12 Men's Swimwear Brands Worth Comparing

For resort-driven style, start with Vilebrequin, Orlebar Brown, and Frescobol Carioca. For versatile everyday trunks, compare Bather, Bonobos, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Lacoste. For surf-leaning or recycled-fabric options, Outerknown stands out. For simpler mainstream shopping, M&S, Hugo Boss, and Nautica are easier bets. If you spend real time in the pool, Speedo is the specialist in this group.

How we picked

This refresh prioritizes brands that still maintain a clear men's swimwear category on current official pages, with visible fit choices, length options, fabric notes, or a distinct use case such as resort wear, boardshorts, hybrid trunks, or lap-swim gear.

Quick comparison

Brand	Best if you want	Check first
Vilebrequin	Luxury resort trunks with bold prints	Which cut length you actually wear
Orlebar Brown	Tailored swim shorts with clear length options	Boxer, Bulldog, Setter, Springer, or Dane fit
Bather	Shorter, contemporary trunks with inseam variety	Whether you prefer active, modern, classic, or surf lengths
Frescobol Carioca	Refined resort styling with Rio-inspired prints	Whether you want sport fit or more tailored resort wear
Outerknown	Surf-rooted trunks with recycled materials	Volley versus boardshort-style build
Hugo Boss	Mainstream designer swim shorts in many colors	BOSS versus HUGO styling preference
M&S	Easy quick-dry basics and prints	Goodmove, M&S, or Autograph line
Polo Ralph Lauren	Classic Americana swim trunks	Inseam length and mesh- versus jersey-lined options
Lacoste	Sporty mid-length trunks	Whether you want plain, striped, or croc-print versions
Nautica	Straightforward nautical casual swimwear	Short versus mid-length and solid versus printed
Bonobos	Versatile trunks with multiple inseams	Riviera, Tropez, or Throwback fit
Speedo	Pool and training specialist options	Swim shorts versus briefs, aquashorts, or jammers

Resort-luxury brands

Vilebrequin

Vilebrequin still makes the most sense if you want bright resort trunks and a long-established Saint-Tropez identity. Its current men's swim category still emphasizes classic, stretch, ultra-light, short, long, and micro-perforated cuts, with strong print depth and a clear luxury-holiday positioning Vilebrequin men's swim trunks.

Orlebar Brown

Orlebar Brown remains the clearest recommendation for men who want swim shorts that behave more like tailored shorts. The current category still organizes the brand around named lengths such as Boxer, Bulldog, Setter, Springer, and Dane, and continues to stress trouser-inspired construction rather than generic beachwear Orlebar Brown.

Frescobol Carioca

Frescobol Carioca is still strongest when you want upscale resort wear with softer prints and a lighter visual feel. Its current swimwear page describes Rio-linked references, quick-dry sustainable materials, feather-light comfort, and sport-fit swim shorts rather than technical pool gear Frescobol Carioca.

Tailored but practical mid-premium options

Polo Ralph Lauren

Polo Ralph Lauren remains a safe pick for classic American swim trunks. Its current men's swim assortment still spans several inseams, solids, stripes, graphics, mesh-lined options, and traveler-style trunks that are easy to wear beyond the beach Polo Ralph Lauren swim trunks and Traveler Swim Trunk.

Bonobos

Bonobos still works well if you want an easy, versatile mid-length trunk with a few fit personalities. The current swim page still breaks the lineup into Riviera, Tropez, Throwback, and brief options, with repeated emphasis on multiple inseams, 4-way stretch, mesh liners, and zip or patch pockets Bonobos swim trunks.

Hugo Boss

Hugo Boss is the simplest designer-mall recommendation in the group. Its current US swim page still gives you a large BOSS and HUGO assortment across solid and patterned colors, standard sizing, and recent seasonal drops without forcing you into only resort-luxury price tiers or surf-specific silhouettes Hugo Boss swim shorts.

Eco-forward and surf-leaning picks

Bather

Bather stays appealing if you like shorter trunks and want clear inseam choices. The current swim page still uses recycled materials and lays out active, modern, classic, and technical-surf lengths from 3.5-inch through 6.5-inch options Bather swim trunks and Bather.

Outerknown

Outerknown is still the surf-minded option for men who want more technical trunk construction. Current product pages for the All Time Stretch Volley and APEX Evolution Trunk still emphasize 4-way stretch, quick drainage, secure pockets, and recycled-fiber construction, with the Kelly Slater link keeping the surf identity obvious Outerknown All Time Stretch Volley and Outerknown APEX Evolution Trunk.

Accessible mainstream brands

M&S

M&S remains useful if you mainly want quick-dry trunks in easy colors and predictable basics. Its current US swimwear page still mixes Goodmove, M&S, and Autograph lines across plain, textured, striped, floral, geometric, and multipack options M&S US swimwear.

Nautica

Nautica still fills the straightforward nautical-casual lane. The current men's swimwear page continues to filter the category by short, mid-length, solid, printed, and sustainably crafted options rather than by highly technical pool use Nautica swimwear.

Lacoste

Lacoste remains a solid middle ground between sport and casual. Its current swimwear pages still center quick-dry trunks, mid-length cuts, integrated mesh briefs, drawstring waists, pockets, plain versions, stripes, and crocodile-print options Lacoste swimwear.

Sport and lap-swim specialist

Speedo

Speedo is the outlier because it is still the most pool-focused brand in the final list. Its current men's swim pages cover swim shorts, watershorts, aquashorts, briefs, jammers, fitness, training, and recreation categories, so it is the clearest choice if your swimwear has to handle real time in the water instead of only beach lounging Speedo men's swim shorts and Speedo men's swimwear.

What to verify before you buy

Pick the use case first: resort, boardwalk, surfing, casual beach days, or pool training.
Check inseam and outseam before color or print. This changes how tailored, sporty, or retro the trunk actually feels.
Look for lining, drainage, waistband style, and pocket design if you will wear the trunks all day, not just in the water.
Do not assume all recycled-fabric or quick-dry claims mean the same thing. Brand execution varies a lot.

Bottom line

The best men's swimwear brand depends on where you will wear it. Vilebrequin, Orlebar Brown, and Frescobol Carioca are strongest for resort styling; Bather, Bonobos, Polo Ralph Lauren, and Lacoste are dependable all-around picks; Outerknown is the surf-leaning recycled-material option; M&S, Hugo Boss, and Nautica are easy mainstream buys; and Speedo is the clear specialist for real pool use.