By
Brenley Goertzen,
a writer at the Strategist covering clothing basics and bath and body.
She joined the Strategist as a junior writer in 2022 after interning at the site.
From swimming laps to doing water aerobics and even aqua jogging, I’m often working out in a pool and have a drawerful of sporty swimsuits to show for it. By my definition, a sporty swimsuit is almost always a one-piece with a compressive torso, supportive straps, nonrestrictive cuts, and just enough cheek coverage. It needs to stay in place and not chafe or ride up because there’s nothing worse than picking a wedgie in the middle of a breaststroke. In the summer, I prefer swimming in outdoor pools and taking dips in lakes, so I try to look for sun-protective fabrics — usually called UPF, which stands for ultraviolet protection factor — that are comfortable enough to wear for hours of sun and swimming. I’ve gathered as many sporty swimsuits as I could find here, and tested many of them in pools and lakes in Minnesota and Manitoba over the past few months. To round out the list, I included some new ones that look promising for this summer. Whether you’re planning on mastering the front-crawl or just prefer something with a little more security than a bikini, read on for my sport-friendly selections.
