Terrible flushing around chest and shoulders from day 1. Started leaking in the crotch/low back after 2 weeks at home. After 2 more weeks of use in Chile, the seams have separated at both knees and around hips. Got super cold on my trip due to water constantly flushing the suit. Visor stitching on hood ripped. Have rinsed suit in fresh water every ... Read Moreday and kept out of the sun. Returned due to these glaring production/quality issues.
Hi Erik! Thank you for taking the time to write us a review. We're really sorry to hear about the quality issues you faced with the suit. We're happy to hear that you returned it for warranty evaluation. Our team will be in touch with you with further assistance.
November 19, 2022
NOT great
My R3 fell apart after 2 months of use. I bought it for winter surfing, but it fell apart- shoulder and sleeve seem completely came apart, and the zipper tire, and was never right from the beginning. Ok, so I got a lemon, BUT the worse part is that they would not replace the suit, and said they would repair it- great, except that took over 2 months... Read More!! Leaving me without the suit I paid good money for right during the season I bought it for. It was heartbreaking to be without a suit that I paid that much for during my favorite season, leaving me sidelined for 2 months because I can't afford to buy 2 just to have a backup because the suit I paid A LOT for goes down right away. Ridiculous!! Spend your hard earned money elsewhere with a company that will care.
Thank you so much for taking the time to write this review, Scott. We also want to extend our sincere apologies for the troubles and disappointments you've had with this experience. Please know that we will absolutely pass this feedback along so we can start work on different avenues for when situations like these arise. Again, we are truly sorry about this experience but we appreciate the time you took to send it our way.
November 11, 2022
arm is little long
wet suit arm length is little longer for me.I love the medium short wet suit size for your product.
These suits are warm but a little heavy and moderately flexible. Great for cold days. Not sure if it was just a one off problem but my crotch started leaking, worst place for cold water to seep in. The tape on inside and seam sealer on outside were still intact so took me a bit to diagnose. Sent for repairs. They repaired the suit by restitching it... Read More but did not redo the seal tape. The suit worked for another season but is leaking again in the same spot. Its unfortunate because if craftsmanship was better could get another season out of it. Might try again and see if I just got unlucky. These newer suits are more flexible than the old ones but not what I would call super stretchy.
Really love the wetsuit material, with time, the rubber stretches and molds to your body and keeps you warm. The mobility isn't bad either. HOWEVER, I bought the suit thinking it would last me much longer (I treat my wetsuits well and even the worst brands last me 3 years), but within a year I found all sorts of problems: 1) Zip head broke wit... Read Morehin a month. Just snapped off and I wasn't even aggressive with it. 2) There was a small leak in the crotch from day one which I just ignored and thought "hey, a good for the environment suit can't be perfect." 3) HUGE rip on the inside leg seam -- just busted open while I was surfing -- again, I treat my suits well, wash them, dry them in the shade, and I gentle put them on and off. I really really wanted to leave the team an awesome review on this product - but time after time it has made it just impossible for me to.
Hey Jon, thank you for the feedback on your wetsuit, we're so sorry to hear of all of it's shortcomings. We recommend getting in touch with our wetsuit experts to see if they're able to get these issues repaired for you. You can email them at wetsuitrepairs@patagonia.com.
This suit fits good and I'm not allergic to materials in this product. Surfed for two hours, warm in the suit at 49 degrees. I've suited up about a dozen times in this suit.
In bought this wetsuit for use in the South Atlantic. I'd been in the water without the dot on so know how freezing it is! With the suit on its incredible, so warm! It also fits really well! So worth it!
I've been in Santa Cruz for a few years now. I usually go cheap on wetsuits, but I splurged on this, and it was completely worth it. At 4.5/3.5, it seems thick, but it moves better than my 3/2 and keeps me waaaay warmer than my old 4/3. If you live in the bay area, the R3 is definitely the move.
