Courtesy: Kiefer Aquatics, a SwimSwam partner.
Kiefer Aquatics is excited to introduce our first-ever tech suits review, a pioneering effort within our brand, renowned for swimming innovation and excellence. In an unprecedented move, we’ve assembled a select team of elite aquatic athletes to undertake a comprehensive evaluation of the latest competitive swimming tech suits. Our expert panel features Ginger Kiefer, an accomplished D1 Idaho swimmer who proudly upholds the revered legacy of her great grandfather, Adolf Kiefer, alongside Steele Johnson, an Olympic silver medalist diver from the Rio Olympics, esteemed for his NCAA and national titles, and who also excels in the swimming domain. This groundbreaking review highlights our dedication to equipping swimmers with the advanced insights necessary for performance enhancements and ongoing innovation.
The Evaluation Process: Unveiling the Grading System
Our comprehensive review centers around a meticulously designed grading system, categorizing tech suits based on Look/Design, Comfort/Ease of Wear, Materials/Fabric, Compression, and Performance. This system, spanning grades A (Excellent) to C (Satisfactory), serves as a cornerstone for evaluating each suit, ensuring a balanced and thorough assessment. Below is a closer look at the criteria shaping our grading system:
Grade A (Excellent): This pinnacle grade is reserved for suits that excel across all evaluation parameters. These suits feature high-quality, lightweight materials offering superior water repellency and durability. With optimal compression that supports muscle efficiency and reduces fatigue without hindering movement, and advanced hydrodynamics that significantly cut drag, these suits embody the peak of swimming technology. Their construction is robust, capable of withstanding the harsh effects of chlorine and extended use without losing effectiveness or comfort. Designed to fit ergonomically, they ensure a full range of motion, setting a new standard for what competitive swimmers can expect.
Grade B (Good): Suits receiving a ‘B’ are recognized for their commendable performance, marked by good-quality materials that ensure durability and some level of water repellency. While they offer adequate compression and hydrodynamic benefits, they might not match the top-tier suits in fine-tuning drag reduction or muscle efficiency enhancement. These suits are durable but may show signs of wear or elasticity loss sooner than Grade A suits. Comfort and fit are prioritized, though minor issues may arise during extended use.
Grade C (Satisfactory): Assigned to suits that meet basic functional needs without excelling, Grade C suits feature materials that provide limited water repellency and drag reduction. Compression and hydrodynamic designs are basic, aiming more for functionality than performance enhancement. These suits are suited for limited use, offering sufficient durability and comfort for short durations but may lead to discomfort or restricted movement over time.
Through this grading system, Kiefer Aquatics aims to equip swimmers with a clear, structured guide to choosing their tech suits, reflecting a combination of material quality, compression, hydrodynamics, durability, comfort, and overall performance enhancement capabilities. This initiative is a testament to our commitment to supporting swimmers in their pursuit of excellence, guided by innovation and informed decision-making.
List of Suits Reviewed
Womens:
Mens:
Steele’s Suit Review:
Arena Powerskin Primo Review:
The Arena Powerskin Primo is a tech suit with great compression that made me feel like I was gliding through the water. With a tagline of “first is better than fast”, the team at Arena designed a suit that can be put on in under 5 minutes. This was the case for me. I will say that this suit was the most difficult of the 3 suits in this review for me to put on, but I was still able to get the suit on much faster than their 5-minute suggested time. Even though this suit was more challenging for me to put on, the compression of this suit is unmatched. As I was swimming, the suit was lifting my hips and legs to the surface causing me to feel extremely fast through my laps. The flexibility of this suit was limiting, making it difficult to get full range of motion in my legs during breaststroke. The design of this suit is easily recognizable. The light blue linework paired with a solid black base makes this suit look sharp. Overall, this suit felt the fastest of the 3 in this review and it is one I would use in a competition setting.
Arena Powerskin Primo Scores:
- Design: A-
- Comfort/Ease of Wear: B-
- Materials/Fabric: A
- Compression: A+
- Performance: A
Speedo Fastskin LZR Valor 2.0 Review:
The Speedo Fastskin LZR Valor 2.0 is a classic tech suit. The design is very basic, but what this suit lacks in design it makes up for in performance. The flexibility of this suit was unmatched in this review. The LZR Valor 2.0 was very easy to put on, and it didn’t feel like it sacrificed much compression with its impressive flexibility. As I was swimming, I felt like I was gliding through the water as the water-resistance of the suit was working in full effect. My legs and hips did not feel like they were being pushed towards the surface quite like the Arena Powerskin Pro, but the fit was comfortable during my long workout. Overall, this suit was comfortable, flexible and it’s clear to see why Speedo has been dominant with their tech suits for such a long time.
