Would you believe me if I told you, you could swim up to 2,52% faster just by wearing a tech suit? Well, this is, in fact, the case. These findings come after analyzing two studies–one by the Journal of Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise and the other by the Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.
For many swimmers, this added performance enhancement provided by tech suits can be the difference between that important qualifying time, winning gold, breaking that big record, making the final, or- missing out altogether.
I understand that a tech suit is an important piece of equipment for many competitive swimmers, and with the expensive price tag, you want to make sure you are truly picking the best tech suit for you- that’s why I have put together this comprehensive tech suit review.
In this article, I’ll thoroughly review the best tech suits for swimming currently available. Together, we will analyze each tech suit’s core features and overall design and look at potential downsides.
Furthermore, I will compare tech suits to other suits in the lineup so that you can see how they stack up against each other. In the end, you’ll be able to choose the tech suit best tailored to your needs, enabling you to swim as fast as possible and crush some PBs in the pool this season.
I should also mention that these tech suits were tested myself through use over the years of my swimming career. The suits that I didn’t get a chance to test were researched thoroughly and ranked accordingly based on information provided to me by other swimmers who personally own the suits.
All of this combined will ensure you are truly investing in the tech suit right for you.
At the end of the article, you will also find additional tech suit resources to help refine your decision of which tech suit is truly best for you. These resources include things like how to choose your tech suit, tech suit care tips, performance benefits, and more.
21 Best Tech Suits for Racing- The Expert Review
Here are the best tech suits for swimmers-
- Speedo LZR Pure Intent
- Arena Carbon Glide
- Arena Carbon Air 2
- Jaked Jkeel
- Finis Fuse
- TYR Venzo
- Mizuno Sonic GX V
- Speedo LZR Pure Valor
- Arena Carbon Core FX
- Finis Rival 2.0
- TYR Avictor
- Jaked JRush
- Arena Carbon Flex VX
- Dolfin Lightstrike
- MP Michael Phelps Xpresso
- Dolfin Titanium
- Arena R-Evo One
- Blueseventy Nero TX
- Mizuno Sonic MX
- Arena Powerskin ST 2.0
- Speedo Powerplus Prime
Top Tech Suits Quick Comparison
Top Pick Overall
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Best for:
Sprinters
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Best for:
All Events
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Best for:
Middle and Long Distance Swimmers
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Best for:
Swimmers on a Budget
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To help find the right size for your tech suit, consider reading my tech suit sizing guide, where I cover all of the most popular swimming brands and their tech suit sizing.
1. Speedo LZR Pure Intent Tech Suit- Top Pick for Sprinters
Speedo is one of the most popular swimming brands among competitive swimmers today and never fails to deliver high-quality swimming gear. The Speedo LZR Pure Intent is one of their latest tech suits packed with premium performance features and a design built for fast swimming. This tech suit is one of the most innovative pieces they have released to date.
Quick Summary: The Speedo LZR Pure Intent is ideal for all swimming strokes and best suited to sprinting events.
The tech suit’s triple fabric construction offers exceptional range of motion while dual compression layers and special taping increases your power output. Drag is reduced using textured fabric zones, premium grips, and bonded seams. All of these features work in unity to provide you with peak-level swimming performance.
The only downside is a bit of leakage on the men’s jammer if not properly fitted.
Strokes And Events: The Speedo LZR Pure Intent tech suit features a compressive and flexible design making the suit ideal for all 4 swimming strokes, namely butterfly, backstroke, breaststroke, and freestyle. This tech suit is designed with a focus on sprinters. Thus, it’s recommended to use this suit if you swim any event in the range of 50 to 200.
Design And Performance: The Speedo LZR Pure Intent has a lot to offer regarding its design and performance. The suit is engineered using a triple fabric construction, allowing for the perfect balance between compression, comfort, speed, and flexibility.
The first panel and textured fabric zones feature a material composition of 66% Polyamide and 34% Elastane, while the second panel features a make-up of 73% Polyamide and 27% Elastane. Together these 3 panels allow for an ideal range of motion in the water.
In terms of compression, the Speedo LZR Pure Intent tech suit features dual compression layers allowing for intelligent muscle compression that enhances blood circulation. When combined with the ergonomic seam construction, it helps connect critical muscle groups for increased power output while racing, assisting you in blasting to a podium position or record-breaking performance.
In terms of taping, the LZR Pure Intent features a new and innovative band technology to support a powerful leg kick that will help to motor you through the water and off the blocks and walls.
Furthermore, the tech suit is built to help you cut down on drag as well. It presents textured fabric zones designed to reduce water resistance and a premium waistband that seals water out of your suit. This effectively lowers your friction and weight in the water leading to decreased levels of drag.
Fabrics are also bound together using bonded seams, which will help cut down on water resistance further by streamlining the suit’s outer construction.

Size And Fit: The Speedo LZR Pure Intent comes in a few variations, namely a high- and standard-waisted variation for men and an open- and closed-back variation for women. Despite the suit’s compressive design, it is still quite comfortable to wear. Getting it on isn’t too hard either, taking only about 10-20 minutes tops once the suit has been worn in.
Downsides: Since this tech suit is practically top of the class, there isn’t much that I have to criticize. My only real complaint is that the men’s jammer seems to leak a bit at the back, especially if you have a larger backside.
However, after investigating, it seems this has to do with how some swimmers put on the suit. Since it is dual-layered, you have to pull both of the fabrics up to avoid this issue. Additionally, the suit is also quite pricey, but that is expected for a tech suit in this class.
Final Word: Overall, the Speedo LZR Pure Intent is an excellent tech suit with some incredible features and an innovative and durable design that will make a perfect fit for any sprinter looking to take their swimming to the next level.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, 50, 100, And 200 Events.
- Fabric Composition: 66% Polyamide, 34% Elastane (Panel 1; Textured Fabric Zones), 73% Polyamide 27% Elastane (Panel 2).
- Compression: Dual Compression Layers.
- Taping: Intelligent Leg Taping.
- Panels: Triple Fabric Construction.
- Drag Reduction: Textured Fabric Zones, Bonded Seams, Premium Waistband.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
2. Arena Carbon Glide Tech Suit- Top Pick for Middle and Long-Distance Swimmers
Arena has brought out many great tech suits over the last few months. One of these suits is the Arena Carbon Glide. This tech suit packs some great features, innovative technologies, a new construction, and a very comfortable fit- all working together to enhance your performance in the water.
Quick Summary: The Arena Carbon Glide is a less compressive and more flexible tech suit ideal for mid- to long-distance and IM swimmers.
The tech suit reduces drag using a Hydroglide Shell- a lightweight, water-resistant fabric- and positioning taping on the inside. Comfortable compression is provided by a carbon grid on the suit’s interior, while special taping optimizes your range of motion.
My only complaint is that this suit doesn’t have as much snapback
Strokes And Events: The Arena Carbon Glide tech suit features a less compressive and more flexible design since it is intended for mid- to long-distance swimming events. It is also ideal for all swimming strokes.
Recommended events for this tech suit include any race that is 200 or longer in distance. If you are an IM swimmer that likes a bit less compression and more range of motion when swimming, then you should also definitely consider this suit.
Design And Performance: The Arena Carbon Glide tech suit is made for minimal resistance in the water. It features a highly streamlined design with the majority of taping and technology inside the suit.
That said, let’s start by taking a look at the exterior design of the suit. The Carbon Glide is fabricated using a specially designed material known as the Hydroglide shell. This fabric has a composition of 65% Polyamide, 34% Elastane, and 1% Carbon Fiber, making it one of the lightest fabrics available. The primary purpose of the Hydroglide shell is to reduce your drag and turbulence in the water. This helps you to stay light, agile, and fast while swimming.
The outer fabric is also highly water-resistant, with water simply sliding off from the tech suit’s surface as you swim, contributing to its glide effect.
The interior of the suit features advanced compression technology, consisting of carbon grid technology and something known as the Carbon Extreme cage. Together these design elements provide firm compression with a light feel. They also connect and activate critical muscle groups for improved body position and enhanced power output while swimming.
Furthermore, the Arena Carbon Glide features strategically lined internal taping. This optimizes your range of motion and allows for unparalleled freedom of movement and comfort in the water.

Size And Fit: When it comes to the suit’s fit, the Arena Carbon Glide is easily one of the most comfortable tech suits out there. Getting the suit on is easy both for men and women and won’t take more than 10-15 minutes for most swimmers.
The men’s suit only comes in a standard waist variation, while the women’s suit is available in both an open- and closed-back style, enabling you to choose to your preference.
Downsides: In my opinion, this suit doesn’t have any faults and is designed perfectly for its purpose. That said, if you are someone that likes a “snappy” suit, then this might not be your best option. This suit doesn’t feature the same snap-back effect that some other suits do off the walls and during underwaters. Once again, the price is also relatively high, but that is expected.
Final Word: All in all, the Arena Carbon Glide is an excellent tech suit with some great specifications and a great design. If you specialize in longer events and value comfort with good performance, then this tech suit is probably your best option.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, Events 200 And Over.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 34% Elastane, 1% Carbon Fiber.
- Compression: Carbon Extreme Cage; Carbon Grid Technology.
- Taping: Internal Support Taping.
- Panels: Single Panel.
- Drag Reduction: Hydroglide Shell.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
3. Arena Carbon Air 2 Tech Suit- Top Overall Pick
The Arena Carbon Air has been around for a while. However, Arena has upgraded the suit to deliver us with the all-new Carbon Air 2. For some perspective, the new Arena Carbon Air 2 was released just a few months before the latest Arena suits came out, namely the Carbon Glide and Carbon Core FX.
Quick Summary: The Arena Carbon Air 2 is one of the lightest tech suits available and very versatile.
This makes it optimal for all events ranging from sprinting to long-distance swimming. However, I do not recommend this tech suit for breaststroke. The suit’s streamline, water-resistant fabric minimizes drag while carbon bands provide muscle compression. Flexibility is optimized through a 3-panel interior.
Downsides include a thinner fabric making the suit less buoyant and slightly see-through.
Strokes And Events: The main reason I’ve chosen the Arena Carbon Air 2 as the top overall tech suit for most swimmers is because of its versatility. The Arena Carbon Air 2 is one of the best tech suits out there that makes a good fit for pretty much all events. Swimmers can use this suit any event from 50s, 100s, 200s, 400s, all the way to 1500s.
The suit also makes a good fit for all of the strokes. However, if your mainstroke is breaststroke, I’d recommend tech suits like the TYR Venzo, Arena Carbon Core FX, Speedo LZR Pure Intent/ LZR Pure Valor, or Mizuno Sonic GX V. That’s not to say this suit is terrible for breaststroke. I just believe you’ll get much more of a benefit from those suits as breaststroke is generally a stroke that requires a lot of snapback and compression when swimming.
