Zephyros Protect - 3 Layer Ventilated Beekeeping Suit Outfit - with 2 Non-Flammable Veil Mesh (Round & Fencing) - Beekeepers Stay Ultra Cool & Protection from Bees & Wasps

I researched several bee suits before this purchase and narrowed it down to Ultrabreeze, Zephyros and BBwear. BBwear youtube videos show their suit protects against European and Asian hornets. Both BBwear and Zephyros suits are 5mm thick, so I expect similar protection. BBwear was much more expensive and not available in the US, so it wasn't an option for me. Ultrabreeze does not advertise their thickness, so I also ruled them out (although price is equivalent to Zephyros). I wouldn't even consider a non-vented suit.Previously I owned a "lightweight" cheaply made bee jacket. That jacket was still VERY hot and my sweat would make the jacket stick to my skin... which removes most of the protection. The Zephyros is MUCH cooler! When I'm walking or a breeze passes by, I get a surprisingly nice sensation of cool air. IT's pretty cool... I can wave my arm around and feel a cool breeze while my neighbors wonder why I'm walking around in the yard in a bee suit waving my arms like a bird. It's fun to keep nosy people guessing... Also because of the protection the suit offers, I only need to wear very thin shorts and tshirt. The ventilation and protection level make this suit completely worth the price, for me!I have not owned the suit long enough to claim it is "sting proof" and I'm not really eager to test it's limits. However I feel confident enough not to worry about being stung by paper wasps, yellowjackets and European hornets in my area. If I need to take down a nest, I may wear long sleeve and pants underneath, but I'm not sure how necessary this is.. particularly because I would wait for nightime and hit them with Delta Dust the day before. If I was dealing with honeybees I wouldn't worry at all, theoretically it should be impossible for them to penetrate the suit since it's 5mm thick. I'm not a beekeeper, so I have no experience here.I'm 5'9", 250lbs with broad shoulders and a long torso. I usually wear loose fitting XXL t-shirts and 40x30 jeans. I bought the XL Zephyros and wouldn't recommend going any smaller if you are my size. The XL is snug in the crotch if I wear jeans underneath or when I crouch down. If I were to re-order this suit I would go with the XXL, just to have the extra room.The quality of the suit is very high. Double stitched, strong metal zippers, and good visibility with the Veil. I like how the Veil can be compacted down to lay flat against my back when it is partially unzipped, and how it can be completely removed. The mesh material in the veil is stiff enough that it "springs" into place when fully extended or collapsed. This means a hat isn't necessary to keep the veil away from my face... one more way to stay cool! Visibility with the Zephyros veil is very good, I can see to my sides and above me (important for dealing with wasp nests). My previous "cheap" jacket had an awful veil that flopped around and made it impossible to look up.I also like that the Veil attaches to the suit about 4" below the collar. This means that I can leave the main jacket zipper unzipped about 3" (and still be completely sealed), so the jacket doesn't choke me when I crouch down. There is also elastic bands for your thumbs and feet, this prevents the suit arms/legs riding up while working and exposing a flesh target.One thing to note is that any ventilated suit (regardless of manufacturer) is likely to snag, compared to a non-ventilated suit. This is because the hole design can catch on an object easier. However, I doubt the suit will tear through all 3 layers, so it's unlikely a bee or wasp can get in. Personally I would rather get more snags in the outer layer, than have a single layer suit potentially tear all the way through.I bought the "Sand" color, but would describe it as "Peach".In summary, I'm very happy with this purchase! The suit design provides the best protection without overheating me. I can't imagine that anyone who wears a ventilated suit would ever go back to a non-vented one.

This is the best beekeeping suit my wife and I have ever used. Over the years we have tried a few suits - I typically use jackets, but she prefers suits for the added protection (as do I sometimes when I'm digging deep into multiple brood chambers or have to open up one of my "grumpy" hives) - this suit (hands down) is the best we own. What we like most about it is the fabric, it REALLY breathes and is VERY comfortable. Anyone who keeps bees knows, most of your work is done on warm/hot sunny days in full sun, and with our old suits we'd break out into a sweat and be uncomfortable due to zero ventilation and bulky material, this won't be an issue with this suit. It's also a very supple material, and moves/flexes nicely, again unlike our other suits that are bulky/heavy. In addition, the zippers are very high quality as if the veil.Our other veils tend to flop around and are hard to see out of at times, this veil is very easy to see thru and stays put. There is also very good overlap/velcro at the zippers so no bees will get into the suit, which happens form time to time with our others and is awful.... Overall, I can't say enough nice things about this suit, it's the best one out there!

As far as bee suits goes, I think this is a pretty well made suit. I do wish the mid layer was thicker. It is thicker than most of the cheaper suits but still wouldn't battle bald faced Hornets without wearing some thicker clothes underneath so it's still pretty hot. It is pretty well ventilated as far as bee suits go. I took the fencing style hood off because the front mesh was pretty close to my face. With the bigger round veil there is much more protection around my face. Just wish there was a little more height on the top of my head. Overall I would buy this suit again over the competition. I just wanted to give my true, in depth review. If they kept the suit exactly the way it is and just made the middle layer thicker by about two millimeters, they would have the perfect suit and I would spend another $340 bucks and let them take my money lol. Best suit so far,

This is by far the best suit I’ve ever had! I live in Hawaii and it’s hot all year round! I had a really hard time doing bees all day because of the heat inside my suit. I would get dehydrated and exhausted just a couple of hours in. With my new suit, I can do anything! I can stay with the bees all day! No problem! This suit has made my life so much cooler & more enjoyable, thank you so much!

I came home from work and had a nice surprise - my new Natural Apiary Zephyros Beekeeping Suit.I knew it would be nice, but I didn't expect it to be this nice.First impressions:1. Great reusable storage bag2. Natural Apiary really goes above and beyond with their package inserts (I won't spoil the surprise!)3. I really like the design of the main protective suit which is made of three layers - cotton mesh on both sides with a sturdy knotted mesh in the middle - I don't think there will be any stinging in this suit4. The components are of very high quality - from zippers to velcro to seams5. The hood is my favorite part - it is so light, it feels like you aren't wearing anything - and the design provides a very full field of view with little visual obstruction from the fabricWith the heavy middle mesh, I expected the suit to feel bulky. But it doesn't. You clearly feel very well protected, but the suit feels lightweight and breathes extremely well. More air equals more comfort.Anything that I didn't like? There is a plastic attachment hook in the pocket that I probably won't use. I'm sure some will love it.Definitely glad I made this purchase. You will be too!

I love this suit - it's triple-meshed...stings out...air in...and especially nice when there's a bit of breeze:) I've yet to try it out in really hot weather as I bought mine at the end of the season but so far so good!It has some nice design features...I really like the snug-fitting, handy hive-tool pockets on the right and left-hand sides, (great for all those left-handed beekeepers out there!)The fencing-style hood is so much easier and quicker to put on than the round style I had on my old beesuit which had a habit of twisting round and generally being a bit of a pain to get on. It has good visibility and there's plenty of room inside, which again, is great for keeping you cool. You can fit a baseball cap, (which incidentally comes free with the suit) easily under the hood which I have tried on cooler days as it keeps everything firmly in place but is not necessary.Worth spending a bit of time on the handy sizing guide...I followed their sizing guide rather than my own guestimations and got the perfect fit!