Ive owned several wetsuits from the leading companies but nothing compares to the warmth & quality construction of this suit. The new Yulex is stretchy for surfing and easy to put on and off. My only suggestion is to reverse the chest zipper for more ease of use. Very pleased with the R3 hooded suit.
I love this suit, its performance, durability and what it stands for. Maybe I run warm or the hair on the chest adds another mm but I can surf for hours in this suit. I've had this suit for 3 yes and it's just now showing wear. The yulex is a nice substitute for all the oil used in every other aspect of surfing. At first the suit was stif... Read Moref but super warm and still comfortable. Now I hear the newer version is more dialed in and I kinda want one, but don't need one (unless COVID lbs get me) because the other suit is still kicking and could just use a bit of seam repair. Gotta love a company that will repair its product.
I used to wear Patagonia wetsuits and stopped because they felt so stiff. I love the non petro aspect and a friend told me they were worlds better than the older Patagonia wetsuits. They are. Flex is very similar to the other brands. Super warm. Im surfing in Washington and the water is cold. Cant complain at all. So far Im super happy with this we... Read Moretsuit.
I was eager to buy this wetsuit for the natural products and to support Patagonia. It fit well and kept me warm.
I was really disappointed that after just a few months of surfing 1-2 times a week, the crotch panel failed and the crotch seam barely held together. I brought the suit back to my local store who shipped it to the Ventura wetsuit repai... Read Morer center. I was hoping for a repaired or replacement suit, but I was given a refund instead. I'm trying to decide if I will buy another R3 or go with a different brand. Big Bummer
This suit is snug. Ordered one size larger than chart suggested after reading/watching several reviews and talking to friends with the same suit. Hood is stretchy, easy to pull down when it gets too warm. Minor bunching behind my knees, but this could be the size I ordered. That being said, I don't think one size down (recommended by chart) wo... Read Moreuld be big enough for my chest, arms and shoulders. The yulex is definitely not as flexible as limestone neoprene, but that could also be the seam sealing tech. Other suits may be more flexible, but these seams seam like they are much more robust and should last longer than other manufacturers'. Appreciate the ankle cuffs. They tend to get pretty ragged after heavy use, but these look like they are designed to mitigate fraying. The zip design seems smart too. I have noticed that this suit actually flushes easier with the hood up than down, which makes me wonder about its long term elasticity since I have only surfed in it a handful of hours. The overall fit and finish seems better than most if not all competitors. Wetsuit tech has come a long way since I started surfing 27 years ago, but in the last decade I have noticed a general drop off in the quality control standards of several manufacturers. This doesn't seem to be the case here, and the warranty seems unmatched which is an anomaly in the 21st century. The fact that the bulk material used is sustainable is great too. Cheers to Patagonia for pushing innovative design, ethical production and not compromising on quality. I would recommend this suit.
Despite otherwise fitting, this suit was too tight around my head and neck, so I needed to go a size up. The customer service and exchange process at Patagonia is incomparably excellent, they have a customer for life for their great service.
I love it. Best wetsuit ever. Comfortable, warm and high level finishing. Feels good to know its a fair triad product also. Now I want the booties so badly!
I was hesitant to buy one of these wetsuits because I try to avoid anything with hype (or a crazy price). A few friends have Patagonia wetsuits and have raved, but I dodged their opinion. The time came for a new heater, so I decided to read up on the Yulex technology, and was swayed almost immediately. Anyone that believes in science should back Yu... Read Morelex. Beside the suit being warmer than a normal comp suit, what really cemented my opinion was the guarantee. I destroyed the knee pad on a head high, low tide day in San Francisco. I got into a hollow section, tried to fly out the end, and got caught at the lip. The foam grabbed my board, flipped it over, and shoved it backwards at me, fin side up. I pulled my legs up to protect my innards. My board slammed into my knees, and somehow I didnt get chopped. The knee pad took all of the force. When this happens, I usually patch the suit myself, because most wetsuit companies dont cover damage due to intended use. But after reading the guarantee on the Patagonia website, and decided to give their repair guys a try. I got my wetsuit back in a week (7 days) and they replaced the entire knee for free. Service like that goes a long way with me. I feel like I got the full treatment with my wetsuit, and I will be back for another one.
