I visited Zone3 to check out the new, redesigned Aspire wetsuit – and here’s all you need to know

British triathlon brand Zone3 is heading toward 20 years since its founding and, with the new Aspire wetsuit, continues to innovate and evolve. I headed to Woking to meet the brains behind a British success story and to check out the next version of an iconic wetsuit…

“This was the first wetsuit I sent into 220 Triathlon to test and we scored 10 out of 10. We never looked back.” The words of James Lock, founder of Zone3, set adrift on multisport memory bliss.

I’ve headed to Send near Woking, Zone3’s HQ for the launch of the 2025 Aspire wetsuit. I was editor of 220 when Zone3 launched their first products in 2009.

Lock, one day shy of 40 when we meet, retains the chiselled visage and lithe physique that once saw him race elite with a VO2max in the 80s. I, on the other hand, am 48, a stone heavier and grey whiskers dominate.

“You don’t look any different,” Lock says. I don’t know whether to take it as a compliment or an insult.

I guess we’ve both evolved. Just like Zone3 and the popular 2025 Aspire wetsuit, a suit that symbolises a 15-year-plus British success story, of wetsuits sold from the boot of a car to a global brand that now has warehouses in Gatwick and Holland.

Eco-friendly upgrade

The 2025 Aspire wetsuit has undergone several incarnations since that 10/10 debutant model but, not surprisingly for the company’s most popular suit, has retained its performance DNA.

“Every model it’s a case of refinement, of improving fit and searching for new, innovative materials,” says Lock of not only the Aspire but the product range as a whole, which also includes tri-suits, goggles, swimwear and accessories.

“We don’t make changes for changes sake, but the change for this year is one of the biggest and one of the most exciting as while it possesses the same level of advanced technology you associate with 2025 Aspire wetsuit, it now uses upgraded B-Prene, a biodegradable neoprene. 

“When Yamamoto offered us the chance to help them with the development of biodegradable neoprene, which doesn’t exist anywhere else in the industry at the moment, we seized the opportunity. Last year, we successfully launched the Vision wetsuit in B-Prene, which went onto win [US magazine] Triathlete’s Wetsuit of the Year Award. Now, we’ve introduced it to our best-loved model.”

Several sizes and colourways are on display against the bucolic backdrop of fields and the River Wey, so close you could be splashed by one of the many serene swans floating past the window.

It’s certainly a slick-looking wetsuit that, says Lock, combines the comfort, speed and flexibility that the Aspire’s become known for. It features 25 individual panels and uses nine premium materials (six for women), but this time with an explicit commitment to reduce environmental impact. B-Prene is designed to bio-degrade by 30% in landfill conditions within 522 days. 

Sustainability plays an increasing focus at the British company, so much so that they have a sustainability team of three with one member obtaining a masters in sustainability. The Activate+ triwear is also moving to recycled materials this season.

“Yes, we apply a lot of science to our products, including many hours in the wind tunnel for our tri-suits, but more important is the feedback from triathletes and open-water swimmers, be it newcomers or experienced athletes.“

“Last year, we had a member of staff whose sole remit was to take the Zone3 van and drive around the country visiting triathlon clubs getting feedback on our new kit. It’s invaluable and the most important part of the product development cycle.”

To that end, Zone3 recently booked out Loughbourgh University’s world-class 50m pool for three days of testing, bringing together the triathlon community – beginners, intermediates and high-level athletes – to see how swimming in their range of wetsuits, from Aspire to the premium Vanquish, affected physiological and performance metrics like blood lactate, heart rate, distance per stroke and overall time.

“It’s exciting and really shows what Zone3 is about,” says Lock. “To show how we design suits with unrestricted flexibility through the arms and shoulders, and how we focus on buoyancy control, which is so important for most people around the core and legs, but not at the expense of efficiency of kick. And how we cut drag through the water.

Lots of beginner triathletes and swimmers don’t realise the difference swimming with a well-fitted, quality wetsuit has on their swim stroke. It gives you that support and holds you on top of the water as you project forward. Compare that with swimming in baggy shorts and it’s night and day.”

