Caring for your Tech Suit
The effectiveness of elite-level tech suits is credited to their specialised material, snug fit and hydrophobic qualities. However, these same characteristics also render them delicate. Taking proper care of your tech suit can significantly extend its lifespan.
Here are some essential care practices to get the most out of your investment:
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Putting it on: It's important to take precautions when putting on your suit to avoid stretching or ripping. The key is to be patient and gentle with the fabric, ensuring the sections are correctly positioned over your body as you slowly inch it up. Use a skin lubricant such as TRISLIDE to ease over areas of resistance. Click here to learn about putting on your tech suit correctly.
- Rinse: After each use, rinse your tech suit in cold water to remove chlorine and other pool chemicals which can degrade the suit’s material over time, leading to reduced elasticity and durability.
- Wash: Only hand-wash with a gentle detergent and cold water. Never put your tech suit in the washing machine or dryer!
- Dry: Air dry your tech suit by laying it flat on a clean towel. Hanging it up can stretch the material. And never leave it in your swim bag when wet!
- Store: Once completely dry, store it in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight. Avoid folding it to prevent creases and damage to the material.
Signs of wear and when to replace
With each swim, your tech suit will slowly be losing its compression and water repellent qualities. This reduced efficacy can slow you down in the water, indicating that it’s time for a new suit. Knowing when your suit needs replacing is important for optimal performance on race day.
Here are some signs that your tech suit may be nearing the end of its lifespan:
- Loss of compression
- Fabric thinning, especially in high-stress areas
- Your suit is absorbing more water than it used to
While we recommend saving your best suit for the most important races, you can still keep your older tech suits on rotation, using them for less critical races, preliminaries or race-pace training days.