It is not heroic to get stung, which is why it is important to get a good beekeeping suit that keeps you sting-free and safe, especially as a beginner.
As someone with more than a few dozen stings on my belt (I don’t mean to brag), I can assure you that a good (and professional) beekeeping suit is vital, not just a good idea. So, you need to suit up with a good sting-proof suit.
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Our Top Pick
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Best Premium
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Budget Pick
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4.4
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4.0
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4.5
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$38.85
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N/A
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$27.99
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The 9 Best Professional Beekeeping Suits Reviewed
Before we go into the top beekeeping suit reviews, let’s have a quick glance at the bee suit checklist:
- Keeps the bee stings away
- Allows you to work comfortably
- Keeps you cool and ventilated, especially in warm temperatures
- Aesthetic coolness is a bonus
- Easy to get into and out of
The following beekeeping suits are recommended as among the best on the basis of this short checklist, each with its pros and cons.
They are all available online, so feel free to check them out.
1. RELIANCER – Beekeeping Jacket with Gloves & Fencing Veil Hood
On top of a cool experience and sealed-off openings at the wrist and ankle, this is an aesthetically appealing suit for both professionals and beginner beekeepers alike.
You won’t hear that phrase often used in beekeeping.
In truth, aesthetics isn’t particularly important, but if combined with a good fabric, high elasticity bands, stitching, and a good-quality veil, you have an award-winning package that offers maximum sting protection.
Another great feature of this product is that it’s competitively priced.
2. Natural Apiary Zephyros Protect Beekeeping Suit
This is the high-end version of the Apiarist Beekeeping suit but with lots of little extras, such as Velcro and color variety. It uses 3 fabric layers to create a 5mm gap to stop bee (and wasp) stings from reaching your skin.
You can get it via Amazon
To be honest, I was sure that you’d had to pack up your fashion sense when you’re on the beekeeping mission, but this proves I was wrong.
It meets all the criteria we set earlier since it allows you to work and remain free of bee stings, stays cool with 100% cotton material, and allows you to slip in and out of it without much of a hustle.
The major limitation is that it may stretch your budget a little. That said, it’s quite durable, so it will prove to be a worthwhile investment over time.
3. VIVO New Professional Beekeeping Jacket with a Veil (BEE-V105)
The wonderful people at Vivo have brought us
Lots of reviews have praised the quality of the bee suit despite its considerably lower price.
I’ll admit I have a bias toward a full-body bee suit, but if I ever graduated to a level of less clothing, this would be my first choice. It keeps you cool while keeping the stings out. It fits quite snuggly, even on very tall people, which allows you to work quite easily.
Putting on the veil with the hood attached to the jacket is quite simple. The polyester fabric helps to keep you cool during the sunny spells that make up the busiest beekeeping period.
Although it works quite well, I wouldn’t recommend it if you have an aggressive hive.
4. Humble Bee 410 Polycotton Beekeeping Suit with Round Veil
The thing I really love about this suit is the panoramic view you get from the attached veil. It comes with a brimmed hat, which is what the veil is attached to. That round veil, as it is called, stays away from your face without the aid of a baseball cap.
It fits great and caters to a large number of people. You also have added the benefit of pockets in which you can carry your hive tool and whatever else you need. Add to that the thumb and foothold that keeps the limbs from exposure, and you have a true winner in this suit.
There seems to be only one concern with the veil, and that is regarding its material. The material, being stiff in nature, can tear quite easily. This isn’t hard to repair, but it can cause considerable inconvenience.
The suit is quite pricey but completely worth it.
5. Oz Armour Beekeeping Suit with Fencing & Round Brim Hat
Here’s
It has overlapping zippers on the neck, ensuring that all bee entrances are cut off.
Unfortunately, it is a little pricey, and a few people have indicated that you may need to adjust your order to an extra size or two.
6. VIVO New Professional Cotton Full Body Beekeeping Bee Keeping Suit, with Veil Hood (BEE-V106)
Vivo has convinced me that when the purse strings are a little tight, they have a solution for you. As
Although the manufacturer states that their suits will fit a 6 ft 6” person, the reality is a little different. They may not have accounted for girth in their recommendation.
The veil is closer to a fencing veil than a round veil, which may require the use of a baseball cap under the veil to keep it away from your face.
I must say that I really like the pockets, particularly on the chest, because they are sealable. Overall, a great beekeeping suit for a good price.
