Ready to hit the beach with sustainable swimwear this summer? I’ve rounded up the best sustainable swimsuit and bikini brands based in the UK, updated for 2026. Thankfully, there are now plenty of eco-friendly and ethical swimwear brands available in the UK, meaning a great selection of bikinis and swimsuits for every body.
In this sustainable swimwear guide, you’ll find highlights of the best sustainable swimsuit and bikini brands, as well as affordable and ethically made swimwear options that are easy on both your conscience and your bank account (iykyk).
In this guide:
- Sustainable Swimwear at a Glance
- Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands in the UK
- Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands in Europe
- How to know if swimwear is really sustainable
- Our Favourite Surf Stays
Sustainable Swimwear at a Glance
| Brand | Best For | Materials | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zigi Swim | Personal favourite, best fit | ECONYL regenerated nylon | Separates from £65 |
| Soso Swim | Personal favourite, cool girl style | Regenerated nylon | From £40; one-pieces £80 |
| Finisterre | Cold water swimming | Recycled polyester | From £55; men’s £65 |
| Rapanui | Circular swimwear and men’s | ECONYL & NewLife | From £35; men’s £50 |
| JUNK LDN | Fuller busts (XS–3XL) | Recycled bottles & nets | From £50; one-pieces £80 |
| Made of Water | Wild swimming | ECONYL & REPREVE | From £45; one-pieces £85 |
| Salt & Skye | Best new brand | Recycled ocean-bound waste | From £35; one-pieces £70 |
| Tide + Seek | Bold prints | REPREVE | From £42; one-pieces £65 |
| Raw Potential | Quirky design | Recycled bottles & nets | From £30; men’s £65 |
| Batoko | Statement swimsuits | Recycled plastic | One-pieces from £60 |
| Vivida Lifestyle | Surf & cold water | Certified organic & recycled | One-pieces from £80; wetsuit £120 |
| True Blue Designs | Handmade | Recycled polyamide | Small batch — see site |
Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands in the UK
Zigi Swim – personal favourite & best overall fit
Zigi Swim is a woman-founded UK brand making sustainable, adjustable swimwear with a focus on getting the fit right. Founded by the wonderful Olivia, she designs from lived experience for real bodies. Their swimwear is ethically made in the UK from eco-conscious fabrics including ECONYL regenerated nylon, and every order helps adopt coral with Coral Gardeners to rebuild reefs and protect oceans. One of the newest names on this list and one to watch.
My Zigi Swim bikini is the best fitting bikini I’ve ever had. I mean seriously, it makes my tiny boobs look nice without padding! I adore their Zola Top and Zigi Bottoms in cacao. I wear a medium top (I’m a 32C) and small bottoms. Message their founder, Olivia, for help with getting the right size for you.
Price: Bikini Separates from £65
Soso Swim – personal favourite & best minimalist style
Soso Swim is a sustainable swimwear brand that produces flattering, minimalist swimsuits and bikinis. Another woman-founded brand, Romy splits her time between Bali and the UK. Soso Swim‘s swimwear is made from regenerated nylon and recycled plastic bottles, and is ethically made in the UK. Soso Swim also supports environmental charities through their sales. Soso Swim also sells their own pre-loved swimsuits for those looking for affordable sustainable swimwear.
My favourite piece is the bandeau cut swimsuit in a buttery yellow colour. I wear an XS.
Price: Bikini Separates from £40 • One pieces from £80
Finisterre – best for cold water
Finisterre is a sustainable outdoor clothing and swimwear brand originating from St. Agnes in Cornwall. Their swimwear is made from recycled polyester and is designed to be durable and long-lasting. This is the best sustainable swimwear brand for cold water swimming suits. They make their swimwear and wetsuits in Devon. Finisterre prioritises ethical manufacturing practices and offers repairs, pre-loved and trade-in options. They’re also a certified B Corp.
Price: Bikini Separates from £55 • One pieces from £90 • Men’s from £65
Rapanui – best circular swimwear & men’s options
The Isle of Wight circular-clothing brand also makes swimwear: women’s bikinis and men’s swim shorts from recycled fibres including ECONYL and NewLife, spun from post-consumer waste like plastic bottles, with UV protection and resistance to chlorine and sun cream. Luke already swears by their t-shirts!
Price: Bikini Separates from £35 • One pieces from £60 • Men’s from £50
JUNK LDN – best for fuller busts
JUNK LDN swimwear is trash — literally, and proudly so. This London brand crafts every piece from ocean-bound plastic bottles and discarded fishing nets, in punchy mix-and-match tops and briefs. What sets JUNK LDN apart is the fit-first design: sizes run from XS to 3XL and their underwire tops are fuller-bust friendly (not that I need it), which is still far too rare in sustainable swim.
