Decathlon launches its sustainable wetsuit 

Global specialist sports brand Decathlon has partnered with U.S. materials science firm Yulex on a neoprene alternative wetsuit based on 100 percent-certified natural rubber. Alternatives to neoprene, which is 100 percent synthetic, do exist on the market, made from 85 percent natural rubber and 15 percent synthetic rubber. But Decathlon says its new Yulex100 is the only wetsuit sourced with materials entirely from PEFC or FSC certified forests.

For decades, watersports lovers had no alternative but to use neoprene wetsuits, despite their environmental impact. After two years of rigorous research, including more than 50 lab tests and 50 different formulas, the company has succeeded in producing an alternative entirely free of synthetic rubber. The material provides an 80 percent reduction in CO2 eq. emissions, when compared with neoprene foam, and it’s as light, warm, durable and stretchy.

Yulex100 was first introduced in the company’s beginner junior shorty range, which accounted for 34 percent of the surf wetsuits sales in 2023, and in snorkeling tops, representing 27 percent of the diving and snorkeling sales for the company. This marks the beginning of the company’s effort to eliminate neoprene from its entire wetsuit range. 

Future expansions are planned for adult ranges and technical solutions are actively being explored for other watersports, including diving and open-water swimming, that require specific technical solutions.