Hey folk,
First, to moderators--I'm not sure if this is swimming related enough to be in this section. Please feel free to move as needed.
To all...
Another suit is about to bite the dust--fortunately I bought it on sale for less than $30, so I'm not complaining too much.
HOWEVER, now that it's time to buy a new suit, I'm thinking I want to get something polyester, as it will last longer. The last polyester suit I had lasted me a couple years (although admittedly, I was on and off with swimming during that period). That suit fit well b/c I was able to go to a swim shop and try suits on. That's how I prefer to buy them but the only swim shop in my area that sells polyester suits is also a trek from where I live and I don't have a lot of running around time.
So in the interest of time, I probably do have to order something online and wanted to get some opinions on polyester suits that last well AND aren't too high cut (first polyester suit I had I bought online and wasn't crazy about that aspect of it). I'm not 16 and while reasonably slim, I don't feel like showing too much of myself (ha!).
What suit(s) have you had success with? What suits would you stay away from?
Thanks for any info!
p.s. If I get lycra suits, I tend to get dark colors so that when they fade, there's still plenty of "dark" left. But they still don't last long enough.
I track the mileage I get out of each suit in my FLOG just for the heck of it, so I can see which brands are the best quality. The longest lasting suits have NO spandex. They are made of 50% polyester and 50% PBT ( a very durable type of polyester).
For me, the winner was Speedo Endurance+ coming in at 297 miles. I tried to make it last past 300 miles; however, the seam in the rear blew out while I was bending over. :mooning: I was on a cruise ship at the time, and I'm sure I gave the sunbathers a view they did NOT want to see.
Second place was Tyr Durafast, a suit made of the same fabric as my Speedo. Although the seams lasted longer, the straps gave out at 285 miles.
Sporti suits didn't last as long for me, but you can't beat the price when they're on sale! Jayhawk is correct; they run small.
Watch the sales at Swimoutlet.com . They have the best prices-- unless you have a brother like I do who likes to shop the Tyr factory parking lot sales in California. Last time, he snagged me six suits that all came in under $20 each. :smooch: My goggles were only $4.99 (usually $9.99 at Swimoutlet)!
I have had good luck with suits from the Finals. Look for the ones that are mostly polyester with a touch of spandex for comfort. The cut is perfect -- not too high or low. I discovered them through SwimOutlet.com's grab bag, though the last time I ordered the grab bag, I did not get the polyester blend. So next time I will order directly from The Finals. The product details for each suit will show which have a polyester blend.
My favorite suit is the Nike Polyester Cut-Out tank. In fact, I love it so much that I reviewed it for Swimspire! The suits last for about a year or two, so it's an excellent value for your money :) Here's the review: www.swimspire.com/.../
Obviously I can't comment on their women's suits, but I like Blue Seventy's men's poly training suits. Quite inexpensive and durable and they use a slightly more stretchy fabric than most of the other brands.
www.blueseventy.com/.../loop-dot
It looks like they may be phasing out their training suits, though...
I have had good luck with the Nike Poly Lingerie Tank, although the last one I got has a nylon/lycra liner that stretches different than the poly suit, so I'm not sure I'm going to get another one. I've tried on the cut out tank mentioned above, and I love the look on most people but it is very low cut in the back. My first thought was "no one who has had children should be wearing this..." :)
I also have liked the Dolfin DBX back 100% poly suits. It will feel tight and more like polyester than some brands, but it didn't stretch or fade at all. The Dolfin uglies aren't 100% poly, and do stretch out.
Also never had a problem with Speedo endurance+. They also seem more true to size, while I've noticed Dolfin's fit different depending on style. I love the cross-back or axcel back speedo endurance+.
Swimoutlet.com is nice because the reviews are helpful on how it will fit, as sometimes you may need to go up a size with a poly. I find that sports stores around here tend to carry the Dolfin suits as well, so you could at least try one on before ordering if a store near you has them. Good Luck!
Yes, the cut out tank is not for everyone, but as I mentioned in the review I think the lingerie tank is a great alternative if you need more coverage!
Thanks for the suggestions! I'm going to save this thread--I hope I'll like the suit I ordered, but if not, I have a great bunch of ideas for alternatives. And if I like it, then I have good thoughts for future reference--I figure I don't have to wait for a suit to wear out before getting a new one, if something looks good). My last polyester suit (which I dug out of the clothes I was going to put into the recycling bin) is a Dolfin, but the store where I was thinking of buying another didn't have the same model. Other sites might have had it, but the benefit of ordering from a nearby place is that I'll likely get it sooner. (In my area, just a long commute!)
I own several of these:
Sporti Polyester Solid Piped Thin Strap Swimsuit
www.swimoutlet.com/.../
It's the Sporti polyester suit. Sporti is SwimOutlet's own brand. You can't beat $17.99.
If you are uncertain of which size to order, go larger rather than smaller. I just bought a new one and I think they tend to run a little small.
I'm a huge fan of the TYR Durafast suits. They last forever and fit well (I'm long waisted and have a hard time finding ones that cover).
Mine arrived today, the Tyr Durafast polyester--love how quick that was! (Store is about 30 miles from where I live which helps!) Tried it on and like the fit and feel. So I get to wear it in swim practice tonight! Hooray! Rather than just do an online order, I found it a great help to order by phone and have the person be able to tell me if the suit was in stock and what kind of cut, etc. Not quite going all the way to the store to try it on, but close.