Price: Bikini Separates from £50 • One pieces from £80
Made of Water – best for wild swimming
Made of Water is a small, independent wild swimming brand from Newquay in Cornwall, designed by and for cold-water swimmers. Their swimwear is made from ECONYL and REPREVE recycled nylon with OEKO-TEX certified fabrics, and they’re one of the few sustainable brands making neoprene swimsuits and long-sleeve suits for year-round dips. Apparel is PETA-approved vegan and Fair Wear, and packaging is eco-friendly. Their website also stocks fellow sustainable swim labels OHOY, Winki Suits and Sunward Bound.
Price: Bikini Separates from £45 • One pieces from £85
Salt & Skye – best new brand
A London-based, women-designed brand making timeless bikinis and one-pieces from recycled ocean-bound waste, in small batches with recycled packaging. The signature look is a soft, double-lined fabric in 80s high-hip cuts, built to last with chlorine resistance, shape retention and built-in UV protection — and every purchase goes towards planting corals.
Price: Bikini Separates from £35 • One pieces from £70
Tide + Seek – best for bold prints
A Cornwall-based brand making bold, print-heavy swimwear from REPREVE, a recycled fibre spun from post-consumer plastic bottles. Around five bottles go into every bikini and twenty-five per pair of their surf leggings. This is the brand for surfers and sea swimmers who want personality with their sustainability: surf bralettes and fitness tops designed to stay put in waves, in prints you won’t see on anyone else on the beach. They also run a recycling programme to give your pre-loved swimwear a new life rather than a landfill ending.
Price: Bikini Separates from £42 • One pieces from £65
Raw Potential – best for quirky design
A UK-designed brand making swimwear from recycled plastic bottles and fishing nets. Raw Potential are one of the few sustainable swim brands catering properly to men as well as women, with recycled swim shorts alongside the bikinis and one-pieces. Their Project Planet mission runs through everything from Global Recycled Standard fabrics to recycled, recyclable or biodegradable packaging, and they’re a Marine Conservation Society member.
Price: Bikini Separates from £30 • One pieces from £90 • Men’s from £65
Batoko – best statement swimsuits
Batoko is a UK-based sustainable swimwear brand that creates bold, ethical swimsuits made from recycled plastic rubbish. Their swimwear designs are colourful and punchy for the more fun, out-there swimmer. Their swimsuits are manufactured in a socially responsible way, and they use environmentally-friendly packaging.
Price: One pieces from £60
Vivida Lifestyle – best for surf swimwear for cold water
A UK brand making surf swimwear developed and tested in the UK, alongside the Linda reversible shorty wetsuit that the Telegraph named best in its category. They also stock changing robes and poncho towels for cold water swimmers. Materials are certified organic or recycled wherever possible, packaging is water-soluble and leaves no trace, their Imperfect Collection sells perfectly usable seconds rather than binning them, and they’re signed up to the UN’s Fashion Industry Charter for Climate Action. One-pieces from £80, wetsuit from £120.
Price: Bikini Separates from £35 • One pieces from £80 • Men’s from £49
True Blue Designs – best for handmade
True Blue Designs is a small batch, sustainable bikini brand that creates unique and colourful bikinis made from recycled polyamide. Their recycled bikinis are designed and made by Ella in her Lancashire based studio. The brand avoids mass production by hand making each garment. As one of the smaller brands on the list, they are also one of the most affordable. And, honestly, their bikinis are pretty sexy.
Note: Currently temporarily closed
Best Sustainable Swimwear Brands in Europe
It’s preferable to buy from local brands to save carbon emissions on shipping longer distances. However, there are some brilliant sustainable swimwear brands in Europe that I couldn’t miss off this list.
Essentials for Zula – Sustainable bikini and swimsuit brand, Essentials for Zula, is based between Austria and Thailand. Run by a father-daughter duo, this family-run business is transparent about their factories ethics and includes plenty of info on their sustainability page about this.
Mymarini – Mymarini is a German sustainable swimwear brand. Their swimwear is made from regenerated nylon and 90% of their collections are certified as groundwater-neutral. They publish an annual sustainability report and contribute their profits to charities.
Lilja the Label – A Finnish brand making sustainable swimwear for all seasons, as you’d expect from a country where swimming doesn’t stop when the temperature drops. Their high-quality swimwear is made from ECONYL regenerated nylon in Portugal, with timeless designs meant to last you seasons rather than one summer. They offer 14-day returns and exchanges, and free shipping on orders over €150.
