When you're choosing a wetsuit, fit, warmth, and durability are the obvious considerations. But there's one question most people don't think to ask: what chemicals are in the fabric that's pressed against your skin for hours at a time?
With growing concerns around chemical leaching in the wetsuit industry, it's worth understanding what REACH compliance means, and why it matters for your health and the environment.
How Wetsuits Are Made
Wetsuit manufacturing isn't a clean process. It requires high energy input and combines multiple layers of fabric with synthetic neoprene rubber, permanently laminated together. The dyes used to colour synthetic fabrics require chemical treatments - heated, washed, and rinsed at a fabric mill before the fabric is bonded to the neoprene inner layer.
Neoprene itself isn't biodegradable, meaning wetsuits should be chosen with longevity and quality in mind. They're designed to provide warmth, reduce wind chill, and offer insulation while remaining stretchy and durable - all essential for ocean sports like sailing, kitesurfing, surfski paddling, kayaking, SUP, foiling, windsurfing, and dinghy racing.
What does REACH compliant actually mean?
REACH stands for the Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation, and Restriction of Chemicals - a piece of European Union environmental legislation that regulates product quality and restricts the use of harmful substances in manufacturing.
Products that are REACH compliant are free from substances that could cause harm to the consumer. For wetsuits, this means the dyes, chemical treatments, and processes used in fabric production have all been assessed and certified as safe.
Vaikobi's design and production manager, Bart Milczarczyk, puts it plainly:
"The REACH standard gives us peace of mind that the fabrics are produced to a certain level of quality. The dyes, and all the processes and techniques used in the fabric are better for both the wearer and the environment. Think about how much time a competitive sailor has spent in their wetsuit over the years. Limiting your exposure to harmful chemicals is essential for people. We don't need these chemicals leaching into our bodies and into our waterways."
Why the Risk is Higher for Watersport Athletes
Wearing a non-REACH compliant wetsuit carries a greater risk than wearing non-compliant clothing in most other contexts. Here's why:
- Surface area — large sections of fabric are in direct contact with your skin, your body's largest organ
- Duration — wetsuits are worn for extended periods, often four or more hours per session
- Saturation — wet fabric is more likely to leach substances than dry fabric
- Penetration — skin pores open up from warm water and physical activity, increasing absorption
Vaikobi's Head Designer, Bart Milczarczyk, says that “the REACH standard gives us peace of mind that the fabrics are produced to a certain level of quality. The dyes, and all the processes and techniques used in the fabric are better for both the wearer and the environment. Think about how much time a competitive sailor has spent in their wetsuit over the years. Limiting your exposure to harmful chemicals is essential for people. We don’t need these chemicals leaching into our bodies and into our waterways.“
How Vaikobi Addresses This
The FlexForce wetsuit range is fully REACH compliant — manufactured without harmful substances, so you can train and race with confidence.
Beyond compliance, the FlexForce range is engineered to perform:
- A thin reflective metallic layer in the lamination process improves thermal properties without adding bulk — meaning the suits are warmer for less material
- Quick-dry fleece lining selected for its inherent functional properties rather than relying on chemical treatments
- Stretchy, pilling-resistant outer fabric with abrasion-resistant panels at high-wear zones like the knees and seat — extending the life of the suit and reducing waste
Available in 2mm for cool to cold conditions and 3.5mm for cold to freezing conditions — suitable for sailing, kayaking, surfski, SUP, foiling, windsurfing, and dinghy racing.
For more on REACH compliance and chemical safety in textile manufacturing, visit the QIMA website.
Browse the full Vaikobi FlexForce wetsuit range.
