Ask any surfer what they dislike about surfing and they’d probably answer any one of these things: wrong surf reports, celebs pretending to surf, and the worst of all — cold wetsuits. Putting on a damp wetsuit is literally a pain. Not to mention the icky feeling you get when you slide on a cold one. This is the reason why many surfers buy hangers to speed up their wetsuits’ drying process.
But what’s a hanger without a wetsuit drying rack? Most surfers don’t put a lot of thought into this, but believe it or not — owning one is a life-changer! With a drying rack, your wetsuit will dry more evenly, and you can also hang your wetsuit anywhere you want.
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What are the types of wetsuit drying racks?
There are different types of wetsuit drying racks such as the tiered ones, collapsible/foldable, freestanding, floor-mounted, and fold-out. In this article, we’ll give in-depth reviews on which one will work best depending on your budget, wetsuit type, and surfing needs.
Top 5 Best Wetsuit Drying Racks
When you’re hanging a drenched and heavy wetsuit, you don’t want to see it the next morning laying on the floor because the drying rack broke during the night. That’s why it’s important to find high-quality products for your wetsuit, may it be cheap or expensive. Here’s the summary of our Top 5 Best Wetsuit Drying Racks:
- Malo’o RV Van Wetsuit Drying Rack — Our Top Pick
- Onefeng Sports Wetsuit Drying Rack — Best Budget
- Clothes Drying Rack with Gravity Lock and Windproof Hooks — Best High End
- Household Essentials Collapsible Drying Rack — Best for Small Spaces
- 3-Tier Drying Rack — Best for Indoor Use
#1: Malo’o RV Van Wetsuit DryRack — Our Top Pick
Specifications:
- Material: Polypropylene
- Compatible with: Wetsuit, Surfing, Snowboarding, Camping, Fishing, and Scuba gear
- Other features: Suction cup included, Can hold up to 20 pounds or 9 kg
Let’s begin this with the Malo’o Wetsuit DryRack, the original and only patented drying rack designed to hang in a car’s side mirror. This wetsuit drying rack got tons of features that have caught our eye, landing it as the top pick for this list.
First, the Malo’o DryRack is portable and versatile. It isn’t just for wetsuits; you can also use it for hanging your towel, gear, and clothes for your other outdoor activities. What’s better is that you can bring and attach this wetsuit drying rack anywhere you want — on your car’s side mirror or any glass window with its powerful suction cups.
There’s no need to worry about the DryRack scratching your vehicle as well. This product comes with paddings on its handle and behind its hinges, so even if you hang your soaked wetsuit, this drying rack can handle its weight without putting pressure on your car or van. When you’re done drying your wetsuits, the DryRack completely folds. This makes it easier to store and saves a lot of space.
The DryRack can carry a weight of up to 20 lbs (approximately three wetsuits). The only downside with this product is it only has two bars, which means you can only dry limited items at a time.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can be attached or hanged anywhere | Can only dry two wetsuits at a time |
| Portable and lightweight | |
| Space-saver | |
| Heavy-duty | |
#2: Onefeng Sports Wetsuit Drying Rack — Best Budget
Specifications:
- Material: Aluminum
- Compatible with: Wetsuit, Surfing, Snowboarding, Camping, Fishing, and Scuba gear
- Other features: Comes with a vented wetsuit hanger, Padded hinges
Surfing accessories can be expensive. That’s why surfers face a dilemma when choosing their drying equipment: Should they get a hanger or a drying rack? Well, what if we tell you that it’s possible to get them both for just under $30? Isn’t that grand!?
The reason why we picked the Onefeng Sports Wetsuit Drying Rack for our ‘Best Budget’ is that it’s a 2-in-1 deal. Every purchase of this drying rack comes with its own vented hanger. With a push of a button, the hanger easily folds, which makes it easier to put on in wetsuits with narrow necklines.
Similar to Malo’o, the Onefeng drying rack can also be hung in any vehicle’s side mirror. They’ve also added padding to the top handle and behind each hinge to prevent it from scratching the car. The only difference between them is that this one doesn’t have suction cups, therefore it can’t be attached to windows and doors.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Comes with a vented wetsuit hanger | Doesn’t come with suction cups |
| Can be used for cars or vans | |
| Cheap | |
#3: Upgrade II Drying Rack with Gravity Lock and Windproof Hooks — Best High End
Specifications:
- Material: Stainless steel
- Compatible with: Wetsuit, Surfing, Snowboarding, Camping, Fishing, and Scuba gear
- Other features: Collapsible, Has carrying capacity of 320 pounds or 145 kg, For outdoor use, Gravity-lock technology
The Upgrade II is the kind of wetsuit drying rack that can dry the thickest winter wetsuits, accessories, and heavy jackets — all at the same time. (Hey, other surfers can dry their wetsuits, too, and this drying rack will still have some space left.) This adjustable drying rack is made with 1.22mm thick stainless steel rods that can support a weight of up to 320 pounds.
Don’t get overwhelmed, though. At first, it may seem that this drying rack will take up all your space because of its capacity, but you’d be surprised to know how compact it is! When not in use, you can easily fold it and it’ll turn into a 9-pound, vertical rod that you can easily put away.
