The Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands
Warm sun, cool breeze, and happy tingles head to toe in your ethical, sustainable swimwear. Add an ice cold bev and good company to that scene and you’ve got yourself a DAY. And this guide is here to facilitate that lovely day through a carefully curated collection of sustainable swimwear brands that marry beauty, function, and feel-good ethics.
I’ve always felt supremely awkward in a swimsuit, which has led me to the following conviction: swimwear is only as good as it makes you feel calm, cool, collected, comfortable, and confident. (We love alliteration and lists that are just a little too long around here.) On top of those criteria, it’s also nice to have swimwear that is ethically-made and sustainable.
So I hope this guide will help you find a brand that makes you feel like the beach babe you are, while also feeling good about your purchase on an existential level. Let’s take the plunge.
What exactly is sustainable swimwear?
Most swimwear is made from virgin plastic fabric (i.e. plastic that’s never been used or processed before), which is hard on the earth in production, use, and disposal.
But sustainable swimwear uses recycled plastic fabrics and/or plant-based fabrics, which still offer that characteristic texture and stretch we want from our water-going wear – while being kinder to this nice blue marble we call home.
Some common eco-friendly fabrics to look for in swimwear are recycled polyester (often made from recycled water bottles), recycled nylon (often made from recycled fishing nets), organic cotton, and hemp. I love the idea of swimwear that’s made from the very materials that would otherwise be polluting the ocean! The main fabrics to avoid are non-recycled polyester, polyamide, and nylon.
For the purposes of this guide and Florah generally, “sustainable” also refers to how these products are made – i.e. they are ethically produced, and sustainable from a worker perspective. Although most brands in this guide don’t use animal materials, those that explicitly call out being vegan are labeled with a (V).
This page contains affiliate links. If you purchase something, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I’ve rigorously researched and would buy myself. Full disclosure here.
Brand Overview: Best For…
Not Tryna Break the Bank: Girlfriend Collective (V)
Unique Cuts & Extra Coverage: Jessica Rey
Surfer Babes: Seea
THE BRANDS
Jessica Rey
Cost: $ {$50 – $130} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces, swim dresses & skirts, maternity & nursing swimsuits, long torso swimsuits, swim shorts, cover-ups
Materials: Regenerated polyamide, lycra
A bit more: Jessica Rey has by far the most unique and inclusive swimwear cuts I’ve come across in my quest for sustainable swimwear. Swim dresses – who knew! The brand is “Mom run and owned” and it’s nice to see designs that are made with pregnant and early moms in mind. I also love their array of swim skirts and generally more conservative (but no less stylish) cuts, because why do women have to lay it all out on the table while men kick back in their loose-fitting swim trunks?! Anyhoo. Jessica Rey products are ethically made in Los Angeles from eco-friendly fabrics and they’re sure to suit your any and every swim occasion.
Kitty & Vibe
Cost: $ {$50 – $120} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces
Materials: Polyamide, polyamide nylon, lycra, recycled polyester
A bit more: “Designed with your booty in mind.” Das right. Kitty & Vibe offers not one but TWO booty sizes for every hip size and their sizing model has been called the future of swimwear by Forbes, so it seems like they’re onto something. The brand exists to, “awaken and fuel self-love through a kinder world.” Which I just love. Only half of their swimwear line is made using sustainable fabric, but I’m including them anyway out of love for their mission and because you can easily opt for their sustainable lines – Soleil, Lune, Dakota, Willow, Sage, and Lilac.
NATASHA TONIC (V)
Cost: $$ {$60 – $200} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces, catsuits
Materials: Hemp, organic cotton, lycra
A bit more: NATASHA TONIC is unique in that their swimwear is made mainly from hemp, while the vast of majority of other eco-swimwear is made from recycled plastic fabric (which is still much better than virgin fabric, but it’s nice to see a plant-based fabric). Very modern hippie vibes all around! In their words, the brand is designed for those who like to pack light, our revolutionary hemp fiber allows our swimsuits to perform double duty as lingerie, bodysuits or activewear. Such a sustainable idea! And each step of their production process is very environmentally mindful (ex. the transport from their fabric supplier to their studio uses 100% electric energy). NATASHA TONIC produces in Los Angeles in a factory that began as a woman-owned business (now run by her son).
