Trisuits: Everything you need to know
The trisuit is an essential piece of equipment for any triathlete, especially for those who practise the short or Olympic distance, where the performance and aerodynamics of a single piece of fabric is fundamental.
But what should you look out for when it comes to getting a good suit? Deporvillage explains the most important points to bear in mind to make sure you don’t make the wrong choice.
A good trisuit has to act as a second skin. After all, the point is to have a garment that fits your body perfectly, optimising speed in the water, aerodynamics on the bike and at the same time freedom of movement when running.
What should you look out for when choosing trisuits?
1. It must be very tight, in order to offer the least possible resistance to air or progress in the water, the trisuit must be really tight and adhere to our anatomy, avoiding folds or air pockets.
2. It must be compressive, as well as tight, the fabric must have a certain compression effect on the muscles, in order to favour muscle contraction, especially in the cycling and running sections.
3. Quick drying, it is essential that the garment has the ability to dry quickly, this is achieved by the use of hydrophobic fibres. This way we avoid discomfort after swimming. i.e., pedalling with a wet and heavier garment.
4. Check that it has a suitable pad. When wet in the swimming sector, a trisuit can never have a pad as thick as that of a cycling-specific garment or cycling shorts. In any case, it should provide you with enough cushioning to pedal comfortably.
5. Seams kept to a minimum. Obviously, if you have to buy a garment that must fit snugly against your skin and be compressive, it should have as few seams as possible, and these should be flat to avoid chafing and discomfort.
6. Sleeves, yes or no? This will depend more on the type of use and personal preferences you have, beyond the overall suitability of each of the options. Sleeveless suits allow more flexibility in the shoulders when swimming but may be less aerodynamic on the bike and offer less protection from the sun, so it depends on your priorities.
If you are a user of these garments we recommend, in any case, that you check the regulations of any triathlon before participating. It is not always possible to wear short-sleeved trisuits, for example, or any other conditions on the use of this garment may be different from one event to the next.
If you’re thinking of updating your trisuit, here’s our recommendation, don’t miss out!