I’m curious why some wetsuit companies, such as 2XU publish sizing guidelines that appear to be so out of touch with their consumers.
Example:
Just bought a 2XU Velocity on Bonktown, size Large Tall. It seems to fit perfectly. I am 6’1" and weigh 152. The guideline for this suit is 185-207 lbs. I am 2 sizes above their recommendation (the Small Tall). Now for comparison, my present QR Superfull is size Medium Small, recommended for 151-163 lbs…Guess which suit is bigger? In almost every dimension…the QR of course.
So I like the suit, but the 2 sizes up from their criteria naturally instills doubt in my mind. And it’s not just me. I have seen numerous posts where people have tried on 2XU suits, found both sizes they tried on to be too tight, and then returned them and changed to a different manufacturer, rather than a larger size…as if there’s something magical about one company’s sizing over another. My guess is that they all make suits very similar in size, materials, and proportions, but just call them different sizes.
ok well not much of a rant…I’m reminded of a Pete Townshend line from a Who song…Why should I care?..Whyyyy should I care?
Different manufacturers have different styles of sizing for one. 2nd, people are built different and there will always be outliers of the guidelines. 3rd, people like things to fit different - some like super tight, others like loose. 4th, the suit is brand new and it will loosen up over time and then might be too big. I have found 2XU to fit too big if anything and I always size down - seems to have worked in the opposite direction for you.
My 2XU sizing of the wetsuit was spot on. I also got a large tall but at the time I was 6’2 195. It fit perfectly!
I have grown a bit due to injuries and now I am still 6’2 but 210. I used the wetsuit a be it a bit snug, but it still worked. So sizing seems to be in line with what they advertise. Maybe the fit isn’t as tight for you as it should be?
ok well perhaps I’m a bit off in my assessment, but I did find one online vendor who revised the 2XU chart to the following (revised numbers to the right):
I have had a size Med 2XU before that I thought was too tight…but perhaps I don’t swim in it enough (once or twice a year) to allow it to loosen up.
I don’t much believe that a suit should take 20 minutes to put on on race morning…shouldn’t be the forth sport. I can zip the large tall up myself, after a bit of resistance down low… not sure whether that’s good or bad…
I’m 6’2" and 177 lbs. I ordered a size “M/Tall” (supposed to fit 5’10"-6’4" and 163-183 lbs) from Trisports. After a struggle, I got it on but I couldn’t stand up straight. I returned it for a “L/Tall” (5’11"-6’5" and 185-207 lbs) and this one fits perfectly. Other than the hassle of taking the original shipping box back to UPS, it wasn’t a problem.
On a somewhat different subject, I stopped buying Saucony running shoes because every year I had to buy a half size larger shoe (in the same model) in order to fit. I’m 56 years old, and my “dress shoe” size has stayed the same at 10.5 for about twenty years. About six years ago I was wearing size 10.5 Saucony. Once I got up to size 12 in Saucony, I switched to Asics (size 11) and haven’t had any problems.
Well before I even use the wetsuit for the first time, I soak it in the bathtub for a day or two. Emillio gave that tip last year and it really works great to get the neoprene “back to life” again.