Triathlon Clothing

Swimming, cycling and running — as a triathlete you combine three demanding disciplines in one race. The right triathlon clothing contributes directly to your performance. You switch between disciplines at lightning speed without having to change clothes, saving precious seconds and minutes. A good trisuit sits comfortably while swimming, rides aerodynamically and runs pleasantly, without you needing to stop for even a moment.

Triathlon clothing is available for beginners who want to complete their first triathlon and for experienced triathletes who want to gain every second of advantage. The main selection criteria are whether you opt for a one-piece trisuit or a two-piece tri-top and tri-short combination, sleeve length, position of the zip and the quality of the chamois pad. For competitions, specific clothing rules sometimes apply. Also read our blog about triathlon for beginners for what you need for a triathlon.

Trisuits

A trisuit, also called a triathlon suit, is one of the most important pieces of clothing for your triathlon. You wear this during all three disciplines. The trisuits are designed so that you can use them while swimming (they can even be worn under your wetsuit), cycling and running. One of the advantages of a trisuit is that you no longer need to change clothes and can therefore gain a significant advantage.

Some advantages of a trisuit are:

• No more changing time
• They fit easily under your wetsuit
• They absorb virtually no water due to the quick-drying fabric
• Back pockets for sports nutrition / sports drinks
• Silicone band grippers prevent the sleeves and/or legs from sliding.
• The smaller chamois does not get in the way while running.
• Loose tri-tops do not ride up

During a triathlon, almost everyone wears a tri suit. You can choose a trisuit (1-piece) or a tri-top combined with a tri-short (2-piece). However, the former is preferred by the majority of triathletes.

The trisuits come in short sleeve and sleeveless variants. Depending on what you like and the weather, you can choose to go for a trisuit with short sleeves or a trisuit without sleeves. The short-sleeved shirts offer better protection against the sun and are more aerodynamic on the arms. Sleeveless shirts offer the advantage that the risk of chafing under the armpits is minimal and they are more airy. In addition, the tri suits also have a zipper, which is often at the front, but for some competitions the organization may require a zipper at the back. We see this more often at ITU (International Triathlon Union) competitions.

Trisuits for women

Trisuits for women have a different fit than the trisuits for men. It is important that the trisuit fits well on your body for good aerodynamics. In addition, various tri suits for women are available with a zipper at the front or back. The chamois present in a women's trisuit is also different. This is narrower between the legs. In addition, the fit is slightly different due to the wider hips and narrower waist. Finally, you can look at the colors of the trisuit. The women's trisuits come in a wide variety of different colors. Do you like a tan? Then you can go for a blue, green or pink trisuit. Would you prefer a more subtle trisuit? Then you can also go for a darker color such as black or dark blue.

Trisuits for men

The men's trisuits have a different fit than the women's trisuits. The trisuits for men are designed in such a way that they fit perfectly to the anatomy of men. This gives you better aerodynamics during your triathlons and makes you faster. There are also triathlon suits without sleeves and trisuits with short sleeves for men. If you really want to stand out, you can go for a red, blue or yellow suit. Prefer something more subtle? There are also many different options in terms of colors and designs.

What should you pay attention to with a tri suit?

Do you want to go for the longest and most challenging triathlons? Then it is important to adjust your trisuit and other equipment accordingly. After all, triathlon is an endurance sport. The more expensive trisuits are completely tailored to the demanding and professional triathlete. For triathletes who want the most comfortable suit possible with all the comforts and the latest innovations. These high-end suits contain a better chamois, are more aerodynamic and more comfortable.

1-piece or 2-piece trisuit?

A trisuit can be a 1-piece suit or a 2-piece suit. In the past, a 2-piece suit was more commonly used than today. Nowadays almost all triathletes wear a 1-piece suit.

The advantage of a 1-piece suit is that it is more aerodynamic because it consists of one whole. In addition, the suit stays well in place and the pants cannot accidentally fall down or the shirt rolls up, which causes discomfort.

The 2-piece suit consists of a shirt and pants. You used to see this combination more often than you do now. A 2-piece suit is ideal for people who have a longer torso, for example, or are a lot wider at the top. A loose shirt reduces the chance of pulling. Another important advantage of a 2-piece trisuit is that you can easily make a toilet stop with it. Because you have to lower a 1-piece trisuit almost completely to your ankles / knees.

Short sleeves or long sleeves with a tri suit?

