I’ve been using my Lava Shorts for a while now and thought I should write a review of them. I’m not a strong swimmer but I’ve been trying for a while now.
Lava shorts are basically wetsuit shorts. They’re made from neoprene. The point of wearing them is that they help make you more buoyant. They lift your hips to help with swimming. Since you can’t wear a wetsuit in a pool, these shorts help simulate that to help with training for open water swimming.
For some reason, I blocked on the name Lava Shorts and simply called them my “floaty pants.” They do make a noticeable difference in your swimming style.
I think if you’re training for a triathalon or if you have issues with keeping your hips up while swimming, investing in these shorts is worthwhile.
They’re not particularly inexpensive. I found them on Amazon at around $80.
Here’s what I dislike about them. The Lava Shorts are unisex so that supposedly they fit both men and women. I think they’re actually designed for men and it was easier to say they’re unisex.
I had to go up in size to get a pair that fit my hips. When I wear them, I really need to yank tight the string tie at the waist because they feel like they’re going to fall down. Basically, they fit around my hips but then the waist is weird. They don’t actually reach my waist. They hit me between my hips and waist so they feel awkward.
I don’t want you to think that they’re loose because they’re not. I squirm around to get them on and then tighten up the waist as best I can. That’s the nature of neoprene suits. They’re supposed to be snug.
Once I’m in the pool, they don’t feel too bad though I notice that I am sometimes tugging them up when I stop swimming. I have had them work loose and had to stop to yank them back into place. Nothing like standing in a pool, pulling your shorts back up.
I’ve never mastered flip turns so I can’t tell you how these do with them.
If you need help with elevating your hips in the water, try these or if you know you’re going to be wearing a wetsuit in open water, try these.
I’m not sure they’re worth the investment if you just want to swim laps.
If you wear lava pants, let me know how you do with them. If you just like to swim, let me know that too.