Summer is heating up and so are our picks for the best, eco-friendly swimwear. We know shopping for swimwear is hard.
Finding something that makes you feel confident while being both cute and comfortable isn’t easy. Add in trying to find the perfect piece that is also environmentally friendly and ethically made and you may find yourself giving up. That’s why we’ve compiled our favorite sustainable swimwear brands for your summer needs.
The top ethical swimwear brands for Summer 2024:
1. Outerknown
What Outerknown lacks in variety of their selection, they make up for in quality and cuteness. They offer surf suits, crop top bikini tops (that further act as rash guards), and several different colors of board shorts. They even have a beach towel available to buy. If you are an avid surfer, Outerknown is definitely the brand for you.
Beyond their vast selection of clothing to pick from, we cannot ignore their impressive commitment to sustainability. Outerknown sources materials from 8 facilities running on renewable energy, and they’ve moved 67% of their supply chain in order to better support laborers by only working with suppliers who prioritize human rights. They also have partnered with Bergman Rivera, which supports farmers implementing Regenerative Organic CertifiedTM practices, creating more sustainable, eco-friendly farmland.
Outerknown’s Brand Rating | Gold
Shop Womens | Mens | $$
2. prAna
If you are looking for a full beach/pool day outfit, look no further than prAna. prAna offers versatile swimsuits (including one pieces, swim skirts, bikinis, and more) as well as beach pants and cover-ups. Their ethical and sustainable swimwear come in a variety of styles (tie-up, high-waisted, open-back), as well as an array of colors and prints. If you choose prAna for your swimwear needs, you don’t have to sacrifice sexy for sustainable.
PrAna offers an incredibly detailed report on what they are doing to reduce their environmental impact. On their website, they offer an in-depth look into their supply chain, providing information on their factories, the locations of their factories, and their certifications and their awards. They also have information dedicated to their social responsibility, which provides facts on how they protect their workers through a program based on a Code of Conduct and their partnership with the Fair Labor Association.
Further, they are committed to circularity. Through a Renewed Apparel Program, they are extending the life of their clothing. They take back used clothing and repair/mend it, then resell. By doing so, they have saved over 50,000 pounds of garment waste from landfills since 2016.
prAna’s Brand Rating | Certified
Shop Womens | Mens | $
3. Patagonia
Our next pick is Patagonia. You may know Patagonia for their expansive outdoor clothing and accessory line. However, what you may not realize is that they have a swimwear collection that will make you look and feel your best. From dropped neckline one pieces to stylish board shorts to supportive bikini tops: Patagonia can meet all your summer swimwear needs.
Besides their vast clothing selection, one of our favorite things about Patagonia is their commitment to proper working conditions and environmentally friendly sourcing. They disclose both the name, location, and conditions of every one of their facilities for complete traceability. Further, over ⅔ of their manufacturers are Fair Trade certified.
Another cool aspect of Patagonia’s outreach is their commitment to activism. On their website, they have a Take Action tab, offering links to several different campaigns concerning human rights and environmentalism. Each link takes you to a page discussing how you can help. Patagonia also has instituted a new policy in which they funnel all of their profits into environmental non-profits, meaning they have expanded beyond their own ecological footprint and are actively working to help others improve their impact on the environment, as well.
Patagonia’s Brand Rating | Gold
Shop Womens | Mens | $$
4. Wolven
If you are looking to stand out with bold prints and unique styles, Wolven is the swimwear brand for you. With options ranging from one-pieces with a line of butterflies beautifully gracing the front, to one-shoulder 70s print bikini tops, Wolven has pieces that will elevate your summer style. Even better, their styles are made for all body shapes—so you can be cute while maintaining your comfort.
Wolven is committed to reducing their carbon footprint. They have climate impact statements for both 2023 and 2022. Beyond just using recycled PET fabrics, which is a vegan fabric created by breaking down plastics and recycling them into textile/apparel, they also invest in environmental programs. They even partnered with Climate Neutral to address their carbon footprint. By measuring their greenhouse gas emissions, purchasing carbon credits, they have implemented plans to help them become carbon neutral.
Wolven’s Brand Rating | Certified
Shop Womens | $
5. Asket
Asket is the pick for classic summer men’s swimwear. Available in 4 classic colors, these timeless swim trunks will outlast the latest TikTok trend. Wear these for years to come!