Speedo Fastskin LZR Valor 2.0 Scores:
- Design: C
- Comfort/Ease of Wear: A+
- Materials/Fabric: A-
- Compression: B+
- Performance: A-
TYR Avictor 2.0 Review:
The TYR Avictor 2.0 is a tech suit with a commanding presence. The design of this suit makes me want to wear it as often as I can. I felt confident swimming in this suit. The Avictor 2.0 has impressive flexibility and solid compression. It didn’t take long for the suit to be put on, and once it was on I felt like it formed perfectly to the shape of my body. The suit moved well with me while pushing my hips and legs to the surface of the water while swimming. A suit that is easy to put on, glides well through the water, and makes me feel confident is a suit I will choose almost every time. Overall, the Avictor 2.0 is an excellent choice for someone looking for a flexible tech suit that has a show-stopping design.
TYR Avictor 2.0 Scores:
- Design: A+
- Comfort/Ease of Wear: A+
- Materials/Fabric: B+
- Compression: B
- Performance: B+
Ginger’s Suit Review:
Arena Primo Review:
The Arena Primo is another great Arena suit. It is very sleek, and I loved the design of this suit. It was all black with electric blue tape that had a small black pattern on it. I have never seen a suit with patterned tape, so this was a very cool feature. This suit was comfortable with stretch but still had compression that locked me in and made me feel ready to go. It was easy to put on due to the stretchier material, and the straps have a good amount of give to them; I could even get them on myself. If you are looking for a suit that is not stressful to put on, I would recommend this one. When this suit is on, it is very comfortable as well. One thing I would like to point out about this suit is that the taped seams are thick, just like all other Arena suits, but regardless I could still picture myself sitting at a long swim meet session and being comfortable the whole time. I also loved the way this suit felt in the water. It felt very good swimming all strokes, and I felt like it moved with me, instead of being stiff, which I’ve noticed in some other tech suits. Overall, this suit had a great feel, was very comfortable, and had a unique design.
Arena Powerskin Primo Scores:
- Putting on experience: A+
- Compression: A
- Design: A
- Comfort: B
- Overall: A
Speedo LZR Valor 2.0 Review:
The Speedo LZR Valor 2.0 is a comfortable and forgiving tech suit. Putting this suit on and swimming in it was a very easy and enjoyable process for me. I did not think that it was overly tight, and it was not stiff at all. While still having some compression, this suit is a tech suit that I would put on the stretchier or looser side of the tech suit spectrum. This suit is completely opposite from Speedo’s Pure Intent. Due to its easy wearability, I would highly recommend this suit to people who are new to tech suits, people who find many tech suits uncomfortable or too tight, and people who swim longer events. The design of this suit is very simple. It is all black with a single layer of material and some additional layering on some parts of the suit. It is hard to go wrong with the LZR Valor 2.0, and it is a suit that I would recommend to anyone.
Speedo LZR Valor 2.0 Scores:
- Putting on experience: A+
- Compression: B
- Design: C
- Comfort: A+
- Overall: B
TYR Avictor 2.0
The TYR Avictor 2.0 is a great suit for people who like to feel light when they swim. One of the first things I noticed when I dove in and started swimming was how it made me feel like I was floating so well. It was comfortable to swim all of my strokes in this suit, and I felt like the fabric stretches yet compresses correctly everywhere. Putting this suit on was fairly easy, but I definitely needed help with the straps. The pattern of this suit is very cool and the one I tried on was gray and had an all-over tech look. Something that I experienced with this suit though is that it was very tight. In the future, I would go up a size or two in this suit. Compared to an Arena tech suit I would go up one size and compared to the size that I wear in Speedo suits I would go up two sizes. I really liked the material of this suit though and it felt very soft. It also had a good amount of stretch to it but it still felt very compressing. Overall, it was very comfortable, it had a cool design, and it made me feel very buoyant in the water.
TYR Avictor 2.0 Scores:
- Putting on experience- B-
- Compression- A
- Design- A+
- Comfort- B+
- Overall- A-
About Kiefer Aquatics
Kiefer Aquatics is dedicated to enhancing the aquatic journey for everyone – serving competitive swimmers, lifeguards, aquatic facilities, water fitness and learn to swim programs. Kiefer has pioneered innovations and custom product services over our 75-year history including the first nylon material swimsuit, the kickboard, the lifeguard rescue can, starting blocks, lane lines, pace clocks, soft-gasket goggles, and learn to swim products.
Kiefer was founded in 1947 by Adolph Kiefer – US Olympic Gold Medalist, WWII Navy Instructor, and aquatics industry Pioneer. Kiefer’s legacy of service, selection and value continues to propel us today.
Contact Information
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