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Swimsuits can be ridiculously hard to shop for — especially since once the sticker on a bikini bottom’s gusset is gone, you can’t return it. And there’s much to think about when weeding out the bad bathing suits from the good, like tan lines, bikini lines, and what will actually stand up against saltwater. So, to save you the hunt, I did the finding for you, polling leisure enthusiasts — those who have tried out a lot of swimsuits on their vacations — for their tried-and-trues. You’ll see everything from a bikini that survived snorkeling in choppy waters to a unitard that can be tied tight while chasing kids around in the sand. I made sure to feature bathing suits at all price points — from under $100 to over $300, for those swinging a splurge. And if you’re looking for more summer-wear to shop, check out our guides to the best sandals and espadrilles.
Under $100
For inexpensive two-piece bathing suits, your best bet is Aerie, where swimsuits often go for half off. Choosing a new Aerie suit is an annual tradition for Ruby Buddemeyer, director of copy and concept at Starface. “The price is amazing, the cuts are really comfortable, and they are really great quality,” she says. You can select different tops and bottoms in different sizes (for instance, you can get a small top and a medium bottom, as opposed to having to get both in the same size). Most styles come in the same colors, which makes it easy to replace one or both pieces when needed. Just note that stock moves fast, so really don’t dillydally.
Another place to find swimsuits at around the $20 mark is Target. Its Wild Fable line is a favorite of former Strategist editor Maxine Builder, who went looking there for a one-piece to swim laps in at YMCA. “The price point was ideal, as was the cut, which wasn’t too high,” Builder says. It doesn’t move much while swimming, and is “modest but not matronly.”
“I’ve bought many a COS swimsuit over the years and they don’t disappoint,” says Strategist senior editor Hilary Reid. This bikini is the closest to one she bought five summers ago, and which has held up through several summers of swimming in the ocean. “The materials are just very comfortable — the compression is enough that you don’t worry about your suit falling off if you get hit by a wave, but not so compressive that it’s uncomfortable when you’re sitting on the beach,” she explains. Plus, the price tag is right. “The price — which usually comes in at less than $100 — feels very reasonable in today’s world of $200-plus swimsuits,” Reid adds.
Summersalt’s one-shouldered Sidestroke is oft-recommended to us for its ultraflattering fit, comfortable compression, and superior support (even without cups or padding). Journalist Sophia Li has worn it while surfing, swimming, and even jumping off a sailboat. A self-professed “big beach person,” Strategist writer Dominique Pariso will wear it for full days on the sands of Riis, Amagansett, or Fire Island. It’s a reliable one-piece that happens to be made from recycled fabrics (traditional polyamide — seen in many a swimsuit — and elastane, for stretchiness). Plus, it comes in a wide range of sizes — 0 to 24, or the equivalent of XS to 3X — with two of our go-to sources for plus-size stories, stylist Ansley Morgan and blogger Rachel Richardson, describing how well-fitting it is.
(If you’re searching for more plus-size swimsuits, Power of Plus founder Shammara Lawrence recommends Eloquii and Torrid’s ever-changing selections.)
Under $200
You’re getting a twofer with this reversible two-piece (the purple flowers on one side are yellow on the other, resembling the ones in Bikini Bottom). The pattern is what sealed the deal for Strategist writer Amelia Jerden, who was on a long hunt for a new swimsuit. Out of all the swimsuits she ordered from Billabong, this was her favorite fit-wise, from the sports bra-like top to the leg-highlighting bottoms. Until buying this bikini, Jerden steered clear of low-rise bottoms, believing they weren’t the best for her pear shape — but these proved her theory wrong. “I realized the low-rise with a high-cut leg actually fit my body type quite well,” she says. Note that sizes at Billabong run small, with Jerden suggesting those who have bigger chests go for the next size up than their usual.
