10 Best Athletic Swimsuits for Training, Laps and Water Workouts

The best athletic swimsuits are not simply one-pieces that look sporty. A real training suit has a different job from a vacation swimsuit: it needs to stay predictable when you push off a wall, reach overhead, kick, turn and repeat the same movements for an entire workout.

For this guide, we reviewed current product specifications from TYR, Speedo, JOLYN and arena, and compared them with SwimOutlet's current athletic-swimsuit and lap-swimming guidance.

Two BERLOOK One-Pieces for Athletic Use

As a fashion brand, within BERLOOK's current range, two classic black one-pieces make more sense for active water use than fashion-led cutout, plunge or hardware styles.

Black Crossback No Padding Surf One-Piece

$47 · XS–XL · Crossback · Full cup · No padding · Moderate coverage

Best BERLOOK pick for surfing and active water days. This is the clearest sport-oriented swimsuit in BERLOOK's current range. The product is specifically designed for surfing, with an X-cross back, full-cup front, no padding, high-stretch fabric and moderate bottom coverage. BERLOOK describes the recycled-polyamide fabric as quick drying and the crossback as designed to stay secure while allowing movement. For paddling, recreational surfing and other active beach use, those details are more relevant than decorative shaping features.

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Black Cross Back Tummy Control One-Piece Swimsuit

$58 · XS–XL · Regular & long torso · Underwire · Moderate coverage

Best BERLOOK pick when support and torso fit matter more than speed. This classic black one-piece uses high-stretch recycled-polyamide fabric, an underwire 3/4-cup top and moderate bottom coverage, with both regular and long-torso sizing. The long-torso version adds about 1.5 inches of body length. Current customer feedback also highlights the substantial adjustable straps and secure bust feel. We would consider it for recreational swimming, family pool days or lower-impact water exercise—not as a substitute for a chlorine-resistant training suit if you swim hard laps several times a week.

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The difference between these two is useful. If movement is the priority, the Crossback No Padding Surf One-Piece is the more logical BERLOOK choice because its construction is explicitly intended for surfing. If you want more bust structure or need extra torso length for recreational water activity, the Black Cross Back Tummy Control One-Piece solves those fit problems more directly.

8 Popular Athletic Swimsuits

1. TYR Durafast Elite Women's Maxfit Swimsuit

TYR Durafast Elite Women's Maxfit Swimsuit

If your main goal is regular lap swimming rather than racing, the TYR Durafast Elite Maxfit is the most balanced option we found.

The design uses a medium neckline, thicker straps, a keyhole back and a moderate leg opening. That combination gives it more coverage than many thin-strap practice suits without closing off the shoulders like a fashion one-piece can.

The fabric is also the main reason it tops this list. TYR currently lists the suit as 92% polyester and 8% spandex and states that its Durafast Elite fabric is chlorine-proof and built for 300+ hours of performance. That 300-hour figure is TYR's product claim, not a life span we independently verified, but it is more useful than a vague “durable” label.

Current customer feedback on TYR's own page is broadly positive about lap comfort, coverage and durability. Fit feedback is not perfectly consistent, however: some reviewers call it true to size while others report that it runs small. That is a good reason to use TYR's swim-specific size chart rather than translating your normal dress size directly.

Choose it if: you swim laps regularly and want a durable training suit with more coverage and substantial straps.

Skip it if: you prefer the smallest possible straps and open back for a very minimal practice-suit feel.

2. Bust Support: Speedo Racer Zip Swimsuit With Swim Bra

Speedo Racer Zip Swimsuit With Swim Bra

“Supportive swimsuit” can mean almost anything online, so this pick stands out because Speedo describes an actual internal support system rather than relying on removable cups.

The Racer Zip uses an inner mesh bust cradle, wide elastic underband, high neckline and zip back. Speedo describes the design as providing 360-degree support for medium- to high-intensity water workouts. The outer fabric is its quick-drying Endurance+ Max material, which the brand positions for high chlorine resistance and durability.

This does not make it the fastest or most minimal lap suit in the list. In fact, that is the trade-off. More internal support means more construction than you get from a simple polyester practice suit.

But if breast movement—not drag—is the thing making your current swim uncomfortable, that extra structure may matter much more than shaving away a little fabric.

Choose it if: your priority is bust containment during water workouts, aqua fitness or lap sessions.

