Testing the Hunter skating suits

The speed skating suit brand got itself noticed last year thanks to the many victories of the French Team during the World Championships of Speed Skating in Rosario, Argentina. The manufacturer sent us a sample...

Par alfathor
Publié le 15 May 2015 - Mis à jour le 11 May 2025 - 9251 Lectures - 0 commentaire(s)

Test Bench

After many twists and turns from our carrier, we finally received our sample of the Hunter suit for our test on Oline-Skating.com. What a surprise when we opened the package: It is the exact model of the Junior Team France suit! We were not expecting to get a suit with the national colors! It’s top-notch, but wearing it is quite hard to assume. We will carry our test with a t-shirt over it, or away from prying eyes. A Team France suit, you have to deserve it!

Why specifying that it is a junior’s model? Simply because there is a special ‘aero’ version developed for the seniors, in a more aerodynamic fabric and with the zipper in the back. It is also more expensive.

About Hunter

Let’s start with a few pieces of info on the brand. Hunter is a Dutch brand specialized in ice and roller skating.

For the ice, some international skaters such as Joris Bergsma (world champion), Bog de Jong, Michel Mulder but also the Belgian skating star Bart Swings are equipped with Hunter products.
On wheels, the Hunter suits won a bunch of titles thanks to the French Team at the 2014 Worlds of Speed Skating in Rosario.

Description

The design of the 2014 model is one of the most successful of the last years, sober but efficient, mixing the modernity of the new federal logos and the traditional dimension of the red, white and blue borders on the sleeves.

Finishings

The fabric seems quite thick, at least you feel that it is of high quality. At first sight, it’s a high-end Dupont Lycra model. The elasticity is important, it sticks well to your body!

The printing quality is good on the whole. Here is a test to check if a suit is well sublimated: stretch the fabric between your fingers, if it whitens a lot, then the ink hasn’t entered deep in the fibers. Here the fabric lightens a little, it is the only damper we found to this suit.

The finishing of the tricolor borders is not the same as that of the rest of the suit, it is made of an elastic and breathable light material. Its tightening is more homogeneous than that of a classic elastic band, better distributed and less oppressing for the thighs.

There is a double pocket in the back, each of them can hold a water bottle. They are deep and their content holds in place.

The seams of the zipper are perfect, not a single thread out. We are far from the finishing defect that was long to be found on the Poli suits, where the zipper frequently tended to come unstitched.
All the pieces are assembled with double, even triple seams.

With use

The suit has a very close fitting cut without being oppressing. It is perfectly cut, nothing flaps in the wind. You get a good sensation of air penetration, almost of waterproofness of the fabric, like an ultra thin snorkeling suit. It should be warm enough in the winter time.

Conclusion

The speed skating suit market is very competitive, with a wide range of prices with models produced in Asia, South America and Europe. The Hunter suits cost 89€, a price that may seem high but which seems justified with the quality of the products. Moreover, skating with the national colors is really top-notch! Just try not to skate like a beginner!