You voted! 3 of the best women’s wetsuits for winter (warmth, flexibility, and more)
Buying your first winter wetsuit can feel like a daunting task if you’ve never done it before – the different brands, materials, models, functionalities and prices can be a bit overwhelming.
But no fear! We asked you, the BlueBound community, to vote for your favourite wetsuits, so you can find the best option for you. By bringing all of your votes and reviews together, we could collect far more data than if our small team were to review all of the wetsuits personally. The power of this community is real!
So let’s get you a kickass wetsuit!
Best women’s wetsuit for surfing / all-rounder
Warmth: 10/10
Flexibility: 10/10
Sizing: 9/10
Durability: 10/10
Drying: 9/10
Hood: Yes 9/10
This is the ultimate winter wetsuit, weighing in at 5mm on the body and 4mm on the limbs. It also comes with a toasty hood, to keep your ears and noggin warm during your session. Of course, like most wetsuits nowadays, it is also kitted out with a front zip to reduce water leaking in, which is set off with a snazzy orange zip detail.
We’ve listed this suit as a surfing suit, but it was also suggested by kitesurfers and paddleboarders, due to its flexibility, so it’d work perfectly as an all-round suit (“squats, arms up and down works well”).
What did you love about this wetsuit? Warm, reliable seams, sizing and get-to-business design. If you live in the Northern hemisphere and you get icy cold winters, this is your suit!
“I am in Germany and since it gets cold I was in need of a warm wetsuit. I ordered from Srface, I liked the price and the look (no flowers or something, just nice and plain). I tried it for the first time at the weekend and it was amazing. It’s warm, stretchy, super comfy and superb quality with glue on in and outside. When you order it you put in your measurements and they will suggest a size. If no size comes up they have a live chat where questions are being answered at lightning speed. By the way, I am 157cm and ordered the 5/4 hooded Heat in a size 6SS (perfect for shorty peeps). Only downside is that you can only order online.”: Review by @krebsi86
“Srface, one hundred percent would recommend it” @alinamarja_
“Srface, 5/4mm, hooded, 300€, seams sealed inside and outside, good size guide, very warm!”: @swant_jeee
Best women’s wetsuit for kayaking/paddleboarding
Warmth: 8/10 for paddling
Flexibility: 8/10
Sizing: True to size, but only up to size 16 UK/US 12
Durability: 9/10
Hood: No
This wetsuit was suggested for its durability and soft material. It has a back zip, which can typically let in more water if you’ll be surfing or in the water a lot, but that said it’s great for paddling on a SUP or in a kayak.
It has triple-glued seams and an adjustable neck, so if you do fall in momentarily whilst paddling you will be kept covered and warm. The wetsuit is flexible and non-chafing, made of smooth soft material.
Design-wise, it’s available in Black, Black/Coral, and Black/Blue, and has a cool ‘patch’ stamp on the upper arm.
“Definitely recommend Ripcurl Omega. Bought it in 2015 and still going very strong … ” Review and photo by @queenadya
Best women’s wetsuit windsurfing/kitesurfing
Ion, AMAZE Semi-dry wetsuit, 5:4
Warmth: 9/10
Flexibility: 9/10
Sizing: 9/10
Durability: 9/10
Have you ever had a semi-dry wetsuit before? This technology means that the suit dries very fast, which is perfect if you’re in and out the water doing sports like windsurfing and kitesurfing. You don’t want to be sopping wet after just dipping in for a short while!
This suit was voted for by a lot of you, so it must be good. Things you noted were it’s quick drying time (of course), high quality seams, and flexibility.
“5/4 Ion Wetsuit! Best thing even for kite. The thing about these wetsuits is that they are semi dry wetsuits, not like surf suits that you get very wet. This one dries super fast even though it’s so thick. Super comfy like in the clouds, and warm! After using it I would 100/10 say its worth the price. These kind of brand products usually have very expensive models but this one is okay. For fit, I feel super sexy with this wetsuit. The color and shape makes it a delicate combo that will give an extra boost to your kite session”:
Review and photo by @veronica854
Other wetsuits to mention
- Mystic Star, 5:3
- Billabong (Synergy, Salty Dayz), 4:3, 5:4
Extra tips before you decide
- Try before you buy: Brands will differ in sizing, sometimes even between two models by the same brand so it’s important to try on before you commit. Go to your local shop, or order a few to try at home.
- Check the quality: Look at the seams to see if they look durable. It’s tempting to buy a cheap wetsuit to start, but it likely won’t last long, and you’ll end up buying something next season anyway.
- Which sports: Are you intending to buy an ‘all-round’ style, or are you only crazy about surfing, or kitesurfing, or kayaking, or swimming? While wetsuits can serve you for all of these activities, there are certain models that work better due to their fit, shape, flexibility in certain spots, etc.
- Lack of plus size: Most wetsuit brands don’t cater to larger sizes. The average size of a woman in the UK 16/ US 12/ EU L, but there isn’t a huge selection of wetsuits that cater to this size, or larger. We are researching this on our side, as well as talking with active campaigners, and will soon be writing an article about which (few) brands currently offer options.
Conclusion
There are lots of options out there, but we hope this community vote helped you a bit. We would love you know if you bought a wetsuit using this guide!
