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No matter where you’re enjoying warm water, you’ll need a pair of trusty board shorts to do so. Luckily, board shorts have quietly become more high-tech than ever.

At a Glance: The Best Board Shorts of 2024

Although often used synonymously with “swim trunks,” board shorts are more geared towards surfing and beach sports than swim trunks (see our favorite swim trunks here). The best board shorts deliver ultra-stretchy, high-performance fabrics, slim waistbands, and ample coverage for surfing, as well as other beach sports like volleyball or running. But that’s not to say you can’t lounge in board shorts: the high-performance fabrics are often extremely comfortable too, making board shorts a great choice for napping under an umbrella or sipping a poolside cocktail.

If you want to upgrade your swimwear collection — whether for surf lessons, 20-foot Pipeline, or beach volleyball — read on. We’ve rounded up nine of the best board shorts to upgrade your beach day or vacation, plus a quick buying guide for choosing the right pair.

The Best Board Shorts to Buy Right Now

There are a lot of board shorts out there, but not all of them are worthy of your warm-water plans. Here are nine of our favorites, including vintage-inspired trunks for surfing to high-performance board shorts for beach workouts. We’ve put these shorts through surfing, beach workouts, and hardcore relaxing — mostly on beaches and breaks across Southern California, and a bit in Mexico — and thoroughly researched their reviews from other users and experts. As of writing, all options are available at reputable online retailers and have an average customer rating of at least 3.7/5 stars.

1. Patagonia Hydrolock Board Shorts

The best board shorts I’ve ever tested are these Patagonia Hydrolock trunks. Like all of the best board shorts, the Hydrolocks are stretchy, lightweight, and quick-drying, but two features set them apart: The waistband and the hem. The namesake waistband features a “locking system” that keeps the trunks securely in place while you paddle, sit, and move around. The hem, meantime, hits right above the knee and features a slight taper for more security. In short, the Hydrolock trunks are better at saying put than others, letting you focus on performance and avoid chaffing over long sessions.

Promising Customer Feedback: “Best board shorts I’ve worn to date. Lightweight and dry fast. The waistband has a sleeve with an inner constricting band that gives a comfortable snug fit when draw strings are tightened.” — Joshua

2. Outerknown Apex Trunks

If they’re good enough for Kelly Slater, they’re good enough for us. These Apex trunks by Slater’s brand, Outerknown, were developed and tested with the help of the 11-time surfing World Champion. With clever features including welded seams and a double-bonded butt, the Apex trunks have taken fantastic board shorts and made them even better. The fabric is a quick-drying blend of polyester, spandex, and elastane that feels extremely stretchy. We love them for everything from yoga to huge maneuvers in the water.

Promising Customer Feedback: “As an old dog who has half a century’s worth of combined surfing and windsurfing experience in probably 100 pairs of boardshorts, I have to say Kelly’s Apex Trunks combine the very best of old-school style and fit with ultra-modern weight, flexibility, and quickness to dry. No better boardshort then or now! Love ’em!!!” — Edwin

3. Patagonia Baggies

The Patagonia Baggies might be the most versatile bottoms in menswear. We’ve used them for surfing as well as running, lounging, or grabbing a coffee in the trendiest areas, and they were fantastic in all settings. With a 100 percent nylon construction, the shorts are on the stiff side, but their namesake baggy fit provides more than enough mobility. The nylon also features a DWR (durable water repellent) coating to improve water resistance.

Promising Customer Feedback: “Very comfortable shorts. Have worn them kayaking, rafting, swimming, tubing, etc., and they’ve held up very well. Dry quickly, fit well, these seem to do it all for me.” — Andrew

4. Vuori Infinity Boardshort

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With four-way stretch, an 8.5-inch inseam, and a quick-drying polyester-elastane build, these Vuori Infinity board shorts are built for performance in and out of the water. We also like their convenience features, like a zip pocket on the leg and a comfortable neoprene waistband. Plus, more than half the fabric is recycled, which is always a plus.

Promising Customer Feedback: “Surfed in these for 3 days straight for multiple 3+ hour sessions and loved them. So comfortable, and no problems whatsoever.” — Evan

5. Florence Marine X F1 Burgee Cordura Boardshort

Back in 2020, two-time World Surf League champ John John Florence started his own brand with Bob Hurley, Florence Marine X. They’ve been cranking out some fantastic board shorts ever since — all tested in Hawaii by Florence. The brand’s F1 Burgee Cordura shorts here feature an extra-durable fabric that mixes Cordura nylon and spandex for stretch. This makes the shorts rugged enough for demanding activities like off-road hikes or yardwork, yet still high-performance enough for shredding.

