Helen Jon takes a unique approach to designing swimsuits for women — the brand tests styles on its employees instead of models. The result is swimsuits that fit a wide variety of women in all shapes and sizes.
Five women on the Insider Picks team — myself included — put Helen Jon's swimsuits to the test to see if they really do fit a variety of women's bodies, and we found that they do indeed. Every one of us loved our swimsuits. We tried one-pieces and two-pieces, including skimpier bikinis and bra-sized tops for larger busts.
Buying swimsuits online is fraught with peril for any woman, but if you have a large cup size like I do, it's even harder. Helen John's swimwear collection made it super easy for me to choose a swimsuit that would fit because there are tops specifically designed for D/DD women like me.
The D/DD cup twist underwire bra bikini top fits me perfectly, offers excellent support, and looks exactly like a normal bra under clothing when you're en route to the beach. The Slimmer hipster bottom I chose also fit perfectly and was comfortable. I swam in the Atlantic Ocean and ran around on the beach in this swimsuit without any problems. Plus, the suit dried fairly quickly afterward. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Simple designs, fit a variety of bust sizes, DD+ tops, one-piece and two-piece suits
Cons: Limited patterns and colors, pricey
You can still get a cute swimsuit if you're on a budget. American Eagle's lingerie brand Aerie makes great swimwear that's affordable. The entire collection is currently on sale for 40-60% off, so every suit is a great deal. It is unclear how long the sale will last, but even after it expires, Aerie's swimsuits will still be about $50 for a one-piece suit and about $60 for a two-piece suit.
The one-piece suits range from sexy high-leg styles with intriguing cutouts to more modest pieces. Aerie's two-piece ensembles are easy to mix and match. You can choose from all kinds of bottoms that range in coverage from a full high-waisted option to slinky bikini cuts and cute cheeky hipsters.
The tops are mostly bikini style, though some offer more coverage or support than others. Since Aerie is a lingerie brand, some of the tops are almost bra-like in terms of support and structure, which is great for women who need more support.
Aerie has lots of cute prints and color options available, too, so you're almost guaranteed to find something you'll like.
It seems like everyone from celebrities and Instagram stars to ordinary women love Aerie's swimwear, as Yahoo Style reported in 2017. A writer from PopSugar loves Aerie's one-piece suits in particular, writing, "thank you, Aerie, for making such a point to celebrate bodies of all sizes and for creating a swimsuit that makes me feel good about my body. I'm a fan for life!" — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Affordable, cute styles, one-piece suits, two-piece suits, a variety of sizes
Cons: May not last as long
Patagonia new line of women's swimwear includes everything from rash guards and long-sleeved one-pieces to bikinis, tankinis, and board shorts. Like all of the company's products, Patagonia's swimwear is meant for active use.
The swimsuits are all made from high-quality, recycled nylon or polyester fabric that's non-slip and has UPF sun protection. Several women on the Insider Picks team — including me —recently tried out Patagonia's new swimwear collection, and we were impressed by how comfortable the suits were.
Whether we were swimming, playing beach volleyball, or diving, the swimsuits stayed in place and kept everything covered. Women's swimsuits are often designed more for style than substance, but Patagonia's collection breaks that trend. You can actually move freely in these swimsuits without fear of a wardrobe malfunction.
As someone with a short torso, a skinny ribcage, and a larger chest, I often struggle to find swimsuits that offer enough support and space in the bustline without being too loose around my ribcage.
The one-piece I tried had adjustable tie straps in the back, so I could adjust it to fit me perfectly. The cups were also adequately supportive, thanks to a strong underbust seam and the adjustable design of the cups that allowed me to spread out the fabric and more fully cover my chest. I swam, jumped, and ran around freely in the swimsuit without any problems.
The range of colors and patterns is limited, but the patterns are unique. I loved my one-piece's colorful parrot design. The size range is also a bit limited, running from XS to XL. The other downside is the $120 to $180 price of the swimwear. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Attractive suits, stay in place when active, UPF sun protection, Fair Trade Certified, recycled materials, comfortable, good variety of styles
Cons: Expensive, limited colors and sizes
Finding the right swimwear can be a daunting and frustrating endeavor for those who want to eschew highly feminine styles. I'm a queer person who presents androgynously and typically wears menswear, so swimsuits — especially tops — have been quite tricky for me. For a long time, going to the beach or pool was a stressful experience because I never had a bathing suit that made me feel comfortable in my own skin. Then I found OutPlay.
OutPlay offers gender-neutral swimsuits for women, non-binary people, and trans folks who are looking for simple, gender-inclusive swimwear. I bought my first OutPlay top — the Swimmee ($48) — back in 2016, and I've worn it every single time I've gone to the pool or beach in the last three years. It's held up marvelously, even after multiple summers of saltwater, chlorine, and putting it in the dryer (even though you're really not supposed to). It's still my go-to bathing suit top, and honestly, it's the only one I ever wear.
