Stab Recommends: Billabong’s New Furnace Natural Wetsuit

Partner post.

Back in 2020, we performed our annual wetsuit test with 11 of the finest neoprene shells on the market.

There were a ton of great options, but a few of the suits stood above the pack. One of them was the Billabong Furnace Natural.

My testing focused on the two main facets of wetsuit quality: comfort and warmth. I did not take subjective factors such as appearance or ethics into the equation. Regardless, the Furnace Natural, which is made from 100% recycled materials and includes a chemical agent that will one day help the suit decompose in a landfill (major ethics points), still managed to outperform the vast majority of suits.

How did they do this? I’ve no idea. Maybe it has to do with their inner lining, which is made of Graphene—the strongest, lightest, and most heat-conducting material on earth. It won a Nobel Prize and everything.

But for me, comfort was the real kicker. This Furnace Natural was so damn soft and cozy, I never wanted to take it off. It’s got a no-zip entry so there’s no stiffness when paddling, and the rubber itself is incredibly stretchy. While I’d much rather live my life in boardshorts (cue Billabong’s iconic tagline), of the 11 suits tested, this is the one I would least mind slipping into on a daily basis. Especially when its forest-green exterior signals to the lineup that you invest in the ocean’s health. Is there a bigger flex in surfing?

The Australian winter is coming. Get your Furnace Natural here.