16th October 2016 switchldn
Hey. So, you might already have got a pair of rubber shorts, or a hood maybe? Hell, you might not own any rubber at all… but now the thought is just too fucking hot, and now it’s time to make the jump.
Buying your first rubber suit is a big step for any kinkster. It’s likely the most expensive and exciting purchase you’ll have made, and the one where getting your choice right is most important.
It’s also the one purchase that has the most potential for paralysing you with a ridiculous number of options, and not many people have the luxury of the funds to buy suits for all occasions. This guide aims to set out the pros and cons of all the different options available to you, so you can get the one suit that will give you the most satisfaction for many horny years to come.
I’ve linked the different options below for quick reference, or you can settle down for a long rubbery read.
Let’s begin!
Suit types: From full rubber gimp to full access
Choosing the type of suit you buy is the first and most important decision you have to make, as it dictates what options are open to you further down the decision process. Want to sweat in rubbery isolation? There’s a suit for that. Want something quick and easy to put on for a horny rubbery fuck? There are suits for that too. Check out the different options below, I’ve recommended some awesome options to go with each from some of the best stores around.
Full latex suit
Let’s kick off with the classic. This is the kind of suit that usually springs to mind when someone mentions a latex catsuit. Full arms and legs, very sleek and very sexy. A full suit is great for when you want to feel enclosed with a lot of coverage, and maybe even want the option to accessorise with hoods, socks and gloves for total gimpy rubbering.
Full rubber can also prove a difficult thing to wear in hot weather. Whilst shorter suits may allow you to regulate your temperature acceptably, it can be very easy to overheat and dehydrate in a full suit. This is especially the case when you also wear a hood. Always have water on hand if you’re fancying some summer gearplay.
Sure, this can also be a good thing for sweaty sleazy play. If you’re into breaking more than a light sweat, then you’ll get that way before you’ve even finished putting the suit on. With a full suit combined with rubber socks, you can also minimise awkward dripping that would come with partial coverage.
Fit is important with a full suit. A suit that is too small will set off aches and cramps when worn for a long session, alongside areas where the rubber bunches and rides up, causing pinching and discomfort. Be sure to size your suit correctly, as bunching around the knees and inside of the elbows can really ruin that smooth second skin sensation.
Pros:
Look really fucking awesome
Be covered in more rubber than your average kinkster
Have the option of easy full coverage – go full gimp!
Perfect if you like it hot and sweaty
Cons:
Expensive
Faff to prepare, put on and clean
Uncomfortable if wrongly sized
Prone to overheating
Enclosure suit
Next let’s take a look at the more extreme offerings. These suits can be called isolation suits, enclosure suits, they can be rubber dry suits, or just be modified models of existing other styles. They’re fucking hot, like… seriously fucking hot. Want.
These suits are essentially full catsuits, but instead of separate gloves and hoods being bought, the suit combines it all into a single piece. These suits are generally made in a heavier gauge rubber, and often feature technology to ensure watertight and airtight seals.
These suits are the ultimate in rubber coverage, and come with many options of their own. Often they seal the wearer off completely from outside, and coat them head to toe in almost seamless rubber. These suits often feature gasmask elements within the hood, and some models come with integrating locking points etc. The thicker gauge rubber also restricts movement, adding to the isolation.
Enclosure suits are generally the most expensive types you will find from any store’s range. The amount of material, the thickness, and the niche demand drives the prices up often to 2-3x more than that of a full suit. Often you won’t find an on-the-peg example, and you’ll get them designed to order, at which point your only limit is the size of your bank balance!
If you know you want one of these suits, then you probably don’t need to read this guide. Nothing else comes close, and they are a real pervert’s decadence.
The downsides of these suits are also the selling points for many wearers. Whilst it is very easy to overheat in the suit, the total coverage also means it can be regulated or accelerated with outside assistance. It is incredibly important to ensure the safety and hydration levels of whoever is in the suit, be it yourself or a sub.
These suits are also unmatched for degradation and sleaze. The sealed zips allow the suits to be filled with any form of bodily fluids and waste both from inside and out, without any concern for mess. Some of you will be aghast at this, some of you will have paused for a quick wank at this point.
If you’re just starting out in rubber, unless you’re a rich total filthpig with plenty of cash, this probably won’t be realistically at the top of your list.
Pros:
Unparalleled gimping possibilities
Serious kinkster credentials
Incredibly intense rubber experience
Choose right and there’s no need for toilet breaks
Cons:
Not much use outside of isolation scenes
Potentially too intense a rubber experience? (Hahaha, good one me. Whatever.)
