2 products

Why three-layer ventilated mesh

A ventilated suit is built from two layers of fabric with a springy mesh core between them, so the outer surface sits about a quarter inch off the layer against your body. A bee landing on the outside cannot reach skin, which is the single most useful thing a suit can do. The open weave also lets air move through you rather than around you, and beekeepers who switch from cotton in a hot climate usually say it is the best money they have spent on equipment.

When cotton is the right call

Cotton is the traditional choice and still a sound one for cooler regions, for spring and fall inspections, and for anyone buying a second suit for a helper. It is softer, it folds smaller, and it costs less. The trade is heat and a slightly thinner margin against stings through the fabric, so wear a shirt underneath.

Choosing a size

Buy for looseness. The suit should hang off you with room for jeans and a shirt underneath, because anywhere it pulls tight is somewhere a sting can land. Between two sizes, go up, and check the size chart before ordering. The veil unzips on both suits so you can wash the body without wrecking the mesh.

What else you will want

Pair the suit with ventilated gloves and a smoker. If you would rather have something lighter for quick jobs, look at the jackets, and see the full protective range for veils and children's sizes.