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 1. Reviews


ALPKIT ELEMENT WETSUIT JACKET: AN EASY-ON, EASY-OFF ALTERNATIVE TO A FULL
WETSUIT FOR WATER BABIES


SPOT ON FOR PADDLE BOARDING BUT THINK CAREFULLY BEFORE BUYING IF YOU’RE PLANNING
TO USE IT FOR LENGTHY FREESTYLE SWIM SESSIONS

By Rosee Woodland
published May 30, 2024
 * 
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(Image: © Future)


ADVNTURE VERDICT

A well-made jacket with impressive eco credentials, the Alpkit Element wetsuit
jacket does a good job for paddleboarders; it’s easy to get on and off and has
some useful storage. With a simple design tweak it would do a great job for open
water swimmers too, but the shoulder construction raises questions.



PROS

 * +
   
   Very warm

 * +
   
   Extra long sleeves you can cut to the correct length

 * +
   
   Excellent eco credentials

 * +
   
   Front zip allows venting when paddleboarding

 * +
   
   Useful back pocket for paddleboarders

CONS

 * -
   
   Shoulder seams restrict freestyle swimming motion

 * -
   
   Loose fit around the neck

You can trust Advnture Our expert reviewers spend days testing and comparing
gear so you know how it will perform out in the real world. Find out more about
how we test and compare products.




MEET THE REVIEWER

Rosee Woodland
Social Links Navigation
Senior Staff Writer

Rosee Woodland developed a taste for adventure at a young age, growing up in a
home where camping was the default holiday, and good weather was a vacation
bonus rather than a necessity. After bike-packing the length of France in her
mid teens with her family, she started to undertake solo forays in her 20s,
usually without the benefit of much technical gear at all. Happily, the years
she later spent as a mountain biking journalist eventually gave her an
appreciation of decent kit! These days she loves a water-based adventure, and is
an outdoor swim coach, and a keen free diver. 


ALPKIT ELEMENT WETSUIT JACKET : FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Specifications

• List price: £99.99 (UK)
• Materials: Glideskin (Yamamoto limestone neoprene)
• Gender availability: Men's and women's versions available
• Weight (women's M): 1.6kg / 3.5lb
• Sizes available: S-XXL
• Colors (all sizes): Black
• Best use: Paddle boarding, sailing, casual swimming

So before I wade in, I need to say that I really wanted to like the Alpkit
Element wetsuit jacket. As a long-distance swimmer with many miles behind me, I
have never relished the rigmarole of hauling on a wetsuit or peeling it off
while cold and wet. 



The idea of a zip up wetsuit jacket therefore massively appealed to me for
training swims. Or at least it did until I tried it on, because in my view this
jacket has a fairly significant design flaw if you want to swim crawl/freestyle
in it. The star ratings here reflect my view that for paddle boarding it's a 4
star garment, but for swimming I can only give it 2 stars. More on why next…



The collar on my jacket was a little on the loose side, which means more water
can get in than ideal (Image credit: Future)

Normally my first port of call when trialling a new wetsuit is to put in some
serious open water miles. I have been swimming wild long before it was
fashionable and the idea of a two hour swim makes me smile rather than shudder.
But I honestly didn’t dare do that with the Alpkit Element wetsuit jacket.






The shoulder is one of the most complex and delicate joints in the body. Most
swimmers have a slight imbalance in their stroke and I’m no exception. Over time
that leads to niggles for most, and in my case means I’m prone to pain in my
left shoulder if I am not careful about technique or clocking excessive mileage.

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Because of this, in my view, the best swimming wetsuits should be designed to be
as flexible as possible in the shoulder. If you look at the specs for one you
will normally find the neoprene in this area will be thinner than elsewhere -
for example my (very) old favorite swim wetsuit has 2mm thick neoprene in the
shoulder and 4mm thick neoprene in the legs. The 2mm neoprene allows range of
motion, while the 4mm neoprene helps my legs float and keeps warm the part of my
body that’s moving the least on long swims. Alpkit’s all in one swimming
wetsuits all use a raglan style seam, that is one that runs diagonally from the
underarm to the side neck, giving great freedom of movement while minimizing the
chance of excess material bulking up and causing drag or discomfort.



