How to Choose Men's Swimwear - Berlook Guide

Who says guys don't need to consider about how to choose men's swimwear? It matters when you face four decisions: the style that matches your activity, the inseam that matches your height, the liner and waistband construction, and the fabric on the composition label. 

This guide walks through each decision with the specific numbers to look for, plus a comparison table and a 60-second fit test you can use whenever you need.

Key Notes

For most men, a lined swim trunk with a 5–7 inch inseam, an elastic drawstring waistband, and a quick-dry shell (polyamide or polyester with a little spandex) covers 90% of beach and pool situations. 

Go longer and looser (board shorts) for surf, tighter (jammers or briefs) for lap swimming, and add a UPF-rated rash guard for all-day sun.

Start With Where You'll Wear It

The fastest way to narrow hundreds of options to a handful is to answer four questions before you look at a single print:

• Mostly in the water, or mostly on the sand? Long hours in the water reward secure waistbands, lighter shells, and faster dry times. Mostly lounging? Comfort and looks can lead.
• What's the actual activity? Casual swimming and beach days point to trunks; surfing and paddleboarding point to board shorts; lap training points to jammers or briefs; snorkeling and full-day sun point to adding a rash guard on top.
• How much coverage feels right to you? There is no wrong answer between a 5-inch trunk and a knee-length short — but knowing your preference up front saves a lot of returns.
• One pair or a rotation? If you swim weekly or more, two to three pairs in rotation last disproportionately longer than one pair worn hard, because elastane fibers recover their shape between wears.

Know the Main Types of Men's Swimwear

Swim Trunks — The Default for Most Men

Swim trunks are the all-rounder: a 5–7 inch inseam, an elastic waistband with a drawstring, a built-in liner, and a lightweight quick-dry shell. The elastic waist forgives a couple of inches of fluctuation, the liner means nothing else is needed underneath, and the length works at a pool, a beach, or a beach bar. If you own only one piece of swimwear, this is the one — browse current cuts in our men's swim trunks collection.

Board Shorts — Built for Surf

Board shorts run to the knee or just above it, with a fixed (non-elastic) waistband closed by a lace-up tie and usually a hook-and-loop fly. They were engineered for surfing, where a longer hem protects thighs from board wax and a fixed waist stays put in breaking waves. Traditionally they're unlined. The trade-offs: more fabric means slower dry times, and a fixed waistband must match your waist measurement exactly — there's no elastic to cover a sizing miss. If your beach time includes a board, start with surf-ready styles.

Hybrid Shorts — Swim-to-Street

Hybrids look like tailored everyday shorts but use quick-dry swim fabric, so one pair handles a morning swim and an afternoon of sightseeing. Check two things before buying: that the fabric is genuinely a quick-dry synthetic (cotton-heavy blends stay damp for hours), and that any pockets drain — look for mesh pocket bags or metal eyelets.

Square-Cut Shorts and Swim Briefs — Minimal and Athletic

Square-cut shorts (short, fitted, boxer-shaped) and swim briefs offer the least drag in the water and the most freedom of movement. Both rely on high-stretch knit fabric, typically with well above-average elastane content, to stay in place. They suit confident swimmers and sun-seekers; they're also the norm at many European beaches and pools, so they earn a place in a travel bag.

Jammers — For Training

Jammers are knee-length compression shorts for lap swimming and triathlon training. They're cut snug on purpose — the fit reduces drag and supports muscles over long sessions — and are usually made from chlorine-resistant polyester blends because they live in pool water. If your swimming happens in lanes rather than waves, this is the purpose-built tool.

Rash Guards and Swim Tops — Wearable Sun Protection

A rash guard adds sun protection that doesn't wash off. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, a fabric rated UPF 50 blocks about 98% of UV rays — which is why a rated swim top is the standard recommendation for snorkeling, surfing, and any full day on open water. Check for an actual UPF number on the label; "UV protective" with no rating is a marketing phrase, not a measurement.

Get the Inseam Right

Inseam is the seam length from crotch to hem, and it's the single number that most changes how swimwear looks on you:

• 5-inch inseam — the hem lands on the upper-to-mid thigh. It visually lengthens the leg, which is why it's the go-to for shorter and average heights and the current default in menswear styling.
• 7-inch inseam — the hem lands a few inches above the kneecap. This is the safe all-rounder: enough coverage to feel relaxed, short enough to keep proportions balanced on most frames.
• 9-inch and knee-length — at or just above the knee. It suits taller frames and anyone who simply prefers coverage; on shorter frames it can visually compress the leg, so balance it with a fitted top half.

If you're between lengths, decide by where the hem actually hits your leg rather than by the number — a 7-inch inseam sits very differently on a 5'7" frame than on a 6'3" one. Stand and sit in front of a mirror; the hem should not swallow the knee when seated.