Design And Performance: Unlike the original Carbon Air, the Arena Carbon Air 2 utilizes a single fabric design allowing for reduced drag and a streamlined build by removing the side seams. The single fabric design also allows for decreased water absorption, increased comfort, and more ease putting on the suit.
The suit’s fabric is relatively thin and features a material composition of 65% Polyamide, 34% Elastane, and 1% Carbon Fiber. This ensures one of the lightest tech suits on the market. Additionally, the fabric has excellent water-resistant properties, effectively reducing your friction in the water.
The interior of the suit features strategically lined carbon bands attaching to important stretch points. This allows for optimal compression on overextended zones, enhanced core stability, and increased muscle activation, power, and blood circulation, ensuring enhanced swimming performances.
The tech suit’s internal lining consists of 3 separate panels providing complete freedom of movement and better hip flexibility in all of the strokes. This will help you execute each stroke and kick with a full range of motion, enabling you to generate maximal power and speed in the water.

Size And Fit: The Arena Carbon Air 2 features a unique compressive design that doesn’t feel uncomfortable, nor does it feel extremely tight. This is one of the big reasons swimmers can use the suit for such a wide array of events.
The suit is comfortable and is easily wearable for long periods. Getting it on also isn’t too much of a pain and shouldn’t take you too long. The Carbon Air 2 tech suit comes in a single waist variation for men and an open- and closed-back variation for women.
Downsides: The Arena Carbon Air 2 doesn’t have much that I disapprove of and, in the grand scheme of things, is a fantastic tech suit. My only criticism is that the thin fabric causes the suit to be slightly less buoyant than some other denser suits. The material can also be a bit see-through from time to time. However, this isn’t much to worry about as there are internal modest panels built-in.
I’ve also heard about durability issues regarding the Air 2 due to its thin fabric, but from my own experience, I’ve found the durability to be surprisingly good. I was able to heavily use my suit for nearly 2 seasons in a row.
Final Word: All in all, the Arena Carbon Air 2 is a great tech suit with some solid features and excellent overall construction. I like this suit because of its lightweight and functional design. If you are looking for a versatile, high-performance tech suit, then this is an excellent option.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 34% Elastane, 1% Carbon Fiber.
- Compression: Carbon Bands, Intelligent Muscle Compression.
- Taping: Internal Taping.
- Panels: 3 Panel Internal Design, Single Outer Fabric Construction.
- Drag Reduction: Hydrophobic Fabric.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range/ Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
4. Jaked JKeel Tech Suit- Top Mid-Range Pick
If you are looking for a worthy tech suit coming in at an affordable mid-range price, then look no further than the Jaked Jkeel tech suit. This tech suit is innovative with an outstanding construction as well as good performance-enhancing technology and features.
Quick Summary: The mid-range Jaked Jkeel is a versatile tech suit ideal for all strokes and events.
This tech suit reduces drag using taped seams, a highly water-resistant film, and a hydrodynamic design. The 3D structure optimizes range of motion, and the specially weaved fibers increase muscle activation and power. Other features include a comfortable fit and a premium drawstring tunnel.
Downsides include an oversized logo, making the suit unusable for high school meets in the USA.
Strokes And Events: The Jaked Jkeel is suitable for all strokes and events. It features a compressive and flexible design that will allow for optimal range of motion and good comfort no matter what event you are swimming. Swimmers can use this suit for sprinting to long-distance swimming events and everything in between.
Design And Performance: The Jaked Jkeel has a lot to offer considering its mid-range price point. Let’s start by having a look at the exterior of the suit.
The Jaked Jkeel features a fabric composition of 58% Polyamide, 32% Elastane, and 10% Polyester. Fabrics are put together using ultrasound welding processes and taped seams for increased mechanical capacity and reduced drag.
Additionally, the outside of the suit is coated in a double layer of fluorocarbon resin and treated using advanced plasma processes to create a durable, water-resistant film layer. This ensures that water molecules can effectively slide off from the tech suit’s surface, enabling you to swim with lower friction and increased speed.
Moving on to the suit’s interior, we’ll notice that this suit utilizes a 3D structure. This will enable you to swim with full range of motion and further enhance the suit’s hydrodynamics to reduce drag in the water.
The suit’s ergonomic design combined with its high tenacity fibers ensures optimal and comfortable muscle compression, allowing for increased muscle activation, power output, and blood circulation.
The Flexstripe system also further improves the fit and comfort of the tech suit. Furthermore, the specially designed drawstring tunnel allows you to adjust your suit’s tightness without the risk of tearing the fabric, ensuring maximized durability.
Size And Fit: The Jaked Jkeel is available in a standard waist variation for men and both an open- and closed-back variation for women. The tech suit has a very comfortable and snug fit that still provides optimal compression and flexibility, ensuring you can use it on any stroke or event, as we discussed earlier.
Downsides: Overall, the Jaked Jkeel is an impressive tech suit considering its mid-range price point. Sure, some of the features might not be quite as advanced as some of the newer tech suits. But, considering the fair price, I’m not worried about that at all.
There is, however, one major flaw to this tech suit that could potentially limit you depending mainly on what meets you compete at and from which country you are.
For those of you who swim in the United States, you won’t be able to use this tech suit at sanctioned high school meets as the logo is much larger than what the NFHS allows. Other than that, you can use the suit at any other swimming meet.
If this, unfortunately, applies to you, then I recommend going with one of the other mid-range options in our tech suit review. I’d recommend the Arena R-Evo One, while the Blueseventy Nero TX and Mizuno Sonic MX are also good options.
Final Word: Overall, the Jaked Jkeel is a superb tech suit providing impressive specifications, a well-rounded design, and great value for money. If you are on a budget or just not willing to spend a lot on one of the high-end tech suits, this would be my first pick.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 58% Polyamide, 32% Elastane, 10% Polyester.
- Compression: High Tenacity Fibers.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: 3D Design.
- Drag Reduction: Double Fluorocarbon Resin Coating, Taped Seams.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 8/10.
5. Finis Fuse Tech Suit- Top Budget Pick
The Finis Fuse is without a doubt one of the best budget tech suits currently available. This tech suit has the look and feel of a premium suit while coming in at a very affordable price. The Fuse is packed with some solid performance features and presents a well-built and comfortable design.
Quick Summary: The budget Finis Fuse is perfect for all strokes and events.
The tech suit provides flexible muscle compression allowing for power and an ideal range of motion. Hydro-reflective properties, welded seams, and premium watertight silicone grips reduce your resistance in the water. The fabric is also high quality and will deliver good durability.
Keep in mind, this is a budget suit, so don’t expect it to be the same caliber as an elite-level tech suit.
Strokes And Events: The Finis Fuse is an ideal tech suit for any swimming stroke and event due to its flexible compression technology and dual-panel construction. So whether you specialize in sprint, middle-distance, or long-distance swimming, the Finis Fuse is sure to have you covered.
Design And Performance: The suit features a great design with some innovative features and technology packed in considering the budget price.
The first feature that I want to highlight is the flexible muscle compression. This will allow for enhanced blood circulation, better muscle activation, and more speed while ensuring you don’t feel restricted in any way.
The suit’s outer fabric is highly water-resistant, featuring hydro-reflective properties, allowing you to cut down on drag and turbulence as you swim.
In terms of fabrics, the tech suit features a material composition of 71% Polyamide and 29% Elastane. These are bound together using welded seam technology and a dual-panel construction that will further enhance your range of motion in the water, cut down on resistance, and ultimately increase the durability of the suit. I should also mention that fabrics are high quality for a budget-priced suit like this.
To bring everything together, the Finis Fuse tech suit features premium-grade silicone watertight edges to completely seal water out of your suit and ensure it stays firmly in place while you swim your way to a record-breaking performance or podium position.
Size And Fit: The Finis Fuse comes in only one variation for men and women, namely a standard-waist jammer for men and an open back kneeskin for women. The tech suit is true to size and features a comfortable yet compressive design.
Downsides: Although there are no clear cons to the suit considering its low price point, you should still keep in mind that it does lack the high-end features and technology found in the new flagship tech suits.
That’s not to say it’s a bad tech suit- in fact, not at all. It just means that you shouldn’t have the same performance expectations for the suit as you would have for one of the high-end tech suits.
Final Word: Overall, I really like the Finis Fuse tech suit. This tech suit is great for saving some bank while still getting some good performance enhancements in the water. For perspective, the Finis Fuse comes in about 3-4 times cheaper than the newest flagship tech suits.
This suit is a good option for competitive swimmers looking for their first tech suit or high school swimmers who don’t necessarily take the sport as seriously or have limitations on the tech suits they are allowed to wear. It’s also a good option for anyone looking for a cheap and effective tech suit.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 71% Polyamide, 29% Elastane.
- Compression: Flexible Compression, Optimal Compression Technology.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Dual-Panel Design.
- Drag Reduction: Hydro-Reflective Technology.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Budget.
- Our Rating: 7/10.
6. TYR Venzo Tech Suit
If you are looking for a high-performance, high-compression sprinting tech suit, look no further than the TYR Venzo. TYR is one of the best and most well-known swimming brands out there, while the Venzo is their latest and most innovative tech suit released to date.
The TYR Venzo tech suit is definitely up there with the Speedo LZR Pure Intent in terms of features, and if it wasn’t for the slightly uncomfortable fit, I might have even put it in the first position.
Quick Summary: The TYR Venzo is one of the best and most compressive sprinting tech suits available, although still perfectly suited to mid-range events as well.
The suit works well with all strokes, especially breaststroke. Features include a durable, water-resistant fabric combined with a frictionless fiber construction and seamless exo-shell to reduce drag. Built-in surface lift technology and an innovative endo-compression cage further enhance your swimming performance.
My only complaint is comfort- this suit isn’t the most comfortable and can be hard to get on.
Strokes And Events: The TYR Venzo tech suit is one of the most compressive tech suits that I’ve ever worn. This makes it great for sprinters and shorter events since it will allow for a lot of power output and snapback as you swim. The suit offers good range of motion in all of the strokes and won’t restrict you. I recommend using this tech suit for 50, 100, and 200 events, with 400s/500s being the upper limit.
I should also mention that if you are a breaststroke swimmer, the TYR Venzo is one of your best options due to the innovative internal taping and snapback effect that this suit has in the water, but more about this in just a bit.
Design And Performance: The TYR Venzo tech suit is packed with excellent features and technology and will allow for some high-speed swimming.
The tech suit features a higher nylon content than most high-end tech suits, consisting of 70% Polyamide (nylon) and 30% Elastane. That said, this suit is one of the most water-repellent suits that I’ve worn to date.
The suit’s fabric is also super high-quality, allowing for a truly durable tech suit with compression and water-repellency that will last you quite some time before starting to degrade, as all tech suits inevitably do.
