Zipp 353 NSW wheels reviewed

The whale-inspired 353 NSWs are not three times better than Zipp’s own competition at a third of the price - but you will enjoy the differences if you are able to dig deep

Zipp 353 NSW 1
(Image credit: Future)
Cycling Weekly Verdict

One to opt for if money is no object (and, of course, you want to ride tubeless), Zipp’s 353 NSW is an extremely light and nimble wheelset, which utilises the lower pressures of a tubeless setup to boost compliance. The sawtooth profile is very much a marginal gain, and it's expensive, so this is a pair to opt for if you’re the kind of rider for whom only the best will suffice.

Reasons to buy
  • +

    Extremely compliant

  • +

    Lightweight

  • +

    Tyres go onto hookless rims easily

Reasons to avoid
  • -

    Expensive

  • -

    Hookless rims aren't for everybody

You can trust Cycling Weekly. Our team of experts put in hard miles testing cycling tech and will always share honest, unbiased advice to help you choose. Find out more about how we test.

In a market where we’re seeing a rise in emerging brands offering speedy deep-section rims below the four-figure threshold, Zipp’s 353 NSW road bike wheel offering looks expensive. At £3,200 ($4,000) a pair, they’re over three times the price of the US brand’s own competition - the 303S - at £985. 

There are differences between the two wheelsets, they're just rather nuanced. Testing the two directly against each other did show the pricier wheels to be more refined - albeit, a marginal differential. 

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