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Top 10 Swimming Brands

Swimming Brands

Swimming is a water sport that can be done competitively or recreationally. On the competitive circuit, it can be done in teams or based on solo achievements. These top ten brands put their best foot forward to help swimmers reach their maximum potential and maintain high speeds in the water.

  1. Speedo
  2. TYR
  3. Arena
  4. Adidas
  5. Zoggs
  6. Finis
  7. Nike Swim
  8. MP
  9. Maru
  10. Dolfin

1. Speedo

Speedo is one of the most popular swim brands in the world for both competitive and recreational swimming. The brand is well established globally and is known for its high-quality and durable swimming gear. It is the leader in performance equipment such as swim goggles, tech suits, and other specialized equipment. The company was founded in 1914 by Alexander McRae under the name “Fortitude” and would not be changed to Speedo until 1982.

Some of the top suits for men and women they produce are the Fastskin, LZR Elite, and Aquablade, which have all earned a great reputation within the swimming community. The brand even once sponsored swimming star Michael Phelps, who would go on to win 23 gold medals using the Speedo suits and gear. Other Olympic swimmers under Speedo sponsorship are Ryan Murphy, Cody Miller, Katy McLaughlin, and Caeleb Dressel.

2. TYR

  • Year Established: 1985
  • Website: https://www.tyr.com/
  • Products: Swimwear, Footwear, Goggles, Sunglasses

TYR is another popular brand within the swimming industry and is a world-leader in swimming equipment innovation. The brand specializes in manufacturing some of the best swimming and triathlon gear and is known for its durability. The brand also emphasizes engineering and is constantly coming up with new technologies to improve their products. Two of their more popular swimsuit lines include the AP12 Compression and Tracer. 

The brand is well-known not only for their great performance, but their suits are also highly recognizable by their great designs and colors. The company was founded in 1985 by Joseph DiLorenzo and 1972 Olympic Bronze Medalist Steve Furniss. Some star swimmers who wear the brand include Ryan Lochte, Michael Andrew, Katie Ledecky, Lilly King, and Bobby Finke.

3. Arena

Arena is an extremely popular swimming brand and is the final of the top three most popular swimming brands in the world. It also has a reputation for developing and producing excellent, durable products. Arena’s suits are also sleek and offer unique compression points; for men, Carbon Pro, XP, and R-evo+ are all top models. 

The company was founded in 1973 by Horst Dassler, who was inspired by Marc Spitz at the 1972 Munich Olympic games to create his own aquatic swimwear brand. Popularity for the brand has grown over the years, with many Olympic swimmer endorsements. Current swimmers on their roster include Sarah Sjostrom, Bruno Fratus, Lydia Jacoby, and Kyle Chalmers.

4. Adidas

Adidas is the second largest manufacturer of sporting apparel and footwear in the world, and the most popular in Europe. The brand is well-established globally and is easily identified by its three stripe logo. The company produces apparel, footwear, and equipment for a wide range of sports, not just swimming, including: soccer, basketball, and football.

Adidas is based in Germany, and was founded in 1924 as a shoe company and changed its name to Adidas in 1949. The brand not only makes recreational and competitive swimsuits, but also goggles, caps, and bags. Many star swimmers are sponsored by Adidas, including Michael Andrew, Madi Wilson, Josh Prenot, Benjamin Proud, and Kyle Chalmers.  

5. Zoggs

Zoggs is popular for its innovative swimming goggles and is focused on designing high quality swim equipment and swimwear. The company is based in Australia and produces goggles, earplugs, caps, fins, and kickboards. The company was founded in 1992 by Graham McConnochie and Peter Archer who had the dream of creating goggles for swimmers all around the world.

The company is now headquartered in Surrey, UK, but has global teams located in Australia, Hong Kong, and New Zealand as well. The brand is sold in over 50 countries and has sold over 35 million goggles alone and will always have a well-established presence within the swimming industry.

6. Finis

Finis is a major swimming brand with “specialties in developing high-performance swimwear and swimming gear.” The company was first launched in 1993 by marketing executive John Mix and retired competitive swimmer Pablo Morales. They became quickly popularized for the introduction of their mono-fin, a singular flipper-like fin with rubber foot sockets for swimmers to mount.

