Suit fading

[MeSooQuiet]

I recently started swimming after taking a break for a month. When I was rinsing out my suit in the shower, I noticed fading on the back seam. I’ve only had this suit since September and usually alternate it with two others. I’m not a fan of black suits and have been wanting to get a red suit, but if the color is going to fade then maybe it’s not worth it. I swim in a Sporti euro green suit as well, just waiting for it to fade.

What is the deciding factor in deciding to not use a suit for lap swimming? Does it have to be transparent or sooner than that?

The suit was Atlantic Blue, not the current island blue they are selling.


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[Speedoaddict]

Not trying to tell you how to suck eggs mesooquiet but I have found this for you to have a look.
I hope you don’t mind.

https://www.proswimwear.co.uk/swim-suit-care

[BJE]

I had a Gary Majdell suit that faded badly which I got rid of. So far my Sportis are holding up pretty well but the red one is not as dark as it used to be.

[rmf]

Sporti Lycra suits are notoriously known to fade. Pbt, polyester or nylon type suits will last longer as you probably know. The challenge will be to find a solid red in the right side width and not have any lycra. There aren't too many on the market right now. There are some new-old stock of Arenas out there but they are getting hard to find or you can try getting Turbos water polo suits that are 2". Turbos will have a small logo on them. Speedo & TYR will be slightly bigger. Other than that, I think everything else that doesn't have a lycra mix is going to be about 5-7 cm depending on your waist size and will have some sort of mixed colors.

[BJE]

Be sure to always wash your suits out with soap and water right after use which may help reduce fading.

[rozelle]

Sporti Lycra suits are notoriously known to fade. Pbt, polyester or nylon type suits will last longer as you probably know. The challenge will be to find a solid red in the right side width and not have any lycra. There aren't too many on the market right now. There are some new-old stock of Arenas out there but they are getting hard to find or you can try getting Turbos water polo suits that are 2". Turbos will have a small logo on them. Speedo & TYR will be slightly bigger. Other than that, I think everything else that doesn't have a lycra mix is going to be about 5-7 cm depending on your waist size and will have some sort of mixed colors.

Very insightful. So what do you think is the best fabric blend that won't fade and durable while still having some good stretch?

[swimmy]

Most suits don't last long in a salt or chlorine pool unless they are specially designed to. In the Speedo brand look for the word Endurance in the name. With Dolphin it's Chloroban. I see my latest Sporti Euro's tag touts a new long-lasting ingredient. I've had good luck with Endurance and Chloroban, I alternate back and forth a lot.

[MeSooQuiet]

I have an endurance suit, just not a fan of the wider side width. It will eventually get some use. Just really like the minimal coverage of the speedo solars and Sporti euros.

[swimmy]

You're kinda stuck with Solar or Euro then, both have "Extralife Lycra". That's about as racy as the briefs available at swimoutlet get. Your story causes me to guess they don't hold up nearly as well as Endurance and Chloroban fabrics though. Euros were just on sale for $12, I got one but haven't swam in it yet. So they are cheap enough to replace every few months.

[rmf]

Very insightful. So what do you think is the best fabric blend that won't fade and durable while still having some good stretch?

Personally, I am not a fan of Speedo Solar suits. While the suit might hold up a decent amount of time, the colored suits will fade very quickly and I don't like the lycra sheen with the seam down the front. I've seen a lot of photos here of them and it's just not my thing (no offence). The extralife lycra really is not worth the money it costs. I have a pair of Endurance Jammers and while I don't wear them much anymore, they have seem many, many hours in the pool (not for lap swimming) and they are sill holding out fine. Speedo Endurance fabric in general is pretty good fabric but I think there is better out there.

As I have mentioned before in previous posts, I have two sets of suits. 'Fashion' & workout suits and I tend not to mix the two. My workout suits are the ones that spend the most time in highly chlorinated gym pools. I've learn to stick with suits that have (close) 50/50 PBT & Polyester blend. The more PBT, the slightly softer the suit will be since it's really just another word for nylon.

