I know I’m just asking for it but I’ll do it any way. I’m not in a location where I can try on wetsuits. Thus, I’ve narrowed my wetsuit purchase down to sizing based on charts and what I’ve used before (QR). I know this is probably useless because the charts don’t necessarily reflect the tru sizing in the suits. I’ve pretty much decided that I either want to purchase a 2XU elite or the QR superfull. I weigh 155, (well 162 now but I’ll drop that by the time IMKY rolls around), 5’9" tall, 30.5" inseam. Normal tri build. Large legs. Wide shoulders. Most would say a swimmers build but I suck at swimming. Anyone that can provide any advice would be greatly appreciated. Also if you wear a different suit let me know what you think if you’re in my dimensions. Let me know what you like/don’t like.
Thanks in advance for any help.
Cheers, Chris
I’m a bit biased as a QROO athlete but I really love the Superfull (surprise!!!) As a swimmer, I’ve always been very picky about wetsuits. This is the first suit I’ve worn that I feel totally comfortable in. I can’t compare it to the 2XU suit but I can tell you that the rubber in the Super suit is very stretchy. So if you go with the QROO, order a size down from usual (I’m 6’2, 173 and wear a MS) and be careful putting it on. Fast suits also tend to be a bit more delicate.
Good luck with your decision!
Ian
Thanks. My last suit was a superfull. I really liked it. That’s why it’s on my list of two. Thanks again for your input.
I have the elite and love it. Very comfortable and fits me perfect everywhere. I don’t feel restricted like i have in my other suits. It seems to be pretty fast but all suits seem fast to me.
I am exactly the same weight and height (156/5’9") and broad shoulders and those who don’t know me think I would kick their butt in the water and boy do I suck!!. So back to your wetsuit question, I bought mine a month ago and I tried several wetsuits (Zoot, 19, BlueSeventy, 2XU), I didn’t try QR. 2XU and BlueSeventy were the best fit. I ended up with Blueseventy Helix and I have been pretty happy with it but I had a hard time deciding between Helix and Elite.
Do you recall which size elite fit you. Based on their fit charts and suggestions from retailers I fall right in the Small/medium, 5’7/5’10, 150-165 size. Based on their fitting pretty much true to size, from what I’m told, that’s why I’m leaning towards the elite. Rather than have to guess fit the other suits. Thanks.
Edit: also what made you go with the Helix over the elite? If you don’t mind saying.
I put on both small/tall and small/med. They were actually kind of similar, obviously small/tall a bit tighter but not too uncomfortable, the other one was not loose either. blueSeventy has a similar size chart to 2XU and I bought a small/tall Helix. The sales girl told me that these were both good fits and it is a matter of trading comfort for performance. I couldn’t feel much difference though, so I went for the smaller one.
Oh one thing I should add is that, it was easier to put on the small/med one, but taking them off was the same for both. Again the sales girl emphasized that one should be getting the snuggest while still comfortable enough suit he/she can put on.
Oh your last question, As I said they were both good fit wise, I read that UK article about performance comparisons and their performance is also very close. I tried these two brands in two different stores in different days so I am not sure how much my muscles had the memory of the previous ones. The main reason for going with Helix was that I felt my shoulders are a bit (just a very bit) more flexible in Helix and I also really liked the reverse zipper of Helix. Again the thing I said about shoulder flexibility could be because I just was more used to the wetsuits and had become better in putting them on after wearing so many of them. I still think both are probably really really good.
I was in a similar situation last year when I bought a wetsuit. I tried the Superfull, PFlex, Blue Seventy and the 2XU. Here in Utah there are not a lot of multi-sport shops and the local shops here gouge you on price + you pay a heafty sales tax add on as well. So I worked with a guy at Nytro.com named “Mark” and he helped me select a great suit. They will keep sending you suits (no shipping charge) and then when you settle on one they’ll just charge you one shipping charge. Mark is pretty good at reading sizes. They’ll even send a return label for Fedex to return the others. The only downside is you may have to “float” a few hundred bucks on your credit card to try on several suits. This worked well for me and I got a 2XU Elite and I love it. The Superfull felt like a suit made for someone with a gut…lots of excess neoprene around the middle.
