Orca Apex V2: 8 Watts and 2 Degrees Claimed
A tri suit is the one piece of kit that works across all three disciplines at once, with nowhere to hide. Orca has launched a flagship that promises less drag and a lower body temperature at the same time. It costs £379, or €399 in continental Europe.
What the manufacturer actually claims
The number Orca pushes to the front is up to 8 watts saved at 40 km/h. Two details get lost in the headlines: it is a maximum, not an average, and it is measured against Orca’s own Athlex model rather than a random suit off the shelf. The saving is credited to a new fabric developed in Italy and a rebuilt panel layout, both tested in a wind tunnel.
The second claim is Vapour Cool, a silver-infused fabric stitched into the chest and side panels. Orca states a body temperature up to 2°C (3.6°F) lower than conventional technical materials, plus better moisture transport.
On top of that comes an eco-graphene pad, also made in Italy, meant to disperse heat and moisture on the bike, and a shaped rear pocket.
All of these numbers come from the manufacturer’s own materials and nobody has independently confirmed them. 220 Triathlon published first impressions, not a full test. Bruce Wilson took the suit to Outlaw Half Holkham and said he would test it across the season, but there is no verdict yet. The 8 watts and the 2 degrees are marketing claims waiting on verification, not measured facts.
Eight watts, but at what speed
The power needed to overcome air resistance rises with the cube of speed. Up to 8 W at 40 km/h describes the conditions professionals and stronger age-groupers ride in on a flat 70.3. For an athlete averaging 32 km/h on the half, a realistic figure for a large slice of the field, the same drag reduction converts into markedly fewer watts. Physics does not do discounts.
That does not make the suit pointless at slower speeds. It means the headline number describes the best case rather than the typical one.
The predecessor had one specific flaw
Apex succeeded the RS1 Dream Kona from 2023. The first version of the Apex scored 78% in 220 Triathlon at $349 or £279. Solid, with one serious caveat: the pad was token. The reviewer concluded the suit suited Olympic distance rather than long course.
That is the real test for the V2. Not 8 watts, but whether the new eco-graphene pad survives 90 km in aero and then stays out of the way for a half marathon. Orca says it does. That waits on a season of testing.
Where it sits in the market
Orca has placed the V2 at the top of its own range and high against the competition. For comparison, the August update of 220 Triathlon’s best tri suits round-up tested eleven models for women and men across a very wide price spread. At £379 the Apex V2 lands near the ceiling of that field.
More interesting is what Orca did inside its own portfolio. The reference point for the claimed watts is the Athlex, a cheaper model that is still on sale. The manufacturer has therefore stated what the extra money buys: up to 8 watts at 40 km/h plus cooling panels. That is rare candour in kit communication, since these comparisons are usually made against an anonymous “conventional suit”.
Who it is for
List price is £379 in the UK and €399 in continental Europe. That is a decent set of training wheels, or the entry fee for a full IRONMAN. It is not a purchase anyone makes in passing.
Skip it if the season holds a single Olympic-distance start. That money comes back neither in watts nor in comfort, and cheaper suits with a proper pad will do the job. Consider it for racing 70.3 and longer, riding above 35 km/h, and starting in hot conditions where cooling panels have a chance to matter. Two degrees sounds like little, but at WBGT in the orange category every degree means less blood diverted to the skin and more for the muscles.
At this price the full 220 Triathlon test is worth waiting for. First impressions are not enough.
Read next: Brick Training: How to Beat Heavy Legs. Racelify lists triathlons worldwide, each with a link to the organiser.