There are sleeveless trisuits and trisuits with short sleeves available. Each variant has its advantages and disadvantages. A trisuit with short sleeves ensures that you are more aerodynamic, so you can save on wattage and therefore be more efficient. In addition, a trisuit with short sleeves is also more flattering and offers better protection against the sun on your shoulders. The sleeveless trisuits are more comfortable compared to the short sleeve trisuits because you have more freedom of movement and better moisture regulation.

The color of your tri suit

Do you want to use the trisuit in warmer countries? Then it is better to go for a trisuit with a lighter color, such as white. For example, black attracts more heat. The trisuits also have UV protection.

The zipper

In the Netherlands you can almost always go for a trisuit with a zipper at the front. A zipper on the front mainly brings convenience. You can easily open and close it yourself. Some triathlons, such as the ITU triathlons, require a back zipper. However, opening or closing a zipper at the back is more difficult than a zipper at the front.

It is important to take into account that the zipper should not be opened further than 12cm because a bare torso is not allowed.

In addition to the trisuits with a zipper at the front and back, there are also trisuits without a zipper, but you will rarely encounter these during a triathlon.

Starting number tape keeps your number in sight

The starting number band is an essential part when participating in a triathlon. You put this belt on at your waist (just like a belt) to which you can then attach your starting number. In the past, the starting number was pinned to the front of your shirt, but pinning it is not ideal. This is not visible while cycling and you would have to pin it to the back and then back to the front before running, which causes a loss of time.

With a starting number band you can easily turn your starting number from the front to the back and vice versa. In addition, a good starting number band also has elastic straps in which you can take sports nutrition such as energy gels.

Chip tape

A chip band is a small band of neoprene fabric that you wrap around your ankle. You attach the time registration chip to this. If you participate in a triathlon, your time is recorded exactly. A good chip band ensures that it does not irritate your leg.

Quick laces, save time, no need to tie any more

Do you want to save even more time? Then you can also provide your shoes with quick laces. After swimming you change to your cycling shoes and after cycling you change back to running shoes. By putting quick laces in your shoes, you no longer have to tie them but just put them on.

What is a triathlon wetsuit?

A triathlon wetsuit, sometimes also called a swimsuit or triathlon swimsuit, is a specially developed suit for triathlons, often made of neoprene, for people who spend a lot of time in the water. It protects you as its wearer against hypothermia. The big difference between a triathlon wetsuit compared to a surfer and diving wetsuit is the type of neoprene used and the thickness of the panels. For example, a triathlon wetsuit may not be thicker than 5mm.

The most important properties of a triathlon wetsuit are to ensure that the wearer retains body heat while swimming and to create buoyancy. In the swimsuit, a very thin layer of water is placed between the neoprene and your body. So you are actually always wet, which is also where the name wetsuit comes from. The body slowly warms up the thin layer of water and helps the body to stay warm better. The triathlon wetsuit must fit well to your body to ensure that the water does not continue to flow and to retain the layer of warm water, it really feels like a second skin. The buoyancy that the suit offers allows you to lie better in the water, making you more streamlined and therefore able to swim faster.

What is the difference between a triathlon wetsuit, swimrun wetsuit and shorty?

Swimrun wetsuits resemble a regular wetsuit but are slightly different. Since a triathlon consists of three parts, with a Swimrun you alternate between, as the name suggests, swimming and running. A swimrun suit is designed for both running and swimming. This means you only need one suit for the entire race. Your entire body is often covered, as well as your arms, but not your legs. Because if you have to run with neoprene, it creates a lot of heat, friction and costs extra energy. So you can move more freely.

A shorty is a wetsuit that covers your body and part of your thighs. This gives you a little extra buoyancy and protection while swimming and more freedom of movement around your arms, shoulders and knees.

What are the benefits of swimming with a triathlon wetsuit?

• You are more streamlined and therefore faster.
• It protects you from hypothermia.
• You are more buoyant.
• It keeps your body heat inside the suit.
• You save on your energy because you swim more efficiently.

What should you pay attention to if you want to buy a triathlon wetsuit?

Would you like to buy a triathlon wetsuit? Then there are several important points you should pay attention to when purchasing a triathlon wetsuit. The wetsuit must be suitable for your personal goals and meet your wishes and needs. If you want to swim at speed with front crawl, you will need a different type of suit than if you want to swim in a natural pool with, for example, breaststroke. To help you make the best choice, we would like to take you through the details of our triathlon wetsuit collection.