Since getting Andie’s Amalfi swimsuit back in 2018, Strategist writer Lauren Ro has been singing its praises as one of the best bathing suits she’s ever owned. “I don’t have to be precious with this swimsuit and find it to be reliable,” Ro says. She wore it during her first and second pregnancies, in between having her sons, and well into being postpartum. “It’s comfortable with good coverage and support and is easy to maintain,” she says. The built-in bra, with removable cups, is suitable for her smaller bustline and the straps, which are adjustable, don’t fall off her shoulders.
Reid scored an Arak Usha one-piece, new with tags, on Poshmark some years ago, and it looks as new now as it did when it arrived then. It’s still smooth and solid, made of high-quality fabric that “shows nothing underneath,” and the stretch is “just as stretchy,” she explains. Part of the appeal is its appearance, too: The suit is square-necked, high-legged, and comes with a cutout in the back. “It feels Eres-esque in its simplicity,” Reid says. But it’s as sporty as a Speedo, “in a way that makes you feel like you can flop around as much as you want.”
Monica Khemsurov, co-founder of Sight Unseen and founder of Petra, caught this swimsuit on a friend, and the strappy back made a big impression. Khemsurov was sold after seeing how it held up during their many trips together to Brighton Beach. Unlike other suits she wore up until that point — which stretched out and fell apart — this one has been reliably sturdy and supportive. She feels “locked down” in the big-bust-friendly bikini, with the bottoms “not so tight that I felt like I was muffin-topping out over the sides.” In the four years since getting her first, Khemsurov got three more. Though two were lost to hot-tub incidents (one at a Korean spa and another at a hotel in Mexico City), she blames the strong chemicals for fading their color. Fortunately, it’s frequently released in new colors, and Khemsurov is currently rotating between black and lilac.
Ookioh is known for its “easy, playful, retro-inflected” swimwear, according to Strategist writer Kitty Guo. (Fittingly, its name is a play on the Japanese word ukiyo, translating to “floating world.”) Her recent get is this two-piece in a dolphin-blue hue. “I’ll rock a tiny bikini if all I’m doing is lounging on a towel, but this is the suit I reach for if I’m planning on engaging in more exertion-heavy activities,” she explains. The overall-like buckles buckle are an anchor of support: The straps stayed put through snorkeling in choppy waters, making her felt secure the whole time.
Illustrator Edith Young’s outfit of choice this summer has been Ookioh’s Como Top and Athens Bottom — in an “heirloom-tomato-tinged take on Baywatch red” — with Levi’s 501 shorts. (It’s “aided my self-delusion that I could be a summer person,” she says. ”I’m still not.”) Sans shorts, the set has seen a number of summertime scenarios: “jumping into ice-cold ocean water that leaves your skin as salted as a New York pretzel, paddle-boarding down a river in Colorado, taking on the Q train to a friend’s backyard,” says Young. Importantly, the top has “the gravity-defiant lift and support you’d expect from Skims.” Young adds, “When I’m wearing it, I don’t think about it at all, which is the highest praise for a swimsuit.”
Youswim’s suits are made from a crinkle “miracle fabric,” as artist Maggie Mae Featherstone describes it, that’s “all-figures-friendly.” All of the brand’s swimuits are designed with different cuts (like high-waist and cheeky) and available in two sizes: one for sizes 2 to 14, and the other for sizes 14 to 24. “Obviously, the crinkly texture was a draw — the pattern doesn’t stretch or warp in a way that makes it look like I’m squeezing into it,” adds Strategist deals editor Sam Daly. You can choose between buying the bestselling Aplomb as a one-piece or two-piece. “It’s not immediately clockable as a swimsuit, so I’ll just throw a pair of jean shorts over it and call it an outfit,” Daly says. Featherstone wears her top with the Verve shorts. “I’m very fair-skinned and need all the coverage I can get without looking like I’m stuck in the 1920s,” she says. These are an essential for her afternoons of seaside reading at Rockaway Beach and swimming in Northern California lakes. She notes that “because the fabric is so sturdy it can take awhile for it to dry out, but that’s hardly a problem on a hot day.”