Very expensive
Access suit
Let’s now look at something a little more breathable. Access suits are perfect if you’re wanting to get rubbered up, but also want to a good fuss-free fuck. They come in all sorts of designs and styles depending on who makes them, but usually they will have an open backside. In the case of the suit from Latex 101 to the right, they’re also open at the front! The filth of it all! These suits are easy to put on and comfortable to wear, and they’re often pretty cheap too.
Access suits are great if you want to look and feel good whilst having energetic sex. Whilst a good hard fuck is obviously possible in a full suit, your range of movement is restricted, and heat exhaustion becomes a real possibility when you’re going at it for a long time. A suit like this gives you freedom of movement and makes you sweat for all the right reasons.
The downside to these suits is that you don’t tend to get the same ‘second skin’ feeling that comes with more coverage. That said, if it’s your first rubber, even a pair of shorts is an extremely horny sensation.
Access suits can be difficult to size correctly, depending on the design. An access suit that is too big will fold and sag around all the gaps and not give the desired effect. Similarly, one that is too tight will dig in and roll up, twist or otherwise ride uncomfortably. If you’re wanting to show off your body at kink events, then you want it to fit right!
Pros:
More freedom of movement
Easy to put on
Comfortable for long periods
Suitable for sleazy clubbing attire
Cons:
Different sensation to full rubber
Correct sizing more important
Surf Suit
Finally, we’ll look at the various mid-points between full access and full gimp. The basis for all of these is the surf suit, also known as a ‘surfie’ or a ‘shortie’. These suits generally come with the same options and styles as a full-suit, except the arms and legs are cut short.Surfies also a great compromise between coverage and comfort. The full coverage of the torso still gives you that hot and horny enclosed sensation, whilst the lack of full arms and legs means you can regulate your temperature far easier, and move around a lot more freely.
The omission of full arms and legs also means that you will not encounter the possible uncomfortable bunching of the rubber after extended periods, as it naturally rides up into the back of knees and elbows.
These suits are an awesome all-rounder for fetish clubbing too. One of these, nice and skintight, with a hot pair of boots is always a sexy look which will have tongues wagging.
The other great thing about surfies is the price, you can generally expect to pay around £50-100 less for one compared to the equivalent full-length suit, and with less wear and tear likely, it’ll probably last longer too!
Sleeveless suit
Firstly, they’re a lot easier to put on. The final stage of suiting up in a full suit is often the most awkward, where you attempt to contort your arms into the two holes likely hugging your shoulder blades. Getting the sleeves right without folds and twists can be a bit of a faff. (This is why you want to have a correctly fitting suit!) With a sleeveless suit you can simply hook it over your shoulders and you’re done.
Secondly, they exert far less pressure on the shoulders. When in a full suit (and to a lesser extent a surfie) you will tend to feel them start to ache if you have been getting pretty energetic, as the rubber from the sleeves and from the torso constantly applies changing pressure to them. With a sleeveless suit, this doesn’t happen.
Personally I think sleeveless suits look fucking awesome, they have a very futuristic look about them. If you’ve got any muscle to your arms, then you can really show them off with a suit like this.
Wrestling suit
The final suit types share the sleeveless nature of the above. Variously called wrestling suits and singlets, this final design is typified by a vest-like upper body to a suit that comes down to either full or short legs.
Of course, wrestling suits are perfect for just that. Wrestling. Two guys, two wrestling suits, a playmat and a crapload of lube? Perfect.
All of these sleeveless suits look excellent when you have defined arm muscles, but these last suits look especially good for any built guys, as they also show off the chest. That’s not to say that these suits don’t look great on anyone! If you want a great mix of coverage and flexibility, presented in a very horny looking suit… then a wrestling suit is a great choice.
Pros:
Freedom of movement
Comfortable for long periods
Suitable for clubbing attire
Cons:
Difficult to achieve full coverage with accessories Entry requirements: Choosing how you get in and out of your rubber suit.
Rubber isn’t the easiest thing to put on, that much is true. If you’ve decided you’re opting for full suit, you’re always going to have a bit of a struggle on your hands before the fun stuff begins! Sure you can make this a bit more fun with a rubbery friend, but the way you get in and out of your suit can make this better or worse, so choosing the right method for you is important.
Front zip
This zip method is suitable for all suit types methods covered in this guide, with the exception of some particularly skimpy access suits (which don’t need a zip), and some enclosure suits. It gives a classic look, and provides arguably the easiest way to get in a suit.
Typically you will unzip to the waist, treating the bottom half of a suit as shorts or trousers. Pull it on one leg at a time, removing any creases as you go, then pull on the top half one sleeve at a time in the manner of putting on a jacket. Easy!
