The Best Men's Swim Trunks Look Great Inside, Outside, and Poolside

Whether you’re jetting off on vacation or just daydreaming about it, having a pair of these around is always a wise bet. 
17 Best Men's Swim Trunks in 2023 for the Beach Pool and Beyond

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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

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.

Bather

Swim Trunks

Bather swim trunks

Bather swim trunks

Bather swim trunks

The Best Elevated Swim Trunks

Orlebar Brown "Bulldog" sport mid-length swim shorts

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

Patagonia Baggies 5" shorts

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

Frescobal Carioca straight-leg mid-length printed swim shorts

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

Birdwell Beach Britches nylon board shorts

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

Vilebrequin Moorise recycled swim shorts

When you want to go to the beach but you don't actually want to get in the water, this can be your very stylish excuse. ("What do you mean I'm not in the water?!").

Stone Island logo-appliquéd straight-leg mid-length swim shorts

Slightly iridescent, and the juiciest shade of plum make these Stone-y shorts a lowkey head-turner.

Saturdsays NYC x Oakley "Timothy" swim shorts

Pack the cooler with energy drinks and Doritos, we're ready to go wake boarding!

Commas Surfer Artwork-print swim shorts

Beach, we see your gorgeous seascape and raise you a panoramic view of our own.

Paul Smith jacquard-stripe swim shorts

Because simply wearing your boxer shorts is, bewilderingly, not cool, these fun-striped swim shorts are the glorious workaround.

Noah Core swim trunk

Noah's Core swim trunks are like if you took the Patagonia Baggies and made them more luxe. Don't get us wrong though, these made-in-Portugal trunks can still take on any adventure despite their upscale leanings.

Ripa Ripa Mediterranean Ravello swim shorts

These refreshing swim shorts are made in Italy with silky nylon and fine mesh, and even include a nautical rope as the adjustable waist tie to really drive home the beach feel (as if the ocean standing before you wasn't enough).

Fair Harbor Bungalow swim trunks

Feeling as cool as that one '90s soda cup we all remember.

J.Crew 6" swim trunk

Swim trunks mostly come in the same kind of fabrics with the same kind of smooth texture, leaving most of the fun to radical prints or bold colors. But these seersucker swim trunks are proof that it doesn't have to be all about prints and color.

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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.

Dries Van Noten swim shorts

Florals, paisley, and stripes, oh my! Dries' wild-style swim trunks will have you strutting down the dive board like it's your own personal runway.

Stüssy stock water short

No chance of getting lost at sea with these suckers on.

underwear, CDLP's swim shorts were designed to make you look—and feel—fantastic when you're hitting the waves.</p>\n","productBrand":"","dangerousHed":"CDLP core swim shorts","embedSize":null,"isFirstProduct":false,"isSponsored":false,"offerRetailer":"CDLP","offerUrl":"https://cdlp.com/products/swim-trunks-black","productId":"63da89a74963573407873cbd","productOfferVariation":"PriceOutsideCenter","showOfferUrl":false,"showPriceOnButton":true,"showAffiliateDisclaimerOnFirstProduct":false,"dangerousCredit":null,"showLocalisedOffers":true,"isUpcEnabled":true,"index":22,"hasAffiliateLinkDisabled":false,"contentType":"product","id":"63da89a74963573407873cbd","brand":{"name":""},"offers":[{"offerUrl":"https://cdlp.com/products/swim-trunks-black","price":"$185","currency":"USD","purchaseUri":"https://cna.st/p/2h8zKZvUAqv9ZECiJVQonAw2HCidgkTLkFZ19xJWT6LS9jBET2LDdkffmFQ4LDZ2SeBQCPvjCW9rtvSi72mcUzMv4DDhACpspnoPvb6StYGAYL18xUD3YECQrLbRLuLqwW2np5zJtoDUX5YeGN3sjZTU7PBhV6vJrFbuwnmAVoHxuiGHEN","sellerName":"CDLP","countryCode":"US","reducedPrice":""}],"layout":"ProductEmbed"}">

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.

Lululemon pool shorts

Your favorite workout shorts, now in swim trunk form.

Outerknown "Apex" trunks by Kelly Slater

If you're a serious surfer, Kelly Slater's signature trunks are like the Air Jordans of performance board shorts.