• Buoyancy of your triathlon wetsuit
• Flexibility
• The right fit / size
• Wetsuits for men and women
• The seams of a triathlon wetsuit
  
  • Glued and Blindstitched (GBS) seams
  • Flatlock seams
  • Taped / Welded seams
• The design of your triathlon wetsuit

Buoyancy of your triathlon wetsuit panels

One of the most important properties of a good triathlon wetsuit is its buoyancy. The buoyancy ensures that you lie flatter (horizontal) and slightly higher in the water. This has the advantage that you are more streamlined, which means you swim faster through the water. Because you are more streamlined, you also use less energy. You can then put this energy to good use when cycling and/or running.

The thickness of a wetsuit plays a very important role in its buoyancy, but also the freedom of movement you have while swimming. Triathlon wetsuits come with different panel thicknesses which provide more or less buoyancy. The thicker the panels the more buoyant you are and the thinner the panels the less buoyant.

For novice swimmers, a triathlon wetsuit with more buoyancy in the lower body is ideal. The correct buoyancy ensures that you assume a good horizontal position in the water. The triathlon wetsuits that we have in our range have different thicknesses of panels and neoprene. For example, it is nice if the thickness of the neoprene at the shoulders is thinner so that you have to exert less force when doing the front crawl. But the thickness of the panels at and around the belly and chest are slightly thicker for better buoyancy.

Are you an advanced swimmer? Then you will need neutral buoyancy. In other words, you have less buoyancy in the lower body, so that your legs do not rise too high and you lie exactly right in the water.

Flexibility

In addition to buoyancy, the flexibility of the triathlon wetsuit is an important factor. After all, it determines how easily and comfortably you can make your front crawls or swimming strokes. So the more flexible a wetsuit is, the more freely you can move.

The flexibility is often indicated by means of a gradation. The most famous supplier of neoprene is Yamamoto. Yamamoto makes the highest quality neoprene and uses gradations to indicate how flexible the neoprene is. There are currently four different grades of neoprene in use, namely: #38, #39, #40 and the latest #44.

Most wetsuits are made from Yamamoto #38 neoprene. This type of neoprene is durable yet affordable. Yamamoto #39 belongs to the mid to high segment of neoprene. This type of neoprene is used for mid- to high-range triathlon wetsuits. The rubber of #39 is more flexible than #38 and ensures that you can perform your front crawls and swimming strokes more comfortably. In addition, there is #40 neoprene. This is a high-quality neoprene that you only find in the better wetsuits. #40 neoprene offers you the highest level of flexibility and stretch and will feel the softest and most comfortable. In addition, there is an evolution of the #40 cell neoprene, also called #44, or #40cell 1mm. This is a #40 cell neoprene which is pressed to 1 mm thickness. This latest material is even thinner and lighter in weight. The high-end triathlon wetsuits have this material on the shoulders, which ensures the most free swimming stroke.

The right fit / size

With a triathlon wetsuit, the fit is the most important factor. The wetsuit must fit perfectly to your body in order to function properly. After all, the swimsuit must ensure that your body temperature is maintained in colder water. Is your triathlon wetsuit too big? Then too much water will enter, causing the suit to lose its keeping warm function. Do you have a triathlon wetsuit that is too small? That is also not ideal because it can cause discomfort such as less freedom of movement. When trying on a triathlon wetsuit, there should be no excess space between your armpits, on the back, on the chest, on the stomach and around your arms.

For a good and comfortable wetsuit, it is important to look carefully at which size suits you best. The fact is that each brand has its own unique size specifications. So it may be that if you have size M from your current brand, you need an S or L from another brand. That is why it is important to always look carefully at the size labels or seek immediate advice in our triathlon store.

The size of a triathlon wetsuit is often indicated by the well-known letters and can vary from XXS to XXXL. But there are also intermediate sizes available, such as ST (Small Tall) and SM (Small medium). For example, if you are taller and thinner, an S-je (small) may not fit well on your body, meaning that the function of your new triathlon wetsuit will not be used optimally.

When choosing the right size, it is important to always look at the brand's size charts. Each brand has its own size specifications, which means that the sizes may not always be the same. If you are in doubt between a size, you can always contact our customer service so that we can advise you. You can also visit our triathlon store in Volkel.

Triathlon wetsuits for men and women

Do you see a nice triathlon wetsuit that you would like to buy, but is it only available for men (or women)? First check whether you can try on the wetsuit you want in the store. There are differences in design. The triathlon wetsuits are specially designed for the male anatomy and women's wetsuits for the female anatomy. Triathlon wetsuits for men and women differ mainly in design and fit, tailored to the unique body shapes. Men's suits are generally designed with more room around the shoulders and a tighter fit around the waist, while women's wetsuits often offer more room around the chest and hips for a more comfortable fit. In addition, the properties of the suits are different: women's suits are designed for a shorter torso and often have a higher waistline. Buoyancy is also distributed differently to take into account the different centers of gravity in men and women. These specialized designs ensure that both male and female athletes can achieve optimal performance and comfort while swimming in a triathlon. Read more here about whether a woman can wear a man's suit and vice versa.

