The best women’s swimsuits

The best swimsuits for most people

Helen Jon makes a wide variety of classic swimsuits in simple patterns and colors, plus, it has bra-sized options for women with larger busts.

Helen Jon takes a unique approach to designing swimsuits — the brand tests styles on its employees instead of models. The result is swimsuits that fit a wide variety of people in all shapes and sizes.

Five women on the Insider Reviews team — myself included — put Helen Jon’s swimsuits to the test to see if they really do fit a variety of body types, and we found that they do indeed. Every one of us loved our swimsuits. We tried one-pieces and two-pieces, including skimpier bikinis and bra-sized tops for larger busts.

Buying swimsuits online is fraught with peril for anyone, but if you have a large cup size like I do, it’s even harder. Helen Jon’s swimwear collection made it super easy for me to choose a swimsuit that would fit because there are tops specifically designed for D/DD women like me.

The D/DD cup twist underwire bra bikini top fits me perfectly, offers excellent support, and looks exactly like a normal bra under clothing when you’re en route to the beach. The Slimmer hipster bottom I chose also fit perfectly and was comfortable. I swam in the Atlantic Ocean and ran around on the beach in this swimsuit without any problems. Plus, the suit dried fairly quickly afterward. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Simple designs, fit a variety of bust sizes, DD+ tops, one-piece and two-piece suits

Cons: Limited patterns and colors, pricey

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Read more about Helen Jon:

• We tried swimsuits from a brand that uses its employees as fit models, and they fit us better than any other brand we’ve tried

The best affordable swimsuits

Aerie’s swimsuits are cute and affordable — and they’re frequently on sale.

You can still get a cute swimsuit if you’re on a budget. American Eagle’s lingerie brand Aerie makes great swimwear that’s affordable. Aerie’s swimsuits are about $50 for a one-piece suit and about $60 for a two-piece suit.

Aerie’s two-piece ensembles are easy to mix and match. You can choose from all kinds of bottoms that range in coverage from a full high-waisted option to slinky bikini cuts and cute cheeky hipsters.

Since Aerie is a lingerie brand, some of the tops are almost bra-like in terms of support and structure, which is great for those who need more support.

Aerie has lots of cute prints and color options available, too, so you’re almost guaranteed to find something you’ll like.

It seems like everyone from celebrities and Instagram stars to ordinary folks love Aerie’s swimwear, including a writer from PopSugar who loves Aerie’s one-piece suits in particular. She thanked the brand for making suits that celebrate bodies of all sizes and made her feel great in her own skin. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Affordable, cute styles, one-piece suits, two-piece suits, a variety of sizes

Cons: May not last as long

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The best eco-friendly swimsuit

Patagonia’s swimsuits are made for people who want to swim, surf, and stay active at the beach, plus, they’re made from eco-friendly materials.

Patagonia’s line of swimwear includes everything from rash guards and long-sleeved one-pieces to bikinis, tankinis, and board shorts. Like all of the company’s products, Patagonia’s swimwear is meant for active use.

The swimsuits are all made from high-quality, recycled nylon or polyester fabric that’s non-slip and has UPF sun protection. Several women on the Insider Reviews team — including me —tried out Patagonia’s new swimwear collection, and we were impressed by how comfortable the suits were.

Women’s swimsuits are often designed more for style than substance, but Patagonia’s collection breaks that trend. You can actually move freely in these swimsuits without fear of a wardrobe malfunction.

As someone with a short torso, a skinny ribcage, and a larger chest, I often struggle to find swimsuits that offer enough support and space in the bustline without being too loose around my ribcage.

The one-piece I tried had adjustable tie straps in the back, so I could adjust it to fit me perfectly. The cups were also adequately supportive, thanks to a strong underbust seam and the adjustable design of the cups that allowed me to spread out the fabric and more fully cover my chest. I swam, jumped, and ran around freely in the swimsuit without any problems.

The range of colors and patterns is limited, but the patterns are unique. I loved my one-piece’s colorful parrot design. The size range is also a bit limited, running from XS to XL. The other downside is the $120 to $180 price of the swimwear. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Attractive suits, stay in place when active, UPF sun protection, Fair Trade Certified, recycled materials, comfortable, good variety of styles

Cons: Expensive, limited colors and sizes

Shop all Patagonia swimwear

Read more about Patagonia swimwear:

• 4 people tried Patagonia’s active swimsuits to see how securely fit — here’s how they compared to favorites like Helen Jon, Summersalt, and Swimsuits for All
• The best active swimsuits for women

The best gender-inclusive swimsuit

For those who want a more androgynous swim silhouette, OutPlay offers tons of gender-neutral options from rashguards to swim trunks to full coverage swim tops.