When it comes to the tech suit’s construction, it is clear that TYR paid a lot of attention to detail in perfecting their tech suit’s design. The TYR Venzo features a frictionless fiber construction created by the TYR team through analyzing drag on a microscopic level to create an ultra-smooth fiber. This fabric will reduce your resistance in the water as much as possible.
The suit also cuts down on drag by utilizing a seamless Exo-Shell design to streamline your body position and increase swimming speed even further.
Furthermore, the TYR Venzo features surface lift technology. This effectively stops any water from permeating your tech suit’s fabric. Ultimately it will allow for a higher body position in the water, which will again cut down on drag and enhance your swimming technique for better performance.
In terms of compression, the TYR Venzo lacks none. This tech suit is one of the most compressive tech suits available. It features a specially lined internal compression cage linking and supporting essential muscle groups. It also creates a snapback effect that increases distance per stroke and power output leading to faster swimming times.

Size And Fit: As I already mentioned a couple of times, the TYR Venzo is a very compressive tech suit, so whether you’re going to like this suit or not will depend on how much compression you want. This is because the suit definitely isn’t always the most comfortable. That said, most sprinters love high compression making this an excellent suit for them.
I found the suit to be true to size. Although I should mention, it was quite the pain to get it on the first few times, but after that, the suit came on in about 15-25 minutes and fitted much more comfortably.
The TYR Venzo comes in 2 variations for men and women, allowing you to choose to your liking. The men’s suit is available in a standard- and high waist variation and the women’s suit is available in an open- and closed-back variation.
If you are a male swimmer and you would like some extra support around the core area and additional coverage for lower drag, I recommend the high-waist jammer. The fit may feel a bit strange in the beginning, but you’ll soon get used to it.
As mentioned, sizing seems to be true to fit, but you can consider sizing one up with this tech suit if you’d like some more comfort and flexibility. However, make sure about it if this is what you want to do as it is meant to be a compressive tech suit.
Downsides: In terms of design, I have absolutely nothing to complain about. This tech suit ticks all of my boxes in terms of performance. My main criticism about this tech suit is the comfort- the high compression isn’t the most comfortable, and getting the suit on was no easy task either.
Final Word: Overall, I think the TYR Venzo is hands down one of the best high-end tech suits for sprinters and IM swimmers. The features and design is state of the art, and the suit has some pretty cool patterns and colors to choose from.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All strokes, 50, 100, And 200 Events.
- Fabric Composition: 70% Polyamide, 30% Elastane.
- Compression: Endo Compression Cage.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Single Panel.
- Drag Reduction: Frictionless Fiber Construction, Surface Lift Technology.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Compressive.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
7. Mizuno Sonic GX V Tech Suit
Mizuno tech suits have become some of the most popular and best tech suits on the market. The Mizuno Sonic GX V is a highly versatile tech suit featuring two variations: a sprinter suit and a multi-racer suit. It is packed with innovative features and technology, while the price is also very reasonable for a top-end tech suit.
Quick Summary: Collectively, the Mizuno Sonic GX V tech suit variations are optimal for all swimming strokes and events, but you’ll have to choose the suit variation best suited to your needs.
The suit’s unique fabric reduces drag using a hydrophobic coating and taped seams. Your body position is optimized using flat concept technology, while interior compression panels increase your power. Sonic Line X taping further increases hip elevation and supports your leg muscles.
My only complaint is that the suit doesn’t come with a nice carry pouch.
Strokes And Events: As mentioned, the Mizuno Sonic GX V comes in 2 variations. This includes the ST (sprinter) variation and the MR (multi-racer) variation.
These variations effectively allow the suit to be used for any swimming event, depending on which variation you go with. The ST suit is a good option for 50s and 100s but can also be used for 200s. The MR, on the other hand, is best suited for events 200 and over as well as the IM events.
Both suits are great for all of the strokes and won’t limit your range of motion.
Design And Performance: The Mizuno Sonic GX V packs many superb features and technologies, allowing for some fast swimming performances in the pool. Mizuno suits are generally a bit more unique than some other tech suits in terms of construction and technology since they are designed primarily in Japan, where different tech suit styles are used.
Let’s start with the exterior of the tech suit. The Mizuno Sonic GX V is fabricated using a special material known as Sonic Light Ribtex Fabric. This fabric features a composition of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane, while the interior panels of the suit feature a composition of 66% Polyamide and 34% Elastane.
This fabric helps to maximize your speed in the water and ensures that you maintain a good body line while swimming. The Mizuno Sonic GX V is also one of the most water-repellent suits out there due to the highly hydrophobic coating specially integrated with the suit’s fabric. This helps to lower your drag and friction in the water.
Drag and resistance are reduced further with low-profile taped seams designed to cut down on the tech suit’s surface area.
One of the key features of the Mizuno Sonic GX V is the flat concept design. This technology helps increase your hip elevation while swimming, which effectively helps to optimize your body position for improved technique, faster swimming, and less drag.
On the suit’s interior, you’ll find compressive inner panels designed to support and align your important muscle groups for increased power exertion and faster swimming, helping to power you to that gold medal position. Keep in mind that compression will vary between the ST and MR variation of the suit.
The final feature of the Mizuno Sonic GX V is its Sonic Line X taping. This supports your kick cycle throughout the entire race, further enhancing the hip-lifting effect and allowing for some nice snapback coming off the walls and turns.

Size And Fit: The fit of your Mizuno suit is going to depend mainly on which variation you choose. The ST variation is very compressive and takes quite a while to get on but still allows for a relatively comfortable fit once you’ve got it on.
The MR variation, on the other hand, is less compressive and allows for more flexibility, generally making it more comfortable when wearing.
Men’s jammers come only in a standard waist style, although I should mention that it has a slightly higher fit than most standard-waist tech suits. Women’s suits are also only available in one option, namely an open-back style.
Downsides: There is only one complaint I have regarding the Mizuno Sonic GX V: namely that the suit doesn’t come with a nice carry pouch. The suit comes in a very plain cardboard box along with a few instructions but other than that, you don’t receive anything extra. To me, this is an issue since Arena, TYR, and Speedo tech suits (as well as many other brands) all come with nice carry pouches for storing and protecting your suit.
Final Word: All in all, the Mizuno Sonic GX V is an excellent tech suit with some great and unique performance features as well as a cool design. I recommend this tech suit for any swimmer looking for a unique high-performance suit covering all events and strokes. The pricing is also very reasonable for a tech suit in this class.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 35% Elastane (Body), 66% Polyamide, 34% Elastane (Panels).
- Compression: Compressive Interior Panels.
- Taping: Sonic Line X Taping.
- Panels: Interior Compression Panels.
- Drag Reduction: Flat Concept Design, Taped Seams.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
8. Speedo LZR Pure Valor Tech Suit
The Speedo LZR Pure Valor is also one of Speedo’s most recent and innovative tech suits. It was released along with the new Speedo LZR Pure Intent, which we covered earlier. This suit, however, focuses on different swimming events and is more of a multi-racer tech suit, whereas the LZR Pure Intent is a sprinting tech suit.
Quick Summary: The Speedo LZR Pure Valor is a less compressive, more flexible tech suit ideal for longer events.
It also makes a good fit for all of the strokes and is popular among breaststroke and IM swimmers. Features include moderate compression panels, supportive leg seams, a water repellent fabric, bonded seams, and premium grips, all working together to deliver maximized swimming performance in the pool.
Keep in mind, if you are looking for a very compressive suit, this won’t be your best option.
Strokes And Events: The Speedo LZR Pure Valor features less compression and more range of motion making this tech suit ideal for middle distance, long-distance, and IM swimmers as well as anyone swimming an extensive array of events.
The suit is optimal for all of the strokes. Recommended events start at the 200s and go all the way to the 1500/1600 events. Many swimmers also enjoy using this suit for breaststroke due to the hip flexibility it provides.
Design And Performance: The Speedo LZR Pure Valor features a fabric composition of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane. The fabric is quite dense but, at the same time, has a lightweight feel to it. Furthermore, it features good water-repellency, ensuring that you stay light and agile while racing.
The tech suit features moderate compression panels allowing just enough compression to enhance performance while ensuring that flexibility and range of motion in the water is maximized.
The majority of muscle support in this tech suit comes from the inner leg seams that comfortably lock your large muscle groups together for increased power exertion and muscle activation.
In terms of drag reduction, the Speedo LZR Pure Valor cuts down on resistance by utilizing flat bonded seams that are designed to optimize your hydrodynamics and speed while racing.
The suit also features a new and improved leg- and waist-band design, ultimately reducing water ingress and increasing your buoyancy in the water.

Size And Fit: The Speedo LZR Pure Valor is easily one of the most comfortable fitting tech suits out there. The suit is also easy to get on, and it doesn’t take long at all.
Like the Speedo LZR Pure Intent, the men’s jammer is also available in a standard- and high-waist variation, while the women’s suit is available in an open- and closed-back style.
Downsides: I have no complaints about the Speedo LZR Pure Valor tech suit. The suit does precisely what it’s designed to do. However, if you are looking for a very compressive tech suit, this definitely wouldn’t be my first pick.
Final Word: Overall, the Speedo LZR Pure Valor is a great tech suit with some fantastic and unique features loaded into its construction. I think this is especially a great tech suit for female swimmers since the design is so comfortable and easy to get on.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, Events 200 And Up.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 35% Elastane.
- Compression: Moderate Compression Technology.
- Taping: Compressive Leg Seams.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Flat Bonded Seams.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 10/10.
9. Arena Carbon Core FX Tech Suit
The Arena Carbon Core FX is another excellent tech suit and one of Arena’s newest suits. It was released alongside the Arena Carbon Glide covered earlier. However, in contrast with the Carbon Glide, the Arena Carbon Core FX tech suit features a much more compressive design.
Quick Summary: The Arena Carbon Core FX is a compressive tech suit ideal for sprinters and makes a good option for IM swimmers as well.
It is also suited for all of the strokes. The suit has many innovative features, including an advanced carbon compression cage, state-of-the-art taping system, water-repellent fabric, and a flexible design.
Downsides include lacking water-repellency technology.
Strokes And Events: The Arena Carbon Core FX is designed primarily for sprinters and also makes a good fit for middle-distance swimmers looking for a more compressive tech suit with some nice snapback.
Recommend events to use the Arena Carbon Core FX includes anything between 50 to 400 meters.
I should also mention that the Arena Carbon Core FX is a good tech suit option for breaststroke swimmers and will make an excellent fit for all IM events as well.
Design And Performance: The Arena Carbon Core FX features an advanced Carbon Cage forming a horizontal and vertical grid of compression and support around critical muscle groups. This allows for durable and robust muscle compression with a locked-in effect ensuring faster blood circulation, increased oxygen uptake, and a tight streamline position with a nice snapback effect coming off the walls, starts, and underwaters.