7. DAIKOYE Store’s Bee Suit with Glove and Bee Hive Tool
I’m going to break the mold here and review
First, the price for this package is a steal at the time I write this review.
Second, it is very likely that where you need one of these items, you’ll need the other essential equipment. Since this is primarily a review of the suits, we shall begin with that.
As per the description, this one covers the upper part of your body, but unlike the Vivo jacket, this one comes with full sleeves and gloves.
Although there’s no mention of thumb holds, the elastic on the gloves makes up for that and will keep your arms safe.
It is a lightweight garment, which you’ll need during the summer, and comes highly praised for its quality polyester cotton blend.
As with most online purchases, getting the right size seems to be a challenge.
This seems to affect all the brands across the board, so feel free to engage the seller in order to make sure you get one that fits you well, as opposed to subjecting yourself to a wedgie every time you put it on.
The hood’s shape helps keep the veil away from your face, thus keeping your nose sting-free.
The additional components, namely the hive tool and bee brush, are vital to beekeeping, and it is possible to lose them over time, so even if you have them, getting yourself an extra one of each wouldn’t hurt.
8. Eco-Keeper Store‘s Professional-Grade Vented Bee Suits
This high-quality and professional bee suit by the Eco-Keeper Store is definitely a keeper. It’s lightweight but able to protect you against the persistent attack from your bees.
The zippers are of excellent quality and seal you up quite well, with an added Velcro flap for added protection.
Of all the reviews I have gone through, this suit crafted by Eco-Keeper has the least number of complaints when it comes to size.
That’s definitely a plus because most beekeepers do not have the time to send back a bee suit. Since it fits well, it allows you to work well.
Last but not least, it’s relatively pocket-friendly.
9. Beekeeper Suit with Glove & Ventilated Hood by LONGADS Store
The detachable fencing veil is framed, which keeps it very far away from your face. It also provides a spacious interior, allowing for better views both on the front and sides of the face.
As a cotton and polyester blend, it breaths and keeps you cool as it protects you from what we shall call “the enemy.”
Besides the fencing veil, it comes with goatskin gloves, giving you no problem in approaching any of your bee hives in this suit.
Last but most certainly not least, the seller has provided a size chart to guide the buyer on the correct size to purchase. Now, that’s being proactive.
What to Look For in a Good Professional Beekeeping Suit
Sting Proof Protection
The presence of the beekeeping suit doesn’t deter the bees from trying to get at you. Oh no, they have way more drive.
To be honest, I wouldn’t mind getting stung if the venom came with a healthy dose of that self-confidence.
That one bee that attacks you does so intending to make a difference. Now multiply that by about 10,000.
That’s a force to reckon with and a dose of venom that will kill you. Your suit needs to keep that sting away from your skin.
It can do that with the fabric or even how it fits. Sometimes, the folds of the beekeeping suit help to protect your skin from contact.
Keep it Ventilated and Cool
The most active time for beekeepers is between spring and fall.
As it gets hotter, the work you have to do in the apiary increases, and you’ll spend more time in the suit with your bees.
The last thing you want is to overheat and pass out.
You need a fabric that breathes even while it protects you from the thousands of bees, making it no secret that they want you gone.
Most suits are a blend that helps with the fabric’s ability to breathe and ventilate.
The lighter colors also reflect heat as opposed to absorbing it, so you will want to keep your beekeeping suit option to lighter shades.
Flexibility and Comfort
Don’t forget, these bee suits are your work clothes. You need to be able to get things done in them.
This is why most beekeepers appear to be wearing low-tech space suits.
Having a suit that’s a size or two bigger allows you to do the work without worrying about ripping or having parts of the beekeeping suit ride up and expose your flesh.
You need to be able to see clearly, grip your tools comfortably, bend, and carry supers with ease.
Quick Wardrobe Change
You will often put on the bee suit on top of your other clothes, so you don’t want to be struggling.
Once, a bee found its way into my suit, and it felt like it took years just to locate my zip!
I was very new to beekeeping at the time, so I can tell you that having to run around looking for a Good Samaritan to let me out of my suit whilst in a panic was no picnic.
Even if that doesn’t happen to you, you will find that a comfortable beekeeping suit to have on is one that’s easy to get both on and off.
What Makes Up a Professional Bee Suit?
