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Henderson Greenprene Wetsuits Product Review

Henderson Greenprene Wetsuits Product Review

Written by Fernando Lopez
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Published on November 25, 2019
two divers in wetsuits checking their dive gear

Since its establishment in the mid-60s, Henderson Aquatics has produced high-quality dive wear and wetsuits for divers. The brand has celebrated many industry “firsts” over the past 50 years, including their new 100% neoprene-free wetsuit line.

Touted as a true, sustainable replacement to the petroleum-based neoprene wetsuit, the Henderson Greenprene Wetsuit line features an insulating foam that’s warm, super stretchy, and ultra-durable. This material offers UV resistance, too. So if you’re looking for an eco-friendly wetsuit, here’s what you can expect from the Greenprene diving wetsuits.

What We Love About the Henderson Greenprene Wetsuits

Greenprene Material

divers wearing Greenprene wetsuits

Henderson’s new scuba diving wetsuit is the result of their secret project, which started in 2014. It’s made from Greenprene, an insulating foam that’s 100% neoprene-free, sustainable, and plant-based. The material is also lighter in weight compared to traditional neoprene materials, so you can easily use the wetsuit underwater.

Greenprene is formulated from deproteinized natural insulating foam and other natural additives. These additives include sugar cane, plant oils, and oyster shells. These materials combine to produce an ultra-soft, stretchy, durable, and light yet sustainable biobased insulating foam.

It’s also worth noting that the US Department of Agriculture (USDA)’s BioPreferred program has tested and approved Greenprene as a biobased product. Simply put, consumers can use it as a substitute for products typically made from petroleum. Henderson is also the only company on the planet that offers this material. This distinction makes their new diving wetsuits stand out among other wetsuits in the market today.

Recycled Fabrics

the interior and exterior fabrics of the Greenprene men’s wetsuit

Aside from Greenprene, these new Henderson wetsuits use BIO-SPAN recycled high stretch laminates and AQUA-SILK exterior fabric in their design. Recycled water bottles were used to produce both fabrics. BIO-SPAN is made from 88% recycled polyester and 12% Nylon, while AQUA-SILK consists of 88% recycled polyester and 12% spandex.

Both fabrics have distinct properties: BIO-SPAN offers better comfort, warmth, and extreme stretch, and AQUA-SILK is durable and abrasion-resistant with fast drying and 250% stretch. They’re also AZO-free and Oeko-tex certified, adding to the wetsuit’s eco-friendly characteristics.

Great Underwater Performance

the Greenprene 3mm men’s wetsuit

Once you’ve got these diving wetsuits on, you can enjoy free and unrestricted motion underwater. They also keep you warm and comfortable even if you’re diving in the most challenging conditions. Whether you’re plunging into warm or temperate waters, you can use Greenprene scuba wetsuits as Henderson has specially designed them for these conditions.

Useful Features for Durability, Warmth, & More

the red closure loop on a Greenprene men’s wetsuit

Greenprene wetsuits provide divers with a few useful features to complement their sustainable design. They’ve got a red closure loop that prevents hook and loop fastener attachment to other areas and protects them from pilling. The wetsuits also feature accenting shoulder graphics to help it avoid BCD (buoyancy compensator) wear and tear. You can easily wear any of these suits as well since they have a back-zipper entry with a pull-tab leash.

Other features on the Greenprene scuba wetsuits include fewer seams and larger Greenprene panels, DuraTex knee pads, and a YKK accenting zipper. The seams and panels will keep you warm during long dives, while the knee pads make the wetsuits durable, reliable, and long-lasting. The zipper has a corrosion-resistant metal slider for enhanced durability.

Greenprene wetsuits even have a convenient and accessible key pocket, giving you easy access to small trinkets and essential gear.

Eco-Friendly Packaging

the Henderson Greenprene wetsuit packaging

Another great thing we love about the Greenprene men’s and women’s scuba wetsuits is their eco-friendly packaging. Their entire program is geared towards offering a fully sustainable product lifecycle.

Henderson packs and ships every Greenprene wetsuit in recycled cardboard boxes, and uses recycled paper to hand-wrap them. The company also uses recycled cardboard cores so the wetsuits don’t get compression marks as they’re folded and stored. And if you’re still not convinced, Henderson uses soy-based ink to print all hangtags on recycled paper. These steps only prove that they’re doing their part to save the environment.

Thickness & Size Options for Male & Female Divers

the Henderson Greenprene men’s and women’s wetsuits

When it comes to wetsuit thickness and size, the Greenprene line gives male and female divers a number of choices. Both men’s and women’s wetsuits come in 3mm, 5mm, and 7mm thicknesses. Male wetsuit sizes range from XS (extra small) to XLT (extra large-tall), while female wetsuit sizes start at size 4 and reach up to size 12T (for taller divers). Divers will find these size ranges very helpful, especially if they need wetsuits in their exact size and fit.

Product Features

  • Super-Stretchy, Ultra-Durable Insulating Foam
  • 100% Neoprene-Free Foam
  • Fabric Laminates Made From Recycled Water Bottles
  • Minimal Seams & Larger Greenprene Panels
  • Red Closure Dock
  • Rear Entry Zipper with Pull Tab Leash
  • Reinforced Knees
  • Black-Colored Wetsuit with Multiple Sizes

Key Benefits

  • Sustainable & Insanely Warm Greenprene Foam
  • Provides Excellent UV Resistance
  • Significantly Lighter in Weight than Traditional Neoprene
  • Allows Divers to Move Freely without Restriction
  • Keeps Diver Warm & Comfortable
  • Closure Dock Keeps Suit Pile-Free & Prevents Sudden Fastener Attachment
  • Specially Designed for Warm & Temperate Waters
  • BC Damage Protection through Accented Shoulder Graphics
  • Same Anatomical Fit & Patterns as Henderson’s Thermoprene Pro Wetsuits

Customer Reviews

Here’s what customers and experts have to say about the Henderson Greenprene wetsuits:

“Super comfortable, very stretchy, easy to don and doff. […] Definitely getting one.”

“If the diving industry gave awards for innovation, this product would top the list.”