Can A Hooded Suit Be More Comfortable Than A Classic Chest-Zip?

The prompt for this year’s Best Wetsuits feature was simple. We asked every brand to send us two suits: their warmest 3/2 and their most comfortable 4/3.

Reason being, nobody wants to wear a 4/3 if they don’t have to—so we made it our goal to keep the Stab reader in a 3-mil as long as possible. But, if that extra millimeter was required, we would ensure that you didn’t end up in a rubber straitjacket.

Volte, the small but mighty Oceanside, California, brand, was so confident in their hooded 4/5 that they threw it in the mix against the world’s most reputable 4/3s. That’s like showing up for a title bout 10 pounds underweight and assuming you could knock-out Tyson.

The nerve!

Thing is, they were almost right. The Volte Premium Hooded 4/5 was so damn cozy that it made our top-3 in the comfort category, eclipsing legacy brands like Billabong and Quiksilver and even a niche/luxury manufacturer, Feral. 

While it finished third in our questionably-conceived golf test, the Premium 4/5 can walk away with it’s hood held high.

The Volte Supreme 3/2 didn’t fare as well, but easily-fixable flaws we predict a resurgence in 2020. 

Watch above as we break down both Volte suits and scroll below to see their gristly construction in hi-definition.