Blu Smooth MK2 Comp wetsuit review

This weeks post comes from Yvonne who has been reviewing the Blu Smooth MK2 Comp wetsuit. Yvonne has conducted a number of awesome swim reviews previously and is a serious open water swimmer.

Review Summary

The Blu Smooth Mk2 Comp was surprisingly comfortable. Especially for a long sleeve wetsuit, which I’m usually a little wary of for race day. It was super easy to take on and off. Far better than any of the other brands I’ve used before. Comfort is the priority for me over the tech spec, and with a price tag of around £240, this feels a great buy and I would highly recommend it.

Trivelo Score 4 / 5

Pros

• Very comfortable and super smooth inside lining
• Super flexible and minimal restrictions in areas were you most want it (especially around your shoulders)
• No chafing due to lower cut and softer collar
• Easy to get on and off 
• Good quality 
• Great value

Cons

• Unisex sizing may affect your regular size choice
• Excess material under armpits may not look like a perfect fit 

Introduction

Over the past 10 years I’ve regularly participated in middle distance triathlons and swimming is by far my favourite of the three disciplines. I love open water swimming and between May and September you’ll find me down at our local reservoir enjoying the peaceful early morning vibes. 

First Impression of Blu Smooth MK2 Comp

I’d not previously heard of Blu Smooth until being asked to review this wetsuit, though I’m certainly glad to have been introduced to the brand. 

The wetsuit arrived in a small mash bag with Blu Smooth lettering which is great for storage and carrying your wetsuit after training. It doesn’t come with any gloves, booties or instructions but as I will explain more in detail later, the gloves or booties were not missed.

At first glance, the wetsuit looked much the same as any of my other brands I currently swim in or have had in the past (Zone 3 Vision, Zoot Wakiner 1, Blue Seventy Reaction). However, I did soon notice how soft and smooth the inner lining on the main body panels were.

Read more on the Blu Smooth Mk1 Racer wetsuit review that James took through its paces.

Swimming Experience / Performance

The suit was super easy to put on with the stopwatch barely passing 1min. Nothing pinched, I didn’t break out in a sweat pulling the suit over my legs and upper body, and the zip was super easy to close.

I started using the wetsuit in early May when the water temperature was still only 10 degrees celsius and didn’t manage much longer than 15min. Though as the water temperature steadily increased over the coming weeks, so did the duration of my swims. The recommended temperature on the website is 12-22 degrees and my sweet spot was between 16-18 degrees. I was able to swim comfortably for about an hour without feeling cold or any restriction in my arms or shoulder movement. In fact, I almost forgot I was wearing a long sleeve wetsuit. The buoyancy on the legs was great (almost a too much) but it does give you the reassurance of a good and safe swim especially if you train alone. 

When the water temperature reached 20 degrees, the suit started to feel too warm for me, so I reverted back to using one of my sleeveless suits. 

Wetsuit Sizing

All my wetsuits are a size S, so I chose S again not realising that ‘Blu smooth’ wetsuits come in unisex sizes. As you can see in the picture, there is quite a bit of extra material under the armpits which doesn’t look particular great, yet actually provides you that extra space around your shoulders and arm rotation. It is hard to say if the sizing is a bit off and a size down might be an even better fit or if this is intentionally to allow more flexibility

Specifications of the Blu Smooth Mk2 Comp

Thickness    5mm chest and thigh panels and 1.5 mm shoulder and underarm panel                        

Buoyancy     Definitely noticeable in the legs and would help swimmers with ‘sinking legs’

                      and you can comfortably lay on your back, take a rest and float without                   

                   sinking too quickly

Technology  Jako Smoothskin – Jack MSL25

                   ‘Torso-Flex’ panels on the front groin area

Alternatives to the Blu Smooth Mk2 Comp wetsuit

Zone 3 Vision – as you can see on the picture, due to a very tight cut around the shoulders and under the arm pits, the wetsuit started ripping in the area with the most movement. It also takes a good 2mind 30 sec to get on and fully zip up. 

Zoot Wakiner 1 – this is my go to race suit as I prefer to race in sleeveless wetsuits as I can get them on super quick and wearing a watch is not an issue. Only problem with this one, it has a high neckline and can feel restricted at times which does need getting used to and using anti chafing cream is definitely recommended. 

Would I buy this?

Yes, absolutely I would.

I can honestly say that this suit has made my swims something to look forward to. The comfort, feel and flexibility was spot on and felt a really high end product (especially at around the same price as my other wetsuits). I also didn’t experience any pinching or chafing in areas you may expect it, which gets a big thumbs up. 

Thank you Blu Smooth for letting me test your product 🙂

Yvonne 

Video Review of Blu Smooth Mk2 Comp Wetsuit

Hear Yvonne talking about her review of the wetsuit and perfect conditions for it.

About the Author

Yvonne Freiherr

Hi,my name is Yvonne and I’m an amateur triathlete who got into to the sport due to a knee injury after hiking in the Andes 9 years ago. Up to this point, I’d never really swam and the first thing I learnt was front crawl and building up endurance. Straight away I fell in love with the water and once able to maintain front crawl for 2km, I was out and about swimming in lakes and oceans. Open water swimming is now my passion and I take any opportunity to jump in.

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