Frustration with the cost of tech suits

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Former Member — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 16:47:36 GMT

So my Speedo, it is the LZR Racer X, showed up in the mail yesterday. Although I picked my size straight from the size chart on the Speedo website, it did not fit. :frustrated Not.Even.Close. I guess that my 6 year old daughter could wear it, but I'm not buying her a $240 swim suit. Now I have to pay yet another shipping fee to return it. If the manufacturers are going to be so ridiculously off on their size charts, I feel like they should be picking up the return shipping fee. Grrr. That's two strikes. One more and I am seriously going to race in a string bikini!!! Good luck with the next suit! I know you are joking but FYI you will get disqualified for a two piece suit. I have tried Yingfa, but it has been several years. I ended up having to send the suit back. The hips of the suit were tiny, and once I finally succeeded in getting the suit all the way up, the chest was baggy. Guess they used Barbie for their pattern. For the men's Yingfa I'm not that impressed either but it has also been 4 or 5 years. I found they didn't give good compression and was barely covered my butt. The material was also completely different than better racing suits.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Katherine Neustadt — Sun, 26 Mar 2017 03:46:40 GMT

I'm in the Uk, and get my suits from www.proswimwear.co.uk. Been using the Arena Powerskin for a while, and quite like it. Less than $100, holds up well, lined in front, comes in colours other than black. It's not a bonded-seamed suit, so won't have quite the compression of the LZR etc, but still has a good tech-suit feel. I'm rather large, and wear a 36-38 for training, and take a 32 in the Powerskin. I could probably go 30 if I really, really tried, but it might not cover all of my top half.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Sat, 25 Mar 2017 07:14:55 GMT

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 11:34:02 GMT

Speedo has been selling Fastskin LZR Racer Elite for mid $200's. It's an older model, but this suit was $400 in 2013. It has been on sale since they have newer models coming out. I got one last month and with the local swim shop's additional discount of 10% for being a masters swimmer it was even better! I actually broke down and bough a Speedo. The LZR Elite unfortunately didn't come in my size, but I ordered the Pro X.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Mon, 20 Mar 2017 09:28:21 GMT

Kristi -- I'd advise you to NOT take up cycling/triathlon. The tech suit equivalent in bicycling is carbon fiber. The price tag to get a quality, well-appointed carbon fiber bicycle for racing might just take you over the edge. Dan Thanks for the tip Dan. I happen to have a very strong dislike for cycling, so thank goodness I don't have to add that to my budget. :)

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

ForceDJ — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 10:53:23 GMT

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Lo Knapp — Sat, 18 Mar 2017 04:30:16 GMT

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 09:35:34 GMT

I think that the Tracer Light must only be for male suits. I couldn't find a female version, but thank you for the suggestion. I also looked at suits when the membership renewal discounts were in effect, but even with the discount, couldn't bring myself to spend that kind of money. I guess that I was hoping that the prices would eventually become more reasonable. I did find a TYR AP12 (I think that was the name). There is a $100 price difference between the 30 and the 30L. Can anyone comment on how different those sizes are?

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

ande — Fri, 17 Mar 2017 01:11:23 GMT

KristiLynn you inspired me to write a SFF Tip forums.usms.org/showthread.php Basically you can find bargains if you look. So, I am going to Spring Nats this year and started to look for a new tech suit as I've been using the same one since Nationals in San Antonio in 2015. Does anyone else get sticker shock when you see what the going rate is for these suits? I am absolutely flabbergasted that such a flimsy scrap of fabric, that is only intended to last for a few meets, can cost $300-$400+. When full length suits were legal, I can remember paying around $75-$100 for a suit if I was willing to buy a suit from the previous year's line, but ever since knee-length suits have become the only option, the prices continue to climb. Even clearance and previous generation models run $200-$300. As much as I want to be competitive and use swimwear that will help me perform better, I'm thinking that I'm either going to wear my old almost-transparent tech suit or compete in a workout suit.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Patrick W. Brundage — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 05:02:22 GMT

From a male perspective, I've always found the TYR Tracer Light to be the best blend of value and performance. I have tried higher cost suits (even some from TYR) and certainly liked them, but haven't found them worth the incremental money. Not sure if the Tracer Light is a great women's suit. Also, what I typically do is buy my tech suit - either at Nationals (when they typically have deals) or right after I renew my USMS membership (when there are discounts).

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Wed, 15 Mar 2017 03:10:24 GMT

Tech suit search update: So the suit I ordered was not at all what I was looking for. It was huge, slipped on as easily as a workout suit, and the material didn't feel like a tech suit, more like a workout suit for someone far more modest than I am. So... back to the drawing board. Anyone have any suggestions? The one that I tried and am sending back was a Speedo Power Plus. I ordered the 26, which, according to the sizing chart, should have been on the small side for my measurements.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Dan Kornblatt — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 12:22:57 GMT

So, I am going to Spring Nats this year and started to look for a new tech suit as I've been using the same one since Nationals in San Antonio in 2015. Does anyone else get sticker shock when you see what the going rate is for these suits? I am absolutely flabbergasted that such a flimsy scrap of fabric, that is only intended to last for a few meets, can cost $300-$400+. When full length suits were legal, I can remember paying around $75-$100 for a suit if I was willing to buy a suit from the previous year's line, but ever since knee-length suits have become the only option, the prices continue to climb. Even clearance and previous generation models run $200-$300. As much as I want to be competitive and use swimwear that will help me perform better, I'm thinking that I'm either going to wear my old almost-transparent tech suit or compete in a workout suit. Look up Yingfa.com They make reasonable tech suits that are FINA approved. Good as a Speedo for $3-400 no but still slick enough not to feel like a workout suit.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

orca1946 — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 05:52:15 GMT

BARBIE Made me chuckle! Glad you found what you were looking for.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 04:01:51 GMT

Thanks for the suggestion. I just checked, and found one Arena and one Speedo under $100. The comments on the sizes seem all over the map, so I hope that I guessed correctly on my size. Just looked at swimoutlet.com and they had some very good suits for under $100, such as the Arena Powerskin.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Allen Stark — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 03:51:01 GMT

Just looked at swimoutlet.com and they had some very good suits for under $100, such as the Arena Powerskin.

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

Elaine Krugman — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 03:42:12 GMT

I have tried Yingfa, but it has been several years. I ended up having to send the suit back. The hips of the suit were tiny, and once I finally succeeded in getting the suit all the way up, the chest was baggy. Guess they used Barbie for their pattern. Their tank suits were definitely cut for the Chinese! I am 5-71/2" and weigh 124; however, I needed a 3XL :afraid:, which was their LARGEST size! Still, it barely covered my butt. :mooning: :bitching:

RE: Frustration with the cost of tech suits

kristilynn — Mon, 20 Feb 2017 01:34:00 GMT