The Arena Powerskin XP Jammer delivers excellent value for money. The suit uses Arena's high-end fabric, Z-Raptor+, which makes for a well-fitting suit with good muscle compression.
Description
Most major swimwear companies offer three levels of suits — entry-level, mid-level and high-end. The Powerskin WP Jammer is Arena’s mid-level technical race suits for men.
Arena has been a major provider of swimwear for over 35 years and is currently headquartered in Tolentio, Italy. The company claims to have been the first swimwear manufacturer to research fluid dynamics and how various textiles can be used to reduce drag.
Two years ago, FINA — swimming’s international governing body — banned the use of full-length suits in sanctioned competitions. Subsequently, jammers quickly became the most common style of race swimsuits for males. FINA offers strict guidelines on how jammers must be designed. The suit should be constructed from a woven textile and should not cover the swimmer’s knees.
The fabric of the swim jammer is perhaps the most essential factor to consider when choosing a swimsuit. There have been many breakthroughs in swimwear fabric over the last few years. Many major companies have partnered with textile specialists to produce lightweight fabrics that are water-repellant.
The Arena Powerskin XP Jammer, like the Arena’s high-end R-EVO Jammer – is made from Z-Raptor+, a lightweight fabric composed of 65% Polyamide and 35% Elastane. The fabric is also coated with Teflon, giving it additional water-repellance.
In addition to featuring more effective fabric, leading swimwear makers are also using innovative production techniques that are also focused on decreasing the swimsuit’s drag factor as much as possible. For example, many high-end suits use bonding instead of the conventional stitching, help decrease drag created by the suit’s seams.
However, unlike Arena’s Powerskin R-EVO Jammer which offers bonded seams, the XP Jammer uses optimized pattern sitching.
- Sizing Chart
A final consideration when selecting a swim jammer is the suit’s fit. By using optimal materials and production procedures, racing jammers try to compress the swimmer’s muscles. As well as helping to make the swimmer more streamline, this muscle compression helps with oxygen circulation and helps the swimmer’s recovery. Arena’s Z-Raptor+ fabric and their optimized stitching deliver good compression, which reduces surface and form drag.
Both FINA and NCAA have approved this swimsuit for competition. The XP Jammer is only available in black. The women’s equivalent of this suits is Arena’s Powerskin XP Full Body/Short Leg Open Suit.
The Powerskin XP Jammer is Arena’s mid-range swim jammer. Arena also offers the high-end Powerskin R-EVO Jammer and the enry-level Powerskin ST Jammer.
Ratings & Reviews
Do you own this suit? If so, please rate it below and share your thoughts.
[starratingmulti id=1 tpl=32]Good One
I ordered down a size a recommended in other reviews, and it certainly fit tight! But I cut time and am happy with the suit.Great Suit
I usually wear a size 26 for practice but sized down and went with a 24, fits great and feels comfortable! Suit has great compression, yet the fabric is still very stretchy. My legs felt great through my races and dropped in every event! However the picture shown here is different from what you get, it’s just that the seams are white instead of black.