A wetsuit covers your torso and legs and adds full-body buoyancy plus thermal protection. Buoyancy shorts lift your hips and upper legs while leaving your chest, back, shoulders, and arms uncovered. The choice comes down to water temperature, coverage, and what you want from your body position.
What buoyancy shorts do
The LIFT Buoyancy Short costs $150 and is built around NBR foam. That foam is the key material difference: it concentrates lift through the lower body without covering the upper body. For a swimmer, that lower-body lift helps keep the hips near the surface. In freestyle, a higher hip position helps flatten the body line, which reduces drag and makes the kick feel more connected. You keep full shoulder and arm movement because the short does not cover or restrict the upper body.
The LIFT short launched in 2020 as the first buoyancy short built with NBR foam. It remains a best seller. It fits warm open water, pool technique work, and swim sessions where a full suit feels too warm or restrictive.
What a swim-specific wetsuit does
A blueseventy full suit covers you from neck to ankles with Yamamoto neoprene in 38, 39, and 40 cell. Higher cell count means more flexibility, and blueseventy uses that flexibility in the shoulders and arms where the stroke needs freedom. A wetsuit is not waterproof. It lets a thin layer of water inside, and your body warms that layer. The neoprene then helps trap that warmth close to your skin. That is why a full suit adds thermal protection along with buoyancy.
Full coverage changes your position more than shorts do. The legs, hips, and torso all get lift, so the suit helps level you out across the whole body. Full suits match race days in cooler water and longer open water swims. The trade-off is that above roughly 70 to 72°F, a full suit can feel too warm on longer swims. For water below roughly 56 to 58°F, blueseventy points swimmers toward the Thermal Reaction, a cold water specific suit fully lined with Zirconium jersey because the added warmth matters once you are in the mid-50s.
Where the differences show up
- Coverage: The LIFT short covers the hips and upper legs only. A full swim wetsuit covers from neck to ankles.
- Buoyancy source: The LIFT short uses NBR foam focused on the lower body. Full suits use Yamamoto neoprene across the legs, hips, and torso.
- Thermal layer: The LIFT short has none. Full suits trap a thin layer of water that your body warms, with lined options like the Thermal Reaction for cold water.
- Shoulder restriction: The LIFT short leaves the arms and shoulders fully free. Race suits like the Helix prioritize shoulder flexibility but still add upper-body coverage.
- Price entry: The LIFT short starts at $150. The Sprint starts at $325, the Fusion at $420, and the Helix at $995.
- Best use: The LIFT short suits warm water, pool work, and lower-body lift. Full suits match cooler open water, triathlon swim legs, and cold water swimming.
How to choose between the two
Start with water temperature and coverage. If you train in a warm pool, swim open water above roughly 70°F, or want hip lift without shoulder coverage, the LIFT Buoyancy Short fits that need. At $150, it is the lower-cost entry point compared with the $325 Sprint full suit. It is not a substitute for a full wetsuit in cold water.
If you will race or swim in cooler water, choose a full blueseventy wetsuit. For water below roughly 56 to 58°F, the Thermal Reaction is the cold water specific option. For frequent training, the Reaction holds up to more use with higher-grade neoprene. For shorter frequent swims, the Fusion fits the middle of the range. For race-day flexibility, the Helix is the flagship.
Race rules vary by sanctioning body and change over time. Check your event's official wetsuit rules before you commit to a race setup. A wetsuit adds thermal protection; it is not a personal flotation device and does not remove risk. Cold water swimming also asks for acclimatization, a swim partner or shore support, and a plan for getting warm.
Fit, care, and returns
Both pieces should fit snug. A wetsuit should feel tight on dry land and more comfortable once water moves inside. Put it on with flat fingers rather than fingertips to avoid fingernail punctures. Rinse after salt or chlorine swims and dry away from direct heat and sunlight.
For a full wetsuit, blueseventy's 30-day return policy includes a test swim. The suit needs to come back clean, dry, unmodified, and with tags attached. For the LIFT short, use the size chart and check the waist and hip measurements before ordering. Start with the sizing tool if you are between sizes.
Happy swimming.
