I’m an Actual Swimmer — Here Are My Favorite Sporty Swimsuits

I picked up this one-piece from Calia, the athleisure brand sold exclusively at Dick’s Sporting Goods, on a recent shopping trip. (Overall, Dick’s is a really good place to shop for sport swimsuits — it stocks a wide range.) I appreciate that the Calia has a high-neck design with built-in (nonremovable) cups that provide medium support for my C-to-D-cup chest. The body is made from mostly recycled nylon with some Lycra, so it has a solid blend of stretch and softness. But what really impressed me is that it’s double-lined, which means it has an overall thicker feel. When I wear it, my body feels compressed in all the right places, especially my midsection.It also has a UPF rating of 50, so I could imagine I’d pack it for a long day outside.

I tested out this high-coverage swimsuit, which is basically like a short workout onesie. The design reminds me of a triathlon suit (minus the built-in butt padding). The bottom is reminiscent of bike shorts — giving the most coverage for my tush of any swimsuit that I tried — while the scoop neckline and back are more like a traditional swimsuit. With a fully lined construction, the Mina offers incredible support for my chest thanks to the built-in shelf bra and wide straps. Made of 100 percent recycled nylon, the UPF 50+ fabric feels more technical and lacks the buttery softness of the Left on Friday suits, below. That said, the fabric feels like it’ll stand up well to chlorine and salt water. I’m around five-five, so the six-inch inseam did feel longer than what I’d typically wear but will keep me warmer in cold lake water. The brand sells ashorter version, too.

No question, Left on Friday makes the softest sporty swimsuits on this list. I’ve previously tested the brand’s exercise onesies, which have a similar skinlike feeling that makes me never want to take off my workout outfit, even hours after Pilates class. I tried the brand’s Streamline Suit and Fast Track Suit (more on that below), and preferred the Streamline purely because the wide straps make it more supportive through the chest. Like many of the bodysuits I own, this one-piece is double-lined but lacks padded cups. I would wear this for water aerobics or pool jogging, and I think it would be fine for swimming casual laps too.

The Fast Track Suit has a sleek racer-back design with a lower-cut scoop neck and thinner straps, so if you have a larger chest, I’m not sure I’d recommend this one. (That doesn’t mean it won’t work for cup sizes over a D; it just depends on your comfort level and the water activities you have in mind.) I’d say this one is better for upright pool workouts, like aqua jogging and aqua weights, where there’s lower risk for popping out of the top of the suit.And while the plunging scoop neck wouldn’t be ideal for a fast front-crawl — you’d probably need to readjust often — the racer-back silhouette works well for shoulder mobility.

I decided to test Lolë after trying thebrand’s outerwear, and the Playa swimsuit turned out to be one of my favorites. The wide straps combined with the compressive fabric gave a lot of chest support and made me feel very secure. I also found the neckline really flattering. There’s an interior mesh panel across the midsection for tummy control, which was one of the first things I noticed when I pulled this one on—my stomach and waist felt held in. The UPF-50 fabric is made from a blend of recycled nylon and elastane, so the material has a nice ratio of structure to elasticity. The overall feel of the fabric is smooth against the skin, but not buttery soft like the Left on Friday one-pieces.

The thin cross-back adjustable straps on the Eclipse are surprisingly supportive. Compared to the Playa, above, I liked the Eclipse swimsuit’s high-cut legs and the fabric, which actually seems stretchier and gives me more freedom of movement because it doesn’t have the tummy panel. The high-cut legs and slightly skimpier bottom made it one of the sexier sporty swimsuits I tried (although I still didn’t find it to be overly cheeky).

This L.L.Bean one-piece is one of the brand’s best sellers. It has a UPF rating of 50, and the built-in shelf bra has lightweight cups that would work well for both small and large chests.The straps are not adjustable, but I felt very secure through my chest area because of the neckline and thicker straps. The full bottom coverage and leg openings that sit lower on the hip mean my bum is completely concealed with no fear of my cheeks popping out. The entire front side of this one-piece has a mesh lining for extra coverage, but just note that the rest of the suit is not double-lined.

Similar to the L.L.Bean, above, this Lands’ End suit has lower leg openings, so the bottom is full coverage. It’s from the brand’s Tugless collection, which includes swimsuits specifically designed to stay put and not ride up. The seams along the torso are very flattering, and I found that contrasting detailing almost made the suit feel sturdier at the leg and arm openings when I tested it in my family’s in-ground pool.It also has UPF-50 sun protection.

Another contrast-trim style I tested out is from Becca, a brand known more for its resortwear than for athletic styles. I still decided to give it a spin because it had a few nice sporty details: a supportive racer-back design with an open back cutout for breathability and ease of movement, a zippered front with a high neck, and removable cups. The fit was great because it doesn’t expose your chest at all, and the suit feels like it would stay in place during all kinds of water activities, whether you’re swimming long distances or paddleboarding.

I’ve owned a Speedo similar to this one for close to a decade. I’ve worn it in chlorinated and saltwater pools and in plenty of direct sunlight when I was living in Berkeley, California, and it has hardly pilled or faded. It has Speedo’s classic V-back design, and the bottom is a nice middle ground between high-cut and low-cut leg openings. The built-in bra with removable cups is compressive and has plenty of underboob support. The fully lined nylon and elastane-blend fabric is smooth like the L.L.Bean, above, but has slightly more stretch. Speedo swimsuits work for basically any water activity, especially rigorous swim workouts, and have never made me feel restricted in the water.