Men's Swim Trunks & Swim Shorts

What separates swim trunks from board shorts and brief swimwear

Swim trunks sit at the middle of the men's swimwear range. An elastic drawstring waistband, a 5 to 11 inch inseam, and most often a built-in mesh or compression liner. They trade a small amount of drag versus a brief or jammer in exchange for full thigh coverage, casual styling, and pockets. Quick-dry polyester and nylon-spandex fabrics dry in 15 to 30 minutes, roughly half the time of a cotton-blend short.

Choosing your trunk: lined, hybrid, and unlined

• Compression-lined trunks: Built-in spandex liner replaces underwear and prevents ride-up. Sporti Stretch Short with Compression Liner and TYR Challenger X sit in this tier. Best for lap swimming, water aerobics, and active water-sports use. Swimmers wanting tighter race-day compression often compare our men's swim jammers for the same coverage with full compression, or our men's swim briefs for the lowest-drag racing option.

• Hybrid swim-to-street shorts: Mesh-lined, stretch-fabric trunks designed to go from pool to bar without a change. Sporti Hybrid Cargo, TYR Deck-X, Speedo Marina Flex. Zippered pockets, tailored fit, no visible interior liner. Best for cruises, travel, and anyone who wants one short to handle multiple settings.

• Unlined volley and board shorts: No interior liner, longer inseam (16 to 20 inches), flatter waistband. O'Neill Hermosa, Rip Curl Daily, Nike Logo Tape Volley. Best for surfing, beach volleyball, and casual wear over swim briefs or a compression short. Swimmers who want full surf-style coverage should also compare our men's board shorts collection.

Inseam length, the way it matters in the water

Inseam controls coverage, range of motion, and style. 5 inches and under sits high on the thigh, reads athletic and modern, popular for runners and shorter builds. 7 inches is the most ordered length on the site and the safe default for guys between 5'6" and 5'10". 9 inches hits just above the knee, the standard for triathlon shorts and the most popular length for water sports. 16 to 20 inches is full board-short length, knee-covering, designed for surf and beach volleyball. The full men's swimwear collection covers the complete range from race briefs to long boardies.

Fit and care, the pool-deck way

• The waist-not-jeans rule: Order by your true waist measurement; swim trunks run a half size larger than denim. Sizes XS through 4XL on most styles, with extended waist sizes (28 to 44) on athletic-cut trunks.

• The liner-and-rinse rule: Lined trunks need a cold-water rinse within 30 minutes of leaving the pool. Chlorine eats spandex faster than polyester; rinsing doubles liner life.

• The hybrid pocket-empty rule: Empty zippered pockets before swimming. Heavy keys or coins pull the waistband down and stretch the fabric permanently.

• The hang-dry rule: Never use a dryer on swim trunks. Heat breaks down elastane and the waistband loses recovery within 5 to 10 cycles. Air-dry in shade.