Castelli Core Tri Suit review
It's pretty rare for a budget tri-suit to score 90% in testing. Here's how the Castelli Core breaks the mould and why you should care.

220 Triathlon Verdict
Slick, stylish, and good value. A winner for sprint, Olympic, and 70.3 racing. Score: 90%
Pros
- High-quality materials and fit
- Long-distance comfort
- Thoughtful features
Cons
- Sizing can be tricky
Top Italian outfit Castelli’s tri-suit range isn’t huge and they’re still a brand more associated with cycling than multisport, but with the Core Tri Suit, they now boast two of this decade’s great tri-suits.
The other suit is the PR 2 Speed Suit, which excelled in our wind-tunnel and tri-suit tests last year and is very much Iron-distance friendly. With a $400/£360 price tag, however, it’s not so friendly on the wallet, which is where the cheaper $180/£169 Core comes in.
How we test tri-suits
Each tri-suit we review gets put through the same level of testing, including numerous bike, bike, runs, triathlons, AND brick sessions, of varying distances over the period of several weeks at a minimum. We test against a range of criteria, including comfort, breathability, support, stability, pocket capacity, durability, aerodynamics, and value. For more details, see how we rate and test products.
Comfort and fit

Of the budget tri suits I’ve tested over the years, the Core instantly feels higher end; the luxurious, silky material sitting close to the skin with no hints of restriction or hot spots.
That comfort is aided by raw-cut sleeves on both the arms and legs and a classy internal fit with tidy seam work and quality construction.
The arms sit on the skin without the need for any bands, while the brand’s GIRO4 flat leg grippers are the most comfortable and supportive here, aided by silicone strips to hold the legs in place.
Both leg and arm sleeves are lengthy and raw-cut for added aerodynamics, although the textured fabric of the PR 2 Speed Suit is absent.

There’s also a pure black version, but I like the fresh look of this Belgian Blue and White option, which comes in XS to 3XL sizing (female racers also get the Black and a Belgian Blue/Bright Rose option).
I’m between a small and medium for most brands and would definitely recommend sizing up if you’re between sizes, but it’s not furiously tight like some previous Castelli suits or some of their cycling jerseys.
Performance and features
Castelli’s cycling roots used to show in their overly large triathlon pads, but they’ve since remedied that to great effect, their KISS Tri chamois offering plenty of padding for long-course races but not proving bothersome on the run.
The pad is the one in this test that I’d want to attempt 90 or 180km racing in, proving both quick-drying and plump enough for long-distance racing.
The 3/4-length YKK front zip has a small yet effective zipper garage at the top and remained irritation-free.

I’d personally prefer a breakaway zipper for middle-distance and up, but speedier athletes who swallow less water on the swim than me won’t mind the lack of toilet convenience.
Continuing the long-distance appeal are the kangaroo-style duo of rear pockets, which didn’t produce drag in the pool and are sizeable enough for plenty of gels and energy bars on the bike and run.
They’re also easy to reach into and lengthy for stashing the tallest of energy gels.
The bottom line
Overall, then, the Castelli Core is a wonderful suit for both short-course and middle-distance racing and one that’s very hard to find fault with!
Castelli Core Tri Suit specs
Price: | $179.99 / £169 |
Sizing: | XS-3XL |
Pockets: | 2 |
Breakaway zip? | No |