Swimsuits · Roundup
Best Boys' Swimsuits and Trunks (2026)
Four options, and the two details — length and waistband — that decide whether they get worn.
The short answer
The Speedo Boys' Marina Volley Short is the pick: quick-dry fabric, an above-knee length that does not drag in the water, and a real drawcord that keeps it up on a thin child. For a boy between waist sizes, RuggedButts' adjustable inner waistband is the fix.
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| # | Product | Best for | Length | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Top pick Speedo Boys' Marina Volley Short A plain quick-dry volley short with a real drawcord and a mesh liner — everything a boy's trunk needs. | Everyday swim trunks | Volley, above knee | |
| 2 | Upgrade pick RuggedButts Boys' Swim Trunks UPF 50+ trunks with an adjustable inner waistband, which is how you fit a child between sizes. | Toddlers and husky fits | 50+ | |
| 3 |  Budget pick Kanu Surf Men's Swim Trunks Basic quick-dry trunks at the bottom of the price range, with a drawcord and pockets that work. | Cheapest pair worth owning | Various, mid to knee | |
| 4 |  Also good Speedo Kids' Long Sleeve Rash Guard A swim-brand rash guard cut for the pool rather than the surf, with fabric built for chlorine. | Pool and lessons | 50+ |
Length is the spec nobody mentions
Long board shorts look right and swim badly. Fabric below the knee fills with water, drags, and pulls the waistband down — which is why a boy in board shorts spends the afternoon hitching his shorts up instead of swimming. An above-knee volley length is the right cut for actually swimming, and it is what swim brands make.
The second detail is the waistband. Elastic alone slides down on a thin child; a drawcord alone does not distribute pressure. You want both, and you want a drawcord that genuinely ties rather than a decorative cord sewn into a channel. Check it in the shop — it is the single most common reason trunks end up abandoned.
The third is the mesh liner. Many boys find it irritating, it cannot be removed, and for a toddler it is usually unnecessary. Unlined trunks exist and are worth seeking out for younger children.
Speedo Boys' Marina Volley Short
A plain quick-dry volley short with a real drawcord and a mesh liner — everything a boy's trunk needs.
Specifications
- Length
- Volley, above knee
- Waist
- Elastic with drawcord
- Liner
- Mesh
- Fabric
- Quick-dry polyester
What works
- Drawcord plus elastic means it stays up on a thin child, which pull-on trunks do not
- Above-knee length does not drag in the water the way board shorts do
- Dries fast enough to put back on after lunch
- Cheap and stocked everywhere
What doesn’t
- Mesh liner irritates some children and cannot be removed
- Plain styling
Who it’s for
Any boy who needs one pair of trunks that work for the pool, the lake and the beach.
Bottom line
The default. Check the drawcord actually ties — that single detail is why cheaper trunks end up abandoned.
RuggedButts Boys' Swim Trunks
UPF 50+ trunks with an adjustable inner waistband, which is how you fit a child between sizes.
Specifications
- UPF
- 50+
- Waist
- Adjustable inner tabs
- Sizes
- Baby through youth 14
- Liner
- None on smaller sizes
What works
- Adjustable inner waistband tabs fit a slim or a stocky child in the same nominal size
- UPF 50+ on the fabric, not just a claim about the print
- Sizes overlap sensibly, so between-sizes children have a real option
- No liner in the small sizes, which toddlers prefer
What doesn’t
- Costs more than a supermarket pair
- Prints are strong; not every child wants them
Who it’s for
Toddlers, and older boys whose waist and length sizes disagree.
Bottom line
The fit pick for awkward sizing. If standard trunks fall down or dig in, the adjustable waistband is the fix.
Kanu Surf Men's Swim Trunks
Basic quick-dry trunks at the bottom of the price range, with a drawcord and pockets that work.
Specifications
- Length
- Various, mid to knee
- Waist
- Elastic with drawcord
- Liner
- Mesh on most models
- Fabric
- Quick-dry polyester
What works
- Cheapest trunk here that still has a working drawcord and a mesh liner
- Wide size range including big and tall
- Dries acceptably fast
- Cheap enough to buy three and stop thinking about it
What doesn’t
- Fabric is thinner and fades over a season
- Fit consistency varies between models
Who it’s for
Anyone needing trunks for occasional use, or several pairs for a family holiday.
Bottom line
The budget pick and honestly fine. The Speedo lasts longer and swims better if you are actually swimming.
Speedo Kids' Long Sleeve Rash Guard
A swim-brand rash guard cut for the pool rather than the surf, with fabric built for chlorine.
Specifications
- UPF
- 50+
- Fit
- Athletic
- Sleeves
- Long
- Fabric
- Chlorine-resistant blend
What works
- Chlorine-resistant fabric is what fails first on surf-brand shirts worn in pools
- Athletic cut works under a swimsuit for lessons
- Cheap and stocked wherever swim gear is sold
- Dries quickly between sessions
What doesn’t
- Thinner fabric than dedicated sun-protection brands and it shows after a season
- Plain styling — some children object
Who it’s for
A child in weekly pool lessons who also needs sun cover on lake days.
Bottom line
The right pick when most of the wear is in a chlorinated pool. For beach and lake only, the O'Neill lasts longer.
What to look for in boys' swim trunks
- An above-knee volley length, roughly mid-thigh to just above the knee. Anything longer drags.
- Elastic waist plus a working drawcord. Tie it once and it stays; this is what keeps trunks up on a thin child.
- Quick-dry polyester, so they can be put back on after lunch. Cotton-blend shorts stay wet all day.
- A drainable pocket, if there is a pocket at all. A solid pocket holds a liter of lake water.
- An adjustable inner waistband if the child is between sizes — it is the only real fix for a waist and length mismatch.
- UPF fabric, which several kids' brands now offer as standard and which costs nothing extra.
Trunks, jammers, or a rash guard?
For a boy in swim lessons or on a team, a jammer — a close-fitting mid-thigh short in chlorine-resistant fabric — is what he will eventually want, and it swims far better than trunks. Many boys resist them at first on appearance grounds and change their mind once they are training regularly.
For recreational swimming, trunks are right. For sun protection, trunks plus a long-sleeve rash guard is the combination — the trunks cover the legs and the rash guard covers the trunk and arms, which is where children burn. See best kids' rash guards.
How much should you spend?
Very little, for most families. Boys' trunks are cheap, they get destroyed by concrete pool edges and tree bark rather than by chlorine, and the specification you actually care about — length, drawcord, quick-dry — is available at the bottom of the market.
The case for spending more is fit: an adjustable inner waistband for a child whose waist and length sizes disagree, which covers a lot of boys. That feature genuinely solves a problem no amount of size-shopping does.
Buy two. Same reasoning as for girls' suits — a dry pair matters more than a nicer pair, and putting damp trunks back on is how an afternoon gets cut short.
Will they last a second summer?
Usually yes on fabric, and usually no on fit, because boys grow in length faster than in waist and trunks get short before they get tight. Buying slightly long at the start of a season is more defensible here than with a swimsuit, because trunks are not relying on compression.
What kills trunks early is abrasion — sliding down a slide, sitting on rough concrete, climbing on rocks — and the seat is where it shows. Rinse them after chlorine, wash cool, and skip the dryer; heat degrades the elastic in the waistband, and a stretched waistband is the end of the trunks regardless of the fabric.
Questions
Frequently asked questions
What length swim trunks are best for boys?
Should boys' swim trunks have a liner?
What swimsuit is best for a boy in swim lessons?
How do I stop swim trunks falling down?
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