There are a couple of small downsides to the front zip. The first is that it provides a line of inflexibility along the torso, this is generally not an issue if you’re planning to be the only one wearing your suit. However, if you plan on letting differently sized playmates have a go, it can be limiting to those who may be taller than you.
The other is a design preference, as you may wish to have the front of the suit look totally smooth without a zip cutting through the middle.
Summary: Easy to put on, decent flexibility, classic look.
Back zip
These zips work really well for surf suits, as they give a horny wetsuit style look. They’re also the best option for enclosure and attached hood suits as they allow the hood to be put on with ease.
They do have their downsides though. The first is that they create an inflexible line, like the front zip. However this is more problematic with a back zip as this can cause discomfort when bending over if not sized correctly.
The second is that they are awkward to get into yourself, getting the zip up between your shoulders can prove difficult. Adding a zipper cord is an option, but they don’t look that great. If the zip catches in the rubber or something else, there is the very real chance of getting stuck. Not ideal, despite it being trapped in rubber being a horny prospect.
Oh yeah, and dickheads in clubs find it hilarious to pull them down. Combat this with a padlock from zip to a collar. Do this anyway, padlocks are hot.
Summary: Looks pretty awesome, awkward to zip up, less flexible, potential for getting stuck.
Shoulder zip
The other zip option is to have it on the shoulders, with a zip either side of the neck. This is my general preference for suit entry when I get myself a new full suit. My old suit can be seen in the pic to the right, where you can get one yourself too!
The main benefit here is that you have full flexibility in the suit from the neck down. There are no torso zips to restrict the natural stretch of the rubber, and as a result you have a good range of movement within a full suit, and you can bend over fully without giving yourself a zip wedgie. Of course you can add in crotch zips for access!
There are a few downsides though. If you grow too large for your suit, you risk putting a lot of pressure on the zips as your shoulders push into them. This can result (as it has with me in the past) in zips rupturing.
The other downside is that they can be rather awkward to get into. To pull a shoulder entry suit on, you need to have already pulled up the suit properly to your chest, before ducking arms in one at a time at usually quite an awkward angle.
Once on though, the shoulder entry suit looks and feels really quite special. Obviously this entry method does not work for sleeveless or vest-type suits, due to the lack of shoulders to zip from!
Summary: Looks awesome, great full-suit flexibility, more difficult to get into.
Neck entry suit
The final option worth considering is the neck entry suit. Don’t want to have to bother with zips at all? This one might be the option for you.
These suits also come with a requirement to take good care of your rubber. As the neck area is put under regular strain, it is important to keep it in good condition so there are no rips.
As a sensation, a neck entry suit feels quite different from one with a zip, as there is a real ‘second skin’ feeling to them, provided it is sized correctly. Most suits come with the option of adding in crotch zips too, as is the case with the Latex 101 suit shown to the side.
Summary: Very horny sensation, limits options elsewhere, needs extra care.
Getting fit and getting thick: Sizing and gauging your rubber perfectly
Sizing your suit
So you’ve decided the suit, and you’ve decided how you’re going to get into it. Next, let’s look at how you should get it sized.
The main decision essentially comes down to fit versus cost and urgency.
For a quick turn-around and a generally decent fit, you can opt for an off-the-peg sizing. Rubber is easier to buy in this manner, as suits that are slightly smaller will still stretch to fit. This is also the cheapest option, but you may lose the second-skin feeling if it doesn’t fit close enough.
If a Made to Measure service is offered, and you can warrant the extra cost (usually around a 15-25% premium), and you can wait the extra time for it to be made, then I say go for it, every time.
The benefits of Made to Measure are obvious. The suit will fit you perfectly, especially if the service provided requires a large number of measurements. For some suits M2M is less important, but for a full suit I would recommend it every time.
As a middle-ground some retailers, including skintightrubber offer a ‘top and bottom’ approach, where combinations of the off-the-peg sizings can be made. This works well for tall guys who aren’t in perfect proportion, or those guys who have skipped a few too many leg days!
Choosing the thickness of your latex
After sizing, you may also have the option to choose the gauge (thickness) of the latex used in your suit. Often the gauge is tied to the type of suit you are buying.
At the stupidly thick end of the scale, you have highly-restrictive and highly-expensive suits like Blackstyle’s offering shown in the picture. These suits are not for the faint-hearted, the 1.5mm (and you CAN find thicker!) latex has very little flexibility. You will get hot, you won’t move much, and you will fucking love it.. and I will be fucking jealous, because I don’t have one and a half grand kicking around.