Don’t support LBS or local multi-sports shops that kill you on price and charge you tax. The shops here in Utah have a lot to learn about building the sport here. They really don’t give you any better service than places like Trisports.com or Nytro.com.
If you are still in the market, I have a brand new X2U Elite for sale, mens size medium.
Read that… Should help with your decision. At least, I think it should…
With the exception of my original O’neil (Tinley Model) triathlon wetsuit, every one I have owned has been a QR and I have been happy with each and everyone. Of course I have nothing to really compare them too, but they have fit well and are pretty durable. My advice a QR from somewhere that has a good return policy, order the size you think you need if it doesn’t fit, return it for a better size.
Jordon,
I’m a little confused by you referencing that article. While the article speaks highly of QR in some respects it also indirectly disparages it by talking about patterned catch surfaces (note photo of such a surface at the bottom of the page). While I think it’s a worthwhile article to read, it also was written before 2XU existed. I guess what I’m asking is for you to spell out what you’re implying for those of us that are admittedly rather dense 
Unfortunately I haven’t worn either suit, though I do have a 2XU comp suit that fits me very well.
Steve
I just bought the new QR Superfull six weeks ago. I’m almost the exact same size as you, too. I have to say it is the best wetsuit I’ve ever owned, bar none. The biggest concern for me was the shoulder flexibility…with anything over .5 miles my arm/shoulders would start to fatigue as the range of motion was too constricting. Not bad, but it was noticeable. With the new suit even swims over 1.5 miles I can’t notice it…at all.
I’m extremely happy with the new QR Superfull.
Dan
I think that people often do not pay enough attention to how and where a suit is designed and made. 2XU was founded by some guys who left Orca, so it is possible, though I don’t know, that 2XU and Orca suits have relatively similar patterns, which would make it a suit that will fit entirely differently than a superfull. Of course, they could have totally different patterns as well. But the article focuses primarily on wetsuit design (pattern, rubber thickness), and I think that is something that not enough people factor in when choosing a suit. How and where was your suit designed, tested, etc. Does it have 5mm legs, something which is pretty important. Those are things that the article brings up, which I think people rarely consider, as they instead ask things like “how do you like suit X?”
That’s a good point, but I think it can be difficult for the average layperson to find good answers to those questions or interpret the answers if we do find them (at least regarding patterns). Given my lack of expertise (or even reasonable knowledge) in areas like this I made my choice by trying on as many suits as I could in my price range and going with what I thought was the best fit. Frankly if I were in a position like th OP where I couldn’t do that I’m not sure what I’d do given that company websites don’t seem to give enough data to make that informed of a decision. The beauty of SlowTwitch is that he (or I) can ask for opinions and often someone much more informed (like yourself) can really help.
Steve
Frankly if I were in a position like th OP where I couldn’t do that I’m not sure what I’d do given that company websites don’t seem to give enough data to make that informed of a decision. \
One thing you can do is pick out companies that guarntee their fit, or your money back…Takes all the risk out of the equation…
Agreed. But at least that article, I think, gives your three companies that you know have good pattern makers. You can also call up various shops and ask for some measurements like bust width, torso length, etc. Also, ask if there are a lot of seams around the shoulders? Is the leg 5mm? Etc. The article, I hope, gives you some more ammunition in terms of what questions to ask and how to ask them to get more information than just asking “do you like the wetsuit.” I think companies might also be very forthcoming about what suits fit similarly to theirs. That is 2XU would, I hope, be likely to tell you if their suit did or did not fit similarly to Orca’s.
But really, I think the problem is that people often do not know how a wetsuit should fit. And since wetsuits fit quite differently on land vs. when you swim, trying them on “dry” is often misleading. To a certain extent, trying on a wetsuit without swimming laps in a pool is like test riding a bike. It really doesn’t tell you a whole lot. You’d be better served, I think, to buy a wetsuit from a company that fits a certain mold, and then just spend time figuring out which size you need in that company’s suit.