I race in a one piece Zoot kit and I love the sleeves. They keep my shoulders from crisping up for sure. It takes a bit of getting used to, at first it feels a bit constricting but after a while it feels like a nice hug.

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Level II USAT Coach | Level 3 USAC Coach | NASM-CPT
Team Zoot | Tailwind Trailblazer
I can tell you why you're sick, I just can't write you an Rx

I have a DeSoto sleeved skin cooler tri-top and absolutely love it. Keeps me cool and provides the all important coverage on my shoulders. I have a family history of skin cancer, so that coverage is important, full size pockets, and not too loose fitting.

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check out my blog http://theswimmingtriathlete.com

I have a Smashfest Queen one piece suit with sleeves. I LOVED LOVED LOVED it. The sleeves didn't bother me a bit, and I was not overheated at all, in fact I think I kept cooler since the sun wasn't hitting me.

The best part for me was that I didn't spend the whole race tugging on the bottom of my tri top to pull it down. There is the whole risk of needing a bathroom break, but barring any kind of stomach issues I usually manage to go even a full ironman without "needing" to take the thing off.

My wife had a short-sleeved Orca Core one-piece suit she really liked, and has recently switched to a two-piece setup with 2XU tri shorts and a short-sleeved Casetlli tri top (the 2018 version of this top). She's very pale and has to be very careful of sun exposure, so when I switched to a sleeved suit, she did the same. Depending on the day, she'll also throw on a set of 2XU calf sleeves and "cold black" arm sleeves. Maximum sun protection!

She only switched from the Orca for two reasons:
1. She's a 32DDD, so the top zipper was pulling down as she ran and gave her a welt on her upper chest (boy was she mad the first time that happened!)
2. She finds a two-piece setup much more convenient for pit stops, even at sprint distance (her preferred race distance)

Having raced XTERRA in the past myself, I think you'd be fine in whatever brand fits best.

My wife's advance: "Try several, and don't settle for 'okay'; watch out for chest sizing, and be sure to try on the suit with the sports bra you'll be wearing on race day."

Hope that helps!

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- John
"Have courage, and be kind."

I also have a DeSoto Short Sleeve one-piece, really comfortable and I wore it up to HIM distance. It was also my first time wearing a one piece tri-suit.

I have raced in the Sugoi Women's RS Tri Speedsuit (sleeved). I'm not sure it's still in production. It's been my favorite onesie. I think you can still find them around. The cold black material really cut down on heat gain, and the longer leg length was a blessing. Liked it so much that I did cycling time trials in it until I got a proper speed suit.

Loved the material of the Kwami suits, but found the chamois overly big. Also, like the Desoto suits, they seem to be cut for women with rail like bodies. I'm short and curvy (not fat). My hips (in particular) and shoulders are relatively wide, while my waist is narrow. That makes if difficult to find one piece suits that fit well. The Sugoi did just that, so much so that I snatched up some NOS when they were on ebay.

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No coasting in running and no crying in baseball

One thing we've found that worked well in the wind tunnel for both women & men is using your preferred shorts with a sleeved top. You can swim with the top on and if it's under a wetsuit just leave it unzipped for maximal ROM.

I'd say for ~ 10% of the people this was faster than the 1 sleeved kit from the same manufacturer and within 2-3w if slower. That 2-3w may be worth the trade off for more comfort & flexibility for pit stops.

Any questions PM me and I can pull specific data if I can remember when we tested these combos

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
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