Updated October 16, 2024
The swim parka is primarily designed for competitive swimmers to keep them warm and loose right up to race time, and then get them quickly warm and dry when the race is over. It can be more than that, though, with the parka serving not only as a jacket and windbreaker, but also as a blanket, gear storage unit, changing room, or uniform.
Many participants in other water sports like scuba diving and surfing find that swim parkas suit them, as well, while still others find the styling and function great for general usage on the street.
Configured basically the same across models they come with a water-resistant shell, warm lining, and a hood. There are many options to consider in the design, fitting, materials, pockets, etc. to consider, so below some of the best available models are reviewed with specifications, photos, and videos. Afterward, there is a comparison table and a basic buying guide to help you in your selection.
Please let me know in the bottom comments section if you have any questions or concerns. I’d love to know your thoughts.
For other reviews of swimming products and accessories, please check out these popular posts or refer to the menu at the top:
Women’s Swim Shorts Men’s Swimming Trunks Men’s Board Shorts Swimming Headphones Swimming Goggles
The Best Swim Parka List
- TYR Alliance Team Parka
- Speedo Color Block Swim Parka
- Adoretex Unisex Parka
- Speedo Unisex Team Swim Parka
- Surf-Fur Water Parka
- Dry Robe Long Sleeve Swim Parka
- Great Aussie Robe Swim Parka
- TYR Alliance Youth Team Parka
- Adoretex Faux Fur Lining Swim Parka
- Blarix Unisex Swim Parka
TYR Alliance Team Parka
The nylon exterior minimizes water penetration while the fleece lining and draw-string hood are effective in cooler weather.
Vent flaps in the back and front can keep you from getting too hot, while raglan-style sleeves permit greater movement.
Zippered interior and exterior pockets provide plenty of spots to store personal accessories.
This parka is available in 5 color combinations and 6 sizes that some users have said tend to be a little large.
This is a parka so it is designed to be roomy rather than fitting like a glove.
- 100% nylon exterior with 100% polyester microfleece lining in the parka and hood
- Microfleece-lined exterior and interior pockets with zippers
- Vent flaps on the back and front
- Velcro straps around the wrists
- Raglan sleeves for ease of movement
- Smartphone pocket with a hook and loop closure
- Comes in 6 sizes and 5 color combinations
- Price: $$
This durable, comfortable, and lightweight parka by the top brand in competitive swimwear has a polyester outer cover for water resistance and polyester fleece lining for warmth.
With fleece-lined pockets and a draw-string hood as well, it has a 2-way zipper to allow more room for the legs and comes in 6 attractive color combinations in a range of 7 sizes.
- 100% polyester exterior with 100% polyester fleece lining in the parka and hood
- Lightweight and easy to roll up
- Drawstring hood
- 2 fleece-lined side zipper pockets and an inner zipper pocket
- 2-way zipper
- Comes in 7 sizes and 6 color combinations
- Price: $$
This popular model comes in a great range of colors and sizes suitable for adults and children.
It has an Oxford nylon shell for water resistance, a fleece lining for warmth, and a two-way zipper that when opened from the bottom can free up the legs for comfortable movement.
The pockets are usefully designed and the sewn-in name label is handy to differentiate parkas in a team setting.
- 100% Oxford nylon shell with fleece lining in the parka and toggle drawcord hood
- 2 fleece-lined exterior-zipper side pockets and one Velcro-closed sleeve pocket
- 2-way YKK zipper opening from the top or bottom
- Sewn-in name label
- Comes in 13 youth and adult sizes and 21 colors
- Price: $
This model uses a polyester shell for water resistance and polyester fleece in the parka and hood for warmth.
Popular as a team parka it can be machine washed and is quick-drying.
It has a 2-way front zipper and 2 external and one internal zippered fleece-lined pockets. The smart design comes in 6 colors and suits a wide range of bodies with 9 available sizes.
- 100% polyester shell with a polyester fleece lining in the parka and a drawcord hood
- 2 fleece-lined exterior-zipper side pockets and one internal chest zipper pocket
- 2-way front zipper
- Quick-drying
- Comes in 9 sizes and 6 colors
- Price: $$
This Surf-Fur model uses a different design with 2 layers of heavy-duty, warm fleece to create a fully reversible waterproof and windproof parka that is suitable for use in conjunction with several watersports or general purposes.
It includes reach-through changing pockets for discreet changing in and out of your water gear and a warming draw-string neck cozy and hood.
For rugged conditions, quality snaps are used that are superior to zippers that can bunch up and are prone to malfunction.
There is only 1 color but it comes in 7 sizes suitable for both sexes.
- 2 layers of bonded fleece and completely waterproof
- Fully reversible
- 4 pockets including reach-through changing pockets
- Includes a draw-string neck cozy and hood
- Uses quality snaps rather than zippers
- Comes in 7 sizes and 1 color
- Price: $$$
Dryrobe Long Sleeve Swim Parka
This long-sleeved oversized parka is another great model for changing out of your swimwear or wetsuit or for offshore outings.
It is waterproof and windproof with a hooded nylon shell and warm synthetic wool lining.
The quality YKK front zipper is 2-way to adjust for more freedom of movement and there are 3 pockets of different sizes and configurations for convenience.
This swim parka comes in 8 colors and 5 sizes that fit a range of bodies.
