Essentially Rubber: Decathlon unveils 100% natural rubber wetsuit

Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France - Decathlon has claimed an industry first with the production of wetsuits based entirely on natural rubber.

The French sports goods and apparel manufacturer unveiled a new wetsuit material, Yulex100, on 6 June, claiming it was the first ‘chloroprene rubber alternative’ wetsuit produced from ‘certified rubber’.

Developed over two years of partnership with US-based company Yulex, the material is currently being used in Decathlon’s beginner junior shorty range of surf wetsuits and in snorkeling tops.

According to Decathlon, alternatives to neoprene do exist on the market, such as wetsuits made from 85% natural rubber and 15% synthetic rubber.

But the latest product is “entirely free of synthetic rubber, sourced exclusively from PEFC or FSC certified forests.”

The material provides “an 80% reduction in CO2 eq. emissions compared with neoprene foam,” according to Decathlon.

In the meantime, the material remains “just as light, warm, durable and stretchy, meeting all the technical requirements of users.”