The Only 3 Tech Suits you Should Consider Buying

I have tried a lot of suits...

I have worn a lot of different tech suits. I have wornied fastskins, powerskins, carbons, TYRs, Mizunos and everything in between. I raced in a bodysuit in 2009 and I even raced in a brief at one point in my career. Since my first swim race, I have tried over 100 different swimsuits that have promised me they would help me go faster.

Sadly I think most models are redundant. I recently pitted every tech suit currently on the market against each other, head to head in a tier list video and placed only three models in the S-Tier category. Before I spoil the results, give the video a watch for yourself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f33-SD-AJcA&t=133s

Why Only Three?

Like with any opinion you air out on the internet, I had a lot of people question my rankings and rightly so. I have gone as far as to say there is no reason to buy a lot of quality suits, suits that you would have seen on the podium at the Olympics and setting world records in the past. So why should you avoid buying them?

If you had two bottles of water in front of you, one costing $1 and the other $2, which you tasted and could not distinguish a difference, would you buy the bottle that costs $1 or $2? You would buy the cheaper option and therefore there would be no reason to buy the $2 bottle of water under any circumstance. That is how I view the tech-suit market.

I think we are in a very fortunate position that there are a lot of good suits available to buy. I also think healthy competition between the brands promotes better deals for us, the consumers. But to explain my thinking, if the TYR Avictor and Speedo Pure Valor (original & 2.0) perform almost identically, but the TYR costs considerably more than the Speedo, simply put, there is no reason to buy the TYR Avictor. The TYR Avictor is still a great suit. Just like the Pure Valor it is easy to put on, comfortable, thin and light, but for me to purchase the Avictor right now, would be $100 more than the Valor. There is no reason to buy that suit.

To summarise what I am saying, there are a lot of amazing suits out there, suits that you can buy and swim fast in. But there are only three suits, that I can wholeheartedly say you should buy and stand out well and truly above the rest.

The best of the best - arena primo

$332 - SwimOutlet

arena's Primo does it all. It is the most complete tech suit that I have ever tried and my only complaint with this suit is the price tag. But once you get over how much you have paid and have got this suit in your hands then I can't find a single criticism.

Me wearing the LE Navy/Gold Primo stood with Bobby Hurley

From the moment you unpack this suit, it ticks every single box. It is well presented, comes with a great carry pouch, is aesthetically beautiful (the limited edition navy/gold is my favourite-looking suit bar none), is super durable and most importantly performs like a beast.

The three most important factors a suit can have when it comes to performance are buoyancy, kick support and compression and the Primo nails all of these. But on top of that, this suit can be worn for every single event and I do not say that lightly. The Primo featured in both the 50 & 1500 freestyle Olympic final to reiterate my point (and many other finals).

This is the first tech suit I have used and I feel like I can not only recommend it to everyone and anyone but also they will be blown away when they wear it. For this reason, I have chosen it as the team suit for my masters competitions and we have set two World Records wearing the Primo. Everyone on our team, men and women, loved racing in Primo.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DURYeSHCEVw

arena Primo Video Review

The biggest impact - mizuno gx sonic vi nv

$180 - Buyee

The Mizuno GX Sonic VI NV outperforms every suit ever made purely on a technical level. There is no other suit that lets you know you are wearing it more than the Noble Velocity.

Me wearing the Mizuno GX Sonic VI NV before swimming my 100 free PB

You will struggle to get it on, you will be mechanical as you walk from the internal taping, the stiffness of the fabric will make it hard to bend over and you will feel massive enhancements from the moment you jump off the blocks. It truly is an experience everyone should try and the closest sensation to suit assistance since the banned bodysuits of 2009.

There is however a but.... While its influence on your swimming is obvious, it is not for everyone. Firstly it is much more suited for sprinters, shorter distances where its huge levels of compression aren't overwhelming. I wouldn't recommend it for anything over a 100 and know some swimmers only wear this for a 50. Even amongst sprinters it sometimes can be too uncomfortable, compressive, restrictive or heavy for use. Because of this sprinters who want the obvious aid of Mizuno suits but need a little more breathe to room opt for some of the less extreme Mizuno offerings, such as Jordan Crooks recently setting the 50 Free World Record wearing the GX Sonic V MR.

The Mizuno suits also have one more caveat. They are incredibly difficult to buy. Not only is supply limited but they are also much more affordable imported from Japan. If you are fortunate enough to visit Japan, you can buy these suits brand new for under $175 and even once imported using a service such as Buyee, they can be delivered anywhere in the world for less than $250, still extreme value. That is of course if you can find anywhere that has stock.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lr3pRbUkZ1g&t=5s

Mizuno GX Sonic VI Video Review

simplicity & Value - Speedo pure valor

$220 - SwimOutlet

If the previous two suits I have talked about have a big impact on performance, the Speedo Pure Valor series is the opposite. It instead focuses on comfort and letting you swim completely unhindered. In my professional opinion, I don't know why you would choose this over say a Mizuno for a sprint event but I see why for distances above 200 this is so popular.

Me wearing the Speedo Pure Valor 2.0

I should clarify that its performance is still good, it just doesn't have the mechanical aid features the NV and Primo have like up kick support (from internal taping), buoyancy (from dual layering) or extreme compression. Instead, it features just one, hydrophobic fabric with no additional bells and whistles. Beyond that, its cut is amazing (for both men & women) and it comes with the best carry pouch of all tech suits.

There are a lot of tech suits in this class of comfortable and simple. Here are some others:

• TYR Avictor

• arena Carbon Air2

• arena Aquaforce Storm MF

• Mizuno GX Sonic VI ET

• + loads more

But the Speedo stands out for a range of things like fit, options (high waist/closed back) but most importantly... PRICE.

Between the original Pure Valor and the new 2.0 (basically the same suit with new Lamoral hydrophobic coating), there are so many great deals always available. This means you can get it shipped for between $150-$200 if you look hard enough and that is just marvellous value.

I will finish by adding that this suit was used for more long course world records than any other option.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dye9TEDsqbc&t=6s

Speedo Pure Valor 2.0 Video Review

It is what you like

We are all different. We all like how different brands suits fit our bodies and how they make us feel in a race. So if you love the TYR Venzo, Finis HydroX, arena Carbon Glide or any other suit I have not mentioned today, don't let me deter you, keep wearing it and swimming fast. But if you are in the market for a new tech suit, then my recommendation is to buy either the arena Primo (all-rounder), Mizuno GX Sonic VI NV (sprinter) or the Speedo Pure Valor (value).

Don't forget a fast cap

Every great suit must be complimented by the perfect race cap and none is better than the arena Aquaforce 3d Wave Cap, now for sale on my store.

arena x TheSwimsuitGuy 3D Aquaforce Wave Race Cap White

Buy Now

---

Found Your Suit? Now Get Faster In It

A tech suit buys you tenths. The right training buys you seconds. I coach sprinters and racing swimmers all over the world, and I built a free 2-minute quiz that matches you to the exact training plan for your events, your schedule and your goals.

Take the free Find Your Plan quiz and get your match in 2 minutes, or jump straight into RAW SPEED 100, my sprint training membership at £39/month, cancel anytime.