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Best maternity swimwear
Let us take the stress out of shopping for a swimsuit. Sit back, relax and take a look at our pick of the best maternity swimwear available.
By Mumsnet HQ | Last updated Apr 17, 2024
It’s hard to find flattering swimwear at the best of times, let alone when you’re growing a human being in your ever-expanding tummy. But being pregnant doesn’t mean that you can’t find a beautiful costume for the beach, you may just have to look a little harder.
There are hundreds of stunning swimsuits out there to help you embrace your amazing body at this special time. You don’t need to limit your focus to support, comfort and functionality – it really is possible to find a gorgeous swimming costume that will have you looking and feeling fantastic.
We’ve scoured the internet to find the best maternity swimwear, and we’ve come up with our pick of the best swimsuits to wear during pregnancy. Get ready to dive in!
1. Summer Mae V-Neck Maternity Monokini
Price: £29 | Buy now Amazon
Take a look at this pretty one-piece swimsuit which we think is flattering as well as functional.
The delicate floaty straps are actually super supportive, and the cute tie-back feature is great for helping you find the perfect fit as your body changes.
Removable cups and ruched sides combine to give you a beautiful feminine shape, plus this swimsuit comes in six different colours so you can choose the look you love.
Sizes: S, M, L, XL
2. JoJo Maman Bébé Ruffle Maternity Swimsuit
Price: £29 | Buy now on JoJo Maman Bébé
Maternity wear experts JoJo Maman Bébé can always be relied upon to come up with comfortable pregnancy clothing and its swimwear collection is no different.
There are tonnes of stylish swimsuits to choose from, but for a go-to staple we think you can't go wrong with this classic little black number.
The on-trend ruffle detail of this gorgeous piece gives it that extra something and we love the removable straps which help you find the style and fit that suits you best, so you look and feel fantastic by the pool or on the beach.
Sizes: S, M, L
3. ASOS DESIGN Maternity Rib Swimsuit with Bunny Tie Detail in Leopard Print
Price: £22 | Buy now on Asos
Leopard print was everywhere last year and isn’t showing signs of going anywhere. We love this stylish maternity swimsuit from ASOS made in a soft rib material that will gently expand with your body as your baby grows.
It has adjustable tie straps to help you find the perfect fit and a flattering plunge-neck design that will really show off your beautiful pregnancy figure.
Sizes: UK 6 to 20
Price: £22
4. Hipea Off-Shoulder Maternity Swimsuit
Price: £22 | Buy now on Amazon
Mumsnetters love this style of swimsuit and we can see why. The flattering floaty design disguises any wobbly bits that you may want to hide, while giving the whole costume a lovely feminine feel.
Adjustable shoulder straps and ruched sides allow for plenty of expansion as your body changes, and the pretty patterned fabric is both soft and comfortable, so you won’t feel anything less than a million dollars.
Sizes: S to XXXL
5. JoJo Maman Bébé Navy Spot Print Maternity Swimsuit
Price: £29 | Buy now on JoJo Maman Bébé
Chic navy is always a winner when it comes to swimwear, so we love the nautical feel of this spotty swimsuit from JoJo Maman Bébé.
The super supportive design features an internal shelf bra, ruching at the bust and sides plus adjustable straps to help you find the best fit.
If your bust is on the larger side then this swimming costume is just what you need to keep everything in place, giving you the security and comfort you need to be able to relax and enjoy the pool.
Sizes: S, M, L
6. Speedo Women's Essential Grace Uback Maternity Swimsuit
Price: £22 | Buy now on Amazon
This one-piece Speedo swimsuit has been specially designed for women who want to continue swimming regularly through pregnancy.
Featuring a flattering V-neck shape, internal bust support and adjustable straps, it ensures you and your bump feel comfortable and supported while you get that all-important exercise in the pool.
Designed to fit perfectly for longer thanks to Speedo's Endurance10 fabric, this maternity swimsuit is great for both holidays and regular exercise.
Sizes: XS to XXL
7. Herzmutter Maternity Tankini
Price: £35 | Buy now on Amazon
If you’re a fan of a two-piece swimsuit then this maternity tankini could be just what you’re looking for. With a tankini you have more flexibility when it comes to fit – perfect if you have a longer or shorter torso and struggle to find one-piece swimsuits that are the right length.
The pants of this swimsuit sit under your bump and feature a deep V-shaped waistband for total comfort. The top half has underbust support, side ruching and adjustable, removable straps, all of which help the costume adapt as your body changes over the months.
There are seven gorgeous patterns to choose from – our favourite is the on-trend tropical print which gives a beautifully beachy look.