Skip it if: you want a traditional thin-strap competition-style practice suit with very little internal structure.

3. High-Intensity Training With Style: JOLYN Brandon 2

JOLYN Brandon 2 Women's Training One Piece

JOLYN has built much of its identity around swimwear that looks less institutional than a traditional team suit but is still meant to work hard.

The current Brandon 2 is explicitly labeled for high-impact activity and training. JOLYN uses its Foreverever performance fabric, lists the material as chlorine-proof and gives the bottom medium-full coverage. The design uses an open training back that leaves plenty of room around the shoulder blades.

There is one important sizing detail: JOLYN itself describes the suit as fitting snugly to reduce drag and recommends considering a size up. That is more helpful than pretending every athletic swimsuit should fit exactly like casual swimwear.

This is also one of the better choices if aesthetics matter to you. A suit that you enjoy wearing may get more actual training time than a purely functional black team suit sitting at the bottom of a drawer.

Choose it if: you want high-intensity function without giving up color and a more fashion-led training look.

Skip it if: you want thicker straps, a more covered back or built-in bust structure.

4. Frequent Pool Swimming: arena Tie Back Solid

arena Tie Back Solid

The arena Tie Back Solid is a stronger replacement for the previous arena pick because it is currently available on arena's U.S. site and is explicitly designed for competitive and frequent swimmers who train regularly in the pool.

The suit uses arena's MaxLife Eco fabric, made from 100% polyester with at least 50% recycled polyester according to the brand. arena describes the material as chlorine-proof, quick-drying and resistant to fading, with built-in UPF 50+ protection. Those specifications make it more relevant for repeated pool sessions than a fashion swimsuit that is only described as highly stretchy.

The most interesting feature is the self-tie back. Instead of relying on a fixed strap length, the ties let the swimmer adjust upper-body tension more precisely. The open back and high-cut leg are designed to leave more room for movement, while arena specifically positions the cut for reduced drag and high-intensity swimming.

The trade-off is coverage. A high-cut leg and open back expose considerably more skin than a recreational fitness suit such as TYR's Maxfit. The tie system also adds a step before getting in the pool—you need to make sure the knot is secure enough for repeated push-offs and turns.

Choose it if: you swim frequently, want a chlorine-resistant polyester training suit and like being able to fine-tune the back tension yourself.

Skip it if: you prefer thicker fixed straps, a lower leg opening or more substantial back coverage.

5. With More Leg Coverage: Speedo Endurance+ Legsuit

Speedo Women's Endurance+ Legsuit

Not everyone wants a high-cut competition-style leg.

The Speedo Endurance+ Legsuit extends farther down the thigh while keeping a racerback for shoulder movement. It also includes underbust elastic for light support.

Its current U.S. product page lists the body as 53% recycled polyester and 47% PBT. PBT is a polyester-family fiber commonly used in training swimwear, and Speedo positions the Endurance+ fabric around chlorine resistance and repeated active use.

The longer leg makes this particularly interesting for water exercise, swim lessons, recreational lap swimming or anyone who simply prefers more upper-thigh coverage.

More coverage is not automatically better for performance. It is just a different solution. If your main goal is fast, unrestricted competitive practice, you may prefer a traditional high-cut suit. If feeling covered helps you concentrate on the workout, the legsuit makes more sense.

Choose it if: you want athletic construction without a traditional high-cut leg.

Skip it if: minimal fabric and a classic competition silhouette are your priorities.

6. Plus-Size Athletic Swimsuit: Speedo Plus Endurance+ Medalist

Speedo Plus Endurance+ Medalist One Piece

Plus-size and athletic are not opposing swimwear categories. The useful question is whether the suit is actually patterned and sized for the wearer while keeping the movement features needed in the pool.

The current Speedo Plus Endurance+ Medalist uses a classic medalist back designed to leave the shoulders free and a bust shelf liner for light support. Speedo's current U.S. chart maps the available range through US size 24.

The fabric is Speedo's quick-drying Endurance+ material, which the brand describes as highly chlorine resistant.

We would not call the shelf liner “high support.” Speedo itself calls the support light. That distinction matters: fuller sizing and strong bust support are different product features.

If you need both a larger garment size and substantial bra-like bust structure, compare the internal support details rather than assuming a larger size automatically solves the bust.

