Used is the best sustainable beachwear.

Skip the marketing. Buy a used swimsuit from a thrift store. That’s the most sustainable option by a mile.

Most brands claiming “sustainable” are using recycled materials (good) but still producing new goods with carbon footprints for shipping and manufacturing. The greenest thing you can do is buy something that already exists. A Speedo from 2009 works fine if it fits.

If you must buy new, look for OEKO-TEX or bluesign certified fabrics. Patagonia, prAna, and Outerknown are decent but not perfect. And no, a swimsuit made from recycled fishing nets isn’t going to save the ocean—it’s still plastic, just reused.

The honest answer: the “top” brand