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Right now, many brands are hosting swimwear sales during the off-season. So whether you're looking to score a deal on the best swim trunks for men to wear next summer or in the middle of planning a tropical escape, we've got you covered (get it?) with our guide to trendy short swim trunks and old-school boardshorts. And yes, we've also got some of the ever-popular hybrid swim shorts that can take you from poolside to a casual dinner out.
Before we dive in, just a reminder that these trunks can work for anyone of any gender. Many of the brands offer a wide range of sizing, from extra small to 3XL, but if you're looking for something in smaller sizes, be sure to check out our guide to the best swimsuits for women. Learn more about how Insider Reviews tests and recommends clothes, shoes, and accessories.
Here are the best swim trunks for men in 2024:
Dandy Del Mar
Live the leisure life in Dandy Del Mar's Mallorca Swim-Walk Shorts that are as at home at a beach resort as they are at a backyard barbeque.
Dandy Del Mar exudes '70s California cool and beyond to the world's best beach spots, from St. Tropez to Tahiti. Dandy Del Mar's clothes were featured in the second season of the hit Max show "The White Lotus," so yeah, the brand has the seaside leisurewear game locked down.
The Mallorca Swim-Walk Shorts have a vintage look with colorways like houndstooth and throwback thick vertical stripes, with antique brass waist buckles with nice touches like a double-layer nylon construction that gives the suit a bit more structure. They're made for getting you from the beach to a casual evening out without changing. Whether you're at some beach hotspot or just hanging out at your local haunt, these are among the best swim trunks for their style and versatility.
Patagonia
Dubbed by the brand as Life's Shorts, Patagonia Baggies are great for wearing casually, swimming, and everything else life has to offer.
If fleeces are Patagonia's cold-weather staple, then Baggies Shorts are its warm-weather equivalents. Although they're not marketed specifically as swim trunks, they're some of the best swim shorts we've tested because of their versatility.
Patagonia Baggies are made using 100% recycled nylon, which is lightweight and durable. They're treated with a water-resistant coating to keep you dry when you wear them during activities like hiking, but also include many features designed for fully submerging as swim trunks. You'll find its vertical side pockets help to reduce drag when you're in the water, and the mesh interior helps water drain quickly when you get out.
With 5-inch and 7-inch inseams available, you can choose the Baggies that best align with your aesthetic — plus, there are plenty of colors and patterns to choose from.
Read more in our full Patagonia Baggies shorts review.
Birddogs
Birddogs Swim Shorts settles the great debate on whether or not you should wear underwear with trunks. Featuring comfortable, fast-drying underwear built-in, you can avoid mesh liners.
For some, mesh liners found in swim trunks are completely unbearable. For others, the idea of wearing underwear in the water just doesn't sit well. Birddogs Bathing Suits are the solution if you don't like mesh liners, but don't want to go commando in a pair of unlined board shorts.
All of Birddogs shorts and pants feature built-in underwear, but they're especially great in the swim shorts because of the quick-drying material. You'll have the support of comfortable boxer briefs, without them staying soaked well after you've gotten out of the water.
There are five colors available with funny names like Shark King (a play on Tiger King), Splashton Kutcher, and Inner Banks.
Read more in our full Birddogs review.
Fair Harbor
Fair Harbor's Anchor Swim Short is eco-friendly, super comfortable thanks to a smooth built-in liner, and comes in 14 different colorways.
Fair Harbor provides a sustainable choice for the best swim trunks for men by using recycled plastic bottles to produce swim trunks that are both soft and durable.
The Anchor Swim Short is naturally odor resistant, fast drying, has a scalloped hem for a wide range of motion, side pockets that drain, and a back pocket with a hidden zipper. These are comfortable for all-day wear thanks to the addition of 12% spandex in the fabric for lots of stretchiness.
Everlane
The Everlane ReNew Swim Short looks like your average pair of shorts, but they're meant for long days in the water.
Looks can be deceiving with the Everlane ReNew Swim Short. At first glance, they appear to be basic shorts, but they're fully designed to be worn in water, too.
Made using a blend of 95% recycled nylon and 5% elastane, they're sustainable, lightweight, and stretchy. On the inside, you'll find a mesh lining made from 100% recycled polyester that's comfortable enough to be worn with or without underwear.
There are three colors to choose from, but our current favorite is the Dark Forest colorway. The subdued color is a wonderful choice if you're looking for the best swim trunks without bright colors or bold patterns.
Seaculture
Sea Culture's White Cap Boardshorts are sustainable, handsome, and have a vintage feel.
Sea Culture is a young brand from the Finger Lakes region of New York that offers a small but thoughtful collection of clothing with a nautical flavor and uses sustainable materials methods in their production.
They craft some of the best swim trunks for men such as the White Cap Boardshort from ECONYL®Regenerated Nylon, a recycled product that can again be recycled when it's time for a new pair, meaning these don't have to end up in a landfill. The brand combines this material with 22% elastane for a lot of stretch for all-day wear. Like traditional boardshorts, these trunks are unlined and feature mesh front pockets and a zippered pocket in the back. The colorway has a vintage floral feel.