The Eva is editor and creative strategist Oset Babür-Winter’s most-worn set from Solid & Striped — and one of her oldest, worn for three summers in a row now. It’s well-designed, from the top’s straps that she doesn’t have to be constantly tugging on and cups to the don’t leave marks even after long days in the sun. Plus, the bottom’s rise is “super comfortable and flattering, which aren’t usually terms I associate with any piece of clothing that calls itself ‘low-rise,’” she says. It’s seen everywhere from the Cayman Islands to Positano and Mexico. “I have no intentions of retiring it just yet,” Babür-Winter tells me. It’s a “jack-of-all-trades swimsuit,” suitable for family vacations, solo pool time, or a beach club (layered under an Oxford shirt, of course).
If you want more coverage, go for Nu Swim’s one-piece (the original that started it all). It comes with a straight neckline, mid-cut leg, and wide-set straps. “I’d have to be swimming in really rough water (which I have no interest in!) to risk the straps falling off,” recipe developer Rebecca Firkser tells me. Because the front and back aren’t too low, Firkser doesn’t fear much sunburnt skin — and she’s very prone to sunburns. Plus, it makes her feel good about her body, whether she’s walking on the shore or sitting under an umbrella.
Photographer Julia Stotz swims laps weekly, and has been swimming in Left on Friday’s swimwear since February. “I know that’s not a lot of wear and tear time yet, but they fit so well, don’t move around when swimming, are great for movement in the water, and have held up their form so far,” she explains. She’ll switch between the Sunday Suit and the Sunday Top with the Throwback Bottom. And content creator Lucy Litman goes for the Hi Hi Bottom. “I have this thing where I always see photos of people who have a perfectly positioned bikini bottom that covers like half of their butt — and I always try to buy these cuts, but they ride up and create in an inadvertent thong,” Litman says. Left on Friday has the one bottom she’s found that stays in place. “It’s like that scene from Miss Congeniality where they spray her with hairspray to keep the suit from riding up,” she tells me. “It harnesses that magic.”
“I have honestly never felt better in a swimsuit than I do my Stylest,” says Grace Atwood, founder of the Stripe. So much so that she now owns four of them — including a square-necked version. Though “sculpting suits can sometimes look a little cheesy, or worse, be deeply uncomfortable,” that’s not the case with this one: “It sucks you in but it’s still comfortable.” It’s outfitted with lots of compression (rivaling the most shaping shapewear) for a curve-hugging fit. It doubles as a bodysuit out of the water, drying quickly post-pool.
Under $300
Buddemeyer has been holidaying on the seacoast of New Hampshire this summer, and wearing Flannel’s paisley one-piece daily. “Having a piece that I can wear to the beach and then to throw on with shorts for the rest of the day — running errands, going out to eat, et cetera — has been key,” she says.
I heard more about Hunza G (née Hunza) than any other swimsuit-maker by far. It’s the most famous of the one-size-fits-all crinkle swimsuit makers. It has “been making clothing out of crinkle fabric since the 1980s. So it has had a long time to perfect the material and its fit,” explains Strategist senior writer Liza Corsillo, who tested a piece from the brand during her hunt for the best crinkle swimsuit. There are at least a hundred styles currently on its site. Illustrator Naomi Otsu likes the Nicole, which she always finds herself reaching for while traveling. “It doesn’t make me feel like I’m strapped in like my other ones,” she says.“Since the fabric is super stretchy, it actually shrinks to your body but doesn’t feel constricting.” Reid goes for the Gigi, which is her most-worn bathing suit. Strategist senior editor Simone Kitchens owns two Pamelas. “Always get them on sale. You can find them,” she recommends. Her tip is to search for the style you’re looking for with the word “sale.”
(Another alternative: The soon-to-be-sold-out Good American Always Fits Scoop Bikini Top and Good American Always Fits Good Waist Bikini Bottom. The Always Fits set is made with a fabric that stretches up or down a size without stretching out, according to Good American. Unlike Hunza G’s one-size-fits-all suits,the suit comes with sizes XXS/S to 4XL/5XL, which Reid thinks makes for a bit of a better fit. It stays in place even when she’s gotten hit by a wave and sat in the sauna at the Russian Baths.)
