If there is one thing that shopping for my next fire suit has taught me, all suits are NOT created equally.   Unfortunately, as the minority in the sport,  suits are not tailored well to the female shape, leaving  Women’s Fire Suits anything but flattering on the female physique.    Even among the custom fitted suits, my experience wasn’t great getting a suit that was presentable and well-functioning.    But as it comes time to order a new suit, I struggled to find any good feedback from women on what suites they had and liked, and which they didn’t.   So, I decided to ask for feedback on Women’s Fire Suits from my network of fellow female racers and share it with all of you.

Women’s Fire Suits Review

To help compare and standardize the review process, I created a few categories that mattered to most all women in shopping for suits.   First off, to be fair in comparing, the type of suit being reviewed:  Custom/Pre-Sized and SFI Rating.   Then, for each, I asked for feedback based on their experiences with form, fit, wear, mobility, and comfort.

DJ Safety

FIRESUIT:  DJ Safety Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/20  
REVIEWED BY:  Dina Parise  | NHRA/PDRA Pro Modified Racer  

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   YES!  Chest:  YES!   Waistline:   YES!

MOBILITY:   Very good. Comfortable sitting, standing etc….

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   4 months

Dina’s Comments:      Not only do I have a DJ Firesuit, but I have been outfitted by them from suit to shoes… as well as from Belts to Chutes! They are a pleasure to deal with ! If you call…ask for Ben and feel free to tell him Dina Parise Racing sent ya! We love their safety equipment so much, we will be carrying it at our shop Andi-Con Performance located in New Freedom, Pa.

FORM AND FIT:   (5 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (5 STAR) 

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G-Force

FIRESUIT:  G-Force Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/5  
REVIEWED BY:  Sunny Hobbs  |  NASCAR Sanctioned Modified Racer 

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Fine  Chest:  Snug   Waistline:   Snug

MOBILITY:   It’s always ‘fit like a glove’ which is likely due to the measurements I sent in to have it custom made, which is great standing up, but it’s always been a bit tight in a sitting position. I think perhaps the static measurements should allow more flexibility when sitting in a racing seat. Or perhaps I should have added onto the measurements I took, because like I said, although it looked and fit great in the standing position when I first got it, it’s not as generous or comfortable when sitting.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   more than 5 years, It has worn great. I have had no issues with seams or fading AT ALL.

Sunny’s Comments:      The G Force suit has been my best fitting women’s fire suit thus far, likely because it was a custom fit. I’ve had a Simpson suit in the past, and had a horrible time getting it to fit right, because the general sizes are really for men, not for women’s fire suits fit at all, much like racing seats. The Simpson suit had to be altered in the crotch, which was too large and long, and the waist which was way too big, and shoulders which were huge which made the arm length too long.

FORM AND FIT:   (4 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (4 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (4 STAR)

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Simpson

FIRESUIT:  Simpson Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/5  
REVIEWED BY:  Jennifer Jo Cobb  |  NASCAR Nationwide and Camping World Truck Series

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Usually too big, but they work with me  Chest:  Same   Waistline:   Same

MOBILITY:   By time I have them take it in, the crotch is usually too tight.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   I have 3 new ones this year – usually get one or two new each year but use the old ones as well (3 suit changes per weekend between practice, qualifying and race).   It wears great – I wash in washing machine and it gets softer.

Jennifer Jo’s Comments:      I ask for my belt to be lower as it makes for a far more comfortable and flattering fit. This really spins out the makers and messes with the measurements. I usually have to go through at least 2 rounds of fitting after the suit is received but my latest suit came perfect! Still a bit large but much better. Simpson has done all of my suits this year and I appreciate the way they are willing to work with me to get just the fit that I want. They understand that we are photographed so much in these uniforms so fit does matter tremendously. Common mistakes are: shoulders too broad; no “hourglass” shape to contour to the body for a more flattering fit – they aren’t used to a larger chest measurement with such a small waist measurement; baggy bottoms. Trying to be photo ready for sponsors, safe for racing and comfortable all at the same time is challenging!.

FORM AND FIT:   (4 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (4 STAR)

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FIRESUIT:  Simpson Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/15  
REVIEWED BY:  Kathy Fisher  |  NHRA/IHRA Drag Racing – TD/SC/QR

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Good  Chest:  Good   Waistline:   Good

MOBILITY:   Great…but the arms are a little long/TIGHT!

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   One Season.  I have been extremely happy with the quality of the fabric and the embroidery.   Diamond Fabric is 10x better than the last custom SFI 15 suit I had (from another company).  So much lighter! I’m much cooler than I had been and it still seems to be warm enough on the chilly/breezy days.

Kathy’s Comments:     Best overall custom suit I’ve had so far (Out of 4 total).  When getting measured….it’s not a bad idea to have someone do it at say, a bridal shop, a tailor, etc.

FORM AND FIT:   (4 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (4 STAR)

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Editors Note:  Of the reviewed manufacturers, Simpson was the only company that advertised women’s fire suits sizing available.