My go-to workout suit is Turbo waterpolo (fully lined front and back). While it may not have too much stretch, one you get the right size, it is super soft and feels great. It's not see through if you get the right pattern, it has the right coverage in the back and front and the sides are 6.5 CM or about 3". They are indestructible and one of the top makers of waterpolo suits in the industry. I can't say enough about their quality. The smaller suits tend to me slightly smaller than 3" due to waist size.

If you are looking for something less than 3", your options become much slimmer. I think the next best option is to turn to Italian brands. The two brands that I know off the top of my head that make polyester blended suits are Diana and Jaked. Diana suits are pretty cheap but have more polyester in them so they will be a little more rough. Jaked is a little better quality but still not as soft as Turbo. Both are much cheaper than Turbos when comparing to their non-competitive suits (I think both companies make technical suits that cost a lot more than Turbo for competitive swimmers).

New old stock - you might be able to find some Arena suits that are 2" that will hold up well and have good stretch. Arena is also an Italian brand but discontinued making 2" suits in USA a few years ago but there are some stock and patterns still out there. I forget which styles off the top of my head but I remember our club swim team had them one year in red pattern and they seemed pretty durable.

I tried not to repeat what the others have already mentioned. Hope this helps...

[rozelle]

Wow rmf you are very knowledgeable I’m a bit overwhelmed by the info you gave me. I have never owned any Turbos but I’ve been wanting to. I’ve just blown my Speedo allowance for this month since I just bought 2 Marcuse suits but I’ll definitely get me some turbos next time to really understand the quality you’re talking about.

Thank you for telling me about PBT that really helped cause I see Turbos have PBT and polyester and I have never heard of PBT before.

[SpeedoUSA]

Very insightful. So what do you think is the best fabric blend that won't fade and durable while still having some good stretch?

Personally, I am not a fan of Speedo Solar suits. While the suit might hold up a decent amount of time, the colored suits will fade very quickly and I don't like the lycra sheen with the seam down the front. I've seen a lot of photos here of them and it's just not my thing (no offence). The extralife lycra really is not worth the money it costs. I have a pair of Endurance Jammers and while I don't wear them much anymore, they have seem many, many hours in the pool (not for lap swimming) and they are sill holding out fine. Speedo Endurance fabric in general is pretty good fabric but I think there is better out there.

As I have mentioned before in previous posts, I have two sets of suits. 'Fashion' & workout suits and I tend not to mix the two. My workout suits are the ones that spend the most time in highly chlorinated gym pools. I've learn to stick with suits that have (close) 50/50 PBT & Polyester blend. The more PBT, the slightly softer the suit will be since it's really just another word for nylon.

My go-to workout suit is Turbo waterpolo (fully lined front and back). While it may not have too much stretch, one you get the right size, it is super soft and feels great. It's not see through if you get the right pattern, it has the right coverage in the back and front and the sides are 6.5 CM or about 3". They are indestructible and one of the top makers of waterpolo suits in the industry. I can't say enough about their quality. The smaller suits tend to me slightly smaller than 3" due to waist size.

If you are looking for something less than 3", your options become much slimmer. I think the next best option is to turn to Italian brands. The two brands that I know off the top of my head that make polyester blended suits are Diana and Jaked. Diana suits are pretty cheap but have more polyester in them so they will be a little more rough. Jaked is a little better quality but still not as soft as Turbo. Both are much cheaper than Turbos when comparing to their non-competitive suits (I think both companies make technical suits that cost a lot more than Turbo for competitive swimmers).

New old stock - you might be able to find some Arena suits that are 2" that will hold up well and have good stretch. Arena is also an Italian brand but discontinued making 2" suits in USA a few years ago but there are some stock and patterns still out there. I forget which styles off the top of my head but I remember our club swim team had them one year in red pattern and they seemed pretty durable.

I tried not to repeat what the others have already mentioned. Hope this helps...

Great review RMF! Your experience and knowledge will go along way with enthusiasts here!


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