Looking to increase the difficulty of your swim training with added resistance? Here’s a look at the best drag suits for swimmers to build power and preserve technique.
Competitive swimmers fully understand the grind of swim training. The long hours in the pool, the early mornings, and the constant search for increased speed and strength in the water.
The drag suit has long been one of the common training tools for swimmers looking to increase resistance in the water, making each stroke and kick harder (and eventually, faster).
Unlike regular swim training suits, drag suits like those made by FINIS, Speedo, TYR, and Arena, add controlled drag without destroying body position, building swim-specific strength and power.
But not all drag suits are created equal—some create significantly more drag than others. Choose the wrong one and you risk messing with stroke mechanics and adding useless bulk.
In this guide to the best drag suits for swimmers, we’ll help you find the perfect option that incorporates durable materials, the appropriate level of resistance, comfortable fit, chlorine resistance, and performance features for proper stroke form and faster swimming.
Let’s go.
The Best Drag Suits for Swimmers
Here’s a quick look at our top choices:
- Best drag suit for resisted swim training: FINIS Ultimate Drag Suit
- Best standard drag suit: Speedo Polymesh Training Suit
- Runner-up for best standard drag suit: TYR Poly Mesh Drag Suit
- Best drag suit for color options: ARENA Reversible Drag Suit
- Best budget-friendly drag suit: Adoretex Mesh Drag Training Swimsuit
Next, we’ll look at each suit individually, highlight key features, and later we will also compare different types of training suits.
FINIS Ultimate Drag Suit
⭐ Best drag suit for resistance swimming
Best used in moderation, and specifically for power development (i.e. short bursts of effort with plenty of rest), the FINIS Ultimate Drag Suit is the best overall drag suit for serious swimmers. Unlike standard mesh drag suits, it has four mesh pockets (cup holders?) around the waist that catches water from all directions.
This design obviously catches a TON of water, but is also evenly distributed, creating a more natural resistance compared to other resistance tools like drag chutes or resistance tubing, which apply force/resistance from a single point.
The suit is easy to slip in and out, making it ideal for those power reps in the water and shifting to active recovery (without wearing it) easily. Use it for max-effort sprints to build a stronger stroke or incorporate it before a main set as a potentiation tool to fire up your muscles for a more effective main set.
Built for heavy-duty use, the FINIS Ultimate Drag Suit is durable, long-lasting, available in multiple sizes for a custom fit. For swimmers serious about resistance and power gains, this suit is our top choice.
- Made of 100% polyester mesh fabric
- Unisex
- Features four mesh cups to catch water and increase resistance
- Comes in S/M/L/XL
Save 10% at FINIS with discount code LANE6
Speedo Polymesh Training Suit
⭐ Best standard drag suit
Speedo is one of the leading swim gear manufacturers on the planet. They make everything for competitive swimmers and lap swimmers, from swimming snorkels to some of the most popular swim goggles.
The Speedo Polymesh Training Suit is one of the most common training and lap swimming suits for men, and falls under the category of being a drag suit because of its thick polyester mesh construction, mesh lining, and purposely baggy fit.
It comes in a huge range of colors and sizes, from youth sizes (26″) to large adult (40″) sizes, giving swimmers lots of options for how much drag they want to attach to their waist when swimming. For day to day training, the Speedo Polymesh is your best option for increasing slight drag when swimming.
- Available in boys and men’s sizes (up to 40″)
- Lots of color options
- Very durable, won’t fade from repeated chlorine exposure
- Drawstring for a secure fit
TYR Poly Mesh Trainer Drag Suit
⭐ Runner-up for best standard drag suit
Made of 100% polyester, the TYR Trainer Poly Mesh Drag Suit is very similar to the Speedo Mesh suit. So similar, in fact, that you could probably switch the logos on the suits and no one would be the wiser.
The TYR Poly Mesh Training suit is made of the same thick mesh polyester for catching lots of water, has a snazzy racing stripe on the side (look fast, swim fast!), and the suit is priced affordably. Lots of sizing options, too.
