Santini Torpe tri-suit review

With a lack of arm sleeves and a rear zipper, the Torpe from top Italians Santini is unlike any of the other top-end suits on display in our 2024 test of the best tri-suits.

Those measures see the Torpe lack versatility compared to the multi-distance competition, but it certainly finds the niche of being a short-course suit for non-wetsuit swim legs.

The Torpe is the result of several studies that Santini conducted with the Italian national triathlon squad ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympic Games, which was a non-wetsuit swim in the River Seine. (The Italians have since further designed an exclusive suit for the Olympics, so this is the retail version).

Design and comfort

Out of the packet, and I like the Stone Roses-esque paint-splattered design and the ultra-lightweight (170g for a men’s medium) material and chamois is instantly apparent.

Onto the body and, as someone who very rarely wears a sleeveless tri-suit, I’m quickly reminded of the pros and cons of vested designs.

There’s an instant upper-body freedom on the swim leg with a lack of sleeves, proving unrestrictive on the first discipline.

The downside of the sleeveless design, aside from the lack of protection from UV rays (slather up on suncream if you’re wearing this on especially bright days), is the major seam that sits under the armpits to stop water intrusion.

I found the Torpe’s seam uncomfortable under the armpits with some digging into the skin from the sizeable seams on the bike and run legs, especially.

The leg grippers are also adept at preventing water intrusion but I did find them a little tight when vertical on the bike and run legs, with a slight whiff of sausage-leg syndrome.

Swim performance

More positively, the suit’s hydrodynamic material beads water and the lack of any pockets help minimise aquatic drag.

The rear zipper construction and ‘thermos-welded trim’ around the collar also ensure that water intrusion down the neck is limited.

That zipper also locks in place via a Cam Lock system and I’d have few worries about it being pulled down on the swim leg.

The rear zipper also reduces the chance of rubbing on the front of the neck or chest from the zipper, and it even has a full-length zipper guard to stop rubbing and reduce the chance of water intrusion through the zipper.

Storage and chamois

Swim leg ticked off with success, and the Torpe’s lack of versatility is displayed on the bike and run leg.

There are no pockets for nutrition, which isn’t an issue for sprint-distance speedsters, but could be a factor for Olympic-distance athletes.

The most divisive factor is the extremely limited depth of the barely-there chamois, which might not absorb water in the pool/sea and is barely noticeable on the run, but offers a miniscule amount of padding on the bike leg.

Again, fine for sprint-distance but Olympic-distance bottoms may need to look elsewhere.

Aero performance

In our wind tunnel testing with The Bike Tailor at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub the Torpe performed surprisingly well.

Its performance over our baseline suit at a 7.5° yaw angle (the amount of crosswind on your bike) was a mighty 60secs quicker at 30km/h and 38secs swifter at 40km/h over a 40km bike leg with the rider on tri-bars.

The results means it more than holds its own against many short-sleeved contenders.

The bottom line

Overall, if you’re a short-course speedster who excels in non-wetsuit swims, there’s plenty of appeal here.

But’s there’s also the issue of availability, with the Torpe only available as a custom suit with prices starting at a pricey £222.26 for a minimum of five units.

One-off custom suit prices are also available on application, but nudges it more into tri club territory.

Santini Torpe tri-suit specs

Price:	From £222.26
Available from:	Santini
Sizing:	Available on request
Pockets:	None
Breakaway zip?	No, rear zip