by
Olivier Poirier-Leroy
Looking for a drag chute for more power and faster swimming? Here’s our in-the-pool review of the best chutes for building power, improving technique, and getting faster in the pool.
Swim parachutes, also known as drag chutes, are a resisted swimming tool for getting stronger and faster in the water.
The chutes generate increased drag and force you exert more power to overcome the resistance. With enough resistance and repetition, you are able to generate more strength and speed when swimming.
Best times—look out!
The best overall drag chute for swimmers is the FINIS Swim Parachute. It comes in different sizes, is made of super durable materials that withstand heavy use and chlorine exposure, and has a long tether that doesn’t get caught in your feet when swimming.
In this guide, we will look at the best swim parachutes for improved swim performance, offer some sneaky benefits of using one, and how to use it for faster swimming.
While most drag chutes are similar—catch lots of water and force swimmers to exert more power to overcome the added resistance—they differ in function, form, belt size, chute width, and price.
Let’s dive in and get our chute on.
The top drag chutes for swim training include:
Next, we will look at each drag chute so you can decide how to choose the perfect one for your swimming and ability.
⭐ Best overall swim parachute
The best parachute for swimmers in my chlorinated opinion is the FINIS series of chutes. While I am generally a fan of FINIS swim gear, I’ve had a couple of their chutes over the years and not only are they easy to use, but they have been remarkably durable.
The cord extends out to 6 feet in length. This means the chute will deploy far behind your feet. You can shorten the length of the cord, as well.
Unlike the mesh material that some parachutes are made of that allow water to seep through, the FINIS Swimmers Parachute is made of material that will basically catch the water and ball it up like a big, heavy snowball. The belt is made of a durable nylon that you clip around your waist.
The FINIS chutes come in different sizes or levels of difficulty. The smaller the chute, the less drag gets created behind you. The harder is the navy blue one, with a 12″ diameter, while the red is the “easy” one, opening up at a width of 8″.
⭐ Best budget-friendly swim parachute
Swim gear can be prohibitively expensive at times—looking at you, tech suits—but you don’t need to break the bank to get a great power-based workout in the pool. Sporti, Swim Outlet’s inhouse swim brand, is the leading swim company for making inexpensive swim gear that lasts.
Their swim parachute is a great example of this, costing less than $20 and delivering the same resistance training as more expensive brands. It has a lengthy nylon tether and adjustable belt that can accommodate larger swimmers (I’m a hefty dude and had no problem sizing my waist with it).
The Sporti Swim Parachute is only available with one chute width, however, with the chute being 10” wide, which may not be the best option for beginner and more elite swimmers.
Stretchcordz is the big name when it comes to resistance work in the pool. Their rubber tubing products are simply awesome.
They produce the very popular stretch cords (with paddles or handles) that are used on dry land. They also make the cords that feature you tying yourself up to one end, tying the other to an end of the pool and swimming away from its resistance.
Their drag chute is excellent as well. Comfortable and made with the same durability as their other rubber resistance tubing products, they also come in three different sizes.
Ready to get totally ape with your drag work? The Stretchcordz chute has an option for a 16″ chute. Max power, indeed. (They also come in 8 and 12-inch sizes.)
Every swimmer knows the name—Speedo has been the leading swim gear and swimsuit company on pool decks for over a hundred years.
The Speedo Essential Drag Swim Parachute is an upgraded version of their swim chute, taking the mantle from the Dragtini, which I loved for the fact that it had a buoy halfway down the tether to keep the chute from sinking behind you.
Anyhoo, the Speedo Essential Chute does have an adjustable tether for length, handy for taller swimmers who get frustrated kicking the parachute behind them when swimming. Speedo also offers the chute in three different sizes, up to 12” in width, for swimmers of all abilities.
The only thing I don’t love about this swim parachute is the color—the white gets dirty real fast in the pool and swim bag.
Drag chutes are a kick-butt form of resisted swimming that will help you get stronger and swim more efficiently. But choosing the right chute requires being a smarty-pants–chute size, belt length, and performance features like a swiveling tether can make training with the chute more productive.
Here are the key things to consider when choosing the right drag chute for swimming:
By choosing the right drag chute, with the right features, you’ll boost power, reinforce excellent stroke mechanics, and make “regular” swimming feel like you are getting fired out the side of a submarine.
Like drag suits and other forms of resistance training, parachutes should be used for shorter periods of time in the water. It is resistance training, after all.
In the same way that you wouldn’t go to the gym and do 5 sets of 300 reps of bench press, avoid swimming for extended bouts with a parachute.
Use it for targeted stretches—25s and 50s at a time with ample rest—to refine your technique and increase your strength and power in the pool.
A couple of different studies [1, 2] found that swimming with swim paddles and a parachute for short durations provides a specific stimulus that increases strength in the water and gives you a more fluid and balanced stroke (“propulsive continuity”).
Swim parachutes aren’t the only tool in town when it comes to creating stronger swimmers.
Here are some other options for power training in the water:
Drag Sox – One of the benefits of DragSox, which are literally drag nets that you place on your feet, is that there is no strap or chute dangling behind you. They are easier to flip turn and promote a more natural resistance as you don’t have to change your kicking and body position to avoid kicking a strap.
Swim tethers – Swim tethers are similar to parachutes in that they have a belt, but instead of a nylon strap, thick rubber tubing attaches to something sturdy like a pool ladder. Swim out until the rubber tubing creates tension, and develop some of that sweet range power!
Power towers – Ubiquitous on pool decks of larger swim teams across the country are power towers, which use either weight plates or large buckets of water to create variable load. They are similar to rubber tubing, but you can play around with the amount of weight/resistance more easily.
Ultimately, swim parachutes are another tool I the swimmer’s toolbox for improving speed and power in the water.
Use them to improve the catch in your arm stroke, develop swim-specific strength, and even enhance your body position for more efficient swimming.
To recap our favorite swim parachutes:
⭐ The FINIS Swim Parachute is our number one choice, with three sizes for every level of swimmer.
⭐ The Sporti Swim Parachute is a great choice for the intermediate swimmer with its 10” chute size and budget-friendly pricing.
Choose the right swim parachute that matches your swim goals and power your way to faster and stronger swimming!
7 Best Swim Paddles for Getting Stronger and Better Technique. Swim paddles are an excellent tool for getting stronger in the water and improving technique. Here’s a breakdown of the best paddles for swimmers.
8 Best Swim Fins for Swimmers. Looking to get a new set of swim training fins? Here are reviews of the best swim fins available for competitive and lap swimmers.
Olivier Poirier-Leroy Olivier Poirier-Leroy is the founder of YourSwimLog.com. He is an author, former national level swimmer, two-time Olympic Trials qualifier, and swim coach.
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