OHOY Swim – Founded by a Finnish-Danish duo, OHOY makes timeless, Scandi-cool swimwear from ECONYL regenerated nylon. They use plastic waste, carpet flooring and rescued fishing nets regenerated into luxurious Italian fabric. Everything is manufactured in Portugal to keep production (and shipping miles) within Europe, and 1% of every purchase goes to Healthy Seas, whose volunteer divers retrieve abandoned fishing nets from the ocean floor. UK swimmers can buy them through Made of Water.
How To Know If Swimwear is Really Sustainable
When it comes to checking if sustainable swimwear brands are truly sustainable, there are a few things you can look for. Here are some tips on how to verify the sustainability claims of brands who state they’re ethical, sustainable or eco-friendly.
1. Check the materials: Look for swimwear brands that use recycled or regenerated materials like nylon or polyester. Regenerated nylon, in particular, is a great sustainable material because it’s made from waste like fishing nets and industrial plastics. Make sure the brand provides transparent information about their materials. This is usually listed on their product pages.
2. Look for certifications: Many sustainable fashion brands are certified by third-party organisations that verify their eco-friendly and ethical practices. Check if the brand has certifications like GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), OEKO-TEX Standard 100, Bluesign or B Corp.
3. Check the brand’s policies: Look for information on the brand’s website about their environmental and ethical policies, and their anti-corruption and anti-slavery policies. Some things to look for include information on fair labor practices, eco-friendly manufacturing processes, and the use of sustainable packaging materials. Truly ethical brands don’t try to hide this sort of info.
4. Check the Good on You Directory. This directory reviews and rates how ethical brands truly are by rooting through information and credentials of the business. If the brand you’re looking for isn’t yet rated, submit them for review or contact the brand directly to encourage them to get reviewed.
These sustainable swimwear brands offer stylish and affordable options for reducing your environmental impact. By choosing ethical and recycled bikinis and swimsuits, you can make a positive difference for the planet without sacrificing style or comfort.
Explore the best ethical activewear brands in the UK too.
Planning a Surf Escape? Some of Our Favourite Surf Spots
Taghazout, Morocco – best for winter sun
Garden Taghazout Bay
Modern beach resort on Taghazout Bay with a big pool and easy access to surf schools. The comfortable family/couple pick.
Check ratesDar Imim Surf House
Laid-back surf house steps from the break, with board storage, a sociable rooftop and easy access to lessons.
Check ratesMunga Guesthouse
Small, friendly guesthouse in the village with simple, comfortable rooms — the homely budget choice.
Check ratesCheck our Taghazout Instagram Stories →
Varkala, India – best for a big adventure
Utopia Varkala — Where We Stayed
A laid-back stay in quiet Odayam overlooking green rice paddies, with rooftop yoga several times a week. We felt utterly serene after a week here.
Check ratesVilla Akasa
A serene five-room homestay in the greenery of the quiet South Cliff, minutes from a near-untouched beach, with garden breakfasts and free bikes.
Check ratesSoul & Surf Kerala
The South Cliff surf-and-yoga institution, with a lovely clifftop garden, daily lessons and evening yoga timed so you never miss the morning waves.
Check ratesCheck our Kerala Instagram Stories →
Sustainable Swimwear FAQ
ECONYL is regenerated nylon made from waste that already exists — rescued fishing nets, carpet flooring and industrial plastic — melted down and respun into fabric as good as new nylon. It cuts the global warming impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with making it from oil, which is why brands like Zigi Swim, Made of Water and OHOY build their swimwear around it.
It’s an improvement, not a perfect answer. Recycled nylon and polyester divert waste from landfill and oceans and use far less energy than virgin fabric, but they still shed microplastics in the wash. Wash your swimwear rarely, cold and in a filter bag like a Guppyfriend, and it stays the better choice by a distance.
Rinse in cold fresh water after every swim, never wring it, dry it in shade rather than direct sun, and rotate two pieces if you swim often. Longevity is the most sustainable feature of all: the greenest swimsuit is the one you don’t replace next summer. I tend to just take my swimwear in the shower with me after swimming to rinse it out.
There’s no single winner because they specialise: Zigi Swim and Soso Swim are my personal favourites for women’s fit, Finisterre leads for cold water kit and B Corp credentials, Made of Water for wild swimmers, and statement swimsuits from other brands like JUNK LDN and Batoko. The best brand is the one whose kit you’ll wear for years.