Finding the right swimwear can be a daunting and frustrating endeavor for those who want to eschew highly feminine styles. I’m a queer person who presents androgynously and typically wears menswear, so swimsuits — especially tops — have been quite tricky for me. For a long time, going to the beach or pool was a stressful experience because I never had a bathing suit that made me feel comfortable in my own skin. Then I found OutPlay.

OutPlay offers gender-neutral swimsuits for women, non-binary people, and trans folks who are looking for simple, gender-inclusive swimwear. I bought my first OutPlay top — the Swimmee ($49) — back in 2016, and I’ve worn it every single time I’ve gone to the pool or beach in the last three years. It’s held up marvelously, even after multiple summers of saltwater, chlorine, and putting it in the dryer (even though you’re really not supposed to). It’s still my go-to bathing suit top, and honestly, it’s the only one I ever wear.

The Swimmee is a sports-bra-style top, but if you’re looking for something with even more coverage, they also offer swim tanks ($59) and rashguards ($58.95). Most of the tops come in both low-compression and high-compression, giving an option to bind your chest flat or minimize its appearance. The low-compression option still offers a ton of support — about as much as a standard sports bra — but the high-compression option takes it to the next level.

All of the tops come in several solid colors and stripes, so they pair well with a wide variety of bottoms. I often pair my Swimmee with whatever fun swim trunks I happen to find that season. They also offer several choices of their own, and everything comes in similar color schemes, maximizing your ability to mix and match. The Tomboier ($30), which fits like a pair of boxer briefs, is OutPlay’s signature style, but my go-to are the boardshorts ($52), since I prefer to keep it loose and breezy.

While OutPlay does tend to be on the pricier end, the durability has dropped my cost-per-wear down to virtually nothing. It’s some of the most reliable swimwear I’ve ever owned, to say nothing of the fact that this is the first swimsuit that has ever made me feel comfortable and confident. With OutPlay, I can bring my style to the beach without compromise, and that’s absolutely priceless. — Jen Gushue

Pros: Durable and long-lasting androgynous swim styles for those looking for a simple, gender-neutral silhouette

Cons: A bit on the pricier side, and they don’t offer many variations on style. If you’re looking for something with more flair, this brand isn’t for you.

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The best plus-sized swimwear

Swimsuits for All sells swimsuits of all kinds in sizes 4 through 40, so anyone should be able to find a swimsuit that fits perfectly and looks gorgeous.

It’s not easy to shop for swimsuits online and size ranges are often limited, making a tricky situation worse. Swimsuits for All is aiming to change that with its big selection of swimsuits in a variety of styles and sizes ranging from 4 to 40.

Whether you want a bikini, tankini, one-piece, a swim dress, or a coverup, you’re likely to find what you’re looking for on the company’s site. Many of the suits cost around $100 or less, and they go on sale frequently.

There’s also a big selection of plus-size suits, so you can filter results down to the size range you need.

We asked several women at Insider Inc to try Swimsuits for All, and all of our testers enjoyed the process. One of our reviewers commented that she liked how easy it was to find reviews from plus-size women because it helped her trouble-shoot sizing and fit issues while she shopped. 

Senior editor Sally Kaplan was impressed by the cup support in the one-piece she tried, and several other reviewers also commented on how supportive the suits they tried were. 

There are two downsides that we came across in our testing: Some suits were sold out of larger sizes and shipping isn’t free on all orders. Luckily, if the size or style doesn’t work out, Swimsuits for All offers free returns within 60 days and exchanges with free two-way shipping. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Patterns and colors, wide range of sizes and styles, great for plus-size women

Cons: Some larger sizes sold out, no free shipping

Shop Swimsuits for All swimwear

Read more about Swimsuits for All:

• We asked 5 women of different shapes and sizes to try bathing suits from Swimsuits for All — here’s how they reacted to the fits and styles

The best active swimsuits

Athleta’s swimwear is comfortable, reasonably priced, and great for women who like to stay active when they’re at the beach or pool.

Athleta is known for its functional and stylish activewear, and its swimsuits are just as great for women who like to be active at the beach or pool. You can swim, surf, run, dive, and even play beach volleyball in these swimsuits without feeling uncomfortable or worrying about your top falling off.