Another major technological advancement that Finis introduced into the industry was the swimmer’s snorkel, the first snorkel designed specifically for competitive swimmers. As the company grew in popularity and reputation, they also began majorly expanding their swim line and will continue to be one of the best brands of the near future. Some famous swimmers that represent Finis as a brand are Arianna Vanderpool-Wallace, Jason Dunford, Anthony Ervin, and Carmella Kitching.

7. Nike Swim

Nike is the world’s largest manufacturer of sporting apparel and footwear and is known globally as one of the most popular and innovative companies within the sports industry. The company Nike, Inc has been around since 1971 and is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon.

The brand makes apparel, footwear,and equipment for a wide range of sports but is admittedly more well known within the sports of football, basketball, soccer, and baseball. The quality of their swim line has significantly improved in recent years and they are now making advances within the swimming industry. A distinct advantage of Nike Swim is that their products are high-quality but are more affordable than most swimwear brands.

8. MP

  • Year Established: 2015
  • Website: N/A
  • Products: Swim Goggles, Tech Suits, Accessories

After parting ways with Speedo, Michael Phelps decided to create MP, his own brand of competitive swimwear. Phelps partnered with his head coach Bob Bowman and the company Aqua Sphere to create this new brand, and the company was launched in February 2015. Due to Phelps’ popularity as an Olympic champion, the brand grew quickly and was backed by high quality swimwear and gear retailers.

The company now offers a wide range of swimming equipment and gear, and is particularly known for its MP Xceed swimming goggles and the MP Xpresso tech suit. The company hopes to grow further by continuing to design and produce high quality and innovative products. 

9. Maru

Maru differentiates itself as a brand by specializing in both training and fashion swimwear. They place an emphasis on producing environmentally friendly swimwear and gear that is currently available in over 20 countries. The company was also founded in Nottingham, UK and has been operating for over thirty years. It prides itself on three key terms: purpose, quality, function. That is the Maru difference.

All Maru swimwear is manufactured from regenerated fabrics in an effort to reduce ocean pollution, and each factory is ensured they are preventing pollutants and reducing their global carbon footprint. The company is most popular within the recreational sides of swimming, but they do have a lot of representation within competitive swimming as well.

10. Dolfin

Dolfin is the final swimming brand on this list, and they offer a wide variety of high quality swimwear, gear, and equipment. The company has a long history as one of the oldest swimwear producers in America. The company was founded in Shillington, Pennsylvania as a manufacturing company for cargo parachutes.

After World War II, the company produced nylon and lingerie for several years. It did not become the Dolfin brand we know today until 1969, when they began exclusively producing swimwear and track suits. Popularity of the brand has decreased over the years, but they still remain relevant thanks to their consistency and wide line of swimwear and swimming gear.

Honorable Mentions

Mad Wave

  • Year Established: 2003
  • Website: https://madwave.eu/
  • Products: Racing Swimsuits, Swim Goggles, Swim Caps, Swim Equipment

Mad Wave is a relatively new swimwear company founded in 2003. They focus on manufacturing and distributing high quality swimming gear designed by engineers, product designers, and Olympic athletes. All of Mad Wave’s products are certified by FINA and can be seen at international competitions in more than 20 countries. Mad Wave has made growing the sport a top priority, and even has its own junior swimming competition, the “Mad Wave Challenge.”

Aqua Sphere

Aqua Sphere is a premium-quality competitive swimwear brand that has helped launch companies like MP but also has a rich history of its own. Established in 1998 by Italian engineers P. Ferraro and G. Beltrani, Aqua Sphere has spent almost twenty-five years designing swimwear with a unique level of craftsmanship and patented technologies. Their first enormous success was the Seal swim mask. Still manufacturing from Italy, the company remains committed to creating and selling only the best swimwear possible.

Blueseventy

Blueseventy is a classic swimwear company focused on the global athletic community. The company launched in 1993 Seattle with their production of the first wetsuit designed specifically for triathlon athletes. Back then, they went by the name Direct Innovations. Eventually, they became the official manufacturer of wetsuits for the Ironman competition and became Ironman Wetsuits. Nearly three decades later, Blueseventy continues to innovate new competition suits across 25 countries around the world.

FAQ

What are the best swimming brands?

The best swimwear brands are Speedo, TYR, and Arena. Speedo is the industry leader in competitive