Published December 10, 2025 06:00AM
If you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.Learn about Outside Online's affiliate link policy
Our Best Gear Finds of 2025 After Countless Hours of Testing
The Triathlete editors get to test loads of cool gear. But we contemplate carefully what we recommend you spend money on. Find the gear we regularly recommend.
We spent all year testing triathlon gear. Here's a look at our favorites across eight categories. (Photo: Triathlete)
The pursuit of the perfect triathlon season requires the right tools, and for that reason, we commit countless hours to the rigorous testing of the latest triathlon gear. Our comprehensive evaluation process isn’t just a brief trial – it’s an intensive, real-world deployment, conducted either by our in-house team of seasoned multisport athletes during their personal training cycles, or through collaboration with a dedicated triathlon club, who integrate the new equipment into their scheduled workouts and races.
We do this because we know that true performance can only be assessed through true use. Instead of simply repeating what marketing spec sheets say about a product, we subject every piece of gear – from wetsuits and cycling components to GPS watches and nutrition products – to the same demanding conditions every triathlete will put it through in training and racing. We log countless miles in the saddle and on the pavement, and accumulate substantial hours in the pool and open water. Only after this rigorous vetting period, when we have established a thorough understanding of the gear’s capabilities and limitations, do we compile and share our unbiased outcomes with our readership.
The result of this process is our acclaimed series of “Best Of” gear roundups. These annual guides are constantly refreshed to incorporate the newest innovations hitting the market and to provide real-world takes on how they truly perform when put to the test.
ADVERTISEMENT
As the 2025 triathlon season comes to an end, we take a retrospective run (and ride, and swim) through the equipment that stood out. And don’t worry – we’ll be right back at it in 2026, testing new arrivals and technological leaps with our editors and tri team partners.
The best running and triathlon watches released in 2025
| Number of items: | 5 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $400-$800 |
| Average price: | $606 |
| Most expensive: | Garmin Forerunner 970 |
| Least expensive: | Amazfit T-Rex 3 Pro |
Many new running and triathlon watches released in 2025. Chris Foster put them all through a lengthy test, reviewing their GPS accuracy, battery life, durability, sports functions, and so much more.
After testing watches for many years, he knows what new features will delight users and what is kind of a letdown. He goes deep into each watch to help you find the one that meets your budget, training routines, and lifestyle.
2025 triathlon bike shoes
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $190-$510 |
| Average price: | $346 |
| Most expensive: | EKOI Racing TRI C4 Boa |
| Least expensive: | Mavic Cosmic Elite Tri |
The shoes you wear for cycling can have an impact on your watts. But a poor-fitting shoe or one that’s frustrating to put on and take off in transition won’t serve you well no matter how efficient each pedal stroke is.
We review cycling shoes specifically designed for triathlon competition and training to guide you in the best pair for you. Some criteria you’ll see include stiffness, comfort, transition speed, and walkability.
Best 2025 running shoes for triathlon training and competition
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $135-$330 |
| Average price: | $213 |
| Most expensive: | On Cloudboom Strike LS (LightSpray) |
| Least expensive: | Asics Noosa Tri 16 |
While there were certainly trends in the fastest shoes top athletes wore at the world championships, how you run, what event you’re participating in, and any existing foot conditions could all be factors in what shoes are best for you.
Triathlete’s editors trained and raced in a variety of running shoes and leaned on the expertise of our colleagues at Outside Run, who have run in just about every shoe to hit the market in the last several years. All that research and testing culminated in a list of eight running shoes ideal for everything from a sprint race to an Ironman.
Swimming goggles for triathletes in 2025
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $28-$280 |
| Average price: | $97 |
| Most expensive: | Form Smart Swim 2 |
| Least expensive: | TYR Nest Pro |
We polled readers to find out their favorite swimming goggles during the 2025 Community Survey. Then we swam in dozens of pairs to guide you in the best goggles for comfort, open-water sighting, quality, value, construction, and lens clarity.
If you swim a lot, you likely have more than one pair – a set for sunny outdoor swims and a pair for indoor pool training. Fit and comfort are crucial in quality training and competitive racing. Read how leading brands stack up in 2025.
2025’s best bike saddles for triathletes
| Number of items: | 9 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $140-$440 |
| Average price: | $262 |
| Most expensive: | Selle Italia 3D-printed Watt Kit Carbino Superflow |
| Least expensive: | Specialized Romin EVO Comp with MIMIC |
When four-hour training rides are your norm or even an hour several times a week, the right saddle fit is essential. Get comfortable with measuring your sit bones, and you’ll find greater comfort while spending time on your triathlon bike or road bike.
Our editors logged many hours in the saddle to guide others in the best triathlon saddles for every type of rider. From those who get comfortable in one spot and just ride to those who need to move around and desire a saddle that has multiple comfortable positions, this year’s roundup could help you find the right fit for you.
