To be completely honest, although this suit has some downsides—just like any tech suit—it is still my number one pick. It strikes an amazing balance of flexibility, durability, price, and compression, and I am truly impressed. I highly recommend it, especially for swimmers who swim a variety of events. Because of this, I countenance the Carbon Air 2.
The first thing I noticed about the Air 2 is its thin fabric. It is indubitably the thinnest tech suit I have seen on the market which helps improve speed and flexibility and provides a lightweight feel in the water. Unfortunately, its thinness has some downsides too. Although tech suits are known for lasting a ridiculously short amount of time, the Air 2 lasts even less than most. From my personal experience, it will be great for a prelims finals meet, but the difference between before and after that meet is noticeable. Towards the end of the season, the seams started fraying and the Arena logo had completely worn off. It lasted three meets before it needed to be replaced. Still, its lightweight feel and almost arcane and magical design are excellent for racing, even if the durability can stymie some.
Even though the fabric is thin, the Air 2 has surprisingly great compression. Although it has a relatively low amount of carbon (one percent), you can barely tell. Arena boasts that its design enables efficient use of muscle strength through its “intelligent muscle technology.” I believe it because although it has a relatively…