The Arena Carbon Duo is the only kind on the market - exclusively made for women. The race suit may take some time to get used to as this is Arena thinking outside of the box of traditional race suits. It is a two piece racing suit that combines a separate top and bottom piece to deliver customizable compression for the upper and lower body. Now, female competitive swimmers can choose between different sizes and colours according to their own preference. If you are someone that prefers more compression on the bottom and less on the top and shoulders, this race suit makes it possible by getting two different sizes for each piece. This duo system means the swimmer no longer has to compromise on compression, comfort, or size - instead, you can personalize the fit to meet your unique needs.
The Arena Carbon Duo is also much easier and faster to put on than a one-piece kneeskin race suit. After putting on the bottom piece first, the top piece can slide over the bottom piece easily. The two piece fit together cleanly and smoothly, giving it the look of a single race suit. If you have a long intermission between races, you could take off the top piece and change to a t-shirt while leaving on your bottom piece.
The bottom piece is meant to compress the muscles and help flush lactic acid while racing, lifting the hips in the water. It is created using Arena's proprietary fabric with a carbon cage for high compression in key areas - the body's core and upper legs. The top piece is meant to be comfortable and un-obstructing of movement. It uses extremely lightweight fabric similar to the Carbon Air 2, with horizontal carbon bands, resulting in lighter compression that feels snug without compromising the swimmer's ability to breath comfortably. The silicone bands on the bottom of the top piece is what helps lock the two pieces together into one.
Overall, The Arena Carbon Duo brings female competitive swimmers another level of comfort to race suits. TAS recommends this race suit to swimmers who struggle to find a suit that fits their needs and would like personalized compression. The bottom piece will feel similar to the Carbon Core, while the top piece may feel similar to the Carbon Air 2 or Carbon Glide. Thus, this race suit captures the best qualities of other Carbon series suits put together.