Decathlon unveils its first neoprene-free wetsuit in Hendaye, France

It took Decathlon and its American partner Yulex more than two years and 50 test formulas to develop a foam for wetsuits made entirely from natural materials, namely rubber from trees. This is an alternative to neoprene (a petroleum derivative whose manufacture is highly polluting), which has been used by surfers since the 1970s. The distributor, which aims to reduce the harmful impact of its activities on the planet, is claiming a world first. The first two products to use this material, called Yulex 100, have been available at the French retailer for a few weeks now: a children’s shorty wetsuit and an adult anti-UV top for snorkelling. They were designed and prototyped at the “Watersports” centre in Hendaye, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region of France, which has been Decathlon’s design centre for water sports for the past twenty years.

Standing flush with the water in front of the marina and just a stone’s throw from the beach, this site, which employs 280 people, opened its doors to journalists and influencers from France, Spain and Portugal on June 6 for this major launch. Anna Turrell, the chain’s sustainable development director since last year, took the opportunity to underline the importance of this step forward for her: “Decathlon is the leading seller of neoprene wetsuits in Europe, so we have a responsibility because our impact is significant. That’s why we’re tackling our best-selling neoprene products first” The children’s shorty will account for 34% of the brand’s surf wetsuit sales in 2023, while the top accounts for 27% of the tops and wetsuits sold last year for snorkelling and diving.

There were already alternatives to neoprene on the market, such as Patagonia’s Yulex 85 (85% natural rubber, 15% synthetic), but the bar had not been raised to 100%, according to the company.

The material developed by Decathlon and Yulex, reserved exclusively for the distributor, is said to reduce CO2 equivalent emissions by 80% compared with neoprene. Before going to market, the prototypes were tested in Hendaye, in the test pool and in the ocean. The brand claims that the finished product is “just as light, warm, durable and stretchy” as a conventional wetsuit. The natural rubber comes from FSC- and PEFC-certified forests, and the products are assembled in factories in Asia.

To encourage customers to adopt these new products, “it was very important to maintain the same price level as the neoprene range, and we worked on the entire value chain to achieve this,” explains Julien Cazelles, components engineer at Decathlon. The children’s shorty costs €20 and the men’s and women’s top €25.

In 2025, seven new items in the water sports range will be converted to Yulex 100 material, gradually increasing its thickness since the first two products sold are “lightweight” equipment 1.5mm thick. Decathlon is also tackling the specific requirements of diving, which calls for “foam that is highly resistant to compression,” and open-water swimming, which calls for a wetsuit that is “very smooth on the surface,” says Caroline Revet, product manager for components. Decathlon’s ultimate aim is to “move away from neoprene” in the years to come.

To accompany the launch, a video campaign will be broadcast on the web (e-shop and social networks) from June 8, the date of “World Ocean Day”. A unique spot that makes use of the coastal webcams that surfers and sports enthusiasts usually use to check the state of the waves.  

Aiming for a “net zero” decarbonisation target by 2050, with a 42% reduction in its emissions by 2030 (vs 2021), Decathlon generated worldwide sales of 15.6 billion euros in 2023 (+1.15%). Net profit for the chain of 1,700 shops came to 931 million euros (+0.9%).