Best indoor trainers for triathletes
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Contributors |
| Price range: | $400-$2,000 |
| Average price: | $1,200 |
| Most expensive: | Garmin Tacx NEO 3M |
| Least expensive: | JetBlack Victory |
Winter training season has arrived, and with it, many triathletes have discovered the need for an indoor trainer. Today’s smart devices do more than protect you from the elements. They also provide you with valuable data about your sessions to help you train, well, smarter.
There’s no way around it – smart trainers are pricey. So before you spend the money, learn the pros, cons, and considerations for the best ones are the market for today’s triathletes.
Best bikes for triathletes
| Number of items: | 8 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $3,700-$11,600 |
| Average price: | $8,921 |
| Most expensive: | Quintana Roo V-PRi |
| Least expensive: | Felt IAx |
Shopping for a triathlon bike can be a confusing, time-consuming ordeal, especially if your local bike shop doesn’t keep a fleet of tri-specific rigs in stock. Never fear – our editors have put in the miles, building and riding all the latest releases from Trek, Canyon, Cervelo, Quintana Roo, and more. Our evaluation of each bike takes marketing hype out of the equation and instead looks at criteria like comfort, handling tightness, and stability.
Best triathlon kits and suits
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Philly Tri Club |
| Price range: | $125-$549 |
| Average price: | $329 |
| Most expensive: | Tri-Fit Vortex Black Edition |
| Least expensive: | The Black Bibs – The Tri Suit |
When you look good, you feel good – and when you feel good, you race great. Just ask members of the Philly Tri Club, who tested dozens of race-day kits for Triathlete’s annual roundup of the best triathlon suits. By reviewing both form and function (think: sweat and heat management, chafing, and even durability after laundry cycles), testers suffered plenty to save you some, meaning you can feel confident clicking the “buy” button for your tri suit of choice.
Best wetsuits for triathletes
| Number of items: | 8 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $350-$1,345 |
| Average price: | $615 |
| Most expensive: | Roka Maverick X.3 Triathlon Wetsuit |
| Least expensive: | Orca Athlex Float V2 Triathlon Wetsuit |
There’s nothing worse than dropping several hundred dollars for a wetsuit, only to find it doesn’t work for you. Our editors have been there, which is why we feel so passionately about writing detailed reviews of each wetsuit on the market. In addition to notes on how each wetsuit fits on both men’s and women’s bodies, our testing yields real-world insights on buoyancy, flexibility, chafe prevention, and ease of removal – because what good is a faster swim split if you’re wrestling with your wetsuit for minutes in T1?
Best helmets for triathletes
| Number of items: | 7 |
| Tested by: | Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club |
| Price range: | $250-$525 |
| Average price: | $360 |
| Most expensive: | Rudy Project Wingdream TT |
| Least expensive: | Sweet Protection Falconer 2VI |
Fit, durability, weight, ventilation, and protection are all factors to consider in a bike helmet, yet it’s so hard to actually test all those things in an apples-to-apples way (unless you want to spend a lot of money on multiple helmets). That’s why we recruited members of the Rocky Mountain Triathlon Club in Denver for our annual helmet testing extravaganza. Our testers wore a variety of road and aero helmets in a variety of conditions, and weren’t afraid to tell us what they really thought of each.
Best heart rate monitors for triathletes
| Number of items: | 6 |
| Tested by: | Editors |
| Price range: | $80-$280 |
| Average price: | $145 |
| Most expensive: | Form Smart Swim 2 |
| Least expensive: | Tie between Garmin HRM 200 and Coros Heart Rate Monitor |
From establishing training zones to making sure you don’t overdo it, heart rate monitors are a triathlete’s best friend. But not all heart rate monitors are created equal. Our editors spent weeks testing and reviewing offerings from Wahoo, Garmin, Polar, Whoop, and more to find the best heart rate monitors for triathletes. (We even tested a set of goggles with a heart rate monitor – what a time for triathlon tech!)
Best headphones for triathletes
| Number of items: | 8 |
| Tested by: | Infinite Multisport Triathlon Club |
| Price range: | $150-$250 |
| Average price: | $196 |
| Most expensive: | Tie between Apple AirPods Pro 2 and H2O Audio Ript Ultra |
| Least expensive: | Shokz Open Swim |
A good set of headphones can make the miles tick by – but a bad set will cut out at the first sign of sweat, distract you with bouncing during a trainer ride, and make it impossible to safely assess your surroundings on a run. That’s why we put Michigan’s Infinite Multisport Triathlon club to work testing headphones for swimming, trainer workouts, and running. After hours of swim-bike-run, with music-podcasts-calls, we can definitely say these are the headphones that will go the distance (and keep you entertained while you do it).