Choose it if: you want a plus-size fitness swimsuit with a traditional shoulder-friendly swim back and light bust support.

Skip it if: you specifically need a structured high-support swim bra.

7. Best Athletic Two-Piece: TYR Durafast One Diamondfit Workout Bikini

TYR Durafast One Women's Diamondfit Workout Bikini

An athletic swimsuit does not have to be a one-piece.

TYR's Diamondfit Workout Bikini is built specifically as training swimwear. It has flexible straps, moderate top and bottom coverage, a drawcord waist and full lining. The Durafast One fabric is 53% polyester and 47% polyester PBT, and TYR states that it is chlorine-proof and built for 300+ hours of performance.

The drawcord deserves attention. In a fashion bikini, the waist may depend mainly on elastic tension. A functional drawcord gives the swimmer another way to secure the bottom before pushing off a wall or doing a flip turn.

A two-piece can also solve a fit problem that one-pieces cannot: your top and bottom do not always need the same proportions, and there is no fixed shoulder-to-crotch torso length.

The downside is bust support. Some current TYR reviewers like the set for fitness swimming, while at least one specifically says she does not feel as much chest support in the current version as she would like. That makes it a better recommendation for swimmers comfortable with a lighter-support athletic top.

Choose it if: you prefer two pieces, have trouble with one-piece torso length or want an adjustable drawcord bottom for training.

Skip it if: strong bust support is your first requirement.

8. Open-Water Swimming: Speedo Scuba Flex Hydrasuit

Speedo Women's Scuba Flex Hydrasuit

Open-water swimming creates a slightly different set of priorities from pool laps. You may want more coverage and a secure closed-back shape, while still needing enough stretch to move naturally through the water.

The Speedo Scuba Flex Hydrasuit is specifically designed for active swims and open-water activities. It uses a streamlined high-coverage silhouette with a back zipper, full lining and Speedo's Scuba Flex fabric. Speedo currently lists the material as 71% nylon and 29% elastane and describes it as chlorine resistant, so the suit can also handle pool use without being positioned only as a conventional lap-training suit.

One small construction detail is particularly sensible for active use: the zipper has a zipper garage, which covers and secures the top of the zip to reduce irritation. That matters more during a longer swim than a decorative zipper that simply looks sporty.

The suit also uses what Speedo calls classic or medium coverage. That makes it more covered than the open-back, high-leg training suits elsewhere in this list without moving into a long-sleeve rashguard or wetsuit-style silhouette.

The trade-off is shoulder openness. A closed Hydrasuit does not expose the shoulder blades as freely as an arena Tie Back or minimalist JOLYN training suit. If your workout is mostly repeated high-volume pool strokes, we would still favor a conventional open-back training design. For outdoor swimming, active beach use and swimmers who simply prefer a more enclosed suit, the balance makes more sense.

Choose it if: you want a secure, fully lined athletic swimsuit for open-water sessions, active swimming or mixed pool-and-outdoor use.

Skip it if: your main priority is the most open back and least possible fabric for high-volume competitive lap training.

What Makes a Swimsuit Athletic?

The word “sporty” is often used as an aesthetic. A contrast-trim one-piece can look sporty without being designed for repeated lap swimming.

A useful athletic swimsuit usually has several of the following features:

• a snug fit that avoids large pockets of loose fabric;
• a back shape that leaves enough space for shoulder rotation;
• straps that remain secure through repeated overhead movement;
• lining or construction intended to reduce movement and unwanted transparency;
• fabric made for repeated chlorine exposure if it is a pool-training suit;
• and coverage appropriate for the actual sport.

The last point matters. The best suit for water polo is not necessarily the best suit for a relaxed mile of freestyle. The best suit for aqua aerobics may need more bust support than a minimalist competitive practice suit.

Training Swimsuit vs. Racing Tech Suit: What Is the Difference?

A daily training suit and a race-day technical suit are not the same product.

Training suits are built around repeated use, comfort, movement and durability. Technical racing suits use specialized materials and compression to pursue competitive performance and are governed by competition rules.

If you compete in a sanctioned event, do not assume any “performance swimsuit” is legal for racing. World Aquatics maintains an official list of approved competition swimwear and current technical regulations for approved suits.

