When selecting a tri-suit for race day, we typically look for one quality above all others – the feeling of a “second skin.” After all, there’s only two times we want to think about our kit—when we put it on and when we finally get to take it off. And our first run in Pearl Izumi’s P.R.O. In-R-Cool Tri Short and Singlet says it all. We actually caught ourselves looking down because we couldn’t remember if we had put on the top. Needless to say, this just became a go-to option for both long and short course racing. We were sold.

The P.R.O. In-R-Cool Tri Short and Singlet are Pearl Izumi’s top-of-the line apparel for triathletes. We have been wearing the men’s version, though there is a women’s version available as well. The men’s version features a single-layer, stitch-free armhole and neck. This is the key element to the second-skin fit—not a single seam to irritate or chafe you. The top just fits (and fits well). Both the shorts and singlet feature PI’s In-R-Cool fabric powered by coldblack. A unique textile finishing technology, coldblack reduces the absorption of sunlight and therefore heat build-up. In Addition, it provides reliable protection from damaging UV rays. Textiles with coldblack guarantee a minimum UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) of 30 in any color.

The shorts feature a streamlined, single-layer engineered gripper that we have never felt so much as shift during a swim, bike, or run. Over the last few months, we have completed multiple workouts (even a few pool workouts, though it is not recommended), including bike\run bricks. Throughout them all, the shorts have remained comfortable and stayed in place. While we’d definitely classify the chamois as minimal, it’s certainly more than enough for the rides we have completed up to this point (up to 70 miles). What’s more, we wouldn’t hesitate to take it for a longer ride if our training plans had called for it.

The singlet features two small covered pockets that can easily fit a gel pack or two. Likewise, the shorts feature a single covered pocket. With that said, if you like to carry a lot on your training rides or races, this may not be the top for you. However, for a streamlined race day kit, this is all but perfect. We threw a backup gel into the singlet and all other major nutrition we carried on the bike or our run belt.

The downside of this kit is the price. At $135 for the singlet and $130 for the shorts, it is not the cheapest option, and therefore may not fit into everyone’s budget. But for those looking for an extremely comfortable kit for long days in the sun, this is a kit worth considering.