The Swimmee is a sports-bra-style top, but if you're looking for something with even more coverage, they also offer swim tanks ($55) and rashguards ($58.95). Most of the tops come in both low-compression and high-compression, giving an option to bind your chest flat or minimize its appearance. The low-compression option still offers a ton of support — about as much as a standard sports bra — but the high-compression option takes it to the next level.
All of the tops come in several solid colors and stripes, so they pair well with a wide variety of bottoms, so I often pair my Swimmee with whatever fun swim trunks I happen to find that season. They also offer several choices of their own, and everything comes in similar color schemes, maximizing your ability to mix and match. The Tomboier ($30), which fits like a pair of boxer briefs, is OutPlay's signature style, but my go-to are the boardshorts ($52), since I prefer to keep it loose and breezy.
While OutPlay does tend to be on the pricier end, the durability has dropped my cost-per-wear down to virtually nothing. It's some of the most reliable swimwear I've ever owned, to say nothing of the fact that this is the first swimsuit that has ever made me feel comfortable and confident. With OutPlay, I can bring my style to the beach without compromise, and that's absolutely priceless. — Jen Gushue
Pros: Durable and long-lasting androgynous swim styles for those looking for a simple, gender-neutral silhouette
Cons: A bit on the pricier side, and they don't offer many variations on style. If you're looking for something with more flair, this brand isn't for you.
It's not easy to shop for swimsuits online and size ranges are often limited, making a tricky situation worse. Swimsuits for All is aiming to change that with its big selection of swimsuits in a variety of styles and sizes ranging from 4 to 40.
Whether you want a bikini, tankini, one-piece, a swim dress, or a coverup, you're likely to find what you're looking for on the company's site. Many of the suits cost around $100 or less, and they go on sale frequently.
There's also a big selection of plus-size suits, so you can filter results down to the size range you need.
We asked several women at Insider Inc to try Swimsuits for All, and all of our testers enjoyed the process. One of our reviewers commented that she liked how easy it was to find reviews from plus-size women because it helped her trouble-shoot sizing and fit issues while she shopped.
Insider Picks editor Sally Kaplan was impressed by the cup support in the one-piece she tried, and several other reviewers also commented on how supportive the suits they tried were.
There are two downsides that we came across in our testing: Some suits were sold out of larger sizes and shipping isn't free on all orders. Luckily, if the size or style doesn't work out, Swimsuits for All offers free returns within 60 days and exchanges with free two-way shipping. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Patterns and colors, wide range of sizes and styles, great for plus-size women
Cons: Some larger sizes sold out, no free shipping
Athleta is known its functional and stylish activewear, and its swimsuits are just as great for women who like to be active at the beach or pool. You can swim, surf, run, dive, and even play beach volleyball in these swimsuits without feeling uncomfortable or worrying about your top falling off.
The swimsuits range from functional bikinis to tankinis and one-piece suits, so there's something for everyone. Around 85% of Athleta's new swimwear collection is made from sustainable materials like recycled nylon. The fabric is also durable, thanks to UPF sun protection.
Several women on our team reviewed Athleta's swimwear, and we consider it to be the best active swimwear you can buy. We were impressed by how comfortable the suits were — there was no digging or pinching along the seams and the suits offered full coverage where we wanted it.
The swimsuits are true to size and quick drying so you don't have to sit around waiting for your suit to dry before you head home.
Athleta's swimwear isn't the cheapest, but it's not terribly expensive, either: Bikini tops cost $49-$79, bottoms cost $49-$69, and one-pieces cost $98-$128. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: UPF 50+, ultra-resilient fabric, supportive, breathable suit, moves with you, multiple colors and sizes to choose from, ecofriendly materials
Cons: A bit pricey
Lively makes excellent affordable swimwear that's simple, supportive, and stylish. You can get a one-piece for $65 or a bikini top and bottom for $80.
Because Lively is a lingerie startup, many of the bikini tops are based on bra sizing, which makes it super easy to find your fit. We've tried multiple bikini tops and bottoms from Lively (as well as its bras), and we've never been disappointed.
The Busty Bralette top perfect fit my DD chest and gave me the support I need while still looking sexy and stylish. I got it in the fun tomato red color along with the high-waisted bottoms, which also fit perfectly and offered good coverage.
Lively's Bandeau top is also fantastic, comfortable, and supportive. I love the mint green color and the secure feel of the bandeau style top. Both of these swimsuits are great for everything from swimming and running after a frisbee on the beach to lounging in the sand.
Lively also has more itty-biity binkins and one-piece suits that I haven't tried, but given how well the other suits fared, and how well reviewed all of Lively's swimwear is on its website, we feel that it's safe to recommend them as well. Besides, Lively has a 30-day return policy, so if you change your mind, it's no big deal. — Malarie Gokey
Pros: Affordable, simple designs, fit a variety of bust sizes, DD+ tops, one-piece and two-piece suits
Cons: More limited selection than some
Shop all Lively Swimwear for $65 (one-piece suits) to $80 (both pieces in a two-piece suit)If you like to swim, surf, or do other activities at the beach, you need a swimsuit that's comfortable to wear and stays in place no matter what you get up to.
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