The Arena Carbon Core FX features both an exterior and interior taping system. The internal taping system allows for powerful muscle support and core stabilization ensuring higher power output.
In contrast, the external taping system features dual hamstring taping creating a hip-lifting effect, helping you maintain an optimal body position that significantly reduces resistance and optimizes your technique and speed.
The suit is fabricated using 52% Polyamide, 47% Elastane, and 1% Carbon Fiber. This allows for a dense but lightweight and flexible tech suit to ensure optimal range of motion and performance in the pool.

Size And Fit: The Arena Carbon Core FX features quite a compressive and tight fit but nothing uncomfortable. It will be suitable if you race back-to-back events frequently and don’t want to take your suit off between races.
Getting the tech suit on isn’t a problem either, although it was a bit tough the first few tries. However, I expect it to be a bit harder for the women’s suit.
The suit comes in an open- and closed-back variation for women and a standard-waist variation for men. I should note that the jammer felt a little bit lower around the hips than some other tech suits. Nothing major, but just keep it in mind if you like a higher-waisted tech suit.
Downsides: My only complaint is the water repellency. The Carbon Core FX tech suit seemed to soak in a little bit of water during my water-repellency test. This isn’t necessarily bad since all tech suits will inevitably soak up some water when you’re in the pool, but considering this is a top-end tech suit, I expected a bit more from the water repellency.
Final Word: All in all, the Arena Carbon Core FX is a great tech suit with an excellent design and a snug fit. This tech suit will make a solid option for sprinters, middle-distance, IM, and breaststroke swimmers. The price is also very reasonable for a top-range tech suit.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All strokes, Events Between 50 to 400.
- Fabric Composition: 52% Polyamide, 47% Elastane, 1% Carbon Fiber.
- Compression: Carbon Cage Technology.
- Taping: Internal Taping, Dual Outer Hamstring Taping.
- Panels: Single Panel.
- Drag Reduction: Twin Taping Enhances Body Position.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 9.5/10.
10. FINIS Rival 2.0 Tech Suit
The Finis Rival 2.0 is the latest and most advanced tech suit released by Finis. This tech suit packs some top-notch features and has a great overall design. The Finis Rival 2.0 tech suit makes for a great all-around suit, while the design is one of the most durable out there.
If you like the Arena Carbon Air 2 but would prefer something a bit denser and more supportive, then the Finis Rival 2.0 is a great option.
Quick Summary: The Finis Rival 2.0 is a versatile and durable tech suit ideal for all strokes and events.
The fabric is quite compressive but still offers good flexibility. Other performance-enhancing features include shield-tech proprietary fabric, flexible hip panels, and hip-lift technology, ensuring you perform at your best when racing.
In terms of complaints, I have heard that the women’s suit can be tough to get on.
Strokes And Events: The Finis Rival 2.0 is a great all-around tech suit ideal for any stroke and event. The suit features a compressive but comfortable design with great flexibility and range of motion. This ensures it is ideal for sprinting and long-distance swimming, IM, and everything in between.
Design And Performance: The Finis Rival 2.0 tech suit has an excellent design with some unique features packed in. The suit utilizes special technology called Shield-Tech to cut down on drag and resistance in the water. It’s an interesting concept-
The technology allows the fabric to absorb a tiny amount of water which then effectively creates a shield-like effect that reduces your resistance and friction in the water.
The suit’s fabric consists of 41% Polyamide, 44% Elastane, and 15% Polyester allowing for a compressive and comfortable suit that moves with your body resulting in an optimized range of motion.
The fabric on the suit also has a very premium feel to it. This tech suit will last a long time and retain its features very well, allowing for a durable suit that will save you money in the long run.
The range of motion in the suit is optimized further through the flexible hip panels. These are essentially single-layered panels on the inner thighs that increase your range of motion in all of the strokes while allowing for maximal power output on every stroke and kick.
Lastly is the hip-lift technology. The Finis Rival 2.0 features advanced internal seams on the back of the legs, increasing muscle compression and locking the swimmer into a perfect body position.
All of this combines to optimize your swimming technique, reduce drag, and increases your distance per stroke, allowing you to perform at your best in the pool.

Size And Fit: The Finis Rival 2.0 has a good amount of compression in the design but nothing uncomfortable, which is how I like my tech suits to fit.
The men’s suit is available in a standard waist variation with a slightly higher-waisted feel. The women’s suit comes in the traditional open- and closed-back variation.
I should also mention that it was initially a bit hard to get this suit on but nothing unmanageable. After 1 or 2 wears, this suit fits much more comfortably.
Downsides: I don’t have much to criticize here either- the Finis Rival 2.0 ticks all of my boxes in terms of performance and design. However, according to some swimmers I have talked with, my only complaint would be that the women’s suit does seem a bit hard to get on. However, the jammer isn’t too hard to get on.
Final Word: Overall, the Finis Rival 2.0 is a very solid tech suit. This is one of the most durable tech suits out there and is sure to last a long time.
Also, it seems like a good tech suit option for age group swimmers looking for a great all-around, high-performance tech suit. This is because of the durability, comfort, and versatility of the tech suit.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 41% Polyamide, 44% Elastane, 15% Polyester.
- Compression: Shield Tech Proprietary Fabric.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Hip Lift Technology, Shield-Tech Technology.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Flexible Hip Panels.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 9.5/10
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11. TYR Avictor Tech Suit
The TYR Avictor is a slightly older tech suit compared to some of the other suits on our list. Nevertheless, it’s still without a doubt one of the best tech suits available. The Avictor presents some top-notch features and has a solid overall design.
Quick Summary: The TYR Avictor is an excellent all-around tech suit option ideal for all strokes and events.
However, it is most optimal for middle- and long-distance events. The suit reduces drag using a lightweight, hydrodynamic construction and water-repellent hydrosphere technology. Additionally, supersonic flex bonding seams and targeted compression panels further optimize your swimming performance.
Downsides include sizing issues for the women’s suit.
Strokes And Events: The TYR Avictor has a lightweight design with thin and compressive fabric, much like the Arena Carbon Air 2. This makes the tech suit ideal for all swimming strokes and events.
However, I should mention that according to TYR, this suit is designed to work in contrast with the new TYR Venzo, a sprinting tech suit, meaning that the TYR Avictor is preferable for middle- and long-distance events.
Just to clarify, the TYR Avictor can be used for all swimming events, but if you are a sprinter, it is recommended to go with the TYR Venzo. If you swim longer, events say 400s, and up, then the TYR Avictor may be the better option between the two, depending on how much compression you prefer.
Design And Performance: The TYR Avictor features some pretty cool features and technology in its design, helping you to swim as fast as possible to crush that gold-medal performance in the pool.
The exterior fabric of the suit features a material composition of 70% Polyamide and 30% Elastane- this is the same as the TYR Venzo.
The suit’s exterior is entirely seamless, with most of the technology and taping located on the inside. This design element helps to cut down on drag by decreasing the suit’s surface area and improving its hydrodynamics.
Drag is reduced further by an innovative feature called Hydrosphere technology. This forces water to surround the suit creating a visible hydrospheric effect that lowers your resistance in the water, helping you to swim as fast as possible.
Additionally, the proprietary fabric also helps to repel water, effectively keeping the suit dry on the inside and keeping you light, agile, and fast in the pool.
In terms of range of motion, the TYR Avictor features Supersonic Flex Bonding seams allowing for maximized freedom of movement and flexibility in the water.
TYR even claims that this technology will allow for a stretch of up to 360° ensuring 100% natural movement and maximal power output and efficiency with each stroke and kick.
Lastly, the TYR Avictor utilizes targeted compression panels allowing for optimal muscle support and activation while enhancing blood circulation and improving power output for maximized swimming performance.

Size And Fit: Similar to the TYR Venzo, the Avictor also has a very compressive fit. That said, the suit is more comfortable to wear due to the thinner fabric and more flexible design, which is also why it’s a good option for longer distance events and sprinters looking for a more comfortable tech suit.
The TYR Avictor comes in a standard-waist variation for men, which has a slightly higher waisted feel adding additional core and lower back support. The women’s suit is available in an open- and closed-back variation.
Generally, the suit seems quite comfortable, but going up a size or two may be recommended depending on the events you swim as the suit is still quite tight.
Downsides: For the most part, the TYR Avictor is a great tech suit. It does, however, seem like the size chart isn’t that accurate for the female swimmers, with many reporting the suit fitting too small, not being able to get it on, or even ripping it at worse.
I did find the jammer a bit hard to get on, but nothing I couldn’t manage. Once it was on, it fit quite comfortably with a nice compressive fit to it.
It may be best to go a size or two up with this suit for the women’s variation, but for the men’s jammer, the suit does seem to be true to size, and it’ll fit much better after being worn a few times.
Final Word: All in all, the TYR Avictor is an excellent tech suit with a great all-around design. The suit features a nice compressive fit with good comfort, making it ideal for sprinting and long-distance swimming.
Remember, it’s recommended to use the TYR Venzo if you are purely a sprinter. The Avictor tech suit also features some astonishing patterns and colors to choose from.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 70% Polyamide, 30% Elastane.
- Compression: Targeted Compression.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Hydrosphere Technology.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Supersonic Flex Bonding, 360° Stretch.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 9/10.
12. Jaked JRUSH Tech Suit
The JRush is one of Jaked’s most recent and advanced tech suits. It is a feature-loaded tech suit with a great overall design, a fair price, and a very comfortable fit. This tech suit features a unique fabric weave, similar to the Arena suits, containing carbon fiber to reduce weight and enhance swimming performance.
Quick Summary: The Jaked JRush is a versatile tech suit perfect for all strokes and events.
That said, I believe it is better suited to middle-distance events. Performance features include an efficient water-repellent coating, flexible hydrodynamic design, premium silicone grips, and muscle compression technology, all functioning in sync to ensure fast swimming.
Keep in mind the suit has lower compression- not necessarily a problem, but something to consider.
Strokes And Events: The Jaked JRush features a flexible design with stretchy fabric, allowing for good comfort. Compression is definitely noticeable but not too high.
The Jaked JRush is a good tech suit for all of the strokes and will provide good performance for any swimming event.
That said, this tech suit wouldn’t be my first pick for sprinters. I think this suit is better for events like 200 freestyle, butterfly, and backstroke. It will also make a good fit for IM events, as well as 400s and up. If you want to use this tech suit for 100s, you can still do that, especially if you like a more comfortable tech suit.
Design And Performance: The Jaked JRush features a lightweight design with a fabric composition of 67% Polyamide, 32% Elastane, and 1% Carbon Fiber.
