How to Put On a Trisuit

Put a trisuit on legs first: step into it, pull it up over your hips, seat the chamois, then slide your arms in and finish with the zip. This guide covers the order that works dry, the order that works wet, and what changes under a wetsuit.

What is the right order for putting on a trisuit?

Step in with one leg, then the other, and pull the suit up to your waist with the leg hems sitting flat on your thighs. Seat the chamois before you do anything else, then bring the suit over your shoulders, feed your arms through, and zip last. Rushing the zip before the chamois is seated is the most common cause of a suit that feels wrong for the next three hours.

1. Sit or stand somewhere you can balance, with the zip fully open.
2. Step in and pull the legs up until the silicone leg grippers lie flat, not rolled.
3. Lift the suit so the chamois sits in the right place, then smooth it with your hand.
4. Arms and shoulders in, one at a time.
5. Zip, then do a squat and an arm swing to check nothing pulls.

Why does it feel so tight, and is that normal?

A trisuit should feel snug but not restrictive. It is cut to stay put in the water and on the bike, so it will feel firmer than a pair of bib shorts, and the first pull over the hips is always the hardest part. If you cannot get it up past your thighs without force, or the shoulders pull you into a hunch, the size is wrong, not your technique. Our guide to how a trisuit should fit covers what to check before you race in it.

How do you get a trisuit on when you are wet?

Wet skin grips fabric, so go slower and keep the suit inside out at the leg openings until your feet are through. Pull the fabric up in short sections rather than one long tug, and never drag it by the leg grippers. If you are changing at a swim venue, a dry towel across your thighs makes the first pull far easier. Most people never need to put a trisuit on wet on race day, because they swim in it.

How do you put a trisuit on under a wetsuit?

Put the trisuit on first, fully zipped and with the chamois seated, then step into the wetsuit over it. The wetsuit should never be bunching the trisuit at the hips, so smooth the trisuit down before you pull the wetsuit up. Our piece on what to wear under a wetsuit goes through the full setup, and the guide to what goes under a trisuit covers the layer beneath.

Front zip or back zip: does it change how you put it on?

Slightly. A front zip is easy to reach and adjust during the race; a back zip sits flatter and leaves the chest clean, but you will want a self-zip pull or a helper at the start. In both cases the order is the same: legs, chamois, arms, zip. We compare the two in front zip vs back zip.

What should you check before you leave the changing area?

Check the leg grippers are flat, the chamois is not twisted, the pockets are empty of anything sharp, and the zip is fully closed with the pull tucked away. If you are racing, run through your transition kit checklist at the same time, and know in advance how you will handle a toilet stop in a trisuit.

FAQ

Do you wear anything under a trisuit?

Most triathletes wear nothing under it, because the chamois is built in. Anything extra adds seams and a place for chafing.

Should a trisuit be hard to get on?

It should be firm, not a fight. If you need to force it over your hips, try the next size.

Can you put a trisuit on over a wet body?

Yes, but it is slower. Dry your thighs if you can and pull the fabric up in short sections.

Ready to find your fit? See the DTR trisuits.

DTR — performance cycling and triathlon apparel, designed and developed in Ukraine.