The Best Tri Suits of 2023 - Triathlete (2024)

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Today’s best tri racing suits are not only comfortable, but also quick-drying, hydrodynamic and even aerodynamic. They can also be pricey. While spending a few hundred dollars on a piece of clothing may feel excessive, you’ll not only feel better with a good, well-fitting suit, but you’ll be faster, as your body creates the largest amount of drag of any item (bike included) you’ll use during the swim, bike, run. The best tri suits? The one that fits you, your distance of racing, climate, and has the features you need. Do you need lots of food storage? Do you like a thin pad?

With so many features, functions, and strengths and weaknesses, we’ve put together a guide with the top tri suits for the 2023 season to help you find that intersection between price and bells and whistles that’ll help you answer that important question: How much suit do you actually need?

Looking for more guidance before you get started? Check out our explainer on buying a tri kit: How to Choose the Perfect Tri Suit

While the gear below was loaned out by the brands represented, all choices were selected independently by the tester without any promotional consideration or brand input. Also, unlike other “best triathlon kit” websites, our testers actually train and race in the clothes ourselves—no glancing at spec sheets and rewording marketing terms! Here’s more on how we test gear.

Do you have more questions about your first (second, third, or tenth) tri? We have an active and supportive community of everyday athletes and experts in Team Triathlete who are willing to help. Plus: Members have exclusive, near-instant access to the entire editorial staff at Triathlete. Help is just an @ away! Become an O+ member and join Team Triathlete now!

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Santini Ikaika Women’s Trisuit

$215, SantiniCycling.com

Warranty: 12 months
Try-on: 30-day return, unused

While this suit lacks some of the aero bells and whistles seen in the other women’s suits tested, it makes up for it with comfort and simplicity. It’s lightweight, breathable, and easy to wear—no super-tight compressive leg grippers or aero sleeves that can sometimes make a suit feel tight and restrictive.

The chest zipper runs all the way through the front of the suit and is easy to adjust on the fly. There are two deep pockets in the rear that can certainly house all the fuel you’d need for a 70.3 or longer. The chamois is on the lighter/thinner side, which might take newer athletes time to get used to, but overall, this is a great option for those looking for a versatile suit with a smaller price tag.

-Emma-Kate Lidbury

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Spaero Abyss SP3 Men’s Sleeveless

$260, Spaerotri.com

Warranty: 12 months
Try On: 30 days

Spaero Abyss SP3 was one of the favorites in the suits we reviewed. The fabric texture of this suit was its most outstanding attribute: It immediately felt race ready, it was consistently soft and smooth to the skin, and the fabric was also not overtly snug in areas undergoing dynamic movement, especially with running.

The suit did not dry as fast as some of the others, but depending on the environment that might be a benefit. It had plenty of accessible storage pockets for nutritional needs, and the chamois was quite minimal, but it could be an easy fix with a softer seat.

-Shaun Guest

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Tres Pinas Women’s Aero Mystique

$265, TresPinas.com

Warranty: None listed
Try-on: 30-day return, unused

A relative newcomer on the trisuit scene, Tres Pinas is coming out punching with some bold designs and fine-fitting suits. This Aero Mystique suit has an undeniably racer feel and fit to it, with a separate upper body section that zips down to the waist, and compression-style bib shorts that are super-tight (in fact, the silicone leg grippers might be too tight for some and took some getting used to).

The mesh fabric aero sleeves look and feel great, offering a sleek fit and feel. We didn’t love the aero pocket in the back. While it’s designed to be minimal, we found it hard to access, especially when you’re working hard, and don’t bank on stowing too much in there. Overall, though, it’s a great-looking suit that will definitely get you noticed on the race course and will be popular with those who like a compressive fit.

-EKL

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Betty Designs Racing the Sunset Short Sleeve Women’s Tri Skinsuit

$270, BettyDesigns.com

Warranty: None listed
Try-on: 30-day return, unused

Crowd favorite Betty Designs knows a thing or two about creating fun, fast suits, and they’ve certainly done that with the Racing the Sunset short sleeve suit. It’s most definitely designed with racers in mind (read: it’s a super-snug fit) and you can’t help but feel fast and ready to go as soon as you pull it on.

With long aero sleeves that come all the way to the elbow, this suit has a distinctly aero feel. The two rear pockets are neatly tucked away and easy to reach, although they are small. There are flatlock seams throughout, which makes the chance of chafing minimal. The only thing we didn’t like is the lack of zipper garage in the neck/chest, which can cause some chafing over longer-course racing.

-EKL

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Castelli PR-2 Women’s Speed Suit

$390, Castelli-Cycling.com

Warranty: On review
Try-on: 30-day return, unused

Castelli is a brand well known for its high quality and meticulous attention to detail, and with this PR-2 suit they have kept their bar high. From the moment of unboxing this suit looks and feels next-level with its silicone speed ribs in the aero sleeves and seamless shorts. At first the suit could be mistaken for an almost-two-piece-in-one, with a full zip through the upper-body section and shorts that fit and feel almost like bib shorts.

This suit is insanely comfortable to wear, with a chamois that’s thin but does its job well. Chafing is not a consideration with the seamless shorts and super-smooth fabric in the top half of the suit. The two rear pockets are neatly tucked away but sizable and easy to access. The only thing not to love about this suit is its hefty price tag, but consider it an investment in your next PR.

-EKL

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TYR Men’s Torque Pro Swimskin

$400, TYR.com

Warranty: None listed
Try On: 30 days

This USAT-legal swimskin’s design leans favorably toward the swim portion. It is form fitting when wet and dries out quickly on land. Heed caution: This is a swimskin meant to be worn over a trisuit for max speed in the water, not to be worn on the bike or run. Use it in a Sprint or Olympic distance or risk discomfort. Slender legs will fit perfectly in the thigh area. A larger thigh circumference might require repeated use to break it in and feel comfortable. Final suggestion: Hit the lats with a layer of anti-chafe balm before jumping in the water.

-SG

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Zone3 Men’s Aeroforce-X II

$400, zone3.com

Warranty: 12 months
Try On: 28 days

The Aeroforce-X II easily doubles as a cycling time trial suit and feels most comfortable on the bike. Two pockets are covered to align with its aero theme but also make it somewhat difficult to reach when needing calories. The fabric is breathable and along with a minimal chamois dries quickly too (hardly noticeable when swimming or running).

The silicone grip around the arm and leg cutlets flows with body movement. The biggest concern lies in sizing. With what seems to be the purest of focus on cycling performance, the front inseam only feels best fit from an aero position—this was not the case in the other two disciplines. Go up a size to make sure sensitive parts are not squeezed while swimming and running.

-SG

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Rocket Science Sports Rocket Model G

$450, Rocket Science Sports

Warranty: 1 year; one-time crash replacement
Try on: 30 days

The Model G is a high-end triathlete’s dream designed for putting in long miles on the bike. Feeling like a second skin, it has a low-cut neckline with an aero sleeve design. The back zipper pocket is easy to reach and packs more than expected. The suit’s proclaimed heat dissipation did not stand out on sunny days, but its ultra thin, flexible graphene material made it breathable when working hard. The chamois was more robust in thickness than other tri suits, and though it provided quality comfort on the bike, the chamois was a little more noticeable than other suits when running.

The “Framis” free-cut non-slip strips in the arm and leg cuffs were well-balanced and appreciated; not too snug/compressive, not too loose. Despite all the high-end perks, with such a delicate, thin design, questions of long-term use and durability were raised given a hefty price tag of $450. Tester suggestion: Save it for critical races and peak performance.

Also read our extended review of the Model G.

-SG