Best Wetsuits 2020: Buell RB1 Accelerator
Hard to complain with this price tag.
Watch the complete 2020 Best Wetsuits test here.
I didn’t know what to expect from Buell, makers of the most outrageous wetsuits in surf. Would it be a superhero suit, an impact vest, something from the mind of their sub-brand affiliate Dane Reynolds?
In the end, Buell played it safe and sent me a more-or-less straightforward black wetsuit in the RB1 Accelerator. While I was slightly disappointed by this, it was probably a good call on their end. Colorful rubber is great for their branding, but in the end, it only would have distracted me from the task at hand: finding the warmest and most comfortable suit.
The first thing I noticed about the RB1 Accelerator was its price tag—at just over $200, it cost less than half of some of the other suits in our 2020 Best Wetsuits test (7till8: $580; O’Neill: $460; Billabong: $450). So right off the bat, I knew I would have to take that into consideration. You can’t compare a Camry and a Cayenne without taking relative value into consideration.
Barring an annoying seam that pulled across my shoulder, I found the RB1 Accelerator extremely comfortable and wearable. The neoprene was soft, the stretch was abundant, and the inside felt silky against my skin. The suit was a bit misfitting, but that’s more of a personal problem than a representation of their product.
I think where the cost difference comes in is the warmth. While this neoprene felt nice to the touch, it also let in a fair bit of water.
To me, this is the perfect suit to keep in the boot of your car. You’ll have it for the sneaky pre-or-post-work session, and you won’t have to worry about giving it the full wash and dry treatment. It’s a serviceable one-season suit, and priced accordingly.
Official Scorecard
Warmth: 29/50
Comfort: 38/50
Bonus: 5 for value provided
Total: 72/100
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