Sumarpo Hyper Fast Eco Swimrun Wetsuit Review
Triathlon and swimrun brand, Sumarpo are making waves in swimrun with an exciting new collection of swimrun wetsuits launched. Sumarpo have entered the market with a bang and offer a whopping range of six different swimrun wetsuits, we take a more detailed look at the Hyper Fast Eco Swimrun Wetsuit.
Born out of the UK, with headquarters in the USA – Sumarpo have strong eco-credentials and are sponsors for market leading event organisers, Mudskipper Swimrun, Canada and As Keen As Mustard Events, UK who both have a strong base of participants who are new to swimrun.
With the help of specialist UK swimrun shop, Fenland Runner and some initial basic testing, we took a look at the Hyper Fast Eco Swimrun Wetsuit. Will it live up to the hype?
Fenland Runner’s John, shares our excitement in seeing a new raft of swimrun suits launched specifically liking the fact that ‘the arrival of a new alternative and eco-friendly wetsuit brand that encompasses swimrun as a worthy and progressive sector of the open water swimming marketplace’.
How flexible and comfortable is the wetsuit?
Perhaps the most important criteria when considering a swimrun suit, is how comfortable to run in the wetsuit and do have full range of motion, along with buoyancy and warmth in the water.
Weighing in at 350g, it is one of the lightest suits on the market with only ARK Sports offering a lighter suit. It is a comfortable suit with 1.5mm of neoprene on the chest area and 1.3mm on the upper legs.
It coped well with dynamic transitions and was relatively easy to cab down on longer run sections. A light wetsuit build creates warmth from a snug fit over relying on the thickness of neoprene.
What about the extras
With bold colours and one back pocket, that is enough storage for your race essentials (cup, whistle, bandage, spare goggles and perhaps 1-2 gels), although for longer races you would need additional storage such as a vest or waist belt. Sleeves are an additional purchase for the Hyper Fast.
Drawbacks
The Hyper Fast has been rated suitable for 18 degrees water temperature, we think it is probably suitable for 14/15 degrees but if you go by the spec it might limit you to what waters you can race in Northern Europe & USA.
It is a new brand within swimrun. Although an exciting proposition, our experience with swimrun wetsuit brands is that it takes several iterations, product development and usage in races to create robust ,comfortable and reliable wetsuits.
The verdict
It is an intriguing wetsuit and a solid choice in the mid-range bracket. Swimrun.com thinks the weight and build are big positives along with understanding that the brand will continue to make improvements to the range. We look forward to hearing how athletes get on it with Sumarpo this year.
Price
Starting at £199, this puts the Sumarpo in the competitive mid-range to top-end pricing bracket. UK customers can buy Sumarpo from Fenland Runner and customers from the rest of the world can purchase from the Sumarpo website.
