Here's our 2024 guide to our favorite eco swimwear brandsyou can browse through as you daydream about your upcoming beach days.
Conventional swimwear is made of virgin nylon and polyester. That's plastic, which will not biodegrade and requires us to keep drilling for more and more petroleum. As off-shore drilling projects increase, we'll just have less pristine oceans to enjoy.
Good thing we've already got lots of eco-conscious and sexy, elegant, and stylish swimwear to choose from.
While many of the following eco swimwear brands still use nylon and polyester, these plastic fibers are recycled from trashed fishnets and plastic bottles, meaning we're not increasing demand for new plastic and are helping to give new life and value to what otherwise would just be trash.
First make good use of all the bikinis and one-pieces you already have, treasure-hunt for pre-loved options from our favorite secondhand retailers, then dive in.
This guide contains affiliate links, which means we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you if you choose to purchase through some of these links. As always, we only feature brands we love (and that we think you'll love too!) and that meet CFC's strict sustainability criteria.
1) Do Good Swimwear
Do Good Swimwear has vibrantly hued eco-friendly swimsuits made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon sourced from recovered plastic & nylon ocean waste. A percentage of each purchase goes towards ocean conservation efforts, micro-finance for women & education for girls, as well as sustainable tree-planting projects.
Vibes: Flattering fits in fun colors
Investment: $
Size range: S-L
2) Made Trade
Curating swimwear brands with ethically-made bikinis and one-pieces made with recycled, regenerated, and biodegradable fabrics, Made Trade is a go-to for finding your next sustainable swimsuit with brands like BOLD Swim, Saturday Swimwear, and Sensi Graves. The conscious online store also has carbon-offset shipping and is a member of 1% for the Planet.
Vibes: Eco adventurer
Size range:
Investment: $
Size range: S-XXL
3) KITTY AND VIBE
With fun prints and flirty styles — and bikini bottoms made to fit your booty — Kitty and Vibe has some seriously confidence-boosting sustainable swimwear.
For all of their sizes (S-5XL), you can choose between a smaller or larger butt size ensuring that your bottoms don't gap or feel too tight. Their suits are made from 82% recycled poly.
Vibes: Vibrant and cheeky
Investment: $
Size range: S1-5XL2
4) Wolven
With colorfully bold geometric prints and flattering cuts, Wolven's sustainable swimsuits are true stand-outs. Each one-piece and bikini is made from post-consumer recycled plastic in limited batches to reduce waste and the brand offers many reversible and multifunctional styles so you can maximize your use of their suits. As a member of 1% for the Planet, Wolven also donates a percentage of sales to environmental organizations.
Vibes: Vibrant and unique
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-L
5) Arrow + Phoenix
Arrow + Phoenix is a Black-owned sustainable swimwear brand using luxurious-feeling recycled fabrics for their sexy suits like ECONYL.
The label's bikinis and one-pieces are designed to flatter and are available in sizes XS-2XL or -3XL. You can also order a custom suit!
Vibes: Sexy and luxurious
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-XXL
6) Cleobella
Cleobella's stand-out sustainable swimwear is ethically made in Sri Lanka. Each suit in their 2023 collection is crafted using recycled nylon fabric that's OEKO-TEX® and GRS (Global Recycled Standard) certified.
Their puff-sleeve and flutter-sleeve bikini tops, high-leg high-waist bottoms, and cut-out one-pieces are designed to be ultra flattering too.
Vibes: Feminine and flirty
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-XL
7) Night Dive
NIGHT DIVE is a body-positive and size-inclusive sustainable swimwear brand with boldly hued and uniquely printed suits available in sizes S-3XL. The brand's eco and ethical swimwear is made responsibly in Bali using recycled fibers (ECONYL® and REPREVE®) in a zero-waste process that minimizes waste and uses all left-over fabric.
Vibes: Unapologetically bright & bold
Investment: $$
Size range: S-6X
8) Vitamin A
As an early pioneer in the sustainable swimwear industry before there was a “market” for swimsuits made from recycled fabrics, Vitamin A created their own premium swimwear made from recycled nylon called EcoLux™. The brand still uses the fabric today, along with organic cotton, linen, recycled cotton and Tencel®. Vitamin A also has numerous initiatives to minimize their environmental impact.
Vibes: California girl
Investment: $$$
Size range: XS-DD
9) Natasha Tonic
In contrast to most swimwear made primarily from virgin and/or recycled synthetic fibers, Natasha Tonic creates their eco-friendly bathing suits in small batches from a blend of hemp, organic cotton, and just 4% lycra. Natasha Tonic also uses low-impact dyes and produces their pieces in a small factory in LA that the founder has a close personal relationship with.
Vibes: Classic silhouettes with a modern twist
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-XL
10) Peony
Peony is an independent family-run label with eco-friendly swimsuits made from recycled fibers. The brand's printed suits are made from ECONYL® regenerated nylon and for their custom textured fabrics, Peony sources GSR certified recycled fibers like Repreve®. Each suit is made by suppliers that are certified SA8000 approved (a leading social certification standard for factories) and wrapped up in biodegradable and compostable packaging.
Vibes: Flirty and feminine
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-L
11) Selfish Swimwear
SELFISH Swimwear is a Black-owned brand founded with a commitment to sustainability from the beginning. The brand'shigh-quality swimwear even comes with a 1-year warranty and a repair service (that goes even beyond this first year)! In addition to considerations for durability, SELFISH sources recycled fibers for their sustainable and ethical swimwear.
Vibes: Confident & bold
Investment: $$
Size range: XX-XXL
12) LONDRÉ
Londré is committed to creating the highest quality swimwear with the lowest impact on the environment. The brand produces their ethical bathing suits locally in Vancouver in small batches out of recycled fabrics. In fact, the brand's swimwear production has recovered and repurposed over 100,000 plastic bottles from the beaches and streets of Taiwan!
Vibes: Sexy & powerful
Investment: $$
Size range: XS-4XL
13) ARAKS
Featuring clean lines, romantic or classic silhouettes, and subtle detailing, Araks’ eco suits are timeless but far from boring. And their one-pieces can easily double as bodysuits too!
This sustainable swimwear brand uses ECONYL®fiber, a fully recycled nylon sourced from discarded nylon, like abandoned fishing nets.
Vibes: Chic & modern
Investment: $$
Size range: XXS-XXL
14) Fair Harbor
Fair Harbor's eco-friendly trunks are made using recycled plastic and produced at ethically certified factories.
Investment: $$
15) Outerknown
Outerknown's durable swim trunks are made from recycled fibers, including some from 100% recycled material. The brand has more casual trunks as well as more athletic shorts for surfing and other water sports.
Investment: $$
16) United By Blue
Not only are United By Blue's trunks primarily made out of recycled and natural materials, but with each purchase, the brand removes one pound of trash from waterways.
Investment: $$
17) Patagonia
B-Corp Certified outdoor wear brand Patagonia uses recycled materials for their suitsand Fair Trade Certified factories.
Investment: $$
Turkish Towels from QuiQuattro
Hand loomed in Turkey from locally sourced 100% Turish cotton, QuiQuattro's traditional peshtemal towels are the perfect eco-friendly beach accessory.
Soft and absorbent, you can pack these cotton towels for the pool or for your next beach vacation (or staycation).
QuiQuattro is a woman-owned small business based in Ohio and each towel is made by micro women-owned businesses across Turkey as well.
Investment: $30 - $75
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