My 1st Suit

[Beekeeperjim]

Hi everyone. I need a bit of advice. I’m looking to purchase my 1st bee suit, but a little lost. I have been advised not to buy off eBay or Amazon but from a reputable supplier. No problem with that, more that they dance from £60 to £240. Can anyone advise on a quality suit that will not break the bank but will do the job ?

 

[Ian123]

If you have the budget I would advise sheriff or bbwear I’ve had sheriff for years and there fantastic and offer a repair service.

 

[Beekeeperjim]

If you have the budget I would advise sheriff or bbwear I’ve had sheriff for years and there fantastic and offer a repair service.

Thanks Ian, that’s the direction I have been pointed in, just want some validation before I lay out loads of cash

 

[Erichalfbee]

First Welcome
My husband and I have a BBWear and a Sheriff. They are still as good as they were when bought in 2008.

 

[enrico]

Buy the best you can afford from a good supplier. If the bees can sting through then your confidence will go quickly! A good suit will last you 20 years!

 

[enrico]

This is how not to do it!!!!
https://beekeepingforum.co.uk/threads/second-year-panic.48263/

 

[Beekeeperjim]

Thanks guys, you have confirmed what I have been told elsewhere. Really appreciate your advice

 

[StephenT]

I had a cheap as chips budget one for my first 18 months and it worked OK but my wife got me a custom BBWear suit for Xmas and I love it. I'm tall and slim and so most budget suits for my height (6-4) assume I've got a 40" waist and 50" chest. This one fits great and doesn't expose my lower back/bum when I bend over. Gives me more security and confidence.

 

[PeaBee]

Like the others have said you can't beat bbwear or sheriff for quality and longevity. I use one or other daily and they get a hammering but last several seasons and can be sent back for repairs at the end of the season.
But they are expensive. If budget is an issue the "pro" suit from simon the beekeeper has a lot going for it. I have one as a spare/visitor suit and for £50 I am impressed. Obviously it's not as good as a £200 suit but not far off the only noticeable difference is the veil quality, but you get 2 veils with the suit so can double the usable life. The rest of the suit seems nearly as good as the bbwear or sheriff really. If I was just working a few hives as a hobby it would more than suffice.

 

[Curly green finger's]

Like the others have said you can't beat bbwear or sheriff for quality and longevity. I use one or other daily and they get a hammering but last several seasons and can be sent back for repairs at the end of the season.
But they are expensive. If budget is an issue the "pro" suit from simon the beekeeper has a lot going for it. I have one as a spare/visitor suit and for £50 I am impressed. Obviously it's not as good as a £200 suit but not far off the only noticeable difference is the veil quality, but you get 2 veils with the suit so can double the usable life. The rest of the suit seems nearly as good as the bbwear or sheriff really. If I was just working a few hives as a hobby it would more than suffice.

My vail on my sbk Pro suit is good the suite is robust, but it's a bit tight around the neck area( broard shoulders) I've had mine for three years and it's still good other than the tightness around the neck.
Im just about to buy a bb wear pro suite, I was going to get a vented one but travelling around getting into coppices and woodland in a thin suite is not going to last.

 

[pargyle]

My vail on my sbk Pro suit is good the suite is robust, but it's a bit tight around the neck area( broard shoulders) I've had mine for three years and it's still good other than the tightness around the neck.
Im just about to buy a bb wear pro suite, I was going to get a vented one but travelling around getting into coppices and woodland in a thin suite is not going to last.

Hi Mark,

The ventilated suits are not thin .. they are multiple layers of a type of mesh with a sort of foam sandwich.

For the OP - I'd recommend considering Old Castle Farm suits - I have one and it is really comfortable and well made. I don't bother with a full suit these days, I just use a jacket as my bees are pretty relaxed, I have a number of other full suits in the event I have to deal with a problem colony but fortunately that's not something I have to do very often.

https://www.oldcastlefarmhives.com/
You can save a fair bit by just buying a jacket and a decent pair of jeans will usually be sufficient to stop stings - if you are really worrried then a cheap pair of decorators bib and brace overalls over your trousers and under the jacket will be more than sufficient ... about a tenner on ebay - simple and quick to wash compared to a full suit.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/174728549568?hash=item28aea214c0:g:vpwAAOSwXRNgc0KR
Don't forget a pair of wellies and tuck your trousers inside the wellies ....

