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The best men's swim trunks are more than just, well, swim trunks. They're a do-it-all pair of shorts than just so happen to know how to do the backstroke. Think of them like a certified lifeguard: they can handle all of the noble duties required of the beach (sunbathing and surfing, that is), but most of their time is spent away from their given job. They're absolutely what you need for any seaside hang or poolside BBQ, no doubt. But even if you don't see yourself in the immediate vicinity of any swimmably large bodies of water any time soon, that shouldn't bar you from treating yourself to a new swimsuit.
From the fit to the fabric to the details, the right pair of swim trunks should pair seamlessly with the rest of your wardrobe, and won't look a hair out of place whether you're hanging out at home, heading out for a jog, or hitting the bodega down the street. And if the opportunity comes to take a dip in your buddy's indoor pool, or spend the weekend at the sun-drenched locale of your choice before steeling yourself for another few months of winter misery? You'll already be perfectly dressed and ready to go. So with all that in mind, here are 17 of the absolute finest multi-purpose, next-generation, and yes, all-around best men's swim trunks to buy right now.
The Best Swim Trunks Shopping Guide
- The Best Swim Trunks, Period: Bather swim trunks, $90
- The Best Elevated Swim Trunks: Orlebar Brown "Bulldog" sport mid-length swim shorts, $243
- The Best Affordable Swim Trunks: Patagonia Baggies 5" shorts, $65
- The Best Yacht-Lolling Swim Trunks: Frescobal Carioca "Ipanema" print swim shorts, $165
- The Best Old-School Swim Trunks: Birdwell Beach Britches nylon board shorts, $100
The Best Swim Trunks, Period
Here’s everything we want from our trunks in 2023: a comfortable, above-the-knee fit that shows off just the right amount of thigh; plenty of pockets, because duh; and a sturdy fabric that performs well in the water, dries quickly out of it, and won’t raise any eyebrows if you’re wearing it more than a few miles from the beach. (A silky-soft mesh lining doesn't hurt, either.) The signature model from Bather, a tiny independent label out of Toronto, hits all of those marks and then some. They’re the ideal inseam and silhouette for just about every body type, and will hold up like a champ through beach days, workouts, weekend hangs, and heavy wash cycles. Oh, yeah, and they also come in dozens of solid colors and wild patterns—from plain Jane navy and white to trippy florals—so it’s damn near impossible not to find one that works for you. In our humble opinion, the best of the bunch is this icy blue number, which will take your warm weather fits from good to damn, this guy really knows what he's doing.
The Best Elevated Swim Trunks
It’s tough to establish a new gold standard in menswear, to rejig something familiar so perfectly it becomes the baseline by which all future versions are judged. A.P.C. did it with their aptly-named New Standard jeans, bringing stiff selvedge denim to a whole new generation. Common Projects managed it, too, with the Achilles Low—their luxed-up, Italian-made take on a classic white tennis shoe. And just over a decade ago, Orlebar Brown pulled that same trick off for swimwear with the Bulldog. They’re as precisely tailored as suit trousers—with fetching buckled side tabs to keep ‘em extra snug in the waves—with the same convenient pockets and zip fly as any regular bottoms, all cut from lightweight, quick-dry nylon that won’t fade dramatically over time. Add that up, and you get a pair of trunks so definitive and intuitive it’s hard to believe no one had ever thought to make them that way prior.
The Best Affordable Swim Trunks
If any one pair was responsible for launching the swimwear-as-shorts movement, it’d be Patagonia Baggies. For close to 40 years now, they’ve been the signature warm weather bottoms of hardcore mountaineers, deep sea fishers, camper van lifers, dedicated Deadheads, and backyard-grilling dads the world over. More recently—as the fashion world has gravitated toward practical, outdoorsy gear—they’ve also been adopted as the summer uniform for a certain strain of stylish young fella. It’s easy to see the appeal across all those demographics: they’re tough but lightweight, laidback but presentable, affordable as hell, trend-proof in fit and form and function. And, because they’re made by Patagonia, you can rest assured knowing you’re supporting a company that’s almost always on the right side of history.
The Best Yacht-Lolling Swim Trunks
Brazil’s Frescobol Carioca specializes in a sub-genre we like to call “extremely-rich-guy resortwear.” There’s just something about their signature prints that feels tailor-made for a flawlessly overtanned Most Interesting Man-type stepping off a private chopper onto the helipad of his 200-foot mega-yacht in St. Tropez. You’ll probably never have that guy’s lifestyle, but you can at least have his bathing suit. These ones, in particular, will look as killer by the pool with a polo as they will dressed up for dinner with a sport coat and loafers.
The Best Old-School Swim Trunks
Way back in 1961, Carrie Birdwell Mann started sewing heavyweight nylon shorts for surfing—"beach britches," as she called them, the very first of their kind—from her living room in Southern California. Six decades later, her original two-ply, triple-stitched design is still as handsome, practical, and impossible to wear out as ever. If you're after some serious throwback, hang-ten, shaka-hand energy, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better pair of drawstring waist boardies than these.
Plus 13 More Swim Trunks We Love
Todd Snyder "Montauk" swim short
To absolutely no one's surprise, Todd Snyder's inaugural swim trunk still looks as good today as when it debuted in the spring of last year.
CDLP core swim shorts
Much like their incredibly silky underwear, CDLP's swim shorts were designed to make you look—and feel—fantastic when you're hitting the waves.
