The best wetsuits

• A reliable wetsuit protects you from cold water, ultimately allowing you to surf, swim, dive, or enjoy any other water-based sport far longer than if you didn't have one on.
• Choosing one wetsuit over another varies widely based on what you'll be doing in the water, so we've rounded up the best for a variety of activities based on personal testing and recommendations from surfers, divers, and water sport enthusiasts.
• Our top pick, the O'Neill Psycho Tech Wetsuit Line, is best for most people's wetsuit needs with its water-resistant neoprene material, top-notch stitching, and comfortable fit.

For anyone who doesn't live in places like Hawaii or Central and South America, wearing a wetsuit while surfing is a necessity. Paddling into a wave break with water hovering anywhere from 40 degrees Fahrenheit on up to 60 degrees means braving the incredible cold — but wear the right wetsuit and you'll quickly forget all about the hypothermia-inducing water temp (for the most part).

Surfing isn't the only water sport one might wear a wetsuit for, however. Paddleboarders, kayakers, and divers, among others, also don neoprene getups to keep cold water at bay, but not every wetsuit is a jack-of-all-trades type of suit. What one person might need for kayaking, someone else likely won't need for surfing.

To help anyone shopping for a new suit, I tested a number of options currently available, consulted with diving and surfing enthusiasts, and conducted much research to come up with a guide to the best wetsuits to buy. But first, let's break down how to choose the right suit for your needs.

Open-cell vs. closed-cell wetsuits

Apart from temperature, what you'll be doing in or on the water is a major deciding factor for which wetsuit is best. If you're swimming or surfing, a floaty, hydrodynamic closed-cell or single-piece suit is likely your best bet. These are either chest- or back-zipped and come with different sleeve and leg cuts.

But if you're diving, a closed-cell wetsuit allows too much water flow between it and your skin. You'll find yourself feeling stiff and cold, and stiff and cold are never what you want while diving for long periods of time. An open-cell wetsuit provides suction between the skin and suit that's nearly watertight. While these types of suits are a pain to get in and out of, they keep you much warmer and allow for much greater flexibility underwater.

Editor's note: If you use a little eco-friendly dish soap, getting into an open-cell wetsuit is much easier.

Open-cell suits usually don't have zippers apart from the wrist and leg cuffs but closed cells come in a variety of different zipper configurations. Some manufacturers are starting to develop zipperless models, too, which could eliminate zippers altogether — at least on more expensive suits.

Zipper variation

• Back-zip suit: Back-zip wetsuits are the original design, and almost always cheaper than chest-zip or zipper-less suits. They're fine for swimming in temperate waters on relatively warm days, but I've found that having cool water seep down your back on a chillier day — or in the middle of winter, for that matter — can be miserable.
• Chest-zip suit: Usually more expensive, chest-zip wetsuits tend to keep you warmer thanks to a smaller, well-protected zipper that sits on the front of the suit. This also makes them the most difficult to get in and out of, but, overall, we think they're worth it. They tend to last longer, and some even allow for the neckpiece to be replaced, which is often the first thing to wear and tear on a wetsuit.
• Zipperless: I haven't yet tried out a zipperless wetsuit, though I've been hearing positive buzz about O'Neill's Hyperfreak Comp zipless model. It would be more of a performance suit than most require, and it's hard to say whether the lack of a zipper will, in turn, stretch the suit more or keep us warmer, but we will see how they fare over time and update this guide with our findings.

Wetsuit thickness and temperature rating

Wetsuit thickness is measured in millimeters, and the core is most often thicker than the extremities to keep your body temperature up while allowing for more mobility in the arms and legs. This is why you'll see two — or sometimes three — numbers, listing the core's thickness first (e.g., 3/2, or 4/3/2).

Temperature rating corresponds with thickness, for the most part, but varies some from company to company and material to material, but here's a basic rule of thumb:

• Mid 60s to low 70s: 2 mm
• Low 60s to high 60s: 3/2 mm
• Low 50s to low 60s: 4/3 mm, or 4/3/2 mm
• Low to high 40s: 5/4 mm, or 5/4/3 mm
• Low to mid 40s, high 30s: 6/5 mm or 6/5/4 mm
• Upper 30s and below: While a good 6/5- or 6/5/4-millimeter suit can do you well in the upper 30s, it's tough to stand it any colder. There are 7/6- and 7/6/5-millimeter wetsuits, but they become impedingly stiff at that point. A good 6/5 or 6/5/4 with hood, boots, and gloves will take care of most of us through winter.

Not all sizing is consistent

Size charts vary from company to company, so make sure to have a look at the chart to be sure which one fits you best. Unless you get a custom suit, none are likely to fit you perfectly but you should be able to get close enough.

Stitching and seams

Not all wetsuits are created equal, and while most are made of neoprene — and come from the same factory in Taiwan, despite different brand names — it's the stitching and seams that make all the difference.

• Overlock stitching: This is the most basic stitching, and it will let water flow through your suit like Victoria Falls. Okay, not really, but I save these cheap suits for spring and summer, or when it's not exactly board-short temperature, but a constant flush is actually refreshing.
• Flat stitching: This is probably a little fancier than the stitching they taught you in Home Economics class. By no means is it watertight, but it lies flatter and holds up better than basic overlock stitching.
• Blindstitching: Blindstitched suits have even narrower stitching than flat-stitched ones, and the seams are usually glued, which does a pretty good job of preventing water seepage.
• Sealed, taped, glued: This is a definitive step up, and usually what you'll find with blindstitched suits. Once you get into blindstitching, you start to notice that very little water seeps through your suit, and you stay relatively dry inside. The best of these suits are also sealed and taped both inside and out, but the full combination is where suits start to get above the $500 price tag, which isn't crucial for most. Still, if you plan to be surfing in sub 55-degree Fahrenheit temps, we highly recommend forking over the extra dough.

• Best wetsuit overall: O'Neill Psycho Tech Wetsuit Line
• Best wetsuit on a budget: VISSLA 7 Seas and Rip Curl's Dawn patrol Line
• Best non-neoprene wetsuit: Patagonia wetsuits for men and women

Updated on 5/19/2020 by Rick Stella: Updated the introduction to include more on how to shop for a wetsuit and clarified each segment with its own subject header, checked the availability of each selected wetsuit, and updated the prices, formatting, and links throughout.