Update: I've used these for months now. I've been using these long enough that I can go down a size, but I just wanted to say they show no chlorine damage. I dried them well and washed them weekly. The fabric is a little tougher, but they are great, even for competition for 99% of swimmers. These were superior to the other lap suits I tried, and are worthy of 5 stars. Swimming winds up being more expensive than you initially hope. Goggles, caps, kick boards, electronics (these days). They do add up. But the most basic thing you need to have is obviously a swimsuit. This is actually a tricky issue for a lot of guys. It's very important to women to get a good competitive swimsuit as well, and obviously plenty of women's swimsuits aren't appropriate for diving and flip turns, but I think it's even more difficult for men. Most men's swimsuits are baggy, have pockets, and attach with fairly poor drawstrings. That means the suit will have tons of drag, tend to pull away, and just plain be uncomfortably tight to stay in place. You'll be fiddling with it repeatedly in a workout, and the materials are rarely tough enough for daily exposure to a swimming pool. On the other end of the spectrum, speedo cut bathing suits are awkward to wear. It probably wasn't a big deal when I was a kid (I've been competitively swimming since I was 5 years old), but I was uncomfortable wearing them, and still cringe at photos. It's a more liberal age now, but guys in bikini bottoms look really strange to me. On the other hand, these suits have minimal drag, are made of more durable materials, dry very easily, and you don't have to think about them when you're swimming. It's a hell of a lot worse for me now. I'm swimming again because I've gained weight and nobody wants to see me in a very short swimsuit. Trust me. This jammer is great. It has similar drag to a shorter suit, but provides a lot more coverage. The material has held up to a lot of swimming, it's more comfortable than either a speedo or trunks, and the larger surface area actually is more stable than a speedo cut because it's got so much more contact. It has none of the downsides of a pair of trunks, and while it's skintight, it's just more comfortable in public. I'd say it's better than a speedo cut even if you're in good shape, but if you aren't, it's far far better! The style is pretty basic, but you could easily get this in your team's colors if you have a team, and I think your kids would thank you if you put them in this for a team photo. The drawstring is wide and functional, and the materials are holding up extremely well to daily swimming. Just keep it dry and wash it at least weekly. One other factor I really appreciate is that Arena has a much wider range of sizes than Tyr or Speedo, and you can get a high quality competitive level swimsuit even if you're very overweight. This is hugely appreciated and builds a lot of brand loyalty from me. I have shopped around a lot and it's very difficult to get a competitive men's swimsuit if you're more than 36 inches wide. This is a very low compromise, high quality suit, it's not that expensive at all, it will last a long time, and all in all I love the product.
