I bought 6 wetsuits: here is how I rate them, brand by brand
Updated 2026-09-19
Patagonia, Billabong, O'Neill and Matuse are the four I would rank highest out of six wetsuits I have owned, in that order. I wore most of these first in Manly, Sydney, where a wetsuit is needed most of the year, then far less often after moving to Queensland. Here is how each one actually held up.
Patagonia R, made from Yulex: the one I would buy again
This is a 2mm, long arm, long leg suit made from Yulex rather than standard neoprene, priced at about $480 to $490 AUD (as at August 2022). It has no fancy lining and no loud branding, just genuinely good knee pads and a chest zip I rate highly for how easily it goes on and off. Sizing runs slightly small; I went up to an extra-extra-large from a usual large in a 2mm top before landing on an extra-large that fits properly. It is comfortable, keeps me warm, and Patagonia's sustainability work on the wetsuit side is a real point in its favor, not just marketing.
Billabong Furnace: a 2mm suit that has lasted well
This 2mm suit has a similar warm lining to the needessentials suit below and dries quickly, and it has held up well since I started surfing in Queensland. The chest zip is a genuine advantage over a zipless design: you can peel it down to the waist on a hot day and only pull it fully on right before paddling out. It is not the cheapest suit and not the most expensive, and it looks good, with a camo pattern I like. After a lot of wear it has started letting in a little water around the ankles, but I would buy another one.
O'Neill Hyperfreak: comfortable and good value
A 2mm, short arm, long leg, zipless suit, and worth crediting O'Neill for inventing the wetsuit in the first place. Being only 2mm makes it genuinely easy to get on without a zipper, and it is the most sheer, comfortable suit in the group. It keeps me warm and represents solid value for money.
Matuse: an unconventional cut worth trying again
This suit has a narrower, unconventional chest panel with adjustable side sections, different from the standard cut of the other suits here. I have not worn it as much as the others, but the build quality is good, the seals look clean, and it was not an expensive suit. I bought it through a discount chain rather than a specialty surf shop, and based on the fit and finish I would give it another chance ahead of some of the more expensive options below.
Needessentials: cheap, but not the warmest
A no-frills suit from a brand doing genuine sustainability work, this one runs a little small in the sizing and the cuffs on the sleeves and ankles started to deteriorate fairly quickly. It did not keep me as warm as I wanted and felt slightly stiff to put on at first, though it became more comfortable over a full season of use. Value for money is good, but it is not the warmest or most comfortable suit here, and I would not buy another one.
Body Glove: comfortable but bulky
An older, established brand, and this suit was genuinely cheap, bought from a surf chain in Australia, with a second identical suit bought at the same time so I always had a warm one in rotation. It dries quickly and felt comfortable and warm in wild weather, but it runs noticeably bulkier than the others in this group, which is the main reason it sits toward the bottom of the ranking rather than a fault in warmth or comfort.
Rip Curl Flashbomb Pro 4/3: the one I would skip
I used only Rip Curl suits when I started surfing, and the lining inside the sleeves on those earlier 3/2 suits would peel apart before I got a full season out of them, always needing a warranty return. This particular 4/3, bought for New Zealand and cold Australian conditions, has no zipper, which makes it genuinely difficult to get in and out of. I have worn it only a handful of times because of that, and unless something changes with the range, I will not buy another Rip Curl.
Questions people ask
Which wetsuit brand is the best overall, based on this test?
Patagonia's Yulex R suit ranked highest for comfort, warmth and build quality, followed by Billabong, O'Neill and Matuse.
Is a zipless wetsuit worth it?
It depends on thickness. A 2mm zipless suit like the O'Neill is easy enough to get on without a zip, but a thicker 4/3 zipless suit was genuinely difficult to get in and out of.
Are cheaper wetsuits worth buying?
Sometimes. The needessentials and Body Glove suits were both good value for money, but neither matched the warmth or comfort of the higher-priced suits in this test.
Does a sustainable wetsuit perform as well as a standard neoprene one?
Yes, based on the Patagonia Yulex suit, which was the best performer here on warmth and comfort as well as being the most sustainably made.
Wetsuit thickness and cut matter more than brand loyalty once the water gets cold; for other gear, see surf hats. If you are deciding what to actually surf rather than what to wear, which single fin is right for you and which twin pin is best cover the boards in the same rack these wetsuits were worn with.