The fabric is treated with a special water-repellent coating, which helps to repel water molecules from the tech suit’s surface at a very efficient rate, ensuring that you have maximal glide in the water.
The tech suit features a seam-free leg design with silicone bands keeping it securely set in place. Furthermore, the suit is constructed to reduce vibration in the water, allowing for reduced drag and friction while racing, ensuring faster swimming performances.
The interior of the suit features optimal muscle compression technology allowing for muscle support, increased blood circulation, and higher power output, helping you to power to the wall at the end of your race.
In terms of range of motion, the Jaked JRush allows for unrestricted movement in all directions. This is due to its flexible construction.
Size And Fit: The Jaked JRush has a very comfortable fit and is easy to get on and off. The men’s suit is available in a standard waist variation, while the women’s suit is available in both an open- and closed-back variation.
The Jaked JRush will be a good option if you are looking for a performance tech suit that you can wear for long periods at a time without having to take it on and off repeatedly.
Downsides: I have nothing to criticize here. The Jaked JRush does what it’s built to do- that’s to deliver good performance and a comfortable and flexible fit.
However, the suit’s compression isn’t the highest, so if you like a very compressive suit, this isn’t the tech suit for you.
Final Word: All in all, the Jaked JRush is a great tech suit. I like that it’s so versatile and can be used for a wide range of events. This is a good option for middle- and long-distance swimmers as well as IM swimmers.
Also, the fact that you can comfortably wear it around for long periods makes it a viable option for age group swimmers looking for a high-performance suit.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 67% Polyamide, 32% Elastane, 1% Carbon Fiber.
- Compression: Moderate Compression, Optimal Compression Technology.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Singe Fabric.
- Drag Reduction: Special Water-Repellent Treatment.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Flexible Construction.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 9/10.
13. Arena Carbon Flex VX Tech Suit
The Arena Carbon Flex VX tech suit has been around for quite some time now. This tech suit is the predecessor to the new Arena Carbon Core FX in many ways. That said, it has some key differences making it unique.
This tech suit, in particular, has always been a popular option among breaststroke swimmers, with Adam Peaty, the greatest breaststroker of all time, breaking the world record on multiple occasions while wearing this tech suit.
Quick Summary: The Arena Carbon Flex VX is a great all-around tech suit uniquely fitted to a wide array of events. This includes everything from sprinting to long-distance swimming. It’s also particularly popular among breaststrokers.
Its design features a compressive but lightweight fabric, innovative taping system, optimized range of motion technology, intelligent muscle compression, taped seams, and premium grips, providing you with exceptional swimming performance in the pool.
My only complaint is that it can be hard to get the suit on.
Strokes And Events: The Arena Carbon Flex VX is an excellent all-around tech suit making a good fit for pretty much all events and strokes.
That said, this suit stands out on a couple of events, namely all the breaststroke, backstroke, IM, and middle- to long-distance freestyle events. It’s also very popular among sprint swimmers.
Design And Performance: The Arena Carbon Flex VX features a denser and more compressive fabrication consisting of 52% Polyamide, 47% Elastane, and 1% Carbon Fiber. That said, once the suit is on, it still feels very lightweight, allowing you to stay agile and fast in the water.
The interior of the suit features a multi-panel design utilizing anchor points combined with high-strength taping to effectively create tension along the back of the tech suit. This creates a hip-lifting effect that will help you maintain an efficient body position, decrease drag, and enhance your speed while racing.
The tech suit features V-Flex technology, which removes the lower leg side seams, commonly found in tech suits, contributing to an enhanced range of motion allowing for unrestricted movement on all of the strokes. It also further decreases resistance while swimming.
Furthermore, the Arena Carbon Flex VX features intelligent muscle compression allowing for a locked-in effect. This will optimize your hydrodynamics in the water, increase blood circulation, and ensure optimal muscle activation and support while racing, helping you power to the wall and claim those important qualifying times.
Lastly, the suit features a premium waistband and leg grippers, ensuring that it stays nicely in place while you are racing. The seams are also taped, helping to optimize the suit’s hydrodynamics for lower drag in the pool.
Size And Fit: As already mentioned, the Arena Carbon Flex VX has a very compressive and tight design, but once you’ve got it on, it is pretty comfortable to wear.
The men’s jammer is available in a standard waist option, while the women’s suit is available in an open- and closed-back variation.
Sizing does seem to be true to fit, but I’d recommend getting this suit in your standard Arena training suit size or possibly sizing one up from the size chart if you swim longer distance events.
Downsides: For the most part, there’s nothing to complain about. This is a great tech suit, and it does its job perfectly. I should, however, mention that this suit can be a pain to get on, especially the first few times with even me struggling to get the jammer over my knees on the first try.
This isn’t anything significant but just be aware that the suit is at its peak level after 4 or 5 wears.
Final Word: The Arena Carbon Flex VX is a tech suit that’s been around for a while now, and it has proven itself to be one of the best tech suits out there. If you are looking for a great high-performance tech suit coming in at a reasonable price, then this is a tech suit to consider.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 52% Polyamide, 47% Elastane, 1% Carbon Fiber.
- Compression: Intelligent Muscle Compression.
- Taping: Anchor Point And High Strength Taping Combination.
- Panels: Multi-Panel Construction.
- Drag Reduction: Taped Seams, Optimized Body Position.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, V-Flex Technology.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 9/10.
14. Dolfin Lightstrike Tech Suit
Dolfin is a superb swimming brand, designing a lot of high-quality swimming gear. Dolfin isn’t quite as popular as some other swimming brands such as Speedo, TYR, or Arena, but is still a great option.
The Lightstrike is Dolfin’s most advanced and innovative tech suit ever created. This suit is the combined result of years of research in biomechanics, drag reduction, fabric innovation, and muscle compression.
The Lightstrike tech suit has some of the most unique features of any tech suit currently available. It utilizes the most compressive and elite fabrics ever to be approved by FINA, and it is also the first-ever tech suit with variable muscle compression in its design.
Quick Summary: The Dolfin Lightstrike has a wide array of variations to pick from, enabling you to choose the tech suit most optimal for your stroke and events.
The suit presents a durable, lightweight, and compressive design. Other performance features include an innovative taping system and variable muscle compression.
I should mention, some swimmers may find it hard picking the variation right for them.
Strokes And Events: The Dolfin Lightstrike is available in a ton of different tech suit options, allowing for varying levels of compression, range of motion, and skin coverage. This makes the suit ideal for any swimming event and stroke as long as you choose the tech suit variation best tailored to your events and needs.
Design And Performance: The Dolfin Lightstrike features a unique fabric composition of 42% Polyamide, 27% Elastane, and 31% Polyester, allowing for a dense tech suit with a lightweight and compressive fit.
The suit features an innovative combination of technology, namely its Stromlight Shell and Hyperlight Lining. According to Dolfin, this fabric design offers the highest strength to waist ratio out of any previously approved FINA tech suit.
Furthermore, taping plays a vital role in the Dolfin Lightstrike tech suit. The patent-pending tape around the torso area is exclusively engineered to compress, control, and activate the core for enhanced swimming performance. The vibration control taping mimics human anatomy to reduce drag while further improving muscular compression and controlling muscle groups for additional energy return.
One feature in particular that I like is the variable muscle compression fabric. This allows swimmers to customize their control over major muscle groups to fit their desired range of motion requirements while seamlessly integrating with their race plan.
Size And Fit: The Dolfin Lightstrike is being marketed as the ultimate fitting tech suit with many different suit variations, allowing you to choose the fit most ideal for you. This means that the suit can either have a very compressive fit or a more flexible fit.
The men’s suit is available in a standard- and high waist option, while the women’s suit is available in an open- and closed-back option. There are also a ton of other from which variations to choose.
Downsides: For the most part, I think the Dolfin Lightstrike is a really solid tech suit and offers a lot in terms of its features and design.
However, I find the fact that there are so many variations of the same suit a bit annoying and frustrating since it can make picking the right tech suit for your needs a much more complicated process.
Final Word: If you are looking for a custom-fitting tech suit with outstanding performance and a solid design, then the Dolfin Lightstrike is an excellent option. Although a bit of a pain in choosing one of the many variations, it certainly still has its benefits.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 42% Polyamide, 27% Elastane, 31% Polyester.
- Compression: Variable Compression Technology.
- Taping: Patent Pending Tape, Vibration Control Taping.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Water-Repellent Fabric.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 8.5/10.
15. Michael Phelps MP Xpresso Tech Suit
The MP Xpresso was designed and built under the guidance of the legendary Michael Phelps and his coach Bob Bowman. The MP Xpresso is also an older tech suit released just before the Rio Olympic Games, where Phelps won 5 golds and 1 silver medal while wearing this tech suit.
Despite it being a bit older, it still packs some solid features and will throw a punch in the direction of swimming performance.
Quick Summary: The MP Xpresso is a versatile tech suit optimal for all strokes and events. It, however, has a more compressive design.
The core features include Aqua-Core compression technology and an Exo-Foil 3D fabric. The suit is also flexible, lightweight, comfortable, and offers good water repellency.
Downsides include lacking durability.
Strokes And Events: Like the Jaked JKeel, the MP Xpresso also has a flexible design, making it ideal for all strokes and events. The MP Xpresso does, however, offer more compression than the Jaked JKeel, meaning that this suit isn’t a bad option for sprinters either.
That said, if you are strictly a 50 and 100 sprinter, then I’d recommend tech suits like the Speedo LZR Pure Intent, TYR Venzo, or the Arena Carbon Core FX.
Design And Performance: The Michael Phelps MP Xpresso tech suit features a great overall design with a flexible and lightweight feel.
The tech suit is fabricated using 77% Polyamide and 23% Elastane. This is an interesting material make-up with most tech suits featuring much more Elastane in their design. The higher Polyamide content in the suit will, however, contribute to more comfort and flexibility.
The MP Xpresso tech suit doesn’t fail to deliver in terms of compression. The tech suit features Aqua-Core technology to enhance muscular compression and support.
Compression panels are strategically placed along the femoral artery to ensure maximized blood circulation to the legs and feet, which play a crucial role in powering you through the water and onto the podium.
In terms of range of motion, the MP Xpresso features Exo-Foil 3D Fabric allowing for optimized freedom of movement by allowing the suit to flex naturally with your muscles as they move through the water to generate propulsion and speed.
Size And Fit: The MP Xpresso features a comfortable and compressive fit both for men and women. The tech suit seems to be slightly off when it comes to sizing but is easy to get on; hence you have ordered the correct size.
The MP Xpresso is available in a standard waist variation for men and an open- and closed-back variation for women.
I’d recommend maybe sizing up with this suit as it does seem to run a bit smaller than expected.
Downsides: My main complaint about this tech suit is going to be durability. While I was testing the suit, it felt really good, and the performance was nice, but I could definitely see it deteriorating faster than other tech suits.
