Many readers asked us for hooded stinger suits, now Ecostinger is shipping them worldwide from the USA.

We recommend you get a suit with just a hood, maybe with fold-away mittens (gloves) if you wish, but not with full foot cover (socks) as they wear out faster than the rest of the suit. See our Test Review.

Why Wear a Hood?

A hood is essential for snorkeling and swimming to prevent sunburn and nasty scars from jellyfish. We prefer suits with build-in hood to protect neck and ears. It doesn't come undone when you're swimming.

Hoods come in a variety of patterns, with the seams in different places to allow for a better fit. Due to the flexible fabric, the hood turns with your head, giving you full freedom of movement.

The face opening may be either wide or narrow, depending on what you want. Some readers reported being stung on the lips by jellyfish. Some manufacturers offer just an opening for the mouth and around your nose and eyes, so you can use snorkel and mask.

Your hood should fit well and move with your head when you turn to the side. It must not obstruct your vision or slop around because it is too big. Keep it in place with the strap of your snorkel mask. Make sure the hood stays out of your mask's face seal, or it will leak.

Swimming in the sea and pool was great fun wearing the new hooded stinger suit from Ecostinger. These suits are among the most comfortable swimwear we've ever taken for a swim.

It is very comfy, more so than regular suits, especially around the shoulders. Most regular suits fit tight around the neck to close well. This hooded suit is not so tight around the neck and shoulders because the hood allows more freedom around the back to move.

We like the Hood

Over the front the hood comes down to just above the eyebrows to give good protection. It can be pulled down to the nose tip due the elastic fabric, which might be helpful for people with very sensitive eyes or skin.

For women this extra size might be good if they want to stash up their hair inside the hood as there is more room.

When down, the hood makes an interesting collar. We like that much better than the often geeky looking crew neck of regular suits.

Sizing

Most suits we've seen are too tight around the shoulders, neck and crotch and too wide around the waist. We often wonder what idea of their customers many manufacturers have.

The Ecostinger suit fits much better. This makes a significant difference in the way it feels in the water. The cuffs at the wrists are a bit loose, but this makes easier to put on and take off.

Summary

This is one of the best swimsuits we've tried. It fits really well and feels almost like wearing nothing, full freedom of movement. This probably explains why people are hopping about in strange ways on the blog photos from Australia. They never felt that free.