Promising Customer Feedback: “Excellent shorts, great material and colors. A little on the shorter side if you are used to knee-length shorts, but I like them a lot and pretty much live in mine.” — Justin

6. Faherty Sunwashed Boardshort

Looking for some vintage board shorts? Check out these Sunwashed trunks from Faherty. They come in a range of stylish colorways — including this Seventies-inspired blue with an orange side stripe — all with a faded, already-been-in-the-sun wash. We’re also big fans of Faherty’s SeaWool polyester, which feels soft to the touch and stretches with you.

7. Patagonia Hydropeak Boardshort

We’re big fans of Patagonia’s whole board short lineup (obviously), but these Hydropeak shorts strike a great balance between performance (for surfing or workouts) and wearability (for lounging or walking around). The shorts are made of a recycled polyester and spandex blend that delivers a lightweight, stretchy feel and quick-drying abilities, which have earned the shorts a spot in our regular rotation.

Promising Customer Feedback: “I love these board shorts. They’re great in hot weather and dry quickly when wet. The 21″ outseam falls just above the knee on me, which I like. The fabric has a little stretch to it. I use them for swimming, body boarding, running, and casual wear.” — Chuck

8. O’Neill Hyperfreak

O’Neill’s Hyperfreak line is another high-performance option that many surfers wear by. We’ve owned a couple pairs over the years, and can fully vouch for the shorts’ quality. They’re super stretchy and comfortable — whether you’re smacking the lip or cross-stepping — and they’re easily some of the fastest-drying board shorts out there.

Promising Customer Feedback: “I bought the “Mediterranean Blue” and I am wearing them in the Mediterranean and it’s definitely the right color. They are my favorite shorts. I was thinking of buying a spare just in case O’neill stops making them.” — Daghan

9. Hurley One & Only Boardshort 22″

If you like the coverage of a longer board short, check out these Hurley One & Onlys. The shorts feature a throwback 22-inch outseam that places the hem just below your knee. They come in a huge range of colors too, and they’re relatively affordable at $40.

Promising Customer Feedback: “Great short, comfortable material. Don’t have to worry about shorts being too clingy when getting out of water. Outseam measurement is accurate.” — Matt

10. Rhone Point Break

For board shorts that feel more like swim trunks, try Rhone’s Point Break shorts. They feature a shorter length, a mesh liner, and side pockets like you’d find on a pair of laid-back swim trunks. However, they’re more durable than your typical swim trunk, meaning you can easily transition from lounging by the pool to a casual surf session.

Promising Customer Feedback: “The fit was terrific; no underlined fabric balling or rub. The length was exactly what was expected. The fabric and print were tropical fun.” — Venitta

11. Roark Chiller

As the name suggests, these Chiller shorts from Roark are geared toward relaxing, but they’re still very much capable of getting active. Great for low-key beach days that may or may not involve some surfing or activities, the shorts feature a fabric made of polyester, elastane, and hemp, and they come in several stylish colorways.

Promising Customer Feedback: “These chillers are just killer! Very comfortable ~ very stylin. Got the matching shirt for those dress-up days down on the beach.” — David

Reviews have been edited for length and clarity.

Board Shorts Buying Guide

Board shorts come in several varieties with differing lengths, materials, and pattern work. Here are a few things to keep in mind while you shop the best board shorts.

Length: As mentioned, board shorts should be on the long side for surfing and sports. We think an inseam of around seven to nine inches is the sweet spot, offering enough coverage without too much bulk. You can go shorter, but we don’t recommend going any less than five inches on the inseam.

Material: The best board shorts balance stretch and durability while drying quickly and keeping weight to a minimum. This is a tall order, but some brands really do pull it off with barely-there shorts that hold up against sand, rocks, and surfboard wax. Look for nylon or high-quality polyester materials, ideally with some spandex or elastane for stretch.

Waistband: The ocean has a knack for yanking off ill-fitting or poorly made shorts. High-quality, well-engineered waistbands are key when picking the best board shorts. Make sure you get the right size and look for solid grommets, drawstrings, and closures.

Design: It’s always a plus when board shorts are good-looking enough to hit the hotel bar or grocery store after a day at the beach. A stylish pair is therefore a great idea — although perhaps less important than function when it comes to board shorts (leave that to your casual shorts).

How We Chose the Best Board Shorts

Before making the list above, we were able to test dozens of board shorts for ourselves, and have friends try surfing in them as well. Besides taking them surfing, we also made sure to see how they fared for workouts and, of course, post-surf relaxing on the beach. After choosing our favorites, we researched other expert opinions and user reviews to see how they compared to our experiences. The finished list here includes the finalists, all of which have at least a 4/5-star rating and can be purchased from a reliable e-tailer.