That said, I wouldn’t let that discourage you from giving this suit a try if you think it makes a good fit for you, I’d just recommend keeping it for your bigger meets.
Final Word: Overall, I think the MP Xpresso is a solid tech suit. It’s older than most of the other suits on this list and doesn’t feel quite as durable. That said, it has a comfortable fit and features some great performance features.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 77% Polyamide, 23% Elastane.
- Compression: Aqua Core Technology.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: 3D Structure.
- Drag Reduction: Hydrodynamic Fabric.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Exo Foil 3D Fabric Technology.
- Price Range: Top Range.
- Our Rating: 8.5/10.
16. Dolfin Titanium Tech Suit
The Dolfin Titanium is a solid tech suit option featuring a price point between mid-range and top-range. This allows you to pick up a premium feeling tech suit at a slightly lower price. The Dolfin Titanium tech suit is an older suit but still an excellent option with a great overall construction.
Quick Summary: The Dolfin Titanium is a good tech suit offering a versatile construction optimal for all strokes and events.
It comes in at a lower price than the high-end tech suits and has many performance features packed in. It includes a superhydrophobic coating, 3D profile design, compression wrapping, Booster Shield technology, and long-axis vertical control welding.
Downsides include a large logo making it unusable for sanctioned high school meets in the USA.
Strokes And Events: The tech suit features a high-compression yet flexible design while having a similar feel to the new and popular Arena Carbon Air 2.
The Dolfin Titanium makes a good option for all of the strokes and events ranging from short 50 sprints to long-distance 1500 swims.
I should mention that this tech suit is best for strokes like butterfly, backstroke, and freestyle. You can still definitely use it for breaststroke, but I believe you’ll have more success with a suit that offers a bit more snapback.
Some good options include the TYR Venzo, Speedo LZR Pure Intent, or Arena Carbon Core FX. Those tech suits are a bit more expensive, though, so if the price is a considering factor, feel free to go with the Dolfin Titanium if you believe it’s right for you.
Design And Performance: The Dolfin Titanium has a nice design with some innovative features packed in. Firstly, the suit features a more advanced fabric composition than most other tech suits, with the shell of the suit consisting of 56% Polyamide and 44% Elastane while the liner of the suit features a composition of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane, allowing for a more comfortable interior fit.
The exterior of the suit features a superhydrophobic application, ultimately reducing drag and friction in the water and allowing you to swim as fast as possible.
The suit also features a 3D profile design that enables maximum tensile strength across your body to provide uniform compression and support to your major muscle groups.
Muscle compression and support are enhanced further through selective compression wrapping that provides zoned control and compression, helping to maximize your power output and streamline in the water.
Booster Shield technology also works alongside the control welding to further enhance your energy return while reducing vibration in large muscle groups such as your chest, torso, thighs, and glutes.
Lastly is the long-axis vertical control welding. This technology further enhances your streamline and body position, providing complete control over your range of motion in the water so that you can have maximum dynamic movement when racing.
Size And Fit: The Dolfin Titanium tech suit features a comfortable fit with excellent muscle compression that feels comfortable and flexible.
The jammer only takes about 20 minutes to get on the first time whereafter it only takes about 10-15 minutes tops. The men’s suit is available in a standard waist variation, while the women’s suit is available in an open-back option.
Downsides: My main complaint is that the logo on this suit is once again a bit large, making the suit unusable for high-school swimmers in the USA.
Final Word: All in all, the Dolfin Titanium is an excellent tech suit with some solid features, a great overall build, and a fair price. This tech suit is a bit older than the new Dolfin Lightstrike but still a good option, especially considering the lower price.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 56% Polyamide, 44% Elastane (Shell), 65% Polyamide, 35% Elastane (Liner).
- Compression: Selective Compression Wrapping.
- Taping: Welded Seams.
- Panels: 3D Profile.
- Drag Reduction: Super Hydrophobic Application.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Long-Axis Vertical Control Welding.
- Price Range: Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 8/10.
17. Arena R-Evo One Tech Suit
If the Jaked Jkeel or Dolfin Titanium mid-range tech suits didn’t quite meet your needs, then consider the Arena R-Evo One. This tech suit is another very solid mid-range option with a good design and some innovative features to come along.
The best part? It’s not as expensive as the top-end tech suits and still provides good performance in the water.
Quick Summary: The Arena R-Evo One is a popular mid-range tech suit ideal for all strokes and events.
The suit presents a flexible and lightweight construction while drag is reduced using a single fabric design, sole bonded seam, and water-repellent coating. Additionally, the fine-thread, high-density fabric provides muscular compression.
Keep in mind, this is a mid-range suit, so don’t expect the features to be quite the same as that of a high-end suit.
Strokes And Events: The Arena R-Evo One features a flexible and compressive design while still allowing for good comfort in the water. This makes the tech suit ideal for pretty much all swimming events and strokes. This suit is a good option for sprinters as well as middle- and long-distance swimmers.
Design And Performance: The Arena R-Evo One features a well-built construction with a good amount of features to come along for the price point.
The suit’s fabric has a higher Polyamide content contributing to increased flexibility and range of motion in the water, while the suit has a lovely lightweight feel to it. The material composition is as follows- 78% Polyamide and 22% Elastane.
The tech suit features a single fabric design with a sole bonded seam at the back of the suit, eliminating the traditional side and upper body seams. This design ensures lower resistance while contributing to an increased range of motion.
For compression, the Arena R-Evo One features a fine-thread, high-density weaved fabric resulting in advanced hydrodynamics, enhanced muscle compression, and lower drag in the water, allowing you to crush your PBs in the pool.
Furthermore, the fabric also has good water-repellency, and the suit seems to have sufficient durability considering its price range.
Size And Fit: The Arena R-Evo One features a compressive and comfortable fit. The suit isn’t hard to get on, although it takes longer the first time around.
The women’s suit is available in the standard open- and closed-back variation, while the men’s suit is available in a single standard-waist option. I should also mention that there is also a boys’ and girls’ variation of the suit for younger swimmers that don’t quite fit into the standard sizing.
Downsides: I don’t have any complaints regarding the Arena R-Evo One, but it’s important to remember that mid-range suits don’t always last as long as the top-end suits. Certain features may also not feel quite as premium. That said, the Arena R-Evo One is still a great tech suit, especially considering its price.
Final Word: All in all, I like the Arena R-Evo One. This is one of the best mid-range tech suits out there, and it’ll make a good fit for most swimmers. The Arena R-Evo One has a slightly lower price than the Jaked Jkeel we discussed earlier and a good overall construction.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 78% Polyamide, 22% Elastane.
- Compression: Fine-Thread High-Density Weave Fabric.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Single Panel.
- Drag Reduction: Single Bonded Seam.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 8/10.
18. Blueseventy Nero TX Tech Suit
The Blueseventy Nero TX is one of the most popular mid-range tech suits out there. This tech suit has a great design offering an optimal blend between comfort, compression, and performance while also coming in at an affordable price point.
Quick Summary: The Blueseventy Nero TX is another highly popular mid-range tech suit perfect for all strokes and events.
It features an ultra-lightweight design, compression management technology, welded seams, hydrophobic warp filament, and a low-profile waistband, ensuring ideal swimming performance.
Downsides include lacking durability.
Strokes And Events: Like most tech suits, the Blueseventy Nero TX features a compressive design while still allowing for good range of motion and flexibility in all of the strokes. This design makes the Blueseventy Nero TX ideal for any swimming stroke and event, including sprinting, distance, and IM events.
Design And Performance: The Blueseventy Nero TX features a fabric composition of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane. The design is also ultra-lightweight with advanced ultrasonic welded seams on the inside for added muscle support while racing.
The suit’s Polyamide fabric is treated with a warp filament to make the suit completely water-repellent, ensuring lower drag in the water.
The low-profile waistband also further reduces drag by sealing out water from your tech suit and ensuring optimal hydrodynamics.
Lastly, compression management technology combined with the extensively tested patterns and construction of the Blueseventy Nero TX tech suit ensures optimal muscle compression. This technology ultimately increases muscle support and activation while allowing for a good fit and optimal performance in the pool.
Size And Fit: The Blueseventy Nero TX has a nice and compressive feel, while the suit’s fit is true to size. The first time trying on this tech suit, it took me a little while to get into it, and initially, it didn’t feel too great, but after a few swims, the fit was much more comfortable, and I could see myself using this tech suit for all sorts of events.
Downsides: My biggest complaint with this tech suit is the durability. Although the tech suit is still a good option, I should mention that it felt less durable than other suits. This may be credited to the thinner fabric.
Final Word: Overall, the Blueseventy Nero TX is a great mid-range tech suit. If you are looking for a lightweight tech suit with an excellent all-around design, good performance, and an affordable price, then you should consider this tech suit.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 35% Elastane.
- Compression: Compression Management Technology.
- Taping: Ultrasonic Bonded Seams.
- Panels: Internal Core Stability Panels.
- Drag Reduction: Water-Repellent Properties.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 8/10.
19. Mizuno Sonic MX Tech Suit
If you are a fan of Mizuno tech suits but looking for a good mid-range option, consider the Mizuno Sonic MX. This tech suit is the perfect blend between a premium design and an affordable price. This is because the suit incorporates much of the same technology and features as some of the newer Mizuno tech suits.
Quick Summary: The Mizuno Sonic MX is a solid mid-range tech suit offering a premium feel. I recommend this suit for sprinters, but it will also make a good option for events in the 200-400 range.
The suit features Sonic Light Ribtex II fabric, stitched anchor points, water-repellent coating, and compression panels.
My main complaint is the sewn seams- these lack durability and performance.
Strokes And Events: The Mizuno Sonic MX features a much more compressive design than the Arena R-Evo One, although it still has a flexible feel.
I think this tech suit is better suited towards sprinting events in the range of 50s and 100s, but it can still make a nice fit for 200s and 400s as long as you don’t mind some extra compression.
Design And Performance: What I like about the Mizuno Sonic MX is the fact that the suit is very identical to the newer flagship model Mizuno tech suits.
In particular, the Sonic MX is very similar to the Mizuno Sonic GX IV, which was the previous flagship tech suit released just before the new Mizuno Sonix GX V, which was discussed earlier in this review.
The Mizuno Sonic MX features the same Sonic Light Ribtex II fabric and has similar taping points throughout the suit, although I should mention that these are sewn and not bonded, such as in the high-end suits, and thus don’t deliver quite the same effect. Also, the fabric is composed of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane, just for reference.
The exterior of the suit features a premium water-repellent coating, ensuring that water easily slides off your tech suit, ultimately reducing friction and drag in the water.
On the interior, you’ll find compressive panels helping to maximize blood circulation as well as activating and supporting essential muscle groups for faster swimming.

