A man in jammers getting into a river, back to the camera
FEATURES,  GEAR,  Gear Advice

Men’s swimming costumes: what to wear, where and when

We polled our readers to find out what men prefer to wear in six scenarios ranging from wild swimming, open water racing and club training to lounging on the beach. Here are the results.

Men, like women, face trade-offs and difficult decisions in their choice of swimwear. Tight, figure-hugging costumes are best for streamlining and fast swimming. Many men say the less they wear while swimming, the better. But men may also be self-conscious about their bodies and how they look in swimming briefs, especially if they’ve ever been told: “Dad, you can’t wear those…”. (Answer: “I can, and I will!”). Newspaper columnists telling older men they shouldn’t wear Speedos don’t help, either.

Nevertheless, Outdoor Swimmer readers are, it seems, proudly defiant. Around one in three are confident enough to wear their swimming briefs anywhere they swim – whether wild swimming, on a long-distance marathon, on the beach, or hanging around a hotel pool.

We ran a brief (see what we did there) poll asking: “What do you wear…” in six different scenarios: wild swimming, lap swimming in a lake, open water racing or challenges, at the beach, by the hotel pool, in a public pool and at a club training session. Scroll to the end to view the results.

We also asked: do you have any other comments? We received so many replies that we asked an AI bot to summarise them. This is what it said (please excuse the AI-sounding ‘voice’.)

AI Interlude

  1. Comfort and Practicality: Many respondents emphasize the importance of comfort and practicality in their swimwear choices. Tight trunks or briefs are preferred for their swimming efficiency and comfort, while looser shorts are chosen for more social settings. Some mention the benefits of specific brands like Budgy Smugglers and Happystride for their comfort and design.
  2. Body Confidence and Social Perception: There is a significant focus on body confidence and the social perception of different types of swimwear. Older men, in particular, express a desire to wear what they feel comfortable in, regardless of societal expectations. Some comments highlight the stigma and body shaming associated with wearing briefs or speedos, especially for older or less-toned individuals.
  3. Freedom of Choice: A recurring theme is the belief that people should be free to wear whatever makes them feel comfortable, without judgment from others. This includes a preference for skinny dipping among some respondents, who feel that public attitudes towards nudity have become more accepting.
  4. Environmental and Practical Considerations: Some comments touch on the environmental impact of swimwear choices, advocating for the use of durable and practical options that minimize waste. There is also mention of the practicality of certain swimwear in different water temperatures and conditions.
  5. Age and Swimwear: The discussion around whether older men should wear speedos is met with mixed opinions. While some believe that age should not dictate swimwear choices, others feel that certain styles are more appropriate for different age groups.

End of AI commentary

We also pulled out a few comments as examples.

  1. “From a freedom point of view, people should be able to wear what they like as long as it’s not offensive – age shouldn’t be a cut off, and if you’re ‘fat but happy’ that is up to you.”
  2. “Men’s confidence is always being knocked and I feel the growth in jammers usage has an element of shaming about body confidence for wearing briefs. Men shouldn’t feel judged for wearing whatever makes them physically feel best in the water.”
  3. “Wear what you like, if you’re comfortable you’re more likely to swim. It’s not a fashion parade.”
  4. “I prefer to swim naked, as do many people. The problem is that because of public attitudes, this is not always possible. Your survey reflects this public prudery in not even giving the option to choose nakedness. We have had a number of skinny dip sessions locally (Worcestershire) which have been very popular with both sexes.”

What men wear, where, according to our survey






Read our review of the best men’s swimwear in the March 2025 edition of Outdoor Swimmer – subscribe here.

I started Outdoor Swimmer in 2011 (initially as H2Open Magazine) as an outlet for my passion for swimming outdoors. I've been a swimmer and outdoor swimmer for as long as I remember. Swimming has made a huge difference to my life and I want to share its joys and benefits with as many people as possible. I am also the author of Swim Wild & Free: A Practical Guide to Swimming Outdoors 365 a Year, I provide one-to-one support to swimmers through Swim Mentoring and I'm the creator of the Renaissance Swimmer project.