There are four primary components to a good suit for keeping bees: a hat and veil, jacket, pants, and gloves.
Hat and Veil
Your noggin is your most precious asset. It’s also quite sensitive.
A sting on your crown can be distracting, to say the least. Your head is also where all the soft flesh of your face is located.
A sting on the tip of your nose or around your eye would definitely stall your progress.
More experienced beekeepers will comfortably slap on a hat and veil and make their way to a hive without the rest of the suit.
This is not recommended, obviously, but they have been handling bees a lot longer and wouldn’t do it unless they were comfortable with it.
You may have noticed the veil of a bee suit is usually black.
If it were as white as the rest of the suit, the glare from the sun would make working during the summer that much harder.
Since most of your work in the hive will be during daylight, a dark-colored bee veil is ideal.
The hat not only protects your head but is a support structure for the veil.
Since the veil has pretty large spaces between the fibers, it is important to keep it from touching your face. If you don’t, it will make it very easy for a bee to get to you.
Jacket
In many cases, the jacket will be attached to a hat and a veil. Here, you need to ensure that you’re sealed in, so to speak. It helps if you have a bit of elastic around the wrists and waist. Bees are like ninjas.
If there’s a way in, they’ll find it. With that in mind, you’ll want a zip that goes up under the veil. Most manufacturers will provide some protection around the area of convergence in the form of a flap that has a Velcro strap.
Still, on the jacket, you want a good-quality zip. Wardrobe malfunctions could be catastrophic if they happen while you’re standing over a strong, maybe aggressive colony. In addition to that, look at the stitching that holds the garment together.
I cannot emphasize enough how determined these girls are to make you hurt when you’re after their hard-earned honey.
When most beekeepers buy a suit, they don’t plan to trade it in when the fall line comes out.
It will have to survive several wash cycles and friction from the nature of the work that you do. Look at the seams. Will they hold every time you get into a squat as you set down supers?
Gloves
Although there are those who find them difficult to work with, they probably started off with them and weaned them off as they gained experience.
The key thing to remember is that you are trying to keep yourself focused on the matter of beekeeping.
Getting stung on your finger, though, is not as distracting as one on your eyelid. However, it is still quite painful and can cause you to be clumsy, putting you at greater risk.
Not all suits will come with gloves, so prepare to seek these out as individual items. We’ve also covered the best beekeeping gloves here. You wouldn’t believe the deals you can score on buying gloves separately.
Pants
If you think that bees won’t go that low, you are sadly and gravely mistaken. Even if you opt to have the jacket and veil, it is in your best interest to get yourself some long pants and possibly tuck them into your socks if you don’t have a full suit.
I don’t need to get into details on what damage they could do to the lower part of your body.
I’m sure we both know I’m not thinking about toes here. However, since I did mention toes, get yourself a good pair of boots. They are comfortable, easy to move around regardless of terrain, and bee-proof.
Final Words About Getting a Good and Professional Beekeeping Suit
As you shop for a good and professional bee suit, you must remember that function and comfort overrule aesthetics.
If it protects you and keeps you on your feet while allowing you flexibility of movement, the only other determinant should be price.
Buying the best beekeeping suits is the least complicated activity you will undertake in your beekeeping adventure, so enjoy it.
I’m new bee keeping, but I bought a Guardian Bee Apparel suit, and I love it.
You guys really missed the boat on this one. Guardian & Oz Armor jackets and coveralls are definitely better than any listed . . . . . BUT the suits/jackets that should easily take the #1 spot on this list have to be the new design being sold by FoxHound Bee Company. Designed specifically for them, their suits and jackets include features none of those on the list do, they are fully ventilated &, best of all, both are way cheaper than pretty much everything on your list.
Is there any designer bee keeping attire? White isn’t flattering on me.
Did you not see the first suit listed?! It’s literally their “TOP PICK.”
It specifically says it comes in various colors, plus the one shown is PINK.
My very first i ever owned was that exact vivo.its hot but the reason i like it is i dont get stung on back of head and neck because its white and veil in front is some kind of hard plsstic screen.i despise nettinh.it tears too easy.yes i get popped alot in my vebo but not on the face or neck.vivo has the vest veil on the market.i want a 3layer but i dont like anybodybelses veil but beepro andvtheir gear is too small for normal americsn size men.
If you a newb who like face and neck protection,go cheap,go vivo.