Size And Fit: As mentioned, the Mizuno Sonic MX has a nice and compressive design while still providing a comfortable fit once it’s on.
The suit didn’t take long to get on, and I think it’d make a good option if you need a tech suit that you can wear for long periods. I say this despite the suit having higher compression.
Downsides: My only criticism with the Mizuno Sonic MX is the sewn seams, although, in all fairness, you can’t complain about this considering all of the other premium features that this suit packs at a mid-range price.
That said, these seams didn’t feel as durable and didn’t quite provide that same snapback and hip-lifting sensation compared to the Mizuno Sonic GX V.
Final Word: Overall, I think the Mizuno Sonic MX is easily one of the best mid-range tech suits out there. When it comes to the suit’s premium feel at this price point, nothing compares to it.
That said, the suit is priced a bit higher than the Arena R-Evo One and Jaked JKeel tech suits.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, 50, 100, 200-400 Events.
- Fabric Composition: 65% Polyamide, 35% Elastane.
- Compression: Compressive Inner Panels.
- Taping: Internal.
- Panels: Multi-Panel, Single Fabric.
- Drag Reduction: Water-Repellent Fabric.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted.
- Price Range: Mid Range.
- Our Rating: 8/10.
20. Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 Tech Suit
The Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 is one of the most popular budget tech suits available and easily one of the best for its price range too.
What’s more, is that the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 is one of the few tech suits allowed to be used by competitive swimmers under the age of 12 (applies mainly to the USA due to certain tech suit restrictions).
If you’d like to learn a bit more about the 12 and under tech suit rule (for US swimmers), as well as some good tech suit options for swimmers that fall in this category, consider reading our article on the topic here.
That said, the Arena Powerskin 2.0 doesn’t quite have the same premium feel as the Finis Fuse budget tech suit we discussed earlier in the article. Still, considering it’s also a bit cheaper than that suit, it seems reasonable for what you get.
Quick Summary: The Arena ST 2.0 is a very popular budget tech suit and will make a nice fit for all strokes and events. Additionally, the suit is approved for swimmers aged 12 and under.
Features of this tech suit include a lightweight, compressive, and ergonomic design, water-repellent coating, flatlock sewn seams, and complete freedom of movement.
Downsides include fewer premium fabrics and lacking durability- this is, however, expected from a budget suit.
Strokes And Events: The Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 tech suit isn’t designed with any strokes or events in mind since it’s built to be a cheap and effective all-around budget tech suit.
This means that you can use the suit on any stroke and event. Overall, it’s well suited to most strokes and swimming events, featuring a compressive yet flexible design.
Design And Performance: The Arena Powerskin 2.0 features a simple and effective build to improve swimming performance at a budget price.
The tech suit features a fabrication of 71% Polyamide and 29% Elastane with an additional water-repellent coating to cut down on drag in the pool.
Furthermore, the tech suit has a lightweight feel to it. Simultaneously, the ergonomic construction provides muscular compression and core support and enhances body position and stability by creating a hip-lifting effect.
The tech suit also features flatlock sewn seams helping to bind fabrics together and contribute to additional muscle support, ensuring you swim as fast as possible.
Lastly, the flexible design of the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 allows for complete range of motion and freedom of movement in the water. This construction ensures you’re able to execute each stroke and kick with uttermost precision and power.

Size And Fit: Unlike most tech suits, the Arena Powerskin 2.0 is relatively easy to get on, even more so after the first few wears. The suit fits very comfortably, providing pleasant all-around compression and good range of motion.
I like this tech suit because I was able to wear it the entire day of racing without ever feeling like I have to take it off.
Downsides: With the super low and affordable price of this tech suit, it inevitably comes with a few flaws.
Firstly is the suit’s fabrics. Although still decent, the suit feels much more like a traditional swimsuit with its higher nylon content, meaning the performance enhancement isn’t going to be quite as much as one of the top-end or mid-range tech suits with their high-performance fibers.
Secondly is durability. The Arena Powerskin 2.0 features a water-repellent coating, while the design is also compressive. However, after a few meets, you can expect these features to start degrading, and after that, the suit will rapidly begin to lose its performance feel with it beginning to soak up water and stretch out.
Keep in mind, all tech suits inevitably degrade, stretch out, and lose their performance. This one just does it a bit quicker, but it also has a lower price tag, so if you’re looking for a decent tech suit to use for a few meets here and there or even in training, this is a pretty nice option.
You may also consider picking up 2 or 3 of these suits instead of one high-end tech suit. However, if you are an elite-level swimmer, I wouldn’t recommend this- rather go with a high-end suit in that case.
Final Word: Overall, the Arena Powerskin 2.0 is a pretty decent tech suit for the price. I recommend this tech suit if you are looking for something with some decent features while coming in at a lower price point that won’t break the bank.
This tech suit is also a good introductory suit and a viable option for younger age-group swimmers, older masters swimmers, or even high-school swimmers.
At the end of the day, no tech suit beats the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 when it comes to the price.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 71% Polyamide, 29% Elastane.
- Compression: Ergonomic Construction.
- Taping: Sewn Flatlock Seams.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Water-Resistant Coating.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, Flexible Design.
- Price Range: Budget.
- Our Rating: 6.5/10.
21. Speedo Powerplus Prime Tech Suit
The Speedo Powerplus Prime is another good and popular budget tech suit option. This suit is a bit more expensive than the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 but does offer a slightly more advanced design.
That said, they are still very similar, and whichever suit you go with will be up to personal preference. This tech suit’s design also feels slightly more durable.
Quick Summary: The Speedo Powerplus is a popular budget tech suit optimal for all strokes and events.
The suit presents a compressive, flexible, and lightweight design. Other features include 2-way stretch technology, strategically positioned seams, water-repellent coating, and taped leg openings.
Keep in mind, this is a budget tech suit, so don’t expect it to be anything too extravagant.
Strokes And Events: The Speedo Powerplus Prime tech suit features decent muscle compression with a flexible design that won’t restrict your range of motion in the pool.
The suit is ideal for all of the swimming strokes as well as all of the events. I should also mention that if you are looking for a very cheap breaststroke tech suit, this is a pretty solid option because the suit has some basic snapback built-in.
Design And Performance: The Speedo Powerplus Prime features a material composition of 71% Polyamide and 29% Elastane- the same as the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0. The fabric has a compressive fit ensuring optimal muscle support, enhanced power output, and faster blood circulation.
The suit’s design is lightweight, while the fabric offers 2-way stretch technology allowing for optimal range of motion on every stroke and kick. The outer material of the suit features strategically placed seams to provide a locked-in feel which further enhances muscle compression.
Furthermore, there are specially engineered seams on the back of the suit designed to stabilize the glute-, quadricep-, and hamstring muscles providing a basic snapback effect after each start and turn.
Drag is also reduced by utilizing a water-repellent coating on the fabric of the suit.
Lastly, the Speedo Powerplus Prime features taped leg openings to seal out water from your suit and provide a secure fit, ensuring optimal hydrodynamics.
Size And Fit: The Speedo Powerplus Prime has a nice and comfortable fit with decent muscle compression while still providing a good range of motion in the water.
The fit felt very similar to the Arena Powerskin ST 2.0 but a bit more compressive as well. Getting the suit on wasn’t hard either. The men’s suit is available in a standard waist variation, while the women’s suit is available in an open-back kneeskin style.
Downsides: Not much to complain about here. You get what you pay for. The suit has a decent build, although durability isn’t the best either. Also, don’t expect any over-the-top features to come along, as this is an entry-level budget tech suit.
Final Word: All in all, the Speedo Powerplus Prime is a solid budget tech suit featuring some good specifications, a well-built design, and most importantly- a very affordable price.
This is a good option if you are looking for a cheaper tech suit to use for your smaller meets or training. The suit will also serve as a good introductory tech suit and a nice inexpensive option for youth, masters, and high-school swimmers.
Tech Suit Specifications-
- Strokes And Events: All Strokes, All Events.
- Fabric Composition: 71% Polyamide, 29% Elastane.
- Compression: Fabric Construction.
- Taping: Bonded, Back Seams.
- Panels: Single.
- Drag Reduction: Water-Repellent Coating, Taped Leg Opening.
- Range Of Motion: Unrestricted, 2-Way Stretch Fabric.
- Price Range: Budget.
- Our Rating: 6.5/10.
Additional Tech Suit Resources
How To Choose Your Tech Suit
1. Strokes And Events
The most critical aspect of choosing your tech suit is to take into consideration your main strokes and events. Most tech suits don’t directly specify that they are designed for a specific stroke or event, but our article here clearly highlights that for you so that you can easily pick a tech suit ideal for your strokes and events.
For example, if your mainstroke is 50 and 100 butterfly, you probably want to go with a sprinting tech suit, whereas if you swim longer events like 400s, 800s, and 1500s, you want to go with a distance tech suit.
On the other hand, if you swim a wide range of events and don’t specialize in a specific stroke(s) or event(s), you probably want to go with a good all-around tech suit. The same goes for IM swimmers.
As you would have noticed by now, this article covers all of the best tech suits for each event and stroke but just in case you need some more assistance in finding your perfect tech suit, consider checking out these articles-
- Best tech suits for butterfly swimmers.
- Best tech suits for backstroke swimmers.
- Best tech suits for breaststroke swimmers.
- Best tech suits for freestyle swimmers.
2. Performance Level
When picking your tech suit, you want to consider the level you compete at and your swimming experience level. If you are a serious competitive swimmer, I recommend a high-end tech suit as this is most likely what your competitors will be using.
Suppose you are still competitive but not too serious about going as fast as you possibly can, or you just compete for the fun of it- then a nice mid-range tech suit is a pretty good option, although you can still definitely go with a high-end suit if you wish to.
For most high-school and master swimmers, I also recommend a decent mid-range tech suit, although, at this level, you can also consider going with a budget tech suit.
For younger swimmers, say ages 12 and under, you probably want to go with a budget tech suit. However, you can still consider a mid-range suit if your swimming federation allows it. In contrast, the highly competitive youngsters may still consider opting for a top-end tech suit.
3. Fit And Compression
Once you know the type of suit you want to get, you can start looking at the suit’s actual design-
Do you like a highly compressive tech suit, or do you prefer more comfort with moderate compression?
Do you want an open- or closed-back tech suit (for the ladies)? And for the guys, do you prefer a standard-waist jammer or a high-waisted jammer.
4. Swimming Brand
Picking a tech suit from a reputable brand is almost always going to ensure good performance and quality.
You may also prefer certain swimming brands over others based on which professional swimmers and Olympians they sponsor and so on.
Some of the most popular swimming brands among competitive swimmers include- Speedo, Arena, TYR, Finis, Jaked, and Mizuno, while brands like Dolfin and Blueseventy are still good options. Although less popular.