The seams of a triathlon wetsuit

The seams are an important part of your triathlon wetsuit. The purpose of the wetsuit is to keep you warm during your swimming sessions, and the seams play an essential role. The most commonly used types are Glued and Blindstitch (GBS), Flatlock and Taped/Welded.

Glued and Blindstitched (GBS)

Glued and Blindstitched is by far the most commonly used way to join wetsuit panels together. This type of seam is most commonly seen in triathlon wetsuits of professional triathletes and swimmers. This is because these seams are more stretchy, which ensures better comfort and they ensure better waterproofing. The ends of the neoprene panels are glued together and then stitched into place. With this method of stitching, the thread does not go completely through the neoprene. This makes it perfect for colder water temperatures and is one of the higher quality triathlon wetsuits.

Flatlock seams

With flatlock, one neoprene edge is placed over the other and then sewn through both neoprene panels. This results in a flexible and strong seam. The only disadvantage is that water can get through the many sewing holes. That is why flatlock seams are often used for recreational wetsuits for various swimming techniques such as breaststroke.

Taped / Welded seams

These types of seams are very similar. Taped seams are often an addition to the Glued and Blindstitched seams. With taped seams, an elastic tape is placed over the seams, which ensures better tightness between the neoprene panels. One of the other advantages is that taped seams are extra durable and you also have no sewing holes. This type of seams is often found in higher segment triathlon wetsuits and winter wetsuits. Because a very thin smoothskin neoprene of 1 mm thick can be made together here.

Welded seams are very similar to the Taped seams. However, a different technique is used here to connect the panels together and make the wetsuit waterproof. The great thing about welded seams is that they run on the inside of the wetsuit for an extra good seal and durability. One of the other advantages of a welded seam is that it can handle maximum stretch and provide a nice flat profile for non-stitched wetsuits.

The design of your triathlon wetsuit

If you swim in open water or if you swim a triathlon, you want to be easily recognizable. This way you ensure that recreational users overlook you and prevent collisions. In addition, a beautiful design also ensures that you are easily recognizable to everyone who is cheering you on from the sidelines.

Back zip

Triathlon wetsuits are always equipped with a back zip system. During a triathlon you naturally want to be able to change outfits as quickly as possible because that saves you valuable time. The zipper runs from the neck to approximately your waist. There is an extra long cord on the zipper so you can open and take off your triathlon wetsuit extra quickly. You can fasten the zipper with a Velcro strap or put the cord in the wetsuit so that it does not get in the way during the front crawl or swimming stroke. When putting on the wetsuit, it is useful if you have someone nearby who can help you close the zipper.

Are you going for a real triathlon wetsuit or an open water wetsuit?

Depending on your goals, activities and which waters you want to swim in, you can choose a triathlon wetsuit or an open water wetsuit. You can also look at a wetsuit with long sleeves, sleeveless wetsuits or a shorty. 

A triathlon wetsuit has a different material and panel composition than an open water swimsuit. The triathlon wetsuits are completely tailored to get the most out of it and achieve the best possible time. These wetsuits are therefore always made with Glued and Blindstitched or Taped / Welded seams for a nice front crawl.

An open water wetsuit is aimed more at the recreational swimmer. The material composition of an open water wetsuit is different from a triathlon wetsuit. However, as a recreational swimmer you can also use a triathlon wetsuit or a special breaststroke wetsuit.

Rules for competitions

Are you participating in a triathlon or swimming competition? Then your equipment may have to meet certain rules. For example, some organizations impose requirements on your equipment, such as the mandatory use of a triathlon wetsuit under a certain water temperature.

If you want to use a wetsuit for triathlons, it is important to look carefully at the rules of the organization. For example, a competition triathlon wetsuit may only be a maximum of 5mm thick. If you do not swim competitively, but swim recreationally in colder water, you can also opt for a breaststroke wetsuit. 

Need help choosing your new triathlon clothing?

Would you like to buy new triathlon clothing? But are you not yet sure which clothing best suits your wishes and needs? We will be happy to help you with all your questions to make the perfect choice. You can reach our triathlon specialists via +31(0)413-256800 or send an email. You can also visit our store in Volkel Netherlands.