The Best Women’s Swimsuits | 2023

While it can seem challenging due to the huge variety of options available, picking the right women’s swimsuit is important for both your look and comfort. You’ll want to find a swimsuit that fits your body without sliding down your shoulders or riding up as you enjoy yourself in the water. You also have to consider factors such as your preferred level of coverage and support as well as the suit’s design and color.

A major consideration is whether you prefer a one- or two-piece swimsuit. While a one-piece swimsuit can offer more coverage and simplicity, two-piece options allow for more versatility since you can mix and match top and bottom pieces as well as easily change out of the swimwear. 

If you go with a one-piece women’s swimsuit, you can choose from traditional options with the leotard design or more conservative swim dresses in various lengths. Both types are available with different strap designs where some feature traditional shoulder straps while others have a halter design. One-piece swimsuits also come in cutout or strapless styles if you’d like something more revealing.

You’ll find much more variety with two-piece women’s swimsuits to suit both conservative and revealing looks. A classic option is a triangle bikini top paired with hipster, high-waisted or side-tie style bottoms. However, you can also opt for a bandeau top without straps or choose a halter-style. If you’d like more coverage, you can opt for a tankini with swim shorts or a swim skirt.

You’ll want to make sure you get the right support for your bust and possibly your tummy area. Women with a larger bust benefit from swimsuits and tops with padding or an underwire, while women with smaller busts may prefer less support with a shelf bra. If you’d like a slimming look, you’ll find both one-pieces and swim tops that features a special fabric and style that creates the look of smoothness in your tummy and hips.

Don’t forget to choose a color or design that fits your style as well. Many women’s swimwear options come in solid colors if you want something low key, but you’ll find plenty of fun patterns and color combinations as well. For example, you’ll find bold tie-dye and rainbow designs alongside floral and geometric patterns. Feel free to mix things up by pairing a solid-colored top with a fun patterned bottom.

• Watch out for variations in swimsuit sizes across manufacturers and always check the bust, hip and waist measurements. Especially be cautious if your measurements fall between two sizes. You’ll likely want to go with the lower size if you’ll spend a lot of time in the water since the fabric will stretch, but you might choose the larger size if you’ll mainly wear the bathing suit outside the water.
• While less common, long-sleeved women’s bathing suits offer more sun protection due to the coverage. You could also consider wearing a rash guard over your swimsuit in the water or getting a coverup to put on after your swim. 
• Whether you choose a one- or two-piece women’s swimsuit, consider looking for adjustable options. For example, a one-piece might have ties on the sides you can use to tighten or loosen the suit, while bikini tops and bottoms can have straps to adjust for a custom fit for your body.
• A swimsuit that doesn’t stay in place can be frustrating and uncomfortable. Along with making sure you choose the right fit and style for your body, you could consider swimsuit tape or safety pins for a quick fix for bottoms that ride up or a top that slips.
• If you don’t take proper care of your swimsuit, you can encounter problems with the fabric stretching out or the color fading. Using strong detergents and machine drying your bathing suit can compromise the material, so try to wash the suit by hand – preferably with a special cleaner for swimsuits – and let it dry somewhere flat. Keeping the swimsuit out of the sun helps retain the color as does going through a pretreat process with cold water and vinegar before the first use.
• While you should wash your swimsuit as soon as possible, you can help protect it in the meantime if you do a simple rinse with water once you take it off. Avoid putting the wet swimsuit in a bag afterward, however, since this can allow bacteria to grow and cause a bad odor.
• Consider some swimming accessories that could come in handy. For example, you might want goggles to keep the water out of your eyes, a swim cap to keep your hair protected and some swim socks or shoes for a better grip in the pool.