Wetsuit we love: Zone3 Aspire

This summer, we’ve been testing out a wetsuit from a brand has been expanding in the Canadian market. The UK-based Zone3 was established in 2007 and offers triathlon-specific gear like wetsuits, trisuits and accessories. The founder, a swimmer and triathlete himself, used his expertise in the industry to build the perfect wetsuit for his triathlon career. Clearly he was onto something — the brand quickly rose to the top in the UK and European markets and continues to earn multiple awards.

We got our hands on the Aspire, Zone3’s best-selling suit and have tested it in training and racing this summer. After several swims in the suit, we can safely rank it among our favourites for several reasons.

Great buoyancy around the waist and legs

With 5-mm body panels and 1.5-mm arm panels, the Aspire offers great buoyancy in all the right areas but manages to not feel as thick and bulky as some suits with similar panelling. Especially during long swims in the suit we found it really supported the body and allowed for that neutral body positioning that makes for efficient swimming. Zone3 uses a top-end material — the premium SCS Yamamoto material is flexible, light and comfortable which helps it to feel like a second skin in the water.

Zone3 has also used a special Aqua-dynamic Nano coating helping to ensure minimal drag in the water.

Designed for fast transitions

We feel one of the make-or-break factors in a wetsuit is how easily it comes off. The Aspire is extremely easy to take off thanks to a few special details. We always prefer a downwards YKK zipper in a wetsuit, and the Aspire has that. It also has unique Pro Speed Cuffs on the arms and legs. The material here is a bit thinner and even more flexible so the suit easily rolls off your hands and feet for a noticeably faster transition.

Diverse size offerings

Zone3 recognizes that not everyone can find the perfect suit in a simple “small, medium, large” sizing scheme. Therefore, the brand has 13 different sizes for their suits meaning there’s basically something for everyone. Our tester managed to find the best-fitting suit they’ve ever tried in the Aspire sample and would recommend the brand for this reason alone.

For such great quality and unique details in a wetsuit, the $600 CAD price tag is very reasonable for the Zone3 Aspire. If you’re looking for a speed advantage in your autumn A race this year, Zone3 is a brand to check out.