- 100% hooded nylon outer layer with synthetic lambswool lining (51% acrylic, 29% polyester)
- 2 layers of bonded fleece and completely waterproof
- 3 pockets including an A4-sized internal pocket, a cell phone pocket with a headphone slit, and a fleece-lined external pocket
- YKK 2-way front zipper
- Long-sleeved with large velcro cuff adjusters
- Comes in 6 sizes and 4 colors
- Price: $$$
Differentiating itself from other manufacturers, Great Aussie is offering an unusual cotton towel lining that is soft, comfortable, and warm but quite absorbent of water from swimwear and wetsuits.
With an outer shell specially treated to be waterproof, the design includes a drawstring hood, 2 zippered pockets, and a 2-way YKK front zipper for more possible legroom.
Unlike several of the models described here, it is machine washable, and comes in 10 adult and children’s sizes, with an inside name label, and in 5 color combinations.
- Specially treated waterproof outer shell and cotton towel lining for warmth
- Drawstring hood
- 2 zippered pockets
- YKK 2-way front zipper
- Machine-washable
- Inside name label
- Comes in 10 adult and child sizes and 5 color combinations
- Price: $
This high-quality parka by TYR Alliance is very similar to the model described at the top but is geared toward youthful users.
It has the same water-resistant nylon exterior, microfleece lining, and a draw-string hood.
To keep from getting too warm there are vent flaps in the back and front, with raglan-style sleeves that permit greater movement.
Interior and exterior pockets provide plenty of spots to store personal accessories and it is available in 3 color combinations and 5 youth sizes.
- 100% nylon exterior with 100% polyester microfleece lining in the parka and hood
- Microfleece lined pockets
- Interior pocket with a zipper
- Vent flaps on the back and front
- Velcro straps around the wrists
- Raglan sleeves for ease of movement
- Smartphone pocket with a hook and loop closure
- Comes in 3 youth sizes and 5 color combinations
- Price: $
Adoretex Faux Fur Lining Swim Parka
This model, like the Adoretex Unisex model above, comes in a great range of colors and sizes suitable for adults and youths.
It also has an Oxford nylon shell for water resistance, but this time the fleece lining has been replaced with soft faux fur for warmth.
The two-way zipper can be opened from the top or bottom to free up the legs for comfortable movement.
The side pockets also have this lining and a sewn-in name label that is handy to differentiate parkas in a team setting.
- 100% Oxford nylon shell with faux fur lining in the parka and toggle drawcord hood
- 2 faux fur-lined exterior zipped side pockets and one Velcro closed sleeve pocket
- 2-way YKK zipper opening from the top or bottom
- Sewn-in name label
- Comes in 13 youth and adult sizes and 21 colors
- Price: $
The Blarix Unisex Parka is suitable for youths and adults with a nylon water-resistant shell and soft, warm, and quick-drying polyester lining.
There is a sewn-in name label, 2 handy external pockets, and a Velcro-closed sleeve pocket.
This is a durable and lightweight model great for when you get out of the water.
- 100% nylon shell with soft, warm 100% polyester fleece lining in the parka and toggle drawcord hood
- 2 external pockets and a Velcro-closed sleeve pocket
- Front zipper and elastic cuffs
- Sewn-in name label
- Comes in 6 youth and adult sizes and in red, blue, or black
- Price: $
The Best Swim Parka Comparison Table
| Picture | Swim Parka | Sizes | Colors | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
  | TYR Alliance Team Parka | 6 | 5 | $$ |
  | Speedo Color Block Swim Parka | 7 | 6 | $$ |
  | Adoretex Unisex Parka | 13 | 21 | $ |
  | Speedo Unisex Team Swim Parka | 9 | 6 | $$ |
  | Surf-Fur Water Parka | 7 | 1 | $$$ |
  | Dryrobe Long Sleeve Swim Parka | 5 | 4 | $$$ |
  | Great Aussie Robe Swim Parka | 10 | 5 | $ |
  | TYR Alliance Youth Team Parka | 3 | 5 | $ |
  | Adoretex Faux Fur Lining Swim Parka | 13 | 21 | $ |
  | Blarix Unisex Swim Parka | 6 | 3 | $ |
| Picture | Swim Parka | Sizes | Colors | Price |
Swim Parka Buying Guide
There are several features beyond just keeping you warm and dry to take note of when deciding which parka will suit you best. Here are the basics to consider before choosing.
Outer Shell
To achieve water and wind resistance, some form of nylon or polyester is normally used for the external surface of the parka.
Lining
Inside the outer shell parkas usually use one of three materials to achieve warmth. Most commonly used are polyester fleece or faux (false) fur. These are both comfortable for the skin and warm. The third option is cotton lining much like terry-cloth toweling material. It is also soft and warm but much more absorbent, retains water, and is slower to dry than the other two.
Design
Parkas are usually configured as a long coat with a waterproof shell, a lining, and a hood. The length is often to the knees and the design almost always includes long sleeves. The hood is important as a wet head in a cool environment is uncomfortable and an invitation to illness.
Ventilation
Vents are also included in some designs to keep them from getting too hot and allow for air drying. They can be located under the arms or through flaps in the back or front.
Pockets
Most designs include at least two external pockets. Some include one or two inside and another one or two on the sleeves. They come in different sizes with some specialized for tasks like holding headphones or cellphones. Velcro, snaps, zippers, and other closure methods are essential to protect the contents.
Durability
The materials already described are designed to withstand wind, weather, salt and chlorinated water, sunscreen, and the like. Stitching and construction generally take into account the need for quality work. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s washing and care and maintenance instructions. Some parkas can take machine washing and others require special treatment.
For other reviews of swimming products and accessories, please check out these popular posts or refer to the menu at the top:
Women’s Swim Shorts Men’s Swimming Trunks Men’s Board Shorts Swimming Headphones Swimming Goggles
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