Compressport Aero SS tri-suit review

With a limited amount of elastane, the woolly nylon microfibre composition of the Compressport Aero SS is unlike any of the suits on test here.

In fact, it’s unlike any tri-suit I’ve tested since Endurance Junkie’s Sportwool number over a decade ago.

The suit is the result of research and testing with Compressport’s sponsored athletes and with the Groupama–FDJ professional cycling team in a bid to find the optimum balance between aerodynamics and comfort.

That development process also included sessions in the wind tunnel, which no doubt contributes to the £200+ price tag. Does that all add up to one of the best tri-suits around? Let’s take a look…

Design and comfort

That said, out of the box I actually thought the Aero SS would cost more given to the multitude of fabric and knitted panels used in the suit’s lightweight (192g for a medium) composition.

And yet, despite Compressport’s heritage, I didn’t feel a huge amount of compression or muscle support on display and would recommend going down a size if you’re between sizes. Which is a rare piece of advice in top-end tri-suits.

More positively, that microfibre weave is incredibly soft on the legs, with comfort further aided by the low-key but effective leg grippers and the flawless, flatlock stitching that’s located within.

The arm sleeves sit softly on the skin, but there are others on test that hug the skin closer.

The quality construction throughout suggests long-term durability and multi-season use.

The breathability provided by the mesh arms and legs is great for when the mercury rises on the run leg, but there are quicker suits to dry after the swim leg amongst the top-end contenders of 2024.

The perforated Compressport chamois, however, is definitely on the slimmer side, and 70.3 racing would be my absolute limit riding in this.

The full-length breakaway zipper is appreciated for toilet stops, but there are more effective zipper garages elsewhere.

The two large, open rear pockets are ideal for stashing snacks and easily reaching them, but this design led to issues with hydrodynamics in the pool due to the pockets filling with water, so I’d only use the Compressport Aero SS for wetsuit swims.

Aero performance

The Compressport Aero SS performed strongly in 220’s wind-tunnel tests at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub with The Bike Tailor.

Its performance over our baseline suit at a 7.5° yaw angle (simply, the amount of crosswind on your bike) was 43secs faster when cycling at 30km/h and 46secs faster at 40km/h over a 40km bike leg with a rider on the tri-bars.

The results put it mid-table in our test of 13 suits, but it’s a noteworthy performance given the lower £220 price tag compared to the likes of Surpas, Castelli and Zone3.

Aesthetics

The black, grey and red colourway looks great from afar (female racers get a Black/Jazzy version for a fiver more).

However, a chief problem with the Aero SS is that the material leaves absolutely nothing to the imagination in the nether regions especially, with the short pad also failing to disguise anything down there.

The result is a suit that made me very self-conscious about wearing it out of the house (I got enough stick from my family inside for that), which isn’t what you want when you’re looking for a suit that should make you feel on top of the world on triathlon race day.

Compressport Aero SS tri-suit specs

Price:	£220
Available from:	Compressport
Sizes:	S-XL (men’s), XS-L (women’s)
Pockets:	2
Breakaway zip?	Yes