We have to buy bigger sizes but this suit has been in the family now for almost 6 years. Never one tear or issue with the suit. It last about 2 years from a growth perspective. No problem, I sell the old ones to friends near by. Our younger son wears the Reactor and our daughter wears this exact epic. The difference is the seams. The epic is sealed, the reactor is not. It just means trace amounts of water can get into the wetsuit through the seams over time - the result is you may not stay in the water as long or get cold a little quicker. Both are great, this one is a step up for sure. We pair with O'neill's XS adult gloves - they are tiny. Most important is the boots. We buy the o'neill youth heat boot and the neosport 5mm child zipper boot. Without the boots our kids would freeze, you lose heat from your feet - in particular if you have them in the cold ocean all the time. I do wish that the colors of the juniors wetsuits they made in adult sizes. :)