Hinchman Racewear

FIRESUIT:  Hinchman Racewear Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/5  
REVIEWED BY:  Shannon Mudro  |  UMP Dirt Modified

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Perfect  Chest:  Perfect   Waistline:   Changed my waistline to rest where it should on a woman, fits perfect

MOBILITY:   Have full mobility, the suit is snug in all the right places, but not too snug.  They are cool in the summer and warm in the spring/fall.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   I have two suits from Hinchman that I wear, one is 4 years old and another is a year old.  Mild pilling on my older suit, but I wash my suits just about every week.

Shannon’s Comments:      For women it’s hard to find a suit that fits in all the right places. Heck, we can’t even find jeans that fit right! The struggles of finding a suit that fits well in a male dominated sport is challenging, and Hinchman’s custom suits helped me to look more professional and feel more comfortable. Highly recommend them to anyone!

FORM AND FIT:  (5 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (5 STAR)

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Deist Safety

FIRESUIT:  Deist Safety Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/20  
REVIEWED BY:  Nancy Matter  |  NHRA – TAFC

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Fine  Chest:  Fine   Waistline:   Fine

MOBILITY:   Comfortable

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   Since 2005

Nancy’s Comments:       My suit is a little thicker, but I can control my body heat with my mind so it doesn’t bother me.  The main thing about my suit is that if we have a catastrophic failure and fire, I have the utmost confidence in the craftsmanship of my suit that ensures my protection during the stopping process and quick exit from the hatch.

FORM AND FIT:  (4 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (5 STAR)

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IMPACT

FIRESUIT:  IMPACT Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/20  
REVIEWED BY:  Erica Ortiz  |  Pro Street/Pro Modified

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Wide  Chest:  Fine   Waistline:   Snug

MOBILITY:   It fits okay standing, but its pretty snug and restrictive getting in and out of the car.   I was fitted for the suit by an Impact employee at the PRI show, and when I initially received it, it bared no resemblance of fitting in any area.  It was oversized in shoulders, arm length, torso length, waistline girth, basically I thought they sent me a 6′ tall male’s suit by accident.   They had me ship it back, and they reworked the suit, which helped some, but never did fully correct the issues.  The resulting suit is still a bit boxy in the shoulders and chest, then narrows down in the male v-shape and is straight cut through the legs from there.   This makes it a little too snug in my hip/rear area.  And the belt line is really high.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   8 years, though it only saw about 6 months of use.   The fabric and condition, seams, etc. are holding up well though.

Erica’s Comments:     I really thought that a custom ordered suit would be better fitted to the female body, but if my experience here is any indication, measurements aren’t able to alter the design of the pattern enough to compensate for a feminine figure.  To be fair, that was 8 years ago.   I’m sure they’ve had time to improve this for women.

FORM AND FIT:   (2 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (4 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (3 STAR)

 Check out more from Erica Ortiz on Facebook or Twitter

Axcel Sports

FIRESUIT:  Axcel Sports Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/5  
REVIEWED BY:  Cassie Gannis  |  NASCAR Super Late Model Series/K&N Pro Series West

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   HUGE  Chest:  HUGE   Waistline:   HUGE

MOBILITY:   Didn’t allow for much movement

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   6 months, wearing good. No fraying tearing, pilling.

Cassie’s Comments:     For a male driver, definitely a great suit! But for a women, no. Even though the suit was custom the first firesuit came in way too big. I had a tailor take the measurements to be sure I made no mistakes. They company was great about sending me a new one. Again I had the measurements done by a seamstress. This time the suit came in way too small. The problem seemed to be that the suit was just not fitted for a woman’s body. The waist and hips of the larger and smaller one were just off. I eventually took both firesuits to a local well known seamstress, Kristen Gilbert, who measured me and literally took both suits apart and pieced them back together along with alterations. She even was able to borrow fire retardant thread from a local company. She went above and beyond to make the firesuit fit! I was so grateful!

FORM AND FIT:   (1 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:   (2 STAR)

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Stroud

FIRESUIT:  Stroud Athena Custom Fit  SFI3-2A/5  
REVIEWED BY:  Rebecca Starkey  |  NMRA True Street

FORM/FIT:   Shoulders:   Great    Chest:  Great   Waistline:   Great

MOBILITY:   Great.  I can get in and out of the car easily in the suit.  Full range of motion.

HOW LONG HAVE YOU HAD YOUR SUIT?   I have only had it a couple of months so I cannot comment as to wear.

Rebecca’s Comments:     Stroud instructs not add to the measurements, as they will make the suit fit appropriately for movement.  I am very happy with it.    I’m very petite and have had 4 babies in the past 7 years, so I’ve experienced lots of size changes.  Finding a women’s fire suit that fits has been a thorn in my side.  Having a suit that fits has made me look more professional and feel more confident.  Additionally, having room to “grow” is nice, as we plan to have more children in the future.

FORM AND FIT:    (5 STAR) 

WEAR/MATERIAL:    (5 STAR) 

OVERALL RATING:     (5 STAR)

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Do you have Comments/Notes to add to this discussion?  Make sure you comment below and give us your feedback!