Beekeeping is an expensive hobby and you will have enough to spend as it is - if you can save a few pounds and maintain reasonable quality in the early years it will help. If your beekeeping develops beyond the few hives hobby level you will need more than one suit and they will need washing on a regular basis so for the future there are real benefits from some of the suits recommended in earlier posts - but, for a beginner - better options in my opinion.

 

[ChrisS]

BBWear gets my vote. My original suit is still going strong after 12 years and many washes. I haven't needed any repairs yet but others have said their customer service is excellent too. The NBU Bee Inspectors use BBWear - theirs get a hammering with frequent washes etc.

 

[The Poot]

My first suit was a heavy cotton one, still going strong but very uncom in hot weather. I bought a Sherriff a few years ago and found it so much better. Lighter, cooler, better vision and robust. Nice shade of jade green too, to “disappear” into the shrubbery.

 

[nettle]

I can't comment on longevity or effectiveness against stings as I'm a new beekeeper (yet to acquire bees!) myself, but I went with the pro one from Simon the Beekeeper. It fits well and looks decent quality to me. I was all set to buy a vented one from Thorne's but wasn't prepared to pay over £11 for postage!

 

[madasafish]

My advice to all new beekeepers: DON'T start with an expensive suit.
Do as Pargyle suggests above .
If you get decent bees, then a decent jacket ,loose jeans and wellies with jeans tucked in will do fine.

I've done that for 11 years .
But then my bees are calm, don't run around on the comb, don't follow you etc.

About 1 in three new beekeepers are estimated to give up after a couple of years.. NO point in starting off spending a fortune.

Of course, if you want to run lots of hives - see contributors above, quality suits are essential But as a hobby beekeeper , not really needed. (Unless you have horrible bees and who wants those?)

 

[user 819]

My first suit was cheapish affair from BeeBasic, I made the mistake of buying a full suit and have since abhorred them. I then bought a cheap camo smock with round hat and still have this it is very thin and can't say I have had many stings thru it, mainly it is used for swarm collecting as it is easily portable.
I have 3 smock type suits, one for each apiary also I remember I bought a Castle Farms Sentinel smock when on half price a couple of years ago ( yet to use it in anger ).

 

[Arfermo]

If you have the budget I would advise sheriff or bbwear I’ve had sheriff for years and there fantastic and offer a repair service.

 

[StevieD]

Hi everyone. I need a bit of advice. I’m looking to purchase my 1st bee suit, but a little lost. I have been advised not to buy off eBay or Amazon but from a reputable supplier. No problem with that, more that they dance from £60 to £240. Can anyone advise on a quality suit that will not break the bank but will do the job ?

i bought a new suit off ebay , its excellent,really thick material elastic and pockets everywhere fold back veil, cant fault it and it cost £48 made in G B, cant see why thorns cost £150 ish for same quality

 

[BeeJam]

My first suit was cheapish affair from BeeBasic, I made the mistake of buying a full suit and have since abhorred them. I then bought a cheap camo smock with round hat and still have this it is very thin and can't say I have had many stings thru it, mainly it is used for swarm collecting as it is easily portable.
I have 3 smock type suits, one for each apiary also I remember I bought a Castle Farms Sentinel smock when on half price a couple of years ago ( yet to use it in anger ).

I've got a BeeBasic full suit and I think its ok (although I do need to repair the seam where the mesh joins the hood). I've got a smock from them as well and thats ok. Each to their own I guess

 

[Swn58]

I bought two Swienty 'Breeze' suits from Modern Beekeeping. My partner suffers from the excessive heat that comes with many suits! I seem to be able to handle that, but was looking for something more robust. They are interesting in design and construction. The fabric is a sort of netting made of polyester with another, thicker, foam netting sandwiched in between. Any naughty bees with stinging on their minds haven't got the reach to inflict hurt.
The hoods are excellent, being constructed like a helmet with a 'yoke' support that stops it sliding about. The netting is actually steel wire, so relatively 'bomb-proof.' It is not easy to push your face against the netting, like with some suits. They actually fold easily into their hood as well, which is useful!
They do make you look a bit like a spaceman and are heavier than any suit I've ever owned, but they are not called 'Breeze' for nothing! They were about £144 each with vat added.