From small acorns grow great oaks

As is the evolution of Zone3, from humble beginnings to global British brand. The story starts in the mid-2000s at Loughborough University where Lock was juggling the academic, sport and commerce. “It was a busy time. I studied architectural engineering, but had won a sports scholarship for triathlon, too, so was training 20 hours per week.“

“I was also nipping down to the post office every day posting out products I’d been selling on eBay. A couple years before I started university, I’d set up a small company that bought and sold car parts, cars and electronic products. I kept it going to help pay for the tuition fees. Training, racing, a degree, a small business and trying to lead the life of a student that frequents the student union. It was hard work.”

Lock graduated with a first and had a decision to make: race in the elite ranks, maximising the world-class training facilities at Loughborough, or join a big construction company that’d make use of his degree but would leave little time to swim, bike and run? He chose the former, though Lock knew triathlon in the 2000s meant much effort for very little fiscal reward.

“In the last year of university, I entered a business competition and the prize was a desk in the university’s innovation centre. That’s where the idea of Zone3 was born. I thought if I can find a gap in the market and create a strong product, it’ll cover the cost of my training and racing, of my lifestyle, which was pretty simple. That would be a success in itself.”

That gap opened up in training. Elite triathlon is demanding. You make many sacrifices on the quest for peak performance. But it does afford you time to think, whether that’s during a daily 90-minute swim, three-hour bike or one-hour run session. That’s what Lock did, shining the light on himself and what could improve his triathlon performance. No easy task for an athlete whose swim prowess was such that the French professional clubs he raced for – La Rochelle and  Les Sables d’Olonne – christened him ‘The Dolphin’. 

“I tested the other wetsuits on the market, received feedback from others, and worked out what was right and wrong with them,” he says. “I then created a blueprint of what would be the best wetsuit on the market in terms of speed, comfort, flexibility and practicality.”

Between 2006 and 2009, and after three years of drawings, development, sampling and repeat, Lock and Zone3’s first wetsuit was launched into the big, bad world and received plaudits from the public and 220 alike with the rare award of that perfect 10.

A key differentiator from the competition came in the form of silicone-coated cuffs, called Pro Speed, that ensured a lightning-fast T1. “At that time, so many people were haemorrhaging time in transition because they couldn’t get their wetsuits off. If you’re racing at elite level, where it’s draft-legal on the bike, missing that opening pack through inadequate gear sees all your efforts and preparation washed down the drain.”

Impact of 2012

Zone3 had gained traction. Lock continued to balance his new company and elite racing, his multisport palmares now featuring world biathlon and aquathlon titles, plus racing at European triathlon level. Things were simmering nicely on a national level, but the thermostat cranked up in 2012 where the global platform of the London Olympics gave them international recognition.

“We had increasing customers internationally as well as at home. That’s when I dropped elite racing and focused solely on Zone3, enjoying instant results. I brought in staff, could spend more time travelling internationally to see potential customers, devote more time into products and development. 

“Also, for the first time, we had a bit of leftover cash for marketing. I’d never spent on marketing before. Until then, certainly in the early days, I’d visit lakes with a load of Zone3 wetsuits in the boot, explain my elite story and ask them to try the suits out. Now,
we could extend our reach.

We went from Zone3, known  for great products, to Zone3, a credible business. “From there, we’ve enjoyed a number of tiny milestones, from Zone3 leading out races by pro athletes at top events to sponsorship of London and Blenheim, or high-profile awards in media around the world. A million things come together to say this brand’s going in the right direction.”

Overcoming the pandemic

That doesn’t mean there haven’t been challenges, of course. Brexit and changes in government policy have created a headache for many, especially small-to-medium businesses like Zone3. Then there’s the pandemic that saw a sport reliant on racing shut down. 

“It was a worrying time and, suffice to say, we sold very few trisuits. But we then noticed green shoots of recovery in the form of open-water swimming. People wanted to break out from the indoors and enjoy the great outdoors. We’ve always been dynamic, hard-working and pivot quickly, so we ensured that we could drive through orders and create sufficient stock of products like entry-level wetsuits, neoprene socks and neoprene accessories.

“We also learnt from our new audience and brought out a wetsuit specifically for breaststroke called ‘Aspect’. Before Covid we might not have thought about that. But so many new people coming into open-water swimming didn’t want to front crawl.”

Responding further to market needs, the Aspect has been replaced this year by the ‘Active Flex’ which  has been further developed to not only be great for breaststroke but all types of swimming and sports such as SUP and surfing.

