Review: needessentials' 6/4/3 liquid thermal hooded chest zip wetsuit
As the hottest ever British summer comes to an end, most dread the dropping temperatures. Meanwhile, we dream of autumn swell and pray for the arrival of low pressure. The waves have been few and far between on Gower this summer, albeit some fun ankle biting long boarding sessions, so you can imagine our excitement as the Atlantic woke from its slumber this last fortnight.
Review #001:
To get you ready for winter, we’re starting a series of reviews. We hope this will get you up to speed with the latest (and best) kit out there to help you surf to your best ability. And there’s no better time to start thinking about your kit than in the run up to winter. A good suit, boots and gloves can seriously prolong your surf time and, quite literally, save your life. Think less “all the gear and no idea” and more “having the right gear is a good idea”.
We’re starting with one of the best - and most affordable - women’s winter wetsuits on the market; needessentials’ 6/4/3 liquid thermal hooded chest zip suit (£279).
Who are needessentials?
Founded in 2013 by Ryan Scanlon, needessentials is a brand that’s all about consuming less and living more simply.
“By forgoing all non-essentials like, branding, swing tags, excessive packaging, middle men, expensive marketing campaigns and high street rents, needessentials can offer world class wetsuits at a fraction of the price. We only use the best developers, materials, components and manufacturers available and we pride ourselves on the warmth, flexibility and durability of our wetsuits and surf accessories.”
They say by getting rid of all non essentials (hence the name), and just focusing on what makes a wetsuit great, they are able to provide high quality wetsuits for a fraction of the cost.
To put it plainly, they’re about making wetsuits ethically for surfers who want premium suits without the expensive price tag. And at £279, they are certainly one of the most affordable on the market.
Let’s take a look at Patagonia’s hooded suit for instance, which comes in at £480. Finisterre’s hooded suit is considerably cheaper, but is still over £100 more at £395.
Environmental impact
Unlike needessentials’ top of the range women’s winter suit, both of the suits we mention above are Yulex.
needessentials have recently started a line of neoprene free, Fair Trade Certified 4/3 and 3/2 Yulex suits, and further models and thickness of these natural rubber wetsuits are expected to be rolled out in due course, however; the 6/4/3 Liquid Thermal that we have tested is constructed with the highest grade limestone neoprene featuring carbon black (recycled tryes), aqua-a water based solvents and overseen by BLUESIGNS ensuring the trust and transparency in the materials and processes during production.
A key thing to note about needessentials is that they don't produce single use plastics, branding or advertising materials. While it might be nice to receive a fancy, designed booklet along with your wetsuit delivery, ultimately it does end up in the bin and these additions, along with branding and colourful palettes do not add to the performance of the wetsuit. I love that they rely on digital ads and word of mouth to get the word out. And you’ll see by their short films below that they’re more about showing women surfing in their suits than posing in their suits.
You can read more about needessentials’ responsible design here.
Women’s suits
I personally discovered needessentials via Facebook advertising in December 2018. Excited by the concept of a non-branded, “no bells or whistles”, all-black suit, I ventured onto their website. But they were yet to release a women’s winter suit. In March 2019, after some testing, they finally offered a women’s 5/4 thermal chest zip suit in most sizes so that us cold water lovers could get in on their non-branded, low price tag suits.
By today, needessentials are catering for women who surf in all conditions. And if you click on that webpage you’ll notice the diversity of women they’ve used to model their suits too. They are one of few brands celebrating non-white women in surfing (let alone cold water surfing!) It’s the minimum we should expect and we’re here for it.
One of my favourite collabs from needessentials is their work with Aiyana Powell and Johanna Brebner. With their stylish midshape surfing, they’re great ambassadors for women’s surfing. Their most recent short film Big Old Blue was shot by Ishka Folkwell in Tasmania (scroll down to see them surfing colder climates in the 6/4/3!)
Less is more
By now we’re gathered that anyone who owns a needessentials suit knows that less is definitely more. It’s the whole concept of the brand and what you’re buying into. The lack of branding is refreshing and stands out among the sea of Roxy, Rip Curl and Billabong wetsuit owners.
Having a brightly coloured suit is fun. It allows us to show off our personalities and bring a little colour to the winter. BUT, there’s something special about a sleek, all-black, well-fitted suit with all the right paneling. The suit has a premium vibe that makes you feel good in the water, whilst also getting rid of the snobbery of branding. And let’s not forget, this is about having the right gear and being warm enough to surf for longer.
If that’s not the ultimate goal, I don’t know what is.
Fit
Like finding the right pair of jeans, finally finding a wetsuit that fits perfectly is a very special thing. Much like all clothing, sizing differs between each brand (because of their different patterns and templates) and settling on the right one for you is a totally personal experience.
When I contacted needessentials, they suggested sizing up from my usual dress size as they found this usually worked for most women purchasing their suits. This was true for me (I’m a curvy size 8 and went up to a 10 and it fits me just right).
I’ve often found that women’s suits aren’t usually very forgiving when it comes to catering for curvier women (i.e. those with boobs and butt!) And usually sizing up means the suit gets baggy on the tummy or too long on the legs and arms. This wasn’t an issue for me with their suit (and if you check out the models on their website, you’ll notice they come in different sizes, some with bigger busts).
They also have a handy size chart on their website. I’d recommend getting the tape measure out and jotting down your measurements before ordering any wetsuit online (and, in the spirit of saving cash, needessentials are exclusively online).
They have a 14 day returns policy and a one year warranty on suits. Read more here.
Feel
When talking specifically about the thermal lined 6/4/3 hooded chest zip suit, there’s absolutely no doubt that this is a toasty wetsuit. If you feel the cold, then this is a good suit for you.
“Plush rapid dry thermal lining lines the inside of the wetsuit throughout the chest, and legs providing added comfort, warmth and function.”
Specially designed for Arctic conditions and extremely cold temperatures (between 1-8 degrees C), you’re not going to be cutting your sessions short from lack of warmth if you’re wearing this suit (with the right boots and gloves, of course).
If you’re in need of a little cold water surf inspo, watch Ishka Folkwell’s other short movie On Top of the World with Johanna and Aiyana below. They absolutely shred on their mid shapes in some of the coldest temperatures you can surf in on earth (and their wearing the suit we’re looking at here!)
I wore this suit in Wales from December ’til around April last season (which is at the higher end of the tested temperatures), and despite its extra bit of thickness, I didn’t find that I was overheating in it or felt restricted by it.
While I know many women are hood-wary, with the attached hood you always have the option of keeping it down until the water temperature really drops or if you want to feel the warmth on your face on those sunny days. It’s the best of both worlds without compromising your warmth.
I would personally always opt for a chest zip and an attached hood. The chest zip minimises flushing down your neck (is there anything worse?!) and the hood retains maximum body heat, so no brain freeze when duck diving or turtle rolling. Plus, unlike other suits, the fluffy thermal lining goes right into the inside of the hood.
I know a lot of people might be wary of the glued seams. I’ve always struggled a little with stitch seams, either from rubbing or eventual tearing over the years. The seams on this suit are 100% internally taped, glued and blind stitched with wider internal taping covering high stress areas. This minimises rubbing and hopefully means they lasts longer and there’s no risk of scagging.
In summary
If you’re a newbie going into your first winter of surf or if you’re a seasoned surfer looking for a new, warm, sustainable suit with a budget for this winter, then this is the perfect suit for you.
Scan the QR code below for a better price on your next needessentials women's wetsuit or use code DOTS23 at check-out. The final price of this offer will be displayed at check-out and is exclusive on needessentiasuk.com. Valid until 30/06/2023.
