Editors Note - I will make a revised blog for the new GX Sonic VI line soon.
When it comes to buying a tech suit there are so many options to trawl through. Even once you have narrowed down the brands you like the look of, you then are left staring at a plethora of different styles that are seemingly all as good as each other. Take Mizuno for example, they currently have not one, not two, but four different flagship race skins to choose from. Don't let that deter you though, if you are tempted to try a Mizuno suit, you absolutely should and the idea of todays post is to help you pick exactly which one you want without any confusion. Also if you are looking for a new race suit, then I would reccomend that Mizuno is the first brand you look at, in mine and many others opinions, they make the best tech suits on the market and with such a range of options, they most certainly make one that you will light up the pool in. This video probably helps evidence a little more about the love Mizuno gets at an international level!
Sprinters
The video I posted nicely leads us on to which Mizuno you should be checking out if you are a sprinter. Now Mizuno have named one of their models the GX Sonic V ST, with the ST being short for Sprinter. So yes thats pretty straight forwards right!
Personally having tried all the models I would say the V ST should be the go to Mizuno if you specialise in 50m events and don't stray any further than 100m distances. Even then 100m race are a secondary thought. Think swimmers like Ben Proud and Dylan Carter, they are prime candidates for the V ST and they do indeed step up to the block in this suit.
The less directly named Multi Racer is still a very compressive suit and one that many will love for sprinting and shorter events. I would say that the suits sweet spot is for 100m races and for someone that may stray up to 200m on occasion and still race the 50s!
Longer?
If you are not a sprinter or perhaps just an age group swimmer who races a bit of everything then does Mizuno still have an option for you? Absolutely!
That is where the Neo line comes to play. The Neo line is more focussed on versatility with less compression and dual layering but still plenty of speed. In very simple terms the amount of compression between the 4 models if ranked would be.
GX Sonic V ST - Compression Rating 10/10
GX Sonic V MR - Compression Rating 8.5/10
GX Sonic Neo SL - Compression Rating 7/10
GX Sonic Neo AG - Compression Rating 3/10
From this ranking you can probably make an educated guess in what might suit you the most. The amount of comfort and freedom of movement in each suit is kind of the opposite of compression so if you are after comfort the AG is your model.
I personally would say the SL is the all rounder, you can wear it for everything, sorry, you can LOVE it for everything. I have swam fast wearing the SL from 50m up to 400m. The AG is kind of your distance free option, or your 400m medley, but is kind of as specific to events as the ST is for sprinting. the MR is also quite versatile but not as much as the SL.
Suit for Each Event
I want to make this decsion even easier for you still. I will write my Mizuno suit recommendation for each race so you can feel more confident in your purchase!
50m Free - V ST
100m Free - V ST
200m Free - V MR
400m Free - Neo SL
800m Free - Neo AG
1500m Free - Neo AG
50m Butterfly - V ST
100m Butterfly - V MR
200m Butterfly - Neo SL
50m Backstroke - V ST
100m Backstroke - V MR
200m Backstroke - V MR
50m Breaststroke - V ST
100m Breaststroke - V MR
200m Breaststroke - Neo SL
200m IM - Neo SL
400m IM - Neo AG
Sprinter - V ST
Middle Distance - V MR
Distance - Neo AG
Medley - Neo SL
All Rounder - Neo SL
Budget
Are all these options all too expensive but you still want to buy a Mizuno suit? Then you are in luck. In Japan Mizuno have loads of budget options such as their FX Sonic line but in the western world our decision is simple with the awesome MX-Sonic style. I actually swam my 200m Freestyle PB when trying this suit out so even with stitched seams and a humble price tag, it still is an epic suit!
What Size Mizuno Should I Get?
If you have been about to pull the trigger on a Mizuno suit then you may have realised that they offer their style in alphabetical sizes not numerical. While there is no perfect equation all I can say is that as a 186cm man, who weighs 85kg, I wear a size Large. If I was to compare to Arena sizing I would probably do something like this.
22=XS
24=S
26=M
28=L
30=XL
This won't be perfect so don't quote me on this and do check sizing guide.
What about the Cap?
I have recently teamed up with arena to launch the best race cap in the world on my website, be quick there is very limited stock....
I hope this has helped and any other tech suit questions don't hesitate to ask me! Also check out my awesome superhero t-shirt featuring "me/superman" wearing a Mizuno suit on the back!