“It’s for the swimmer who might swim a couple times a month or even just a few times a year. It’s not performance-focused, albeit I raced against one of the staff members who’s also an elite triathlete last year and wasn’t far behind. But it’s more about versatility, so can be used in Cornwall on family holidays, or surfing, or for SUP.”

Lock concedes that triathlon’s taken a while to recover from Covid but sees 2025 as the turning point where it’ll regain momentum and attract a new audience. “Our philosophy as a brand is to make swimming easier and more fun, which we do,” Lock says. “We know newcomers are nervous about the swim, but our wetsuits instil confidence.

“Likewise intermediate athletes. They want to save energy and feel fresher to take on the rest of the race. Every 1-metre or 2-metre gain is a benefit. And if elites can create a little less lactate, can keep heart rate a little lower through a wetsuit that’s more efficient, then that’s a huge selling point for them.”

What lies ahead

It’s exciting times for both the sport and Zone3. In 2024, they became employee-owned, freeing up Lock to focus on the parts of the company in which he feels he can have the most impact, while working as part of a strong team to take Zone3 forward. “We’ll also continue to support charities like Level Water, which delivers swim lessons for disabled children.”

Does he see any areas that are particularly rife for growth? “Goggles. Our goggles offer great vision and great clarity, and they’re leak-proof. When you create a product that you know can compete with the biggest swim-goggle brands in the world, there’s opportunity there.”

“Ultimately, we’ve always been a pioneering brand that delivers quality product backed up by excellent customer service,” Lock adds. “That’ll continue thanks to the grassroots feedback we’ve always enjoyed from age-group triathletes. It’s a great sport and one which we’re proud to be at the heart of.”

We’re looking forward to trying out the new version of the iconic 2025 Aspire wetsuit here at 220 and wish Zone3 all the best for their next era. With that in mind, over to 220’s Editor Helen Webster who was the first to try the new Aspire in the water…

Anatomy of the Aspire

The 2025 Aspire wetsuit wetsuit balances performance and eco-credentials. Here are the key points of spec:

2. The Aerodome-enhanced buoyancy panels (male version only; not needed in women’s suits due to increased buoyancy) provide 30% more buoyancy than standard neoprene, helping to streamline your swim and conserve energy

3. Super Composite Skin (SCS) nano-coating reduces drag to an industry-leading drag coefficient of just 0.021, compared to 4.0 for standard neoprene. 

4. The X-10 Extreme one-piece shoulder panel, made from #40 SCS-coated Yamamoto neoprene, provides 360° stretch across the torso and shoulders for greater flexibility, enabling maximum reach with every stroke and reducing fatigue for improved endurance.

First swims in the Aspire

While James may have been lucky enough to visit Zone3 to find out about the evolution of the Aspire, it fell to me to try the wetsuit out for the first time.

I’ll be writing a full review for the pages of 220 Triathlon and this website soon, once I’m back from putting it through its paces in an UltraSwim 33.3 event in Croatia over the coming days (nothing like 33.3 kilometres of swimming in the sea to really tell you if you love a wetsuit or not!).

Initial impressions though? Wow. The 2025 Zone3 Aspire is a suit that is buttery-soft from the moment you pull it from the packaging.

I’ve swum in a lot of wetsuits in my 14+ years on 220 Triathlon and as neoprene quality and suit technology has improved I’ve found them more flexible and easier to move in in recent years.

Nothing I’ve pulled on before has felt quite like the new Aspire, though. It slides on in moments and the silver cuffs and ankles combined with multi-colour graphics make it look good, too (plus my other half nods with approval at those cuffs, as they’ll make me easier to spot in races!).

I’m testing a women’s size L but given the softness of the B-prene I’ve asked if I can try a M/L as well as I think sizing down might hit that sweet spot between fit, flexibility and comfort.

During my initial swims though I found the Aspire gave me enough support in the water to help me slip easily though the water, but without unnecessary added buoyancy. As a floatier female swimmer, I really appreciate Zone3 leaving the Aerodome panels in the lower body just to the men!

My first swims have been up to around 4 km in training and it’s safe to say the new Aspire has already bagged a spot in my kit bag for the year ahead. Full review coming soon, but for now, it’s a thumbs up from me!