It's been a few generations since I wore an R3 - and this years' model is a step forward for me. At 6'0 the MT fits very well, the weight and flex is improved and the construction (as always) is top-notch.
For an entire year this suit was 100% waterproof without letting in a single drop of water. It actually worked like a dry suit, I was in shock. It finally started to let in some water after a year of good use, but I'm hoping I can send it in for warranty and get it back to being airtight for an entire year.
I surf daily in Huntington Beach, CA. this suit keeps me warm and fits just right. this is my go to suit in the winter and I bought two. I have 3 other Patagonia suits for different temps - the quality, fit and service (Pata repaired one) are the key reasons for me.
My 4/3 hooded suit fits great and it is very warm, almost to warm. The mornings are cold and the hood is a great addition to keeping my skinny bones and dome warm. I have had to take the hood down a few times and with a pencil neck like mine the fit of the hood around my neck feels great.
This is the first time I have purchased a Yulex suit and it... Read More is very stretchy for a 4/3. Im very pleased with my purchase.
I have worked in the wetsuit world for decades. I have warn almost all brands. I wanted to try Patagonia because I love the brand and its environmental manufacturing practices. The Hooded R3 is an awesome suit. I am tall and skinny and get cold easily, but long sessions are no longer an issue for me. I was pleasantly surprised by all the attention ... Read Moreto detail with the design of the suit. The suit is really durable as well. As we head into this winter I am currently still wearing my suit I purchased last winter and it still feels like new; no pin hole leaks any wear. I am super stoked on the suit and will for sure be buying another one when this one wears out.
I live on the central coast of California. Decided it was time to get a suit for the colder water temperatures. After trying on a couple other brands I went to Patagonia because of the advice of friends who have been surfing since they were kids and said these suits were the best they had ever owned. It took me four tries to get the right size and ... Read Moreconfiguration. Started with a hooded medium front zip, too tight under my arms and too difficult to get the hood on and off. Then MT back zip. Oddly had trouble getting in and out of the arms, also decided back zip would not be the optimum for staying warm. Then MT front zip and the neck seemed tight. Finally MT hooded front zip and it was just right. My hands and shoulders are weak areas and played a roll in choosing a suit that fit correctly and was also not too difficult to get in and out of. I have added the Lite Yulex front zip long sleeve top to make the comfort level even better. The Patagonia guarantee is real. All of you who contributed to make this suit possible , a sincere Thank you..
So toasty, so comfy, so flexible. I love this suit. Im a pretty lanky 6, the large fits perfect everywhere but sits about an inch above my ankle, but its not terrible. Ive really had to adjust to the hood being over my chin and its a bit restrictive on my neck when its down. These are minor concerns though. Its so dang warm. That plus the low carbo... Read Moren and human impact of the materials and labor makes me think this is worth the price.
This wetsuit is a great wetsuit. its warm its flexible and the inside material is very comfortable and dries nicely. My one flaw with this wetsuit is that there is no ST size. I have a tall and skinny body type which meant that the suit fit really pretty well on my upper half, although the legs and crotch were too tight. The legs stopped like 4 inc... Read Morehes above my ankle. They went up so far you could see my legs when I would wear booties. Not Fun. The result of this is that I stretched the suit enough by paddling that one of the seams on the right upper chest exploded and now I have a large hole in the suit and haven't used it since. So Please Patagonia make a Small Tall suit ST!
Far superior stretch and ease of entry then previous iterations. New seam placement makes me notice the suit less when paddling . I was ready to give up on Patagonia suits because I felt they sacrificed performance for environmental sustainability but with this latest FA20 suit, I feel you don't have to trade one for another. Truly the best su... Read Moreit Patagonia has designed and the first that feels indistinguishable from neoprene.