Peony (V)
Cost: $$$ {$90 to $260} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces
Materials: Organic cotton, Ecovero™ (from wood pulp), linen, hemp
A bit more: This dreamy brand, which focuses on swimwear and their fancy-pantsedly-named ‘resortwear,’ really pays attention to detail when it comes to both design and ethics. Their line is elegant, sophisticated, and unique. And not only is their sustainable fabric line up amazing, but they also use compostable & biodegradable packaging throughout their supply chain, and even their tags and hygiene liners are made from FSC-certified wood. Their products are made to last — both in quality/durability and in style — and they offer an ethically robust code of conduct that all their suppliers must follow. I mean… truly a 10/10.
Samudra Swimwear (V)
Cost: $ {$50 to $70} || Products: Tops, bottoms
Materials: Econyl® (recycled nylon), spandex
A bit more: I loved this brand so much that while putting together this guide, I ordered myself a mermaid top and bottom from them. There are so many ethically good things to love about Samudra, and they’re still able to keep their prices so reasonable. Their products are made at a small shop in Barcelona by two freelance woman, at which they uphold a clear, ethical code of conduct. Their fabric manufacturer only uses electricity from renewable sources and recycles/reuses 99% of their waste! Plus all the leftover fabric is reused or donated. I mean… they thought of everything. As of the time I’m writing this they have minimal prints and designs, but if you’re anything like me you may actually thrive in the absence of too many decisions 🙂
Seea
Cost: $$$ {$80 – $280} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces, surf suits, playsuits, rashguards, wetsuits,
Materials: Repreve® (recycled polyester + elastane), Econyl® (recycled nylon + spandex), textured fabric and C-Skin (currently made from virgin plastic but Seea transitioning to recycled sources as it becomes possible), upcycled cotton, deadstock fabric (leftover fabric that’s usually destined for the landfill)
A bit more: “Seea is a celebration of waterwomen, and the ocean is our temple.” Mmm, yes please. Seea is a brand built around women and connection – to themselves, their community, and the earth. They exist for women surfers, and everything about their ethos and design reinforces that. Seea products are made in California, within a 70-mile radius of their factory, and they are always seeking ways to improve their sustainability story even more. They also provide free repairs to extend the life of their suits as long as they can!
SEPTEMBER
Cost: $$ {$90 – $180} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces, sun crop tops
Materials: Econyl® (recycled nylon), elastane
A bit more: Ooh, this is a good’n. All SEPTEMBER swimwear is made at a super ethically-upstanding, female owned and operated factory in Bali, Indonesia. Among other amazing things, employees at the factory are paid a base living wage that’s 3x higher than the Indonesian minimum wage… can I get a hell yeah for women-run businesses? Thank you. Brand-wise, this sorta sums it up: “When design and function meet at sea.” SEPTEMBER makes refined & elevated swimwear based on to simplicity, form, function, performance, and timeless class. Lots to love here.
Vitamin A
Cost: $$$$ {$86 – $245} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces, cover-ups, wraps
Materials: EcoLux™(recycled nylon), organic cotton, recycled cotton, linen, Tencel®. Not fully vegan – they use silk in some cover-ups.
A bit more: All of Vitamin A’s bikinis and bodysuits are sustainably made in California from plant-based and recycled materials. They give super premium vibes – very literally given their higher price points, but also thanks to their suuuper sharp designs. They of course check the ethics and sustainable and ethical boxes – and the majority of their products are vegan but be weary of sneaky silk in several of their cover-ups & wraps. Vitamin A is part of 1% For the Planet, through which they give to organizations working to protect our oceans and the environment. They emphasize the extensive care and thought that goes into their design process, and as much as you can ever tell from a picture, it looks like it! Definitely check the reviews, as sizing seems to a sticking point for some people.
Wolven
Cost: $$ {$50 – $170} || Products: Tops, bottoms, one pieces
Materials: Recycled PET fabric (from plastic water bottles), spandex
A bit more: Wolven is bringing sexy back, ‘cept this time sustainably. They’re carbon-neutral, part of 1% for the Planet, and for every order they remove a pound of ocean-bound plastic! And they have some of the most fun ‘n funkay patterns and designs out there when it comes to sustainable swimwear.