- Ideal for larger men (up to size 40″)
- Made with polyester
- Made in the USA
- Available in six colors
Arena Reversible Drag Suit
⭐ Best drag suit for color options
Arena makes some awesome swim gear, including the Powerskin ST 2.0, my favorite low-priced racing suit for men. Their training suits are excellent as well.
The Arena Men’s Reversible Drag Shorts aren’t quite as meshy as the Speedo and TYR suits, but are thick enough to produce a noticeable amount of drag. They also have a more premium feel and splashier color patterns for swimmers looking to make a statement in the water.
This is definitely more of a daily driver type of drag suit, and the smooth mesh design doesn’t create the same type of water logged resistance as other more meshy drag suits. Also sizing is a bit less open, but if you can get your hands on a size-appropriate
- Available in four color combinations
- Made with 100% polyester
- Designed to sit a little lower on the hips
- Reversible with solid and patterned sides to the suit
Adoretex Men’s Polymesh Training Drag Suit
⭐ Best budget-friendly drag suit
The Adoretex Drag Suit is basically a cheaper knock-off to the premium swim brands above. The suit comes with all the features that you would expect, including a drawstring for a secure fit, and is constructed of 100% polymesh for plenty of drag in the water.
Yes, it looks a bit like an oversized diaper, but the name of the game is lots of resistance when training with a drag suit, and this suit does this (perhaps too well, if I’m being honest).
Perhaps more importantly, the suit is also roughly half the price of the other suits on this list, making it the best cheap drag suit for swimmers.
- Made with reinforced seams for maximum durability
- Baggier fit than the other suits on this list
- Made with 100% polyester mesh
- Available in five different colors
- Comes in boys and men’s sizes (up to 40″ waist)
Types of Training Suits
When it comes to training suits, there are plenty of options, with drag chutes being a complement to your standard practice swimwear:
- The classic brief. Perhaps better known as a “Speedo,” the men’s swim brief is the most recognizable form of lap swimming suit. Small, comfortable, and allows for full range of motion. The classic!
- Square-cut swimsuits. Square-cut swimsuits provide a little more coverage with minimal drag. Materials vary, with mesh polyester being the drag suit version of this suit. More form-fitting square-cut swimsuits are made with a blend of polyester (or nylon) and elastane/spandex, mixing durability with flexibility for a comfortable fit.
- Jammers. The swim jammer is the newest swimsuit on the block, and has quickly replaced the brief as the training suit of choice for many competitive and lap swimmers. While there isn’t really a drag suit version of jammers, there are polyester versions designed for extended swim training.
Benefits of Drag Suits for Swim Training
Why train with a drag suit? Generally, they are used to increase resistance in the water.
Worn on their own or on top of a racing suit during warm-up at competition, drag suits add—you guessed it—drag to your swimming. When you take the suit off, whether when you compete or on the second round of a tough swim practice, you get a little speed boost.
- Drag suits are usually made of thick polyester. Unlike your high-tech racing jammer or kneeskin, the material in drag suits is far from water-repellant. They soak up water like a sponge.
- The surface of drag suits is meant to increase resistance. The mesh pattern of drag suits increases surface drag and overall resistance.
- Drag suits are highly durable. Their sturdy construction means they are highly resistant to harsh pool chemicals and last much longer than training suits that include spandex or elastane.
The Bottom Line
Drag suits are one of the simplest and old-school tools swimmers have for getting faster in the water. Whether looking to improve explosive power or refine stroke technique, drag suits (used properly) can make a big difference.
To recap our top choices:
- The FINIS Ultimate Drag Suit is the best and only true drag suit that inflicts significant resistance in the water. Best used for short, high-intensity efforts.
- The Speedo Poly Mesh Square Cut Drag Suit is the classic, a slightly baggy mesh poly suit that is ideal for daily use in the pool.
Choose the right drag suit based on your goals in the pool, budget, and use them selectively to chase faster times on the clock.
Happy swimming!
