Recommendations required for a wetsuit which you can zip up without any help. I really dislike having to ask for help to zip my suit up, old Snugg was great with zipper already slotted in easy peasy.
So what do you have which is good suit with zipper ready to go which doesn’t need the flexibility of a gymnast to get into.
Thanks
I love my Zone 3 Vanquish. They used to be a top down zip which was a complete pain, but now it’s bottom up and the wetsuit is so flexible I don’t need to ask anyone. That said a lot of people don’t like to put the extra stress on the wetsuit seams, especially around the zip area, when doing this up yourself. I will ask if people around, but I can do this up with relative ease if necessary.
My HUUB archimedes 2 is very easy to do up. Even recently when I’ve put on a load if weight and am too fat I can still zip it up on my own. My old wetsuit I always had to ask for help.
I have one of these that is within the size perimeters and I’m no we’re near getting it…!?
The chest area is silly tight…!?
eBay …?!?
Yeah, agreed. I could never get my 2XU suit on solo. The higher quality and more flexible neoprene of the Huub is easy to do up solo. I just pinch the base of the zip with my other hand whilst pulling up the zip to avoid putting too much stress on the suit.
Not true of my swimskin however. That requires help still.
As long a syou have remembered to reengage the quick release zip … because no amount of backwards faffing gets that thing back in when the suit is on!!!
If your old Snugg was great why not get a new Snugg ?
The key is fit and you won’t find a better fit than a custom made Snugg.
Old Snugg was an eBay gem, cost me about 30 quid and by pure luck fitted well enough, lasted about 8 years until Lanza this year when the leg just above the knee ripped and left me with a leg warmer in T1. I don’t think a top end wet suit will be any different to a mid range for me so looking at options …we’ll end of season bargains…for next season.
I think the Huub ex-demo sale is on at the moment. I got an Archimedes II for £70 last year which I now use to train in, so when it comes to races I’m using the same suit (just nice and fresh). The £70 one was the lowest grading (D?), but I think the A’s and B’s are very decent.
I will probably just always use Snugg. Borrowed a mate’s Helix (SMT) which was probably a tad narrow for my shoulders and a beatch to zip-up…although the reverse zipper was the main culprit for that 
You could say my Slipstream is a £700 wetsuit now after some panel replacements, as it’s like triggers broom; but worth every penny. Originally cost me ca. £380 tax free iirc and has been back 3 times for either a panel ‘upgrade’ or new lat panels after a few seasons. Had it since start of 2008. Entire lower half still original, and only got new arms put on it this year!
Any suit you can’t put on & zip up yourself is a complete PITA if you ask me; I don’t want to have to hassle some stranger 20 mins before the start of an Ironman!
Another vote for Huub Archimedes II and the sale they have.
If you can get to Derby, they are super helpful in store and knock a few more quid off, too.
Just drop them a line to let them know you’re going and serious about buying and what you’re looking at, as some of the stock is held at Castle Donington.
I’ve had a Zone3 Vanquish, which I could zip up by myself and a B70 Helix SMT that I could also self zip.
B70 was probably my fave and I was a little too small for my Huub mid season, though I’d fit it nicely again now.
Have the Z3 vanquish, only proper suit I’ve had and it’s beautiful but that’s comparing to trying to swim in a very thick 20yr old suit. I got mine for £300 at start of the year. Wasn’t as keen on fit of huub in the dry otherwise would have stalked their demo sales
But if we’re focusing on the easy to zip part, any flexible suit with thin shoulders will be same. More to do with how it fits on you, and your own levels of mobility. And thin suit might not be best for you if want more buoyancy.