suit takes the trickle-down tech from the brand’s top-end suits to brilliant effect, a slick contender for a wealth of tri distances and a mighty pick for non-wetsuit swims. The Tri-Fit Evo Next Gen edges the test, however, its luxurious fabrics, versatility and smart tri-specific features cementing the Aussie brand’s reputation as a major force in the multisport market.
Women’s
ZONE3 AEROFORCE-X
£295 With claims that the Aeroforce-X is the world’s fastest tri-suit, Zone3 has worked with Nopinz to produce a suit that aims to perform at a range of speeds for all abilities. Using ‘golf ball technology’, dimpled sleeves and ‘Aerostripe’ sides, the suit’s designed to maximise aero gains, with lightweight panelling on the back to regulate temperature. Our sample came up short in the upper body, leaving us feeling restricted around the neck, collarbone, and when on aerobars. While supportive, the chammy finished awkwardly on the leg inseam, causing rubbing against the saddle. By contrast, the lower body fitted well, with the smooth, soft fabric offering core and leg compression and deep aero pockets providing storage for at least six gels. The suit ticks many performance boxes, but with only five sizes available, taller athletes may need to look elsewhere. zone3.com
79%
VERDICT LOTS TO LIKE AND IMPRESSIVE TECH, BUT FOR THE PRICE THE CHAMOIS NEEDS IMPROVING
STOLEN GOAT UPSTART TRI-SUIT
£160 Stolen Goat’s vibrant design is striking, but this tri-suit’s about more than just its looks. ‘Airstripe’ sleeves claim to save eight to 10 watts per arm – the equivalent of a disc wheel -with the close-fitting upper body maximising aerodynamic gains. Thankfully, the four-way stretch material and the split front design allow full flexibility, meaning that the suit doesn’t feel restrictive despite its slim fit. The Upstart also offers UV protection, while the breathable fabric kept us cool throughout testing. The two large rear pockets comfortably hold at least four gels each. Wide grippers stay in place, but as the legs come up shorter than others on test, they sit more in the meaty part of the leg, resulting in tightness and a slight bulging effect. The Upstart’s available in an impressive seven sizes, so it maybe that sizing up eliminates this issue for those with powerful ‘cyclist’s legs’. stolengoat.com
88%
VERDICT PERFORMANCE, COMFORT AND STYLE COME TOGETHER IN A PACKAGE 83 THAT’S FANTASTIC VALUE FOR MONEY
HUUB HER SPIRIT LONG COURSE TRI SUIT
£119.99 The energetic and fun colour scheme makes you want to get racing just by looking at this suit, the result of a collaboration between Huub and Her Spirit. Lightweight and flexible, the suit feels like a second skin and provides UV protection for long days in the sun. An open-neck design allows great freedom of movement. The chamois feels thick and supportive on the bike, but may be larger than ideal when it comes to the run.
Despite the leg grippers looking thin, they hold firm and don’t give any unwanted bulging. Although not littered with aero features, the suit felt slippery in both the air and water. The only negative was the pocket size, with only enough room for two gels in each of the two pockets. Despite this, as the cheapest suit on test, it wasn’t out of place with those twice the price. huubdesign.com
83%
VERDICT A COLOURFUL, WELL DESIGNED TRI SUIT AT AN AFFORDABLE PRICE FROM A TOP TRI BRAND
CASTELLI PR SPEED TRI SUIT
£300 Castelli’s gone all in on aerodynamics, so much so the PR Speed would be illegal in a cycling event. In practice, this means the wind-tunnel-tested design has elbow length striped silicone arms which aim to reduce drag on the bike. Ultra-thin 50 denier fabric on the upper body means the fabric is quite literally barely there. This gives maximum cooling, but we’d question its sun protection capabilities. Despite offering great shoulder flexibility, the upper body is on the small side, with the neck pulling us down when standing and the jersey-style top spontaneously unzipping on occasions when the zip’s nudged. The chamois is also minimalist in design, but it still provided comfort and support in testing. Though not marketed as such, the legs feel compressive and supportive even on tired legs, and the dual rear pockets provide plenty of room for several gels or bars. saddleback.co.uk
84%
VERDICT A TRI SUIT FOR SERIOUS RACING, WITH A LUXURIOUS FEEL AND AMPLE STORAGE
ASSOS TRIATOR SS SPEEDSUIT
£380 Swiss cycling brand Assos has made a bold debut into the premium tri market with the attractive Triator Speedsuit. It’s clear from the chamois that this is a suit designed by people who spend time on bikes, offering a perfect blend of comfort and minimalism for long-distance racing. The suit itself feels like a second skin, with honeycomb textured arms for enhanced aerodynamics and a scooped neckline which offers zero restriction. Our only gripe’s the shoulders being set a little too narrow, which caused some tightness on the swim. The ultralight material dries exceptionally fast, with vented sides aiding heat dissipation and a special ice pocket in the neck for cooling during hot racing. We like the graduated leg compression, offering all day support, and in addition to two rear pockets, the suit has two small pockets hidden inside the front. assos.com
87%
VERDICT THIS SUIT OOZES QUALITY, A REAL LUXURY ITEM FOR THOSE WHO CAN AFFORD IT
WOMEN’S VERDICT
Optimising aerodynamics requires a close-fitting suit. With the female form coming in many shapes and sizes, finding a high-performance tri-suit’s a very personal affair. Several of the suits on test are premium products with premium prices to go with them, so it’s critical that they’re not only comfortable, but also fit well to reap all the tech benefits brands have invested in.
Shorter athletes may well find Zone3’s suit to be perfect for propelling performance with unquestionable aerodynamic technology. While there’s a lot to like with Huub’s tri-suit, which impressed with its simplicity and value for money, for a long course suit we just wish the brand had given it better storage.
Both the Castelli and Assos suits feel opulent and refined, offering high-end performance gains. Both are well suited to hot weather conditions, clearly targeting the Kona (or St George) market. Assos’ Traitor also performs well in the cool, which is handy because for the eye-watering price, we’d want to be able to use it multiple times.
As an all-rounder, and offering four styles and seven size options, Stolen Goat stole the show and offers the choice we crave. Performance, comfort and a friendly price-tag, it ticks every box.