Bare Elate 5 mm Wetsuit Review: ScubaLab Best Buy
ScubaLab's test team reviewed and evaluated the Bare Elate 5 mm wetsuit in its latest scuba wetsuit review.
ScubaLab tested the Bare Elate women’s 5 mm wetsuit. Comfortable, warm and stylish, it was our Best Buy for women’s wetsuits.
We tested the Elate at Alexander Springs and Devils Den in Central Florida and Blue Heron Bridge in Riviera Beach, Florida, with water temperatures in the lower 70s. We conducted a series of test dives were female testers scored the wetsuit in seven categories including ease of donning, fit, comfort and warmth.
Bare says the Elate’s anatomical design was inspired by the comfortable, highly flexible suits favored by multi-sport enthusiasts. Whatever the inspiration, the Elate impressed test divers with the way its high-stretch material and form-fitting cut kept the suit comfortably against their skin without inhibiting movement. “Moves with me, not against me,” one test diver commented. The Elate’s wrist and ankle seals are basic neoprene rings sewn to the cuffs, and the lining is relatively smooth and flat. But the suit’s body-hugging fit kept seals and lining close enough to do their job, helping it earn a very good score for warmth and an excellent score for effectiveness of the seals. Where the Elate excelled was comfort, from the anatomical collar with wide smooth skin lining to the flexible fit throughout. Divers also praised the Elate’s flattering design, which makes it look like a more expensive wetsuit. The Elate is our Best Buy for women’s 5 mm wetsuits.