Outerknown
Outerknown's Nomadic Volley swim trunks combine classic looks with sustainable manufacturing for all the good vibes you could ask for.
Pro-surfer Kelly Slater creates great clothing in tandem with designer John Moore through the brand Outerknown, which uses organic, recycled, or regenerated materials for 90% of its production.
The Outerknown Nomadic Volley are the best swim trunks for men that are less about water sports and more about pool-side relaxing in style. They have a relaxed fit and a slightly shorter hem that hits just above the knee, but no mesh liner. The company produces them in a fair-trade factory from quick-drying recycled polyester, so there are good vibes all around with these volley shorts.
Hurley
Hurley's Volley Board Short is tough enough for any water sports and handsome enough for poolside meetups.
The Hurley Volley Board Short is an unlined 17-inch short made from a water-wicking polyester that dries quickly. It has two slash pockets and a back pocket with a hook-and-loop flap closure and drain hole. These are the best swim trunks for men that are tough enough for whatever water sports you're into, but also look great just hanging out by the pool if that's more your speed.
Duvin
Duvin combines killer surf style with comfort for swim trunks you'll want to wear all the time.
Unlike most surf brands, Duvin isn't from California. It's from Florida, but that hasn't stopped it from earning accolades and awards for its breezy, easy-to-wear, and always stylish clothing since its founding a decade ago.
The Floral Swim Short features a mesh liner that fits like a boxer brief, so there's no bunching or twisting. Add to that a wildly colorful design that includes both stripes and a floral pattern in a polyester-spandex fabric that dries fast and offers a lot of stretch and you have yourself a winner amid the best swim trunks for men.
Mack Weldon
Mack Weldon's Board Shorts offer a sleeker look without sacrificing comfort thanks to the four-way-stretch material.
A slimmer cut and slightly shorter inseam give the Mack Weldon Board Short a streamlined look that's still comfortable, thanks to the four-way stretch fabric. A lack of slash pockets also gives these shorts a sleeker look. They do have pockets, though — one zip pocket on the front left and another on the back right. These boardshorts have a Velcro fly and an interior drawstring.
Saturdays NYC
These are tailored trunks with a fun pattern featuring ocean-related imagery and thoughtful details.
Saturdays NYC launched in 2009 and was originally known as Saturdays Surf NYC. At the time, they offered a core collection of swimwear, along with T-shirts. And while it's now grown into a true menswear brand and long ago dropped "surf" from its name, it continues to make exceptional swimwear.
The Timothy Swim short has a classic look and a fun pattern featuring shells, starfish, and other ocean-related imagery on a polyester taffeta fabric that's fast drying. The flat felled seams (a way of stitching seams together most often seen in the best jeans for men) make for a longer lasting garment. This swim short has a 6-inch inseam and standard fit, and a comfortable mesh lining. It has two side pockets and a back pocket with a Velcro closure, a coated metal eyelet for drainage, and a small tab and bungee cord for keys. Take your look to the next level with a matching top for a beach or poolside leisure look that can't be beat.
O'Neill
Whether you're swimming, hiking, or just hanging out, the O'Neill Stockton Hybrid Short has you covered.
We love clothes that can do double (or triple) duty and O'Neill, the OG surf brand, doesn't let us down with their Stockton Hybrid Short. These ultra-lightweight shorts, made from a quick-drying stretch twill material (55% Nylon, 41% Polyester, and 4% Elastane), are the best swim trunks for men whether you're actually swimming, hiking, or just hanging out with friends. The Stockton Hybrid Short is also nicely tailored with a 20-inch outseam that hits just at the knee, and a slightly slim cut. It comes in eight colors, but we're partial to the Khaki for its original styling.
2(X)IST
Beach weather is coming and that means it's time to show a little leg with the 2(X)IST Ibiza Swim Short.
The 2(X)IST Ibiza Swim Short shows a lot of leg with a 4-inch inseam that sits high on the thigh. But hey, it's for the beach and showing a little leg is totally okay. This style continues to be 2(X)IST's top seller of their best swim trunks for men, which proves they've been ahead of the curve.
These are made from a poly micro twill that's quick drying, has a soft handfeel, but is sturdy enough for beach-related fun. They feature an interior webbing with a built in pouch that's very comfortable for all-day wear. The Ibiza Swim Short comes in 11 fun colorways.
Birdwell
Beach Britches is an iconic American surf brand known for its durable and stylish swim trunks. The Poolside is one of the brand's classics from the 1970s that they recently introduced. They're handsome, super durable, and have an unbeatable vintage style.
Birdwell Beach Britches began life in the living room of Carrie Birdwell Mann in 1961 and for the most part, the company continues to produce its products by hand in the U.S.
The Poolside is one of the brand's classics from the 1970s that Birdwell recently brought back. They feature an elastic waistband and are made from the company's proprietary two-ply nylon fabric called SurfNyl that's incredibly durable. The Poolside swim trunks come in six colorways that all have a single stripe in a contrasting color running down the right side for a vintage look from an American classic.
Quiksilver
Quiksilver is an icon of surfing culture and the Original Arch Boardshort is the archetypal boardshort with heavy 80s vibes.
Quiks