Construction Details That Decide Comfort

The liner. This is the part of men's swimwear people tolerate instead of choosing, and it's worth choosing. Classic mesh brief liners are airy but the netting edge is a common chafe point; soft stretch-knit liners feel like underwear and hold up better over long days; compression liners add support for sport; unlined board shorts leave the choice to you. Chafing is a friction injury made worse by moisture — the Cleveland Clinic explains the mechanism — so if mesh has bothered you before, a smooth knit liner with flat seams is the fix, not just a bigger size. For reference, the trunks in our own range use stretch-knit liners (roughly 85–88% polyamide with 12–15% spandex) rather than mesh, and the liner composition is listed on every product page so you can check before buying.

The waistband. Full elastic with a drawstring is the most forgiving construction — it absorbs waist-size fluctuation and holiday lunches alike. A fixed, tailored waistband looks cleaner out of the water but fits like trousers: it has to be exactly your size, and the fly and tie become load-bearing in waves.

Pockets and seams. Useful pockets drain; look for eyelets or mesh bags so they don't balloon underwater. A back pocket with a closure (zip, hook-and-loop, or a key loop inside) is worth having. At the inner thigh, flat or bound seams matter more than anywhere else — that's the highest-friction zone on a walking, swimming body.

Read the Fabric Label

Two synthetic fibers dominate swim shells, and both work — they just age differently. Polyamide (nylon) has a softer hand and a slightly more matte, premium feel. Polyester holds printed color longer and stands up better to chlorinated pools. Either way, a small percentage of spandex (elastane) — commonly anywhere from about 5% up to 16% in trunks — is what lets a woven short move through a full stride and a deep squat without strain; shells with no spandex rely entirely on a roomier cut for ease.

Quick-drying is a function of thin synthetic weaves, not a separate technology — which is also why cotton-heavy shorts, however good they look, stay damp long after a swim. And recycled versions of both fibers are now mainstream with no performance penalty. Full disclosure on where we stand: this guide is published by BERLOOK, and our men's shells run 84–100% recycled polyamide or recycled polyester with up to 16% spandex, in 5-inch and 7-inch inseams, sizes XS–XL. Those numbers aren't special — they're simply healthy specs for swim fabric, and you can use them as a benchmark against any brand's label, including on our fabrics page.

Match the Cut to Your Build

Proportion guidance, not rules — wear what you actually feel good in:

• Shorter frames: 5-inch inseams and a mid-rise lengthen the leg line; smaller-scale prints keep proportions tidy.
• Taller frames: 7-inch and longer inseams fill out the silhouette, and you can carry bold, large-scale prints that overwhelm shorter legs.
• Athletic builds: fitted trunks or square-cut styles show the work; very baggy cuts hide it and add visual bulk.
• Broader builds: a mid-length trunk with a flat front, clean lines, and a waistband that sits at the natural waist without folding over reads sharpest; darker solids and vertical patterns help balance.

Men's Swimwear Comparison Table

Type	Typical Length	Fit	Best For	Check Before Buying
Swim trunks	5–7" inseam	Relaxed–tailored	Beach, pool, resort — the everyday default	Liner type and flat inner seams; drawstring quality
Board shorts	To the knee	Loose, straight	Surfing, paddle sports, max coverage	Fixed waist must match your exact measurement; slower to dry
Hybrid shorts	7–9" inseam	Tailored	Travel, swim-to-street days	True quick-dry synthetic shell; draining pockets
Square-cut shorts	Short, boxer-shaped	Snug	Confident pool and beach wear	High-stretch knit with strong recovery
Swim briefs	Minimal	Tight	Lap swimming, racing, tan lines	Chlorine-resistant fabric if pool-bound
Jammers	To above the knee	Compression	Training, triathlon	Sized snug by design — don't size up
Rash guard (top)	—	Fitted or loose	Sun protection, surf, snorkeling	A stated UPF rating (UPF 50 blocks ~98% of UV)

The 60-Second Fit Test

Whatever you're trying on, run the same quick test we use on our own samples before they go on sale:

• Walk and high-step. The liner should move with you, not grab; the hem shouldn't climb with each stride.
• Sit on a hard surface. The waistband shouldn't gap at the back or fold over at the front — either one means the rise or size is wrong.
• Squat once. Inner seams shouldn't strain and the hem shouldn't ride to the upper thigh; if they do, you need more spandex in the shell or a roomier cut, not just a size up.
• Tie the drawstring. It should secure the waist without bunching fabric into folds — bunching means the waist is a size too big and the string is doing the waistband's job.

One more thing the rack won't tell you: fabric weight changes in water. A shell that feels pleasantly substantial dry can drag noticeably when soaked, which is why thin quick-dry weaves are worth prioritizing if you actually swim in what you buy.

Make It Last

Swimwear rarely wears out — its elastane does. Rinse trunks in fresh water after every swim (salt stiffens fibers as it dries; chlorine actively breaks elastane down), press the water out instead of wringing, and air-dry in the shade, because direct heat — including the tumble dryer — is the fastest way to kill stretch and fade prints. If you swim often, rotating two or three pairs gives each one's fibers time to recover and roughly doubles their useful life.

Final Thoughts

That's how to choose men's swimwear without guesswork: pick the type for your activity, the inseam for your height, a liner and waistband you've actually checked, and a shell whose label reads like the benchmarks above. Run the 60-second fit test before you commit, and the pair you buy will be the pair you reach for all summer.