On the thinner side, you can find 0.25mm latex suits. These suits provide a truly unique experience, as the thin latex provides a truly second-skin sensation. It is cool to wear, and very flexible. The downside to this though is the fragility of the latex, and it requires care to avoid ripping.
Suits from most retailers come as standard within a range of 0.4 to 0.5mm. These present a good balance of flexibility, durability and sensation. The difference between 0.4 and 0.5 is immediately noticeable though, and as a personal preference, I think a surf suit should definitely be a bit thicker. 0.45mm latex is also available.
If you’re wanting coloured latex, you’ll tend to find that a thicker latex request such as 0.8mm will result in a significantly reduced range of colours to choose from. Talking of which…
Classic or colourful: Choosing the design of your rubber
Picking a colour combo
Choosing an interesting design or colour combination can really transform a suit. I’m not here to tell you which colours and designs are the best, that’s entirely down to your opinion. I’ve seen bright pink look awesome, so go for it, and make it your own!
Whilst there are thousands of possible combos, many people opt to go for the classic look. No colour, just black. This has a really striking effect, especially when polished up. If you’re into gimping up head to toe, the featureless black look really adds to the dehumanisation and anonymity. Hot.
Rather than choosing from combinations, some suits make it easy by coming in pre-designated colours, such as the very sexy tri-singlet from Regulation.
A warning about white
When choosing colours it can be tempting to look at white latex as an option. It looks stunning, and the idea of a full suit in pure white sounds like it’d be incredible and stand out from everything. It would, but only for a short while.
White latex degrades quickly to a light cream, which may not give the startling look you desire. Additionally, it’s very easy to stain! Go for it by all means, but be careful. Keeping it away from light will prolong the bright white colour.
Something a little different
Not only can you choose any colours you like, some retailers such as the fantastic Latex 101 provide options for really quite unusual options, such as brightly coloured marbled latex, and laser-etched textured latex, which creates an utterly stunning effect, such as the ‘armour’ texture in the suit to the left.
Stripes and symbols
Most retailers offer the chance to customise your suit design, whether this is with the addition of stripes in contrasting colours, or the addition of personal designs. Pawprints, nicknames and horny words are popular choices.
Though remember that if you end up wanting to sell on your suit in future, that personalised suits are going to be hard to shift! Of course, if you use this guide and pick right, you’ll hold onto it for a long time to come 😉 Though if you change your nickname, like a certain slaveLDN did… well, that’s your own fault, isn’t it? *cough*
Stripes generally cost a small additional amount to your suit, whereas customisation can cost more, especially if it requires the maker to have to cut out complex shapes.
Collars, clips and nipple zips: Choosing horny additions to your rubber suit
These additions are often included as part of a specialised suit, such as the very horny Locking Collar suit from Regulation. Sometimes, the additions you want come as an optional extra on stock suits for a variety of prices.
There are all sorts of options available to you. If you don’t fancy dealing with zips over your cock, you can often opt for a hole in the suit and a nice codpiece addition. Easy. Want to be locked in your suit? Some retailers offer the option of locking posts, or an integrated collar for padlocking.
If you’re hugely into nipple play (like I am!) then a rubber suit can be problematic for gaining access to them. This can be easily rectified with the addition of a pair of nipple zips. Perfect.
If you’re fancying something REALLY bondage-y, then you can always go all out and get yourself a straitjacket suit, or another of the many bondage suits offered by retailers. Of course, this then limits your ability to use your suit for other scenes, so choose wisely! Integrated hands, hoods and feet
You can also often choose to add in integrated extra accessories, creating a seamless full body rubber experience. Unless you’re buying a specialised outfit.
Kink chemistry: Chlorinate your rubber or not?
You’ve almost made it to the end! And finally, an option you may not even be aware exists.
Chlorination is a chemical process involving the bonding of chlorine molecules to the surface of the latex at a microscopic level. What this bit of not-particularly-horny science means is that chlorination ofyour suit makes your gear really fucking shiny, smooth, and easy to get into.
So why would you NOT get it done? Basically, this chemical transformation comes at a cost. Chlorinated rubber is really really hard to fix. If a zip goes, or you get a rip, you’re going to have a nightmare trying to fix it.
The other bad thing about chlorinated latex? It doesn’t smell of rubber. ARGH.
Decided?
A rubber suit, if cared for well can last you years of fucking horny play. It may seem like a fair bit of money to spend on something, but when you consider how much pleasure it’ll give you, it’s a real bargain.
Get yourself a suit ordered, and when you receive it, be sure to tweet me a pic of it at @switchLDN! Happy rubbering, guys.
Switch London
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