13 Maternity Swimsuits, Recommended by Moms and Moms-to-Be

As a mom of four who lives in a beach town, I’ve been in plenty of swimsuits while heavily pregnant. While I’ve tried to wear my usual bathing suits during my pregnancy, I stretched out several before deciding to finally invest in maternity swimwear. I never went back.

As I learned, maternity bikinis and pregnancy swimsuits are specially designed to work with your body during this phase of life. They’re a little more forgiving than your standard swimsuits, with ruching, side panels and added support you won’t see in a typical bathing suit.

“When choosing maternity swimwear, I always recommend women to focus on comfort, support and their overall confidence,” says Kenzie Welch, a stylist and mom. “You want swimwear styles that are stretchy, have bump-friendly fabrics, good bust support and adjustable details that can grow with your body throughout pregnancy.”

It’s also important to give yourself some grace, says Bonny Redman, a personal stylist who focuses on pregnancy and postpartum style. “Forget about the size on the label,” she says. “Your body’s changing fast, and the size of your swimsuit and clothes will change. That’s okay and to be expected.”

Ready to dive in? Keep reading for cute maternity swimsuits that’ll keep you looking comfy, cool and cute—even as your bump grows.

How We Chose the Best Maternity Bathing Suits and Bikinis

Here are the steps we took to curate a list of the best maternity swimsuits:

• We researched what was being said about maternity swimsuits in The Bump community forums and asked staff members, who also happen to be parents, for swimwear recommendations.
• We surveyed over 350 expectant parents, and asked about the maternity swimsuits they wore during pregnancy. From there we gathered their feedback on what they liked and asked them to comment on their overall experience.
• We spoke to two personal stylists for input on both fashion and practical considerations for pregnancy.
• We conducted exhaustive market research, scouring external forums and message boards and reading user reviews to find out what parents across the country looked when shopping for a maternity swimsuit.
• We considered a list of criteria when sourcing bump-friendly swimsuits, including quality, material, value, style, sun-protection and stretch-factor.

Editorial integrity is at the heart of everything we publish. Read more about how The Bump develops our product reviews.

The Best Maternity Swimsuits of the Season

*Note: Some names have been changed due to privacy requests.

What to Look For in Maternity Swimwear

There are a few things to look for when shopping for maternity swimwear. While a lot of it overlaps with regular swimsuit shopping, maternity swimwear has a few extra things to pay attention to.

• Fabric. “You want fabric that stretches with you,” Redman says. She suggests looking for soft, flexible materials with good stretch, like nylon with a small percentage of spandex, to keep up as your body changes. “Double-lined fabrics are your best option, as anything too thin feels exposing once it’s wet,” Redman says. “And, if your skin’s being more sensitive—which is totally normal during pregnancy—softer fabrics with fewer seams just feel better overall.” Welch suggests considering ribbed fabrics, too. “These will stretch and flatter a growing bump and will last you through postpartum, too,” she says.
• Fit and style. The fit and style of your suit is a personal decision, Welch says. But there are a few styles she suggests over others. “One piece swimsuits are great for the extra coverage and support,” she says. “Tankinis will provide you with the convenience of a two-piece and the coverage of a one-piece.” If you opt for a two-piece, Redman recommends looking for bottoms that sit under your bump. These “feel way better because there’s no pressure across your bump where you don’t want it,” she says.
• Adjustability. Having straps that you can tweak, halter necks and bra-style closures are important as your body changes, per Redman. “Plus, with adjustable pieces you’re not buying something that only works for a few weeks,” she says. “Instead, you’re buying something that can be worn throughout your entire pregnancy and even after.”
• Support. There’s a lot changing in your body right now that could use extra support. “Style and fit details like built-in cups, shelf bras and wider straps that help lift and hold without digging in are best,” Welch says. “You want a suit that stays in place when you move and feels supportive without being restrictive, especially around your bump.”

About the writer:
Korin Miller is a mom of four who has been heavily pregnant many times in the summer. She lives in a beach town and is in swimsuits on a near-daily basis, making the right maternity swimsuits a must for her during her pregnancies. An experienced health and pregnancy writer and a real-life parent, Korin adds her personal knowledge to each story she writes. Her work has appeared in publications such as Women’s Health, Prevention, Food & Wine and The Washington Post.