Boys Swimsuits
From $16.99
From $16.99
From $15.99
Every parent knows the two swim-day headaches: shorts that slide down the second a kid cannonballs off the ladder, and cold, clingy fabric that turns the ride home into a shivering complaint session. Our boys swim trunks are built to fix both. Compression liners keep everything in place, quick-dry fabric sheds water fast, and the waistbands actually stay put through a full afternoon of chicken fights and belly flops. Here's how to pick the pair that matches your kid and your summer.
Boys Swim Trunks With a Built-In Compression Liner
The number one reason kids tug at their shorts in the pool is a loose fit down below. Our boys swim trunks come with a built-in compression liner, not a flimsy mesh brief that bunches up. It holds snug against the body so there's real coverage and support, which matters most for older boys and for the ones who spend the day flipping upside down off the diving board.
Why the liner earns its keep
- No riding up, no unexpected slips when they climb out of the water
- Less chafing on long beach days, so no end-of-day meltdown
- Faster to change in a crowded pool locker room, since the liner stays put
Younger swimmers can graduate into liner trunks from a simpler pull-on style. If you're still shopping for the little ones, our Toddler Boy Swimsuits keep things easy with elastic-only waists before compression becomes a must-have.
Quick-Dry Trunks That Don't Stay Cold and Clingy
Wet trunks that stay soaked are the fastest way to end a good beach day early. Our quick-dry fabric wrings out and airs off in minutes, so by the time you're loading up the car, the trunks aren't dripping down the back seat. That same fast-drying quality means kids can hop between the sprinkler, the kiddie pool, and lunch without sitting in a cold, clingy waistband the whole time.
The lightweight polyester also resists that heavy, waterlogged feel that drags on the hips when boys are trying to run. It breathes on hot afternoons and rinses clean of sand and chlorine. A lot of parents keep two pairs in the bag so there's always a dry set ready to go. If your kid is the type who's constantly moving, pair the trunks with pieces from our Boys Activewear for the same sweat-wicking, dry-fast feel on land.
Elastic Waists and Drawstrings That Stay Up Mid-Game
A great pair of trunks is useless if it ends up around a kid's ankles during a pool basketball game. Ours use a wide elastic waistband paired with a functional drawstring, so you can dial in the fit and it holds. The elastic gives room to move and grab a snack without digging in, while the drawstring locks the waist for the skinny-hipped kids who size out of the number on the tag.
What keeps them up
- Stretchy elastic that recovers instead of stretching out after a few washes
- A drawstring with a secure knot or toggle, not a decorative string that pulls right out
- Room in the seat so trunks don't tug down when they crouch to dig in the sand
Boys who like the same relaxed, stays-put fit off the beach tend to reach for our Boys Bottoms for shorts and joggers cut the same way.
Board Shorts vs. Swim Trunks for Non-Stop Boys
The two get mixed up all the time, so here's the plain version. Swim trunks run shorter, have that built-in liner, and dry fastest, which makes them the easy default for the pool and splash pads. Board shorts sit longer, usually hit the knee, and skip or minimize the liner, which some older boys prefer for surf, skimboarding, and looking a little more grown-up.
Quick way to choose
- Swim trunks: pool days, younger kids, anyone who wants liner support and the quickest dry time
- Board shorts: beach and surf, tweens who want longer coverage, boys who layer over a swim brief
- Both: honestly, most families keep a pair of each in rotation
If you're outfitting the whole crew for a trip, our Matching Swimsuits line up sizes across parents and kids so the pool photos actually coordinate.
UPF Coverage for Long Afternoons at the Lake
Sunscreen washes off and gets missed. Fabric doesn't. That's why UPF matters for the kids who are in and out of the water from lunch until the mosquitoes come out. Trunks give the lower half real, all-day coverage, but the shoulders and back are what usually burn first at the lake or the beach.
The fix is pairing trunks with a boys rash guard. The long or short sleeves block the sun where it hits hardest, the snug knit doesn't drag in the water, and kids stop fighting the reapply-sunscreen routine every hour. It's the setup lifeguards and swim coaches quietly rely on. Together, trunks plus a rash guard cover the whole kid without turning them into a sweaty mess. Browse the full range of Kids Swimsuits to match rash guards, trunks, and cover-ups for everyone heading to the water this summer.
Boys Trunk Sizing and Length, from Preschool to Big Kid
Boys grow in spurts, and swimwear is where a bad guess really shows. The good news is trunks are forgiving thanks to that elastic-and-drawstring waist, so you can size up a touch for a longer season without them falling off.
How to get the size right
- Preschool (2T to 5): go by waist first, keep the length above the knee so it doesn't slow down toddling and running
- Little kid (6 to 8): mid-thigh trunks with a working drawstring for the wobbly in-between years
- Big kid (10 to 14): longer board-short lengths if he wants them; check the liner still feels supportive
When in doubt, measure the waist rather than trusting a size chart alone, and give a thumb's width of room in the drawstring. For the rest of his warm-weather closet, our Boys Clothes follow the same size runs, so what fits in trunks usually fits across the board.