This wetsuit drying rack is also hassle-free and convenient. In just 15 seconds, you can easily assemble it and it’s ready. It also features a gravity-lock design and windproof hooks that automatically lock the rack as it opens, keeping it stable even in outdoor use.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Good for indoor and outdoor use | Expensive |
| Has a large weight capacity | |
| Compact and collapsible | |
| Doesn’t rust or corrode | |
| No installation needed | |
#4: “Household Essentials Collapsible Drying Rack — Best for Small Spaces
Specifications:
- Material: Alloy steel
- Compatible with: Wetsuits, towels, other surfing/wetsuit accessories
- Other features: Has 9 expandable drying rods, Comes in bronze
Most surfers dread drying their wetsuits because it’s such a hassle, more so when it’s indoor drying. It’s messy because the water drips on the floor. It doesn’t dry fast enough as well, so the water weight concentrates on the wetsuit’s lower part, therefore stretching and damaging the neoprene fabric.
Drying your wetsuit indoors can be much easier if you have the right equipment for it — like the Household Essentials Collapsible Drying Rack, for instance. This product works best for indoor drying because it’s compact, and you can put it inside the bathtub so that the water drips inside it instead of flooding the floors. Just fold it up and keep it for storage after use.
This drying rack has nine rods that are 20 inches in length and are extendable to 34.5 inches. The only problem with this small drying rack is that hanging a wetsuit vertically is impossible. What you can do instead is to fold it over the abdomen area or simply lay it out over the top. This drying method lessens folds and provides more air circulation at the front and back of your wetsuit.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Compact for easy storage | Very low, can’t accommodate vertical hanging |
| Can dry multiple wetsuits | |
#5: 3-Tier Drying Rack — Best for Indoor Use
Specifications:
- Material: Alloy steel
- Compatible with: Wetsuits, towels, other surfing/wetsuit accessories
- Other features: Collapsible, Can hold weight up to 30 pounds or 13.6 kg
Sometimes, it’s more ideal to dry wetsuits indoors, especially in low-temperature places or during rainy seasons. In such cases, you need an indoor-friendly drying rack that’s heavy-duty, space-saving, and can dry multiple clothes at once.
The 3-Tier wetsuit drying rack ticks all those requirements. It has an accordion-style design that expands and retracts in just two seconds, so you can hang different clothes and surfing accessories without breaking a sweat. You can also hang your wetsuit over at its top to prevent folds from forming in the abdomen area. By doing this, the rack also provides added support so the neoprene fabric doesn’t stretch.
This drying rack also has a clever locking mechanism for durability. Its thick pipes and bearing can support a weight of up to 30 pounds, at the same time, it’s lightweight and can be stowed away in no time. Lastly, it’s made from alloy steel that doesn’t easily corrode and form rust.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can accommodate multiple items at once | Very low, can’t accommodate vertical hanging |
| Compact and collapsible | Not suitable for outdoor use |
| Durable and heavy-duty | |
| Cheap | |
Buyer’s Guide: How to Choose the Right Wetsuit Drying Rack
Heavy-duty
A good rack used for outdoor drying must be sturdy so that it won’t get blown away when there are strong winds. It must also be able to handle heavy wetsuits with added water weight without toppling over or breaking.
Collapsible/ Detachable
If you live or travel in a surf van, your wetsuit drying rack must be collapsible or foldable to save space. Having a detachable one’s also ideal as this makes it portable and easier to transfer.
Material
Wetsuit drying racks made from wood will easily get molds and expand because of moisture, while those that are made from other metals easily corrode because of saltwater exposure. In choosing a wetsuit drying rack, make sure that it’s made from materials that can withstand water like stainless steel and PP plastic. These materials last longer and they’re also more durable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Can you D-I-Y a drying rack?
Yes, you can build a D-I-Y wetsuit drying rack with the use of a 25mm PVC electrical conduit, tees, and elbows. By doing this, you can also create additional racks for your old wetsuits without breaking the bank. Watch this short video to see how it’s made.
Q: Do wetsuit drying racks damage the car?
Wetsuit drying racks have paddings installed in them to avoid scratching a vehicle’s body. The only time it may cause damage is if the drying rack’s carrying a wetsuit above its capacity limit, therefore it puts more pressure on a vehicle’s side mirror.
Another thing to take note of is that saltwater may have minimal impact on your car or van. If you hang your wetsuit in the drying rack without rinsing it first with fresh water, the saltwater may dull your car’s finish or cause it to corrode after some time.
Q: How do you put a drying rack in a surf van?
Wetsuit drying racks for surf vans are designed to be hung in their side mirror. Some drying racks also have suction cups on them that can be attached to the windows or sliding doors.
G’day, my name is Rach Taylor and I’m the proud Founder of Surf Hungry. I am a former Australian Olympic athlete and Australian representative surf sports athlete. I’ve worked in the surf industry and lived at many of Australia’s best surf spots, sparking a life-long love of the ocean and a passion for surf sports which also rubbed off on my two young sons! I am also lucky to spend a lot of ocean-time in my favorite second home, Indonesia. In addition to SurfHungry I have founded several other websites in my areas of passion, namely coffee and rock climbing, and am also a regular rowing content contributor.
