Billabong Furnace Natural Women’s Wetsuit Review: Lightweight Flexibility Meets Warmth

Last fall, I put the Billabong Furnace Natural Women’s Wetsuit to its first test in unusually chilly water temps at Huntington Beach, northside of the pier. The waves were tiny, and the sun was out, so it took many more sessions to find out the true benefits and why I’d call this wetsuit 2025’s best one yet.

After trips down to overcast Trestles, carrying it dry and soaking wet in my backpack, or paddling the moving carpet that is River Jetties in Newport Beach, this wetsuit saw all different breaks and weather. Ironically, this season’s water temperatures in Southern California reached hardly anything above 61 degrees, with an average sticking around 58, but the Furnace prevailed. Another win, Billabong has transitioned its suits to FSC-certified natural rubber sourced from Hevea trees, and I found this suit to be just as lightweight and stretchy as any suit made from traditional or limestone neoprene. 

Bottom Line: Some brands might tout sustainability, but it is often at the expense of stretch and weight. But the Billabong Furnace Natural showed me that sustainability and performance are no longer at odds – the suit is surprisingly stretchy, lightweight, and clocks in at a reasonable price of $400. 

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Testing the Billabong Furnace Natural in Southern California

Price: $400

Thickness Tested: 3/2mm

Suggested Water Temp: 58-65 degrees Fahrenheit

Entry: Chest zip

Materials: Airlite liners that use 100% recycled fibers, making it light and flexible, and natural rubber sourced from Hevea trees

Pros: Lightweight, stretchy, warm, and stylish

Cons: Some minor leakage in the chest

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First Impressions

Straight out of the proverbial box, the Billabong Furnace Natural wetsuit was lightweight, had a fun-looking liner, and was constructed a little differently than other suits, and I knew I was in for a special treat. First impressions really do matter, especially since the water was on the chillier side. The forward-facing inner liner felt a little counterintuitive since it requires the surfer to pull it over their face and secure the lining behind their neck, which prevents any choking sensation, but may leave it more vulnerable to leakage. 

My first session didn’t do this suit justice (I was on a lunch break and had to make it a quickie), but I soon realized that this wetsuit truly does not get weighed down by water. Whether it was 30 minutes at Huntington Beach Pier or two hours at Trestles, the wetsuit weight was barely noticeable, and it still stayed warm and didn’t collect too much sand, to boot.  

Notable Features

Billabong has shifted away from the standard neoprene wetsuit by using FSC-certified natural rubber from Hevea trees without sacrificing flex or weight when wet. Even after hours of surfing, wiping out, and pretty much marinating in the ocean, the soaking wet suit never slowed my walk back to my car at Trestles. After years of lugging all types of rubber up and down that trail, it was a true joy to avoid lower back pain with a heavy suit.

The Billabong Furnace is not only lightweight, but also flexible and warm – another bonus when surfing on days with more current or bigger waves. The O’Neill Hyperfreak Fire served up some stiff competition in the warm and flexible department, but was a little too tight around my neck.

Unlike any other wetsuit I tried this season, Billabong Furnace features an inner lining strategically placed at the front of the suit, where it does the best, keeping your core extra warm. The SMART foam technology makes this suit extra flexible when it needs to be—paddling and surfing, and also retains heat more efficiently. That said, I did experience slight leakage down the back of my neck, though it wasn’t a total deal-breaker.

The chest zipper serves as a small but mighty feature due to its ease of zipping toward a closed-end and the rubber material – no need to ensure both ends of the zipper track are closed means less hassle for your frozen digits.

Last, but not least—the seams or lack thereof. Since fewer seams were interrupting the rubber paneling, there was less opportunity for water to creep in and not as much tugging or bunching in awkward spots. The wetsuit’s flexibility fit my curves well with no pinching in awkward areas.  

Drawbacks

Considering that the Furnace Natural was built to handle water temperatures that hang out between 58 and 65 degrees, and this season was unseasonably cold, it kept me warmer and out in the water longer while not being too stiff or constrictive in odd areas. However, some water still managed to sneak its way down the back neck of the wetsuit during duck dives. I tried to adjust the liner to prevent this—cold water is the ultimate motivator; however, it seemed no matter how I adjusted, a little water would slip into the suit.

Final Thoughts

This wetsuit truly does live up to its name—the Billabong Furnace Natural kept me warm and still afforded me more flexibility when paddling in more challenging currents or bigger surf. With its added flexibility and lightweight, the real warmth happened when I was paddling harder and catching waves. Though there was an odd leakage in the liner, I still managed to last much longer in the water than usual.

This suit is easy to take on and off and, when it’s been soaked, not nearly as heavy as some other suits. It’s a great bonus when you have a considerable walk, bike, or skate ahead of you. If you’re eco-conscious, you can rest easy because the Billabong Furnace Natural material is made from natural rubber and recycled fibers, a huge win for sustainable wetsuit production. 

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Editor’s Note: To see how the Billabong Furnace Natural stacks up to the competition, see our review of the Best Women’s Wetsuits. For more surf gear reviews, click here.

Read the original review.