Sizes: S to XXL
8. Momo Maternity Swim Dress
Price: £24 | Buy now on Amazon
This cute swim dress offers a bit more coverage than the average maternity swimsuit – ideal if you want something slightly less revealing.
It has a flattering floaty skirt built into it, keeping the top of the thighs and your bottom from being too exposed, and creating an overall flattering, feminine shape.
Soft sewn-in cups and ruching along the side seams ensure a perfect fit as your tummy grows during pregnancy, while the wide halter neck tie provides adjustable support to the chest.
Sizes: S, M
9. ASOS DESIGN Maternity Ruched Tie Front Swimsuit in Navy Polka Dot Spot
Price: £28 | Buy now on Asos
This lovely maternity swimming costume from ASOS features a bold, spotty print with contrasting cups giving it a cute overall look that’s perfect to wear poolside.
Adjustable straps and side ruching let the swimsuit adapt to your growing body and it helpfully comes in sizes from UK 6 to 20 so you don’t have to work out whether you’re a small, medium or large. Simply buy your normal clothing size and the swimsuit will adjust to your bump.
Sizes: UK 6 to 20
10. Hotouch Maternity Halterneck Tankini
Price: £26 | Buy now on Amazon
Available in a pink and green leaf print or a bold wine red floral, this comfortable tankini has won accolades among pregnant women for its supportive, adaptable fit and its flattering design.
Even the bottoms are adjustable thanks to their side ties, ensuring maximum comfort for you throughout your pregnancy.
Gentle padding at the bust gives you a lovely, feminine shape, so you can feel and look amazing as you relax at the beach or around the pool.
Sizes: S to XXL
Can you wear a regular swimsuit while pregnant?
While you can wear any swimsuit when pregnant, many women find that they require more in the way of support and adjustability at this time.
Although regular swimsuits usually contain elastane and are therefore fairly stretchy, a pregnancy bump will put far more strain on the fabric than it was designed for, which will cause it to become thin and see-through in time.
Maternity swimsuits, however, are designed to adapt to your growing figure as your body changes, so you can wear them throughout your whole pregnancy, safe in the knowledge that they will remain robust and supportive even well into the third trimester.
Is it OK to wear a bikini while pregnant?
The simple answer is that you can wear anything you like during pregnancy! It's your body to dress as you wish and some women find that they prefer their body to feel less constrained than it would be in a one-piece swimsuit.
If you choose to wear a bikini, then the main considerations are that you have adequate support in the chest area, as your bust grows considerably during pregnancy, and that you are aware that your skin is much more sensitive to the sun at this time due to increased hormone levels.
Exposure to the sun is very important during pregnancy, because sunlight helps us to synthesise vitamin D, which is essential for the healthy development of a baby and useful for strengthening the bones of the mother. However, you'll likely be more prone to burning so make sure you wear adequate sunscreen and keep a cover-up handy.
How do I choose a maternity swimsuit?
1. Look for adjustable straps and side ruching which will allow your swimsuit to adapt as your body changes.
2. Wide shoulder straps or V-neck halter designs are great for giving extra support to the chest area as your bust grows.
3. Consider a tankini if you have a longer torso or usually struggle to find a good fit in swimwear. Plus, tankini bottoms may have tie sides which gives added flexibility.
4. Look for soft, comfortable material that has an SPF factor to protect your skin, which will be more sensitive due to pregnancy hormones.
Related: The best sun cream for babies and children »
What size maternity swimsuit should I buy?
Buying swimwear can be tricky because many brands use generic small, medium or large sizing, which is difficult to translate into a dress size. However, all of the online retailers which we recommend provide helpful sizing charts so you can take a few simple measurements and find the exact size for you.
If the swimsuit comes in normal UK dress sizes, simply buy your normal pre-pregnancy size and the swimming costume will adapt to your pregnancy figure.
What is the best maternity swimwear?
We think that the best maternity swimsuit is the Summer Mae V-Neck Maternity Monokini which combines several practical, adjustable features with a floaty, feminine look.
How we chose our recommendations
Because we know that there’s nothing like a real recommendation from a real parent, we first headed to the Mumsnet forums to find out which maternity swimwear discerning Mumsnet users had bought for themselves.
We then did some research across the wider web, looking at which maternity swimwear had won accolades or been featured in ‘best buy’ lists across websites and print media, and what customers reviews said about them.
Having collated all that information, we picked the maternity swimwear we thought would make the best buys in several interest categories.
Why you should trust us
We work hard to provide unbiased, independent advice you can trust. We do sometimes earn revenue through affiliate (click-to-buy) links in our articles. This helps us fund more helpful articles like this one.