So why has Alpkit stuck a vertical sleeve join in its Element jacket? It’s not
clear how thick the neoprene is here - from the information on the Alpkit
website it could be 2.5mm or 3mm. But the garment construction used, known as a
set in sleeve, means that you end up with more fabric here than if you used a
diagonal seam.

This means that there is a lump of neoprene bunching up every time you rotate
your arm, which is noticeably restrictive when rotating your arm in
crawl/freestyle. The neck also ran a little loose on me, so it’s not going to be
as effective at keeping water out as one with a tighter fit - again, more an
issue for swimmers than paddle boarders.



The back mesh pockets allow you to stow small items, but are more suited to
paddleboarders than swimmers (Image credit: Future)


ALPKIT ELEMENT WETSUIT JACKET: IN THE WATER

Alpkit is marketing this jacket as being for paddle boarders and swimmers. And I
think it’s a pretty great paddle board jacket. It’s impressively warm, has extra
long sleeves you can cut to length if needed (I have very long arms so I have
only trimmed them a touch since these pictures were taken), and is many times
easier to get on and off than a normal wetsuit.

It also has two small mesh back pockets. Again, very handy for someone paddle
boarding who might want to stow sunglasses, sun cream and some snacks there. But
if you’re swimming then whatever is in this pocket has a fair chance of floating
out unless the jacket is a really  tight fit.

The jacket is a mix of stretch panels and Glideskin neoprene, a type of Yamamoto
limestone neoprene, which is made from limestone and plant oils rather than
traditional neoprene. A massive thumbs up for me, as traditional neoprene is not
only highly toxic to produce, it is also very difficult to recycle and doesn’t
break down easily.

Because of the smooth Glideskin neoprene used, this jacket isn’t suitable for
surfing in - lying on your stomach on a rough surfboard is likely to tear up the
material in my experience. It is ideal for paddle boarding, however, and
beautifully warm. But I’m just not convinced that it’s suitable for serious
swimming - certainly not if you’re swimming crawl/freestyle and need a lot of
freedom of movement around the shoulder. I haven’t yet had a chance to try one
of Alpkit’s swim wetsuits, but their shoulder construction looks far more
suitable for swimming’s range of movement. So if you’re a paddleboarder I’d
recommend this jacket, but if you want to swim, a traditional swim wetsuit is
probably a safer bet.



The zip allows for easy on and off, a distinct advantage over traditional all in
one wetsuits (Image credit: Future)


 ALPKIT ELEMENT WETSUIT JACKET: GETTING CHANGED 

It’s very easy to get on the jacket and off, with a full length zip, which also
allows you to vent and dump heat quickly if you’re wearing it for paddle
boarding on warmer days. 

Getting in and out of a swimming wetsuit is such a pain that in winter I don’t
actually wear one. It’s just easier to stick with neoprene boots and gloves and
a normal swimsuit. I like the idea of using this jacket in winter, as it would
extend the amount of time I could swim, but then would be very easy to get off
quickly, reducing the loss of body heat in icy conditions. In winter I don’t
usually put my face in the water, and instead swim breaststroke, when the issue
about the shoulder fabric bunching wouldn’t be such a worry, as you’re not
rotating your shoulder fully. 

 * How Advnture tests products
 * The best wild swimming gear: what to wear and what to take
 * How to stay safe in open water: wild swimming for beginners



Rosee Woodland
Social Links Navigation
Editor

Rosee Woodland developed a taste for adventure at a young age, growing up in a
home where camping was the default holiday, and good weather was a vacation
bonus rather than a necessity. After bike-packing the length of France in her
mid teens with her family, she started to undertake solo forays in her 20s,
usually without the benefit of much technical gear at all. Happily, the years
she later spent as a mountain biking journalist eventually gave her an
appreciation of decent kit! These days she loves a water-based adventure, and is
an outdoor swim coach, and a keen free diver. She has a soft spot for Northern
Ireland's Mourne mountains, and can also be found hiking and kayaking in
Pembrokeshire and the South West of the UK. 


TOPICS
wild swimming kit
wild swimming
wetsuits
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