For ordinary fitness swimming, a race suit is usually solving a problem you do not have. A durable training suit is generally the more practical place to spend your money.

Which Swimsuit Fabric Is Best for Regular Lap Swimming?

There is no single fiber blend that wins every category, but current training lines from TYR, Speedo and arena show a clear pattern: polyester and PBT-heavy fabrics are widely used when chlorine durability is a priority.

arena's Team Challenge, for example, uses 100% polyester MaxLife Eco. TYR's Durafast One workout bikini uses polyester and polyester PBT. Speedo's Endurance+ Legsuit combines polyester and PBT.

Elastane or spandex can add soft stretch, but more stretch alone does not prove that a suit will hold up better in a chlorinated pool. When you swim frequently, look for the manufacturer's specific chlorine-resistance information rather than judging performance from the percentage of stretch fiber.

How Should an Athletic Swimsuit Fit?

An athletic swimsuit should generally feel closer to the body than casual resort swimwear, but “tight” is not the goal by itself.

When you try one on, check the suit in motion:

1. Raise both arms. The neckline and underarm area should remain where you expect them to.
2. Rotate your shoulders. Straps should not block the movement or create sharp pressure.
3. Squat and bring one knee toward your chest. Check the leg opening and rear coverage.
4. Bend forward. The neckline should still provide the containment you need.
5. Mimic several swim strokes. If you already want to pull the suit back into position on dry land, the problem is unlikely to improve in the water.

A one-piece also needs correct torso length. If the bust, waist and hips seem right but the straps dig because the whole suit is pulling vertically, sizing up is not always the best fix. A longer-torso pattern may be more precise.

This is one area where BERLOOK's non-competition swimwear research overlaps with athletic fit: our current long-torso one-piece collection separates torso length from ordinary size because vertical fit and circumference are different measurements. The principle is useful even when you ultimately buy a training suit from a performance-swim brand.

Does an Athletic Swimsuit Need a Racerback?

No, although some form of shoulder-friendly back is common in performance swimwear.

Current training suits use racerbacks, medalist backs, keyhole backs, cross-backs, thin open backs and other designs. The useful question is not whether the product uses the word “racerback”; it is whether the strap path keeps the suit secure without interfering with your normal shoulder movement.

A water-polo suit shows the opposite approach: arena's model uses a closed high neck and zip back because security in contact play matters more than creating the largest possible open-back area.

Do Athletic Swimsuits Need Built-In Bras?

No. Many traditional lap-training suits do not use bra-style cups at all.

Bust support can come from the overall compression of the suit, lining, strap tension and underbust construction. Other fitness suits add shelf liners, underbust elastic or more developed swim-bra systems.

The right choice depends on your bust and activity. If breast movement bothers you during water exercise, a structured option such as Speedo's Racer Zip deserves more attention. If you prefer a minimal training suit and already feel secure in it, extra cups may add bulk without solving a problem.

Also remember that removable pads are not the same thing as a sports bra. Pads mainly change shape and opacity unless the surrounding garment provides additional support.

FAQs

Summary

The phrase best athletic swimsuits sounds as though there should be one winner. In practice, the activity decides what “best” means.

For frequent laps, we would start with the TYR Durafast Elite Maxfit. For more bust structure, the Speedo Racer Zip with Swim Bra solves a different problem. JOLYN's Brandon 2 and arena's Team Challenge make more sense for swimmers who value open-back freedom and high-intensity training, while the Speedo Legsuit adds coverage without leaving the fitness category.

The bigger lesson is not to buy an athletic swimsuit because it looks athletic. Read the construction. Look at the fabric. Check how the straps move around the shoulder. Separate bust support from padding and coverage. And choose for the water activity you actually do.

Research Notes

One disclosure matters here: BERLOOK publishes this guide and sells women's swimwear. We have not included a BERLOOK swimsuit in the ranking because our current one-piece collection is mainly designed around fashion, fit, support, coverage and resort use rather than being marketed as chlorine-proof competitive training gear. We would rather make that distinction than call a swimsuit “athletic” simply because it has cross-back straps.

This guide was researched using current manufacturer product pages, current SwimOutlet training-swim guidance and World Aquatics competition information in August 2026. Manufacturer durability, chlorine-resistance and support statements are identified as brand claims where relevant; we did not independently laboratory-test those claims.