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Writer and age-group long distance triathlete Jenny Lucas-Hill has been putting the TRI-FIT RAPID swim suit to the test in the pool and in open water as she makes her way through triathlon race season. Find out how it’s stood up to the demands of training.
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After getting their tri suits and goggles in for review, I’ve come to have high expectations for TRI-FIT’s range of triathlon gear. Premium quality, sleek styling and attention to detail are quickly becoming their calling card. But would the TRI-FIT RAPID swimming suit for women continue the theme? Swim wear can be tough to get right, often falling at the first hurdle in terms of fit and comfort. Or letting itself down after a few weeks of chlorine exposure. With that in mind, I was keen to see how this women’s swimming costume would fare after 3 months of use and abuse in the pool and open water.
Summary
The TRI-FIT RAPID sits at the premium end of the scale. But for your money, you get an ultra-comfortable swimming suit which can easily meet the demands of regular training. Small but important details such as bonded seams and the V-cut back – balancing freedom of movement with a secure fit – give this swim suit the edge over your regular one piece sports swimming costume.
It’s performed well in the pool, and under a wetsuit in open water. And so far, despite being used and abused by yours truly, it’s looking as good as new 3 months down the line. Just be prepared to check the size guide carefully and size up if necessary – the sizing comes up a little small compared to TRI-FIT’s range of tri suits.
Initial impressions
The TRI-FIT RAPID swim suit has a fairly premium price tag. But out of the box, it does feel like you’re getting that extra ‘something special’ for your money. The fabric is different to the majority of swim suits I’ve ever tried, more akin to the high performance materials you’ll find on a swim skin than your average one piece swim suit.
The material in question is “Italian Carvico Revolutional™ Energy fabric.” TRI-FIT say this offers enhanced muscle compression, high shaping power plus top notch hydrophobic properties. All of which is promising for strong performance in the pool.
This swim suit offers the best of both worlds between a muscle back and string back swimming costume design. The V-shaped straps offer the support of a muscle back, but are stretchy enough to offer good range of motion. And the bonded seams give a laser cut finish which means no annoying digging in.
Overall, on first impressions this women’s swimming costume from TRI-FIT seemed pretty promising. The only slight cause for concern upon first try-on was the racer style cut to the front. The neckline is relatively high, something I prefer to reduce how much water gets scooped up into the front of the suit when you push off the wall. But the cut of the suit dips in a little around the bust – a potential risk for accidentally flashing the people I usually share my 6am swim lane with? There was only one way to find out…
FIT
In my experience, swim suit sizing is one of those things that can vary wildly between brands. Perhaps only second to jeans. So as ever, checking the specific size guide is a must here to get the right size. I’m a size S in TRI-FIT’s tri suits (UK 6-8, 163cm tall) but going by the hip measurement on the size guide for the RAPID swim suit, I ended up going for a size Medium. This ended up being the right call. So I’d definitely recommend taking your measurements and carefully comparing with the size guide to make sure you get the right size for your individual body shape/proportions.
Sizing up gave me a near-perfect fit. The V-back isn’t at all restrictive and the wider straps show zero sign of digging in, even when I’ve worn this suit under a wetsuit for long (75 minute+) continuous open water swims.
The cut offers a medium leg height – so if you’re not a fan of the trend towards more revealing bottom halves on swim suits which is becoming fairly prevalent at the moment – you’ll like the cut on this swim suit. Sometimes having more coverage comes at the cost of freedom of movement around the hips, but this hasn’t been an issue with the TRI-FIT RAPID. The fabric has just enough stretch to stay put without being overly tight, and the seams are comfortable around the leg.
For me, that racer cut front I was concerned might lead to some unwanted ‘slips’ (if you know, you know) hasn’t been an issue. The front section of the suit stays put, even during max effort reps when I’m pushing off the wall fairly hard. I will caveat this by saying that I’m not someone who’s been particularly blessed in the chest department. Let’s just say it’s lemons, not melons, up in here. But taking a look at reviews from other women online, I’ve not come across anyone having issues with the cut around the chest – which bodes well.
Comfort & PERFORMANCE
This TRI-FIT RAPID swimming costume has become the go-to in my rotation of swim suits over the last couple of months. It’s proven itself to be comfortable in the pool, staying put during drills and hard efforts. While I’ve not directly compared the hydrophobic properties in terms of speed versus my other swim suits (mainly because I’m usually hauling myself out of bed at 5.15am to get to the pool so my brain doesn’t usually wake up until I’m already halfway back home!). I’ve certainly not noticed any issues with drag or water ingress. And that swim skin-style fabric feels like it’s going to be faster than a regular swim suit, which is always a nice psychological boost.
Wearing a swim suit under a wetsuit for long open water swims is usually where any little discomforts will soon become apparent. But the bonded seams and wide straps mean there’s nothing to dig in. And the cut around the underarms means there’s no risk of armpit chafe.
DURability
After just over 3 months of use, this swim suit is still looking good as new. While I typically only swim 3-4 times per week, I still tend to give my swim suits a fairly tough time of it. Because when you’re an age-group triathlete, the priority when you get back from an early morning pool session is usually coffee, breakfast and getting to your desk. I’ll confess that on several occasions I’ve completely forgotten to hang up my swim stuff to dry until I’ve gone to repack my swimming bag for the next session a day or two later. A bad habit which has claimed several swimming costumes as victims in recent years.
Thankfully, the fabric on the TRI-FIT RAPID swimming suit is ultra-chlorine resistant which means despite committing the cardinal sin of leaving it scrunched up in a towel to pickle in chlorine a few too many times – it’s not showing any signs of wear. I solemnly swear to be a better swim suit owner going forward.
VERDICT
Overall, the TRI-FIT RAPID is a great all-rounder for pool training and open water swimming. And while the price tag might seem a little steep. For comfort and durability – this is a suit that will soon earn it’s keep in terms of cost per wear. From my experience over the last few months, this is a swimming costume that will stand up to the demands of triathlon training with ease, and you’ll get plenty of use out of it before it needs replacing. As well as proving itself to be durable, the swim skin-like material also gives you a fast feeling in the pool – which is always a nice confidence booster.
This one piece women’s sports swimming costume is super comfortable to wear, but just be aware that you might need to size up to get the right fit. And since the sizing only goes up to an XL at the moment – that might mean the size curve on offer is less inclusive, particularly if you’ve been more blessed in the bust department than I have. Other than that, this swim suit is ticking pretty much every box – I’d just like to see a few brighter designs on offer in future!