One of our favorite parts about Asket’s sustainable practices is their transparency. Not only do they share detailed information about their supply chain, but they also share the level of traceability they have into each individual product, and the room for improvement. These swim trunks are made with 100% recycled materials.
Asket’s Brand Rating | Certified
Shop Mens | $$
6. Cotopaxi
We love Cotopaxi for their colorful activewear, outerwear, and accessories. Their sustainable swimwear doesn’t disappoint! While the selections are a bit limited, they offer versatile swim shorts in men’s and women’s styles.
As well as providing cute swimwear options, Cotopaxi is transparent about where their clothes are made and committed to ethical practices. They also offset the carbon of their bulk shipping and use sustainable materials, including recycled materials.
Cotopaxi’s Brand Rating | Certified
7. Filippa K
Our final option for swimwear is Filippa K. With minimalist but fashion forward designs, Filippa K has the perfect summer selection for the artistic, sophisticated person in your life. They offer everything from chic one pieces to two piece sets and swim shorts for men.
As well as providing a host of options for your summer needs, Filippa K got an excellent rating from us at Eco-Stylist for their garment transparency. They also use more sustainable materials across their brand and invest in circularity.
Filippa K’s Brand Rating | Certified
Shop Womens | Mens | $$$
Why should you shop sustainably?
You may be wondering why you should shop sustainably when it can be cheaper and simpler to pop onto sites like Shein and ASOS. Finding cute, reasonably-priced clothing that is ethically sourced can sound like a lot of time and effort. That’s why we are doing the work for you.
Using eco-friendly, ethical brands is crucial in creating higher standards for the fashion industry. It’s easy to get tricked into thinking that your impact as one person doesn’t matter. However, each person that commits to shopping sustainably can substantially reduce the amount of waste and negative environmental impacts caused by fast fashion. Additionally, your sustainable choices can create a “neighbor effect”, in which you influence your friends and family to shop ethically, too.
Further, by only supporting brands that provide their garment workers with a livable wage and proper working conditions, you are forcing other brands to conform to more ethical practices. One person forgoing fast fashion can be the difference of hundreds of pounds of clothing being recycled instead of wasted, or a garment worker being able to have a safe workplace. Your fashion habits matter.
Why care about eco-friendly swimwear?
While we all love the sleek feel of water-repellent swimwear, conventional swimwear is made from synthetic materials derived from plastic, making it harmful to the environment. Further, these bathing suits are not biodegradable and often end up in landfills, which are then dumped back into the ocean.
This means your swimwear often ends up polluting the bodies of water it is meant for! When you don’t wear ethical swimwear, you contribute to the millions of tons of waste polluting our world. Just washing synthetically made swimwear contributes to microplastics being released into water systems. That’s why even when it comes to wearing swimwear made from recycled polyester, you need to be mindful of how you care for your clothing. That may mean washing swimsuits made from recycled polyester in a microplastic bag.
Check out our guide for an easy solution to reduce microplastic pollution.
What should you look for when shopping eco friendly swimsuit brands?
Ethical manufacturing and ethical production are so important when it comes to shopping for sustainable swimsuits. This summer when you’re looking for that perfect bikini top or cover-up, you want to shop for brands that prioritize eco-friendly and ethical practices.
Look for products that boast tags saying: made from recycled materials, including recycled plastic and recycled nylon. Otherwise, we will end up with no clean, fresh bodies of water to swim in.
Looking for more ethical brands?
If you are still on the hunt for fast fashion alternatives, we have you covered. Look at our Sustainable Brand Guide for an even wider selection of environmentally friendly fashion companies. Each summary offers an insight to how expensive the brand is, what type of clothing/accessories the company specializes in, and a quick overview of their sustainability practices.
Looking for more eco friendly swimwear brands?
Check out our shop, with sustainable swimwear brands perfectly curated for you, we offer a selection of different styles to browse. If you are still on the lookout for more options, the Eco-Stylist shop is the place for you.
Got questions? Let us know below.
Article last updated 2/23/24.
Eco-Stylist is reader-supported. If you make a purchase using our links, we may earn a commission. We only feature fashion brands that pass our sustainable brand criteria. Learn more here.
Abby Bishop is a writer at Eco-Stylist. She has had a passion for writing since she was 8 years old. Abby also runs a blog where she publishes her short stories and hopes to continue utilizing her writing as a tool for advocacy.
