Henderson Thermaxx vs Bare Reactive

[Diesel_Diver]

So the Henderson Thermaxx and the Bare Reactive (7mm) seems to be about the same “ technology “ wise. Each has some VooDoo magic that makes it warmer than others lol. I know Henderson has stitch seams, lower price point and a ten year warranty. Bare has taped and glued seams, and I have heard horror stories of dealing with Hushi outdoor in Canada for warranty.

What’s the general consensus between these TWO suits? Any other pros or cons that I am missing? And I don’t want this to turn into “ oh just buy a dry suit”

 

[tridacna]

Henderson has the best customer service - period. They stand behind their product and their quality is excellent. I don’t know Bare wetsuits but my customer service with Huish is not even close to that of Henderson.

I dive a Henderson Thermaxx 3 and Aqualock 7. Both have proven to be great performers over the past 3 years.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

And that’s what I am hearing from my LDS . A Bare dry suit was almost 4 months for zippers under warranty lol

 

[kelemvor]

And that’s what I am hearing from my LDS . A Bare dry suit was almost 4 months for zippers under warranty lol

My BARE suit got an in warranty zipper replacement, I think it took them a month. However, I'm not in Canada. Maybe that is a significant factor.

 

[Dogbowl]

You should try them on. That could make your decision for you. Different suits are cut differently and depending on your body shape, one or the other may not work for you.

We (husband and I) dive Thermaxx 5mms. I also have an older style Bare. Recently we’ve found the Henderson cut to better fit our body shape. It’s so weird cause our body shapes are totally different! We’ve tried Scubapro, Bare, Waterproof - all eliminated due to poor fit. It was either the neck was too tight or the arm holes were too big.

 

[tridacna]

I find the Henderson neoprene to be incredibly elastic and comfortable. I’m a Large Short and they’re the only wetsuits that fit me comfortably.

 

[shurite7]

Dogbowl has the best advice. I've dealt the Bare's customer service and found it was easy to work with. If it was as bad as some people claim then they probably would be out of business by now. Fit and comfort are extremely important.

 

[GreggS]

Can't speak to the Bare since I've never owned one, but do have a Thermaxx 3mm. Have dove it for 4 years now and it still fits as well as the day I bought it. I'm very comfortable in it in water down to around 68° F. But I can tolerate temperature extremes better than most folks I'm told so YMMV in that regard.

 

[Diesel_Diver]

You should try them on. That could make your decision for you. Different suits are cut differently and depending on your body shape, one or the other may not work for you.

We (husband and I) dive Thermaxx 5mms. I also have an older style Bare. Recently we’ve found the Henderson cut to better fit our body shape. It’s so weird cause our body shapes are totally different! We’ve tried Scubapro, Bare, Waterproof - all eliminated due to poor fit. It was either the neck was too tight or the arm holes were too big.

Only issue is I am a big guy, non of the LDS carry 3xl in stock so it’s a special order. So it’s a pain. That’s what keeps me from pullin the trigger. They have Akona 2pce in the rental program. But it’s as uncomfortable as hell. Very stiff and little flex. So I don’t want to buy one lol.

 

[tkaelin]

Try on the suits as they all fit differently and get the suit that fits the best. I ended up with a 5 mil Thermax because it fit the best and I have been very happy with it. The bare I tried on the zipper broke while in the shop. I had others I liked while looking online but the fit was way off. I use the Thermax 5 mil from 55 degrees and above.