Introducing the Jaked J-Keel Racing Swimsuits

So far this year we've seen some excellent new tech suits released on to the market in 2016. The Speedo LZR Racer X got a new set of colours, FINIS have brought us the FUSE tech suits, TYR has given us an exclusive deal on their limited edition Avictor Omaha Nights swimsuits and now we've got the new top-of-the-range J-Keel from Jaked.

Jaked came into the market in the age of bodysuits, that time before 2010 when full-length swimsuits were still allowed under FINA regulations. The Jaked J01 was the arguably fastest speed suit of its time and helped make a reputation for the Italian competitive swim brand. The FINA rule changes meaning that men's swimsuits had to end above the knee / below the navel, and women's suits had to end above the knee. Jaked have been developing their range of racing suits each year, improving their designs and refining their ideas.

The J-Keel is up there in the top tier of competitive swimwear. It's roughly equal to the Speedo LZR and Arena Carbon Flex in the budget and technical features. If you're looking to try a racing swimsuit outside of the two most popular brands then the Jaked J-Keel could be the answer! Jaked are solely focused on competitive swimming, their swimsuits are developed through a process of lab tests and athlete testing, so you can be sure that you're getting the very best quality products!

We've had the black version in stock for a couple of weeks and we've just received our first shipment of the black/orange versions!

Jaked J-Keel Jammer:

USA elite swimmer Mark Gangloff reviewed the suits in his run-down of 2016 tech suits. Here's what he had to say:

“Any racer in the world should feel confident wearing this suit”

Size/Fit

"...The compression of this suit was very good and it fit well. The suit hits at just the right spot above the knee, as well as hitting high enough on my hips and back that I didn’t get any water down my backside on my dives or push-offs.

Unlike many other brands, this suit does not have any sticky plastic around the leg holes. This made the suit more comfortable. Even without the sticky plastic, the suit stayed in place – so an excellent job by Jaked relying on design rather than added features to do the trick. The JKeel also features seaming down each butt cheek, which smoothes out the rounder parts of the rear end."

Material

"The Jaked JKeel features an interesting blend of 58% polyamide, 32% elastane, and 10% polyester. When swimming in this suit, I felt “locked” in. The material of this suit contributes to its “shimmery” look/feel and its ability to repel water. Jaked calls this the “AcquaSuAcqua” side effect using their Italian heritage to highlight the attribute."

Performance

"Jaked JKeel earns an A for overall performance from me! Any racer in the world should feel confident wearing this suit. I liked it and I think the fact that it’s a mid-priced suit with top qualities makes you want to give it that extra half grade! For the win with an A+, Jaked will have to improve the compression and cut even more."

Summary

Pros: good compression; comfortable; repels water; low price
Cons: availability in the U.S. can be hard to find. But, it's available at ProSwimwear.co.uk with fast delivery worldwide!
Grade: A

Jaked J-Keel Kneeskin

All-star American swimmer Julie Stupp volunteered to be the one to test the ladies version of the J-Keel, here are her notes:

“You can always expect great high-quality fabric from Jaked and the JKeel is no exception”

Size/Fit

"The Jaked JKeel was another tough suit to get on because of its sturdy fabric. It took me some time to get it over my hips, but from there it was no problem. I am glad that the Jaked reps suggested I go down one size in the JKeel because the size 26 suit fit me extremely well, but take note: this is definitely a more compressive suit. The JKeel’s long leg cut combined with their new three-seam glute construction really helped the suit to hug and compress my lower body. The three seams start at the base of the low back and run vertically down the suit. Two of the seams run down the center of the hamstrings and the other over the butt. Jaked has also created a new sort of rubber shoulder and back strap connector that is very durable and very comfortable."

Material

"You can always expect great high-quality fabric from Jaked and the JKeel is no exception. The JKeel fabric is well-treated with a high-quality hydrophobic coating that showed sheen underwater and tons of beading water once I jumped out of the pool. The suit’s fabric is very durable which makes it more time consuming to put on, but means that the suit will last for more than just one swim meet."

Performance

"Diving in the pool I felt very secured and buoyant because of the compressive fabric and the three-seam glute design. My hips felt lifted and I felt like I was swimming right on top of the water. I loved swimming all four strokes in this suit because the JKeel design didn’t constrict any of my movements throughout my hips, shoulders or my back."

Summary

Pros: The high-quality durable fabric, and the new glute seams were perfectly compressive, yet made me feel extra buoyant while swimming.
Cons: The unfortunate midsection seam and the shoulder seams on the front of the suit can rub on the collarbone.
Grade: A

We've got the standard black version of the J-Keel, as well as the new black/orange version in stock now! There's going to be a couple more limited edition versions of these tech suits released over the next few months with some really interesting designs, so keep an eye on our website for further details!

Above: teaser image for the new limited edition J-Keel - due to arrive with us in early April!