Which are the best men’s swim shorts, trunks, or board shorts for your next vacation? Nice looking swim shorts are exactly what you need to look good by the pool. Let’s keep away from 1980’s Speedos as they reveal too much, but a nice pair of shorts can make the difference between you looking great or dreadful on the beach. And when looking for the perfect pair of shorts, it is crucial to make sure that they fit well and don’t balloon in the water.
Here is our guide to the very best men’s swimwear which encompasses 10 brilliant swim short, trunks and board short brands, to make you look your absolute best on your next vacation.
Finding the Best Swim Shorts for You
The perfect pair of swim shorts should fit well. They should be made from durable but stylish material. They should dry fast and incorporate a stylish and uplifting pattern or colour. Make sure the design, cut and pattern fit with your own style and the look that you want to achieve.
The length you choose should relate to the planned use of your shorts. Will you be lazing by the pool? Diving off your boat? Perhaps surfing is your thing? You may require different attributes from your shorts, depending on your activity.
1. Boto Swimwear
If you are looking for the best shim shorts, you won’t find better than Boto Swimwear (pictured above). Designed in Montreal, with European inspired styles, Boto Swimwear offers a stylish and tailored swim short to fit the modern man. Boto swim shorts have been specifically designed to be the best fitting, most comfortable and most fashionable swimwear available. Their great selection of designs and bold colours will be sure to suit any discerning male wardrobe.
Boto offers affordable luxury, with both classic and trendy designs. Some of our favorites include the Aruba Turquoise Palm Tree shorts which are marine in color with a Hawaiian feel, whilst maintaining a stylish two-colour finish, rather than a lurid mix of colors. The Aruba style has a modern twist, wth a tapered leg, all over mesh lining and the option of 2 inseam lengths, so you are sure to find your perfect fit. Boto has got these shorts just right.
If you aren’t a fan of palm trees and want a more classic finish, we love both the classic Aruba Cable Grey Embroidered Herons Swim Trunks and their Micro Diamonds Denim Blue style. Both offer a level of sophistication while enjoying all the practicality of being ultra-soft and well made. Meticulous attention is paid to every detail at Boto, from the rustproof engraved button and eyelets to the YKK zippers and internal drawstring. Your Boto shorts will endure whatever adventures you go on, whilst also keeping you looking immaculately dressed from the beach to the bar on your next seaside escape.
The Rio style of swimming trunks features the unique boto pouch lining fashioned from 4 way stretch mesh for ultimate comfort and support. For the traditional mens bathing suit try the Cabo 6.5″ with elastic waistband and drawcord. All styles feature the highest quality in designer mens swimwear and are 100% guaranteed.
Boto believe that it is our shared responsibility to protect our planet and its natural resources to be enjoyed now and for future generations. Boto give 1% of their sales to their ‘1% For the Planet membership’ helping to support Ocean clean up initiatives. So, when people wear their Boto shorts at the pool, beach, or wherever their journey takes them, they know they are contributing to help the planet 1% at a time.
2. Ralph Lauren
If it’s logos you want, you can’t beat Ralph Lauren and while their shorts may not be the best quality for the price, they are easily recognisable with a nice fit. I dress my son in Ralph Lauren t-shirts and my husband looks great around the pool in his Ralph Lauren shorts with the classic pony logo on the side. While his Ralph Lauren shorts are not as soft as his Boto shorts, he likes to take a range of shorts with him to avoid the shame of wearing the same shorts to the pool twice!
We love the Caribbean theme of their stylish 21.6 Cm-Inch Kailua Swim Trunks which are more board short in style and offer a mesh-lining and vibrant print inspired by the beautiful shores of Hawaii. They feature an elasticated drawstring waistband and are finished with the signature Polo Pony motif.
3. Vilebrequin
Vilebrequin is one of the best beachwear brands and they do an excellent collection of long surfer-style shorts. We like their Stretch Indian Resorts shorts that have brightly coloured resort pictures on a navy blue background.
