Blueseventy Reaction wetsuit review

Blueseventy’s heady days of being the wetsuit of choice for the Brownlee brothers may be a distant memory (which also applies to their defunct range of tri-suits), but the brand still knows how to knock out a fantastic wetsuit, as evidenced in the Blueseventy Reaction.

The price tag (£450/$600) may be higher than most in the mid-range world, but there’s plenty here that’s trickled down from Blueseventy’s top-end Helix, one of triathlon’s most storied wetsuits.

Flexibility

These include the lithe 1.5mm 39-cell Yamamoto panels utilised on the arms, underarms and shoulders that provide plenty of stroke extension and near restriction-free swimming in the open water.

The arm cuffs are a neat idea for preventing water intrusion, but I did notice that the 1.5mm lower arms didn’t grip my (admittedly skinny) wrists as well as other suits we recently tested, such as the Raceskin RS02, resulting in a little neoprene bagginess.

Buoyancy and warmth

With the flexibility boxes ticked, the buoyancy is provided by a mix of neoprene thicknesses panels on the chest, hips and legs, with the 4mm and 5mm sections in the chest and legs especially seeming to provide a noticeable level of buoyancy and warmth.

The internal construction quality is of a very high standard, and I can vouch for the durability shown by my previous Reaction suits.

Blueseventy suggests using this Reaction in temperatures down to 12°C, but there’s also a winning Thermal Reaction if you want to swim in temperatures below that (Blueseventy aim that at down to 8.5°C) or regularly suffer from the effects of cold water.

Comfort and design

Happily, the 2021 version’s catch panels (and, subsequently, their weak plastic webbing that was liable to cracking) have been replaced, although I quite liked the 2021 model’s ‘V02’ chest panels, which have seemingly been consigned to the wetsuit wastepaper basket.

An issue of the previous Reaction suit was an excessively tight neckline, but that’s been remedied with a lower-cut neck here.

That lower neckline doesn’t come at the expense of letting water excessively intrude into the suit, and my neck stayed chafe-free after long-distance swims.

In terms of wetsuit removable, the 1.5mm panels on the forearms and lower legs help to slip the suit off ahead of T1, aided by the chunky and secure zipper.

The striking visuals are also an improvement on 2021’s subdued number, with flashes of orange and, naturally, blue colours and a smart Blueseventy logo. This stylish 2023 version is set to be superseded soon with a somewhat brash red and silver number, however, so you may well find it discounted online.

The bottom line

The big question is whether this 2023 version justifies the £515 spend, which sees it straddling the mid/top-end wetsuit world. For cash-conscious triathletes, I’d question that there’s enough here that warrants spending over £100 more than the £379 Orca Athlex Flow.

See our list of the best triathlon wetsuits for more options worth considering. For cheaper options, check out our pick of the best budget triathlon wetsuits.

Blueseventy Reaction wetsuit specs

Price:	£450 / $600
Available from:	Blueseventy UK / Blueseventy US
Sizes:	XS, SM, SMT, M, MT, ML, L, XL, XXL
Thickness:	From 1.5mm in the arms to 5mm in the core and upper legs
Material:	Yamamoto smooth-skin neoprene with an SCS coating