If you’re looking for a head-turner, there’s Oséree’s Lumière. It’s made from metallic threads that twinkle in the sun. Its bronze color compliments a summer glow, says Elizabeth Cardinal Tamkin, author of the newsletter Corner Booth and content director at Kule. It’s very “much like jewelry in swimsuit form.” Featuring a scoop neckline and a high-cut leg, it’s well-fitting on her small-chested, straight frame as there’s no digging into her ribcage or gapping at the waist, “I know teeny bottoms are everywhere, but I will always prefer a high-waisted bottom,” she adds.
“This bathing suit acts like athletic wear — no slipping, holds me in, and makes me feel like a MILF,” says antiques dealer Erica Weiner. Almost a year after having a baby and feeling a little insecure about her body, Weiner went for Beklina’s tie unitard. “I loved the way I looked in it, enough to put swimsuit pics out to the whole damn world,” she tells me. Because of the cut, she doesn’t have to bother thinking about the state of her bikini line. And the tie-neck means it can be tied tighter when she needs coverage for chasing kids, or looser, if she wants to show off. “It has a double layer of spandex so it does a bit of a corseting suck-in of the belly and butt while boobs are on display (even when I don’t have a killer breastfeeding rack, the neckline looks good on my AA chest),” she tells me.
Because artist Melly Wirtes is on the tall side at six-foot-two, she’s yet to find a one-piece that’s long enough for her torso — and doesn’t “look like U.S. Olympic swimming uniforms.” She adds, “All of my recommendations are, naturally, two-pieces.” One of the bikinis in her rotation is Cult Gaia’s Brenner set. The top has a hook closure in the back with “three degrees of ‘tightness’” and there’s some hidden silicone in the cups “to prevent unfortunate wardrobe malfunctions at the community pool.” She likes the edge the hardware gives to the suit. “Important to note that the metal doesn’t heat up in the sun,” she tells me.
Over $300
The cultist swimsuit here hails from Belgium: avant-garde label La Fille d’O. Wirtes discovered it at Azaleas in the East Village. “Everything they make is beautiful, honestly,” she says. But she became obsessed with its bathing suits after buying the Changes top with Way I Walk bottoms before meeting her in-laws for the first time for a Memorial Day pool party. “Rarely do I find swimsuits that last for more than one summer with salt water, chlorine, cheap elastic,” she says. “I’m not kidding when I say I have had one of their swimsuits for over seven years and it still feels luxurious every time I put it on.” After getting the set in red, she went with black more recently. Unlike her Cult Gaia bikini — which is “more suited for sunbathing and having a poolside Instagram moment” — she can go “sport mode” in her La Fille d’O two-piece.
(If you want a true sporting suit, there’s Seea’s Dara Surf Suit, which Strategist senior editor Winnie Yang regularly wore to weekly baby-and-me swim classes. It held up well in highly chlorinated pool water. But it’s almost out of stock — you know what to do.)
[Editor’s note: La Fille d’O lists its prices in euros, so this is an approximation to dollars.]
Designer Suzie Kondi bought her first Eres swimsuit before her daughter, who’s now a teen, was born. “They’re definitely something that my daughter has her eyes on to start nabbing out of my drawer, which is starting to happen,” she adds. “That’s the thing I love about Eres: the quality. I don’t know if there’s a better swimsuit.” Nowadays, you’ll often see her in the Mouna top and the matching Malou briefs. The string style has straps that cross over into a halter and loops on the sides of the bottom that can be pulled up higher on the hip.
Ro calls Eres’ Cassiopee — a strapless little number — her “special suit.” The cutout adds some sexiness to the otherwise simple one-piece. Because of its price tag (at just under $600) and its smoothing peau douce (literally “soft skin” in French) fabric, she’s careful about where she sits in the suit. No rocks or concrete so she can keep it for summer after summer.
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