The Best Beachwear for Men, Tested by Style Editors

This camp collar shirt sets the mood as soon as you put it on. The classy Mediterranean inspired seaside vista is bold, yet tasteful. Made from viscose and linen, it felt super soft to the touch and provided excellent breathability. The only downside we came across is that the material has to be hang dried, and it gets a little rumped afterwards.

Cashmere on the beach? Yup! The knit of this Johnny collar polo is thin and loose, offering ample air flow. It is decadently soft to the touch and so comfortable that we did not want to take it off. Rock this one when you know that your day at the beach is going to turn into a night on the town, because it is a perfect transition piece for brisk coastal nights.

Reyn Spooner has been making Hawaiian shirts since the style took off in the ‘50s. So many fun patterns have come out over the years that dedicated fans collect sought after styles like baseball cards. There are plenty of current options to choose from, but we particularly like this motif with surfers, lu’au dancers, and fish. The polyester and cotton blend fabric breathes really well and is machine washable.

From our experience, not all terry towel shirts are equal. Some feel like you are actually wearing a cheap towel. However, this one from Olebar Brown has a much more luxurious finish. It is cut and sewn like a dress shirt, with clean seams and a flattering fit. It helped dry our writer off after a dip without getting soggy and unsightly.

The relaxed, boxy fit and fun geometric pattern of this camp collar shirt were made for a day at the beach. Breathability was maximized by a mesh-like fabric that felt and performed similar to old sports jerseys in our testing. This one is ideal for keeping the sun off your back and shoulders, while still regulating your body temperature on really hot days.

Cotton tees work fine at the beach, but we found that this 100% linen option works much better. The fabric is super breathable, although a bit sheer. While the relaxed fit and light drape keep the air around your body moving. Even though it was linen, we had no problem with machine washing. For the best fit, we recommend going up one size.

Kardo makes everything by hand, from dying the fabric, to cutting and stitching. This indigo camp shirt has an ocean-like texture that looks just as good at the beach as it does on a city rooftop. The boxy fit was super comfortable and the four-button front was easy to throw on.

Why is a pocket tee perfect for the beach? You have a spot to stash your sunglasses. This one from Huckberry's house brand Flint and Tinder is washed and garment dyed, giving it a lived-in feel on the first wear. It comes in a huge range of colors and sizes, including tall sizes. Bonus points for being made in the USA.

Flashy shirts aren’t often easy to style, but the black background and classic camp collar design of this beach shirt allow it to match with just about any solid swim trunks or shorts. It’s made from a perforated stretch fabric, which felt similar to a sport jersey and provided the same level of breathability.

This swim trunk from Bather tested out of the park for versatility and functionality. The 5.5” inseam and slightly boxy leg are comfortable and agile. All three pockets, including a snap-flap back pocket, were big enough to stash any handheld items. Best of all, the nylon fabric dried incredibly quickly, even without using a towel. It comes in a wide range of solid colors and patterns, but we went with the royal blue because it matches pretty much everything.

For a vintage resort wear look worthy of the French Riviera, try the swim trunks from Kenny Flowers. It has a short inseam and a baggy fit, complete with an elastic waist and contrast drawstring. We completed the look with a white linen button-down shirt and rocked it for a full day at the beach, followed by a night out.

J.Crew introduced the 6” Dock Short over a decade ago and helped bring back short-shorts. Now, the same versatile style and fit is available in a summer weight corduroy. The fine wale—which is the distance between the vertical lines—has a velvet-like softness. It is a perfect option to throw over your trunks or pack in your beach bag.

Chubbies put an athletic-style compression mesh liner in the Classic Swim Trunk, and it might be the most comfortable swimwear we’ve ever tried. The tight fit and extended length of the lining eliminates the chafing problem caused by traditional mesh liners when worn wet for extended periods of time. On top of that, the fabric is incredibly stretchy and dried very fast. There are about a dozen different colors and patterns to choose from.

Tip-toeing the line between swimwear and shorts, the All Day Shorts from Faherty handled both roles perfectly. We’ve gone all day in them as shorts, as well as wearing them to the beach. The material feels like a golf short, but doesn’t hold water and dries very quickly. There is a built-in drawstring for swimming and belt loops for dressing up.

Many coastal areas tend to get significantly chillier as the sun goes down. Having a pair of pants that you can easily throw on is not a bad idea. This drawstring pant from Marine Layer is a little stretchy and perfectly light weight. We rolled it up to fit snugly in our beach bag and quickly pulled it on before hitting the boardwalk.

There are countless slides out there, but few match the iconic look and easy comfort of the Adilette. Two low-key features that our editors love about this sandal is how the foam material of the footbed doesn’t retain heat when left out in the sun, and the outsole has reliable traction in wet conditions.

OluKai is known for well crafted leather flip-flops, but this foam and rubber version is softer on your feet and wont get damaged by salt water. The real standout feature in our testing was the outsole grip. It worked like a bunch of suction cups along the button of the sandal and kept us sure footed on a boat.

One of the most popular sandals on the planet these days is also one the best options for the beach. Our testing has confirmed that the cork footbed does not heat up in the sun. The textured rubber outsole performed well on slippery surfaces.

Luca produces one of the simplest mule designs we’ve come across, but it is oh-so comfortable and low-key stylish. The rounded leather toe is an easy way to level up your beach style. We styled it with a wide range of looks, from funky floral prints to a tasteful garment dyed polo, and it stole the show every time.

Not only does Nisolo make one of the most affordable leather huarache sandals out there, it is one of the most comfortable we’ve ever worn. The woven leather upper is inherently flexible, but Nisolo made the footbed and sole exceptionally flexible as well. It felt like walking in a slipper, while looking like a dress shoe.

Espadrilles go hand-in-hand with beachwear, and Castañer makes the most comfortable one our style editors have tested. The canvas upper is lightweight and breathable, while the gum outsole provides a little bounce and plenty of grip. It can dress up with a summer suit, or down with swim trunks and a t-shirt.