For more information about swimming brands, you can consider reading my article on the best swimming brands for competitive swimmers.
5. Tech Suit Design
Once you have decided what events your tech suit needs to cover, how you want it to fit, and from which brand you want your tech suit to be, you can consider looking at the nitty-gritty details.
For most swimmers, the previous steps should be enough to determine which tech suit is ideal for you, and I generally recommend just skipping this step.
However, if you are a super nerdy swimmer like myself, you might want to have a look at the following-
Fabrics: Most tech suits feature a fabric composition of Polyamide (a nylon-based material) and elastane (a plasticy Spandex like fabric).
The higher the nylon content, the more comfortable and flexible the suit, and the higher the elastane, the more compressive and water-repellent the suit.
Some suits also feature other fabrics like polyester and carbon fiber. These usually further enhance compression and textile strength.
Taping: Most tech suits feature taping on the inside. Some tech suits have more advanced taping systems such as the TYR Venzo, Speedo LZR Pure Intent, and Arena Carbon Core FX, while others have only a single bonded seam running through the back of the suit, such as the Arena Carbon Air 2, for example.
More taping usually allows for more snapback and increased muscle support in the water. This makes these suits better suited to sprinters and breaststroke swimmers.
While less taping ensures more freedom of movement and less compression, making the suits more comfortable, which is often preferred by IM and distance swimmers.
You may also want to consider whether you prefer the taping to be on the inside or outside of your tech suit.
Seams: Tech suits feature various seams ranging from bonded seams, welded seams, sewn seams, and taped seams.
Stitched seams are usually found on your lower-class tech suits, while high-end tech suits feature taped seams.
Mid-range suits usually have welded or bonded seams, but some high-end suits may also feature these seam designs.
Waste-Band And Leg Grips: Premium tech suits usually feature nice silicone grips that help to completely seal water out of your tech suit while also securing the suit safely into position.
Mid-range suits also usually offer these silicone grips. Keep in mind, though, that budget tech suits typically don’t and may just have a tighter fabric around your legs.
This usually wears out after a couple of meets and just doesn’t provide the same feel. The benefit here is that these fabric leg grips are generally much more comfortable.
Benefits of Wearing a Tech Suit- How They Help You Swim Faster
Muscle Compression: Compression is one of the most important aspects of a tech suit, and all tech suits provide it in some way or another. Compression helps connect and support your important muscle groups, leading to higher power output and faster swimming.
It also helps blood to circulate through muscle tissues at an increased rate helping to supply nutrients and oxygen to those muscles while removing toxins like lactic acid. This ultimately allows for improved performance in the pool.
Drag Reduction: Tech suits will help you to reduce your drag in the water in many ways, ultimately optimizing your swimming performance and ensuring that you swim as fast as possible to crush that PB of yours.
All tech suits have water-repellent properties. Some suits utilize a coating, while others have water-repellent fabrics and weaves. This will help to increase your buoyancy which will place you higher in the water. It will also reduce water friction by letting water slide off your tech suit’s surface.
Another way tech suits reduce drag is by creating a second-skin effect. This is done by removing external seams and utilizing thin and lightweight fabrics that don’t absorb water and keep you agile while racing.
Increased Stroke Rate And Stroke Length: A study published by the Faculty of Sport Sciences at the University of Rouen in France looked at the effects of tech suits on factors such as buoyancy, passive torque, glide, and arm coordination. In total, 15 elite French swimmers participated in the study.
The study found that tech suits had the effect of improving glide and reducing drag in the water. This created conditions where swimmers could exert a higher stroke rate and length, ultimately helping them improve their performance and swim faster.
Lower Energy Cost While Swimming: The next point ties in with the compression and drag reduction technology that tech suits offer.
Combined, these two features effectively increase your power exertion and speed while reducing the resistance that the water places on your body. This creates conditions where less energy is required to swim fast, meaning that the extra energy can then be put back into swimming, resulting in even faster times in the pool.
Enhanced Body Position And Technique: Tech suits can help you swim with a better body position and even better technique. This is due to their water-repellent properties that enhance your buoyancy in the pool, meaning you’ll sit higher in the water.
Some tech suits also offer advanced taping systems that help pull your hips up to the water’s surface, resulting in a better body position and faster swimming.
If you’d like to know a bit more about how tech suits help to enhance your performance in the water, considering reading these articles-
- Do tech suits make a difference?- Here’s what the science says.
- How much time does a tech suit drop?- The scientific formula.
Where Should You Purchase Your Tech Suit?
As you have probably noticed, I recommend purchasing your tech suit from SwimOutlet.
They offer the lowest tech suit prices and have frequent sales enabling you to get a premium or mid-range tech suit at a very affordable and fair price.
SwimOutlet also offers quick and convenient shipping to the US, UK, and all of Europe, with most orders arriving at your doorstep in only 2 or 3 days. For more information on SwimOutlet, you can also read our full review about their brand here.
You may be worried about purchasing a tech suit online as you don’t physically get a chance to try the suit on unless you’ve previously owned that suit.
Don’t worry about this though, SwimOutlet provides accurate size charts for all of their tech suits, and their support staff is also always willing to help you.
This, combined with each suit’s detailed review in our article, should ensure you choose the best tech suit for your needs. In fact, you’ll be able to make a better decision than you would otherwise by physically visiting each store due to an increased range of tech suit options to choose from and in-depth details about each suit.
Additionally, you can also check out my tech suit size guide for further assistance if you need it.
You can check out some of the tech suits on SwimOutlet by clicking here or using the buttons above.
Tech Suit Maintenance: 9 Tips to Take Care of Your Tech Suit
1. Save Your Tech Suits for Your Big Meets.
As you probably know, tech suits have a limited lifespan, with some lasting longer than others. I recommend only wearing your tech suit for your big and important meets where you are trying to go for that record, gold medal, or important qualifying time.
For the smaller and less critical meets, you can swim with an old tech suit or a budget tech suit if you want to consider picking one up along with your flagship suit.
If you don’t have either, a standard training suit will do just fine as well. Remember, the purpose of the smaller meets is to practice your races and have fun in the process so you can learn exactly what to do to swim as fast as possible when that big championship final comes.
2. Take Your Time When Putting on and Taking Off Your Tech Suit
Sure, tech suits can be a bit uncomfortable and annoying to get on and off, but rather take your time with this process. When trying to get your tech suit on or off as fast as possible, you make yourself vulnerable to tearing the fabrics.
Instead, take your time and slowly pull the fabric on (or off) bit by bit until you have fully fitted into your suit or taken it off.
3. Rinse Your Tech Suit Out with Cold Water
Rinsing out your suit is one of the most important aspects of keeping your tech suit in mint condition for as long as possible.
Chlorine and other pool chemicals can damage your suit’s fabric and cause it to stretch out by slowly deteriorating the fibers over time.
After you are done racing for the day, I always recommend you thoroughly rinse your suit out with some cold water to remove most of the chlorine and pool chemicals.
Sure, tap water also has some chlorine, but the concentration is much lower than that of pool water.
If you want to go above and beyond, you can use a dechlorinating agent to remove pool chemicals from your tech suit’s fabric. Generally, a little tub of sodium thiosulfate, mixed with a bucket of distilled water, makes for a great dechlorinating agent.
Sodium thiosulfate can easily be purchased at a local store or online.
Once your mixture is ready, you can soak your tech suit in it for 1-3 minutes which should effectively remove 99% of pool chemicals.
4. Don’t Hang Your Tech Suit Up to Dry
Hanging your tech suit up to dry isn’t the best idea as it can result in the stretching of the fabrics of your suit, ultimately reducing both its lifespan and performance in the water.
I recommend laying your suit down on a flat surface (preferably on a towel) and then allowing it a few hours or, in some cases, up to a day to air dry.
5. Wear Pants and Shorts Over Them in Between Races
If you don’t take your tech suit on and off between races- let’s be honest- most of us don’t; you probably want to wear some piece of clothing over them.
This will prevent any unnecessary damage to your tech suit from sitting on rough surfaces or the suit accidentally getting caught on something sharp.
6. Go Underneath the Lane Ropes After Your Race
Although, for the most part, the lane ropes are in pretty good condition at most pools, there is sometimes a broken piece of plastic that creates a sharp surface where your tech suit could get caught on and tear.
I recommend dipping down underneath the lane ropes after your race as you move to the side of the pool instead of swimming over them, as many swimmers do.
7. Don’t Leave Your Tech Suit in Direct Sunlight
Like chlorine, sunlight can also damage the fabrics of your suit and cause stretching. When drying your tech suit, it is usually best not to leave it in direct sunlight.
What I like to do, is to lay my suit out on a towel on my desk, bed, or bathroom top and then give it a couple of hours to naturally air dry instead of leaving it outside in the sun.
8. When Tying Your Drawstrings, Cross Them to Prevent Tearing
Some tech suits have better-designed drawstring tunnels, which will ensure that the fabric can’t easily tear, but for the most part, this is a pretty good tip to apply to maximize the durability of your tech suit regardless of what suit you own.
This also only applies to the men’s jammer suits as the women’s suits don’t have drawstrings.
Anyway, here’s what I mean-
When tying your tech suit’s drawstring, cross the drawstring so that it forms an X before you make your knot and tuck it away.
Avoid pulling the drawstrings in different directions when tying them, such as a Y shape, for example. When you do this, you place strain on the fabric that can result in a tear.
9. Do Not Put on Your Tech Suit If You Are Not 100% Dry
Tech suits are already hard enough to get on as it is. Now imagine having to put on a wet suit or a dry suit while you are wet. This will require a lot of pulling and will probably result in the stretching of your tech suit.
When you are wet, the suit will stick to your skin, which will make it harder to get on.
Unnecessary stretching will reduce the lifespan and performance of your tech suit. Always make sure that you are completely dry before attempting to put on your tech suit.
You may also opt to use baby powder to get moisture off your body and make your skin slicker, which will help get the suit on easier.
For more tips to take care of your tech suit and increase its lifespan, you can consider checking out my article on how to make your tech suit last longer. Or, if you’d like to know how long you can expect your tech suit to last, consider reading my article- how long do tech suits last?
Give Your Swimming Performance a Boost with a New Tech Suit
Tech suits have many performance-enhancing features. They can help us swim faster by improving our physical capabilities and enhancing the mental side of things.
In my opinion, every serious competitive swimmer should be picking up a new tech suit at least once every season.
This will help you as a swimmer stay up to date with the latest performance-enhancing swimming technology and ensure your suit is never too worn out. Tech suits are constantly getting better, and it’s essential to make sure that you aren’t placed at a disadvantage to your competition.
It is also important to remember that tech suits only help to enhance performance. They don’t create performance. They aren’t magically going to make up for you skipping training or slacking down when you need to push harder in practice.