4. Protest Surf Shorts
Protest is my favourite surf and ski brand. Their ski gear is durable and looks super cool. Their surf gear is whimsical with pictures of Hawaiian sunsets and palm trees encompassing everything that makes me happy about beaches and surfing.
The quality of all their clothing is incredible. They last and last, and their beach shorts look much more expensive than they are. My son is almost exclusively kitted out in their blue and grey t-shirts which bring out his blue eyes and the necks never stretch out of shape which is an incredible feat for a young teen.
Their swim shorts come in a huge range of styles and patterns, from pastel to bright, palm trees and beaches to plain one-colour options. They are remarkably good value too.
5. Ripa Ripa
Ripa Ripa produce the classiest Italian swim shorts and these shorts showcase the best in Italian style and are ideal for your next magnificent luxury hotels stay.
Ripa Ripa is made in Italy, using small producers, from rope manufacturers to fabric printers. This means these swim shorts are of exceptional quality and, as mentioned above, don’t balloon in the water as they have a slick, glove-like fit, but are not too tight. They just offer the right amount of support and stiffness in the material to maintain their shape in the water.
Taking its name from the city’s famous Ripa di Porta Ticinese and Ripamonti where their co-founders spent most of their time, Ripa Ripa have redesigned the drawstring swim short for a tailored cut that offers sartorial detail, maximum comfort and sophistication. This season, bold graphics meet the sun kissed hues of the Italian Coast in Ripa Ripa’s signature tailored swim trunks.
6. Orlebar Brown Bulldog Swim Shorts
Orlebar Brown swim shorts offer tailored shorts with the classic ‘Bulldog’ logo. Some of their shorts showcase the Monaco Grand Prix and to be “ironic” why not wear a pair of these the best hotels in Monaco.
If you are a fan of the South of France, you may also like their bestselling photographic swim shorts which feature an iconic shot or guests around the swimming pool at the Hotel du Cap Eden-Roc, Antibes. They are designed to give you effortless style wherever you are. Based on the pattern of a man’s traditional tailored trouser with signature side-fasteners to adjust and crafted from fabric that dries quickly, the OB Classic Bulldog offers the perfect blend of form and function. Not just a swim short—it’s a short you can swim in.
7. Gucci
If you have a Gucci bags, why not compliment the bag with matching Gucci swim shorts? Their nylon shorts tend to be black or brown or a mix of the two colors. Expect fantastic quality and lots of logos, for a price!
8. Tom Ford
Talking of Gucci, Thomas Carlyle Ford is an American fashion designer, film director, screenwriter, and film producer. He launched his eponymous luxury brand in 2006, having previously served as the Creative Director at luxury fashion houses Gucci and Yves Saint Laurent.
Some argue that his influence produced some of Gucci’s best pieces so you will be delighted to hear that he now produces swim shorts although they aren’t much cheaper than Gucci’s own trunks, so I would tend to go for the Gucci logo over the subtleties of Tom Ford. His latest collection is not overly inspiring.
9. Moncler
Moncler is an abbreviation of Monastier de Clermont, the Alpine village where the brand was founded. Their swimming trunks vary in lenthy from the longer board short to the trunk.
They say “Swim shorts for men that tell a story of sunny beaches, the perfect waves and multicolored surf boards. The ones branded 2 Moncler 1952, collection n° 2 of the Moncler Genius project, with the help of Mamiwata are much more than an accessory, creating a picture of a not too distant vacation that you can’t wait to take.” If you need to get away, these shorts will whisk you there.
10. Burberry
I mainly buy my Burberry from the duty-free store at the airport, so if you have forgotten to pack your shorts, why not grab a pair at the airport. Burberry swimwear is extremely good quality and compared to Gucci, they are a bargain. The designs are plain or the classic Burberry Check depending on how obvious you want to be in your designer purchase.
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