Summersalt swimwear review—I tried their most popular bathing suits

While the tides of fashion constantly shift, some things—like trusty one-piece swimsuits—remain classic. Although there are plenty of places to buy swimsuits online, Summersalt remains among the most buzz-worthy brands selling staple bathing suits.

From colorful Instagram ads to inclusive, IRL ad campaigns, the company’s designs have been making a splash for several years. We’ve previously tested three Summersalt swimsuits—including one now-discontinued design—and found its suits flattering and comfortable.

To see if the Instagram-famous brand has changed since we last tested, I reached out to Summersalt to try five of its bestselling designs. For this review, I tested out the following suits:

What makes Summersalt bathing suits different?

Founded in 2017, Summersalt is known for its “Every Body is a Summersalt Body” motto and corresponding inclusive advertising campaigns (in 2022, the brand launched a “Summer of Self Love” campaign, featuring a diverse group of influencers, authors, athletes, and more).

When it comes to the suits themselves, Summersalt promises a “data-backed fit,” and claims it “took over 1.5 million body measurements from 10,000 women” while designing the products. There’s also a focus on fabrics, and the company claims its suits are created using 78% recycled polyamide fabric (a.k.a. a type of nylon) that's “crafted from post-consumer materials and nylon waste,” including old fishing nets—a textile which, according to Summersalt, offers UPF 50+ protection.

While the brand is known for its colorblocked one-piece, the Sidestroke, they offer a variety of swimsuit designs that also include solid colors and fun floral print options. Swimwear prices range from $45 for a bikini bottom to $145 for a one-piece, and suits are sold in women’s sizes 2 to 26.

How do the Summersalt swimsuits fit?

I dove into the brand by testing five bestselling swimsuits with distinct designs. Overall, I found the styles fashionable, functional, and true to size. However, certain bathing suits fared better than others, as you'll see in this list, which is in order from my favorite to least favorite styles.

The Sidestroke

While Summersalt’s offerings range from bikinis to cover-ups, the Sidestroke one-piece is by far its best known swimsuit. I was initially skeptical of the suit’s one-shoulder design as I tend to avoid shoulder-baring styles at all costs. However, after slipping on the suit for a beach day, I was pleasantly surprised by the flattering fit and secure strap. I especially love the back of the suit, which features an oblong cutout along the shoulders.

When our previous tester initially tried the design, she commented on its compression, writing, “Usually I feel most confident in black, but my colorful one-shoulder Summersalt suit made me feel just as good as I do in darker colors.” However, she also noted that the suit had a “lack of boob support,” writing: “It says on the website that there are no cups in this suit, so I knew what I was getting my 36D chest into (literally), but I still wanted to try it. Even though it’s risky not having cups, I love the suit so much that I kept it.”

The Marina

While I didn’t try the Marina, our previous tester gave it a rave review. “The Marina really does accentuate the smallest part of your waist with its ‘wrap dress’ look, as claimed in the product description,” she reports, while noting that it has less “tummy support” than the Sidestroke.

She also highlighted the suit’s built-in cups, writing: “No, the cups don’t provide a lot of support for us full-chested ladies, but they at least cover and hide the chilliest of nipples. The only weird thing that kept happening with [the suit] is that the lining of the soft cups kept pushing up and out of the top of the suit. Not a big deal and not very noticeable—just annoying to have to fuss with.”

The Bow-Shoulder Ruched Sidestroke Bikini Top and The Ruched High Leg High Rise Bottom

While Summersalt is best known for its Instagram-famous one-piece styles, I was curious how its bestselling two-piece suit stacked up. As someone who tends to shy away from frills, I was skeptical of how I’d feel about wearing a bikini top featuring a large bow. If you’re looking for something more glamorous than the standard suit, however, the Bow-Shoulder Ruched Sidestroke Bikini Top could be a fun wardrobe addition. However, if you prefer a simpler design, Summersalt offers a ruched one-shoulder bikini top without the added bow.

Appearance aside, I appreciate the bow-shoulder top’s built-in cups for their support. The one-shoulder style stayed in place throughout an entire beach day, and I didn’t find myself fussing with it while swimming in the ocean. The bow proved less swim-proof, however, as it floated in the water alongside me, picking up seaweed along the way (yuck).

The Ruched High Leg High Rise Bottoms, which match the top, didn’t shift around during the day and had just enough rear coverage to keep me comfortable without feeling too conservative. That said, I didn’t notice a big difference between these ruched bottoms and less expensive bikini bottoms from

The Plunge One-Piece

As the name suggests, the Plunge one-piece has a very low-cut neckline (which requires lots of sunscreen application). The suit is classic and comfortable and provided similar compression and butt coverage to the Sidestroke as well as the Perfect Wrap One-Piece (below)—although I found the Plunge too revealing for my taste.

The Perfect Wrap One-Piece

The Perfect Wrap One-Piece cinches the waist like a wrap dress—appropriate, considering the brand recently partnered with iconic wrap dress designer Diane Von Furstenberg. While I love the olive green shade and the fit of the belted waist, the low V-neck flattened my chest in an unflattering way. Plus, despite being fairly small-chested, I felt like I was falling out of the suit at the bust. For those with greater bust-support preferences, this style may not be the best choice at Summersalt.

Are Summersalt swimsuits good for beach days and tanning?

Overall, yes! Most of the designs I tried are comfy and easy to move around in, with the one exception being the Bow-Shoulder bikini top, for the aforementioned seaweed issues.

Additionally, if napping on a towel is more your style, be careful about sunscreen application with certain styles to avoid a one-shoulder tan line.

Are Summersalt swimsuits good quality?

In my experience, the Summersalt swimsuits don’t wrinkle or pucker from wear and tend to dry fairly quickly, as promised. I only tried them for a month, respectively, so I’m not able to speak to how long they last.

Our former tester noted that “The most important thing about the swimsuits is that they really are comfortable. Is it a life-changing quality compared to my other similarly priced swimsuits from Everything But Water and Nordstrom? No, not that I have noticed. But the styles are unique and fashionable, and that’s something my other quality swimsuits do not have.”

Is it easy to order through Summersalt?

While the brand sent me samples for testing, our previous tester ordered hers from the Summersalt website. She noted she “only had two issues” with the process, the first being several suits sold out in her size. From browsing the brand’s website, it seems most styles are now in stock in all sizes, including the small I ordered, except for a few specific colors.

The second issue our tester experienced was a little more frustrating. “One of the swimsuits I had ordered—and paid expedited shipping for—ended up never arriving,” she said. “First, customer service told me it was not going to come right away and refunded me for shipping. Then, nearly a week later, I reached out asking where it was and they told me there had been an error and that the suit was not actually available in that size when I ordered it.”

So, are Summersalt bathing suits worth it?

If you’re looking for a comfortable, well-designed swimsuit, Summersalt is a great option. While certain styles may fit some body types better than others, Summersalt’s generous return policy—free returns or exchanges within 30 days of purchase (as long as tags are on and hygienic liners are intact)—means you can try various types of swimsuits to see what works best for you.

Plus, the swimsuits might be worth the price for a reason far more important than fabrics and fits. Our previous tester said, “The best part about Summersalt is it really did change my attitude about swimsuits. Never did I ever think I would be able to rock a bright-colored, attention-grabbing swimsuit without panicking about what others would think. But Summersalt came through with its flattering patterns and adequate compression, and that has made me feel confident and carefree while wearing its swimsuits…Who knew I would one day go from having swimsuit anxiety to a swimsuit obsession? Thank you, Summersalt!”

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