The swimsuits range from functional bikinis to tankinis and one-piece suits, so there’s something for everyone. Around 85% of Athleta’s new swimwear collection is made from sustainable materials like recycled nylon. The fabric is also durable, thanks to UPF sun protection.

Several women on our team reviewed Athleta’s swimwear, and we consider it to be the best active swimwear you can buy. We were impressed by how comfortable the suits were — there was no digging or pinching along the seams and the suits offered full coverage where we wanted it.

The swimsuits are true to size and quick drying so you don’t have to sit around waiting for your suit to dry before you head home.

Athleta’s swimwear isn’t the cheapest, but it’s not terribly expensive, either: Bikini tops and bottoms start at $50, while one-pieces start at $100. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: UPF 50+, ultra-resilient fabric, supportive, breathable suit, moves with you, multiple colors and sizes to choose from, eco-friendly materials

Cons: A bit pricey

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Read more about Athleta swimwear:

• The best active swimsuits for women
• We asked 4 women to try Athleta’s new sustainable swimsuits made from recycled nylon — here’s what they thought

The best swimsuits from a lingerie startup

Lively is a lingerie company that also makes excellent swimsuits that fit a wide variety of bust sizes comfortably.

Lively makes excellent affordable swimwear that’s simple, supportive, and stylish. You can get a one-piece for $65 or a bikini top and bottom for $80.

Because Lively is a lingerie startup, many of the bikini tops are based on bra sizing, which makes it super easy to find your fit. We’ve tried multiple bikini tops and bottoms from Lively (as well as its bras), and we’ve never been disappointed.

The Busty Bralette top perfectly fit my DD chest and gave me the support I need while still looking sexy and stylish. I got it in the fun tomato red color along with the high-waisted bottoms, which also fit perfectly and offered good coverage. 

Lively’s Bandeau top is also fantastic, comfortable, and supportive. Both of these swimsuits are great for everything from swimming and running after a frisbee on the beach to lounging in the sand.

Lively also has more itty-bitty bikinis and one-piece suits that I haven’t tried, but given how well the other suits fared, and how well-reviewed all of Lively’s swimwear is on its website, we feel that it’s safe to recommend them as well. Besides, Lively has a 30-day return policy, so if you change your mind, it’s no big deal. — Malarie Gokey

Pros: Affordable, simple designs, fit a variety of bust sizes, DD+ tops, one-piece and two-piece suits

Cons: More limited selection than some

Shop all Lively swim

Read more about Lively swim:

• This popular lingerie brand’s new swimwear line looks way more expensive than it actually is

What else we considered

• Boden: We like Boden’s wide range of fun, cute swimsuit styles. The brand also has tops that use bra-cup sizing, which is nice for those who need more support.
• Ookioh: Ookioh’s suits are sustainable and stylish. The on-trend styles are made from 100% regenerated materials. We’re currently in the process of testing out this brand.
• Eloquii: We like Eloquii’s plus-size swimsuits, but Swimsuits for All has a better selection of sizes and styles.
• Target: Target’s in-house brands truly offer something for everyone. A wide range of sizes, styles, and affordable prices make Target a great destination for swimsuit shopping. 
• Summersalt: If you want a high-fashion swimsuit that doesn’t cost as much as top-shelf brands, Summersalt is a good option. However, our views are split on this suit brand: Some of us liked it, but others found the styles impractical for larger busts and petite people. 
• Solid & Striped: For suits that keep up with the latest trends, Solid & Striped has plenty to choose from. With a wide range of fabrics, patterns, and unique silhouettes, the Instagram-popular brand has lots of fun options you’ll want to show off. 
• L Space: L Space bathing suits are on the pricier side, but based on the fit and feel, you can tell they’re high quality. From super simple styles you’ll have forever to designs with cutouts and tie-dye, there’s something for almost everyone’s style. 

Check out more of our swimwear guides

The best active swimsuits for women you can buy

If you like to swim, surf, or do other activities at the beach, you need a swimsuit that’s comfortable to wear and stays in place no matter what you get up to. 

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The best swim trunks you can buy

Good swim trunks must keep certain areas of a man’s body covered and protected, they should dry quickly once he’s out of the water, and they need to look as good as possible. Check out our list for some of the best options out there. 

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The best rash guards you can buy

If you’re going swimming, surfing, or skin-diving, it’s worth protecting your self from the sun’s strong rays with a rash guard. A long-sleeved, hooded rash guard is the best for most people because it offers the most protection and compresses to your body without trapping too much water and slowing you down.