ZONE3 ASPECT BREASTSTROKE
£1791 ▶ For swimmers not keen on front crawl, does this updated breaststroke wetsuit deserve a spot in your triathlon kit bag?
Zone3 was an innovator in 2021 when the Aspect was launched, responding to the growth of open-water swimming popularity and acknowledging that many people want to swim breaststroke. In our review at the time we praised the suit for living up to its purpose, looking good and being affordable (it was £159 at launch).
The second-generation Aspect wetsuit comes with upgraded wrist cuffs and updates to the construction in order to increase durability. As it’s designed for breaststroke swimming, it has reduced buoyancy and increased flexibility to allow breaststroke kicking, but it’s also been designed so it’s suitable for freestyle.
The buoyancy of traditional wetsuits interrupts the natural undulation of breaststroke and causes the feet to break the surface of the water when kicking, something that our test of the original version noted in 2021. Traditional suits also constrain the flexibility needed to perform a lateral kicking motion.
The Aspect addresses this by using thinner SCS and Smoothskin neoprene along with high-stretch nylon panels. It wasn’t easy for this tester to get on and is quite tight, so you may want to consider sizing up. Otherwise, it acts like a second skin and feels very technical.
