Guides
Straight comparisons between the suits, jackets and veils we make, so you can pick once rather than twice.
A plus size bee suit has to give room at the chest, belly, seat and thighs without legs that drag and cuffs that gape. Here is how to measure, what to check, and when made-to-measure is the better answer.
A bee suit that is too small pulls tight when you bend and drags the veil onto your face. One that is too big snags, drags and gapes at the cuffs. Here are the signs of each, and the fix.
Between two bee suit sizes, take the larger one. A slightly big suit still protects you; a slightly small one pulls tight where stings get through. Here is how to handle the awkward cases.
A bee suit should fit loose but not baggy: room to touch your toes and kneel, veil clear of your face, sleeves inside your gloves, legs over your boots. Here is what right looks like, area by area.
Measure over the clothes you wear to the hive, with a soft tape and a helper. Here are the nine measurements we cut suits to, the mistakes that make a suit tight, and what to do with the numbers.
A round veil holds the mesh further from your face and gives a clearer all-round view. A square veil folds flat and packs anywhere. Here is how to choose, and how to wear either one so bees stay out.
Nitrile gives you feel and washability. Leather gives you a hide a stinger cannot get through. Most experienced keepers own both and choose by the job.
A beekeeping coverall is a bee suit in one-piece form. A disposable coverall is a dust barrier with no veil. Removals are the worst possible place to confuse the two.
Goatskin is leather. What you are really choosing between is goatskin and the thicker cowhide beside it — and for hive work the deciding factor is dexterity, not thickness.
A fencing veil turns with your head. A round veil stays where it is while your head turns inside it. That one difference decides vision, heat and where each design lets you down.
Polycotton resists tearing and dries fast. Pure cotton breathes better and will not melt near a smoker. One difference decides most of these purchases, and it is not the one listings talk about.
Cotton stops a sting by being thick; ventilated mesh stops it by holding the fabric further away than a sting can reach. Which you need comes down to how many hours you spend at an open hive in the heat.
Full suits cover you ankle to veil; jackets stop at the hips and go on in seconds. Which one you need comes down to your bees, your climate and your experience — here is the decision, with a side-by-side comparison.
