Arena's Powerskin R-EVO Jammer is a high-end suit packed with features. The suit is made from Arena's Z-Raptor+ fabric and is constructed with thermo-bonded seams. It's one of the most hydro-dynamic jammer's on the market today.
Description
Arena has been a major provider of swimwear for over 35 years and is currently headquartered in Tolentio, Italy. The company claims to have been the first swimwear manufacturer to research fluid dynamics and how various textiles can be used to reduce drag.
In 2010, FINA prohibited the use of full-length suits. After that, jammers quickly became the most common type of race suits for men. The jammer swimsuit must abide by strict FINA requirements before they will approve them for racing. The swimsuit must be manufactured from a weaved textile and must not cover the swimmer’s knees.
The material of the swim jammer is perhaps the biggest thing to consider when buying a swimsuit. In the last decade we have seen a lot of breakthroughs in the fabric used for race swimsuits. Many of these developments are aimed at developing a suit which is light and water-repellant.
The Arena Powerskin R-EVO Jammer does not disappoint in this area and is made from a lightweight fabric composed of 64% Polyamide and 36% Elastane, called Z-Raptor+. The suit weighs less than 100g which, according to Arena, makes it the lightest 100%-textile swimsuit ever produced.
As well as offering more effective materials, leading swimsuit brands are additionally using inventive manufacturing techniques that are also focused on decreasing the swimsuit’s drag factor as much as possible. For example, production methods which use bonding, rather than the conventional stitching, help decrease drag created by the swimsuit’s seams.
Again, the Powerskin R-EVO Jammer over-delivers in this area. The suit is currently the only one-piece design with themo-bonded seams, meaning there are no stitches and the suit has no seams on the front.
One last thing to consider when selecting a swim jammer is the suit’s fit. Using optimal fabrics and production processes, competition jammers try to compress the swimmer’s muscle mass. As well as helping to make the swimmer much more streamline, this compression helps with oxygen circulation which helps the swimmer’s recovery. Arena’s Z-Raptor+ fabric and their one-piece design process deliver excellent compression, which reduces surface and form drag.
Both FINA and NCAA have sanctioned this swimsuit for competition. The R-EVO is only available in black and in sizes 24-34. The women’s equivalent of this suits is Arena’s Powerskin R-EVO Full Body/Short Leg Suit.
The Powerskin R-EVO Jammer is Arena’s top-of-the line swim jammer. They also offer the Powerskin ST Jammer and the Powerskin XP Jammer. The XP Jammer also uses the Z-Raptor fabric while the ST Jammer uses a cheaper X-Raptor material.
Ratings & Reviews
Do you own this suit? If so, please rate it below and share your thoughts.
[starratingmulti id=1 tpl=32]Great Suit
I’ve used Speedo, TYR, Nike, and now Arena technical suits and the Arena was by far the best suit. I wore it for my state meet and had great success with it. It’s definitely the fastest material. It makes you feel like your gliding through the water. Also it was very comfortable which I was surprised about. It has the perfect balance of compression without being restraining. It also holds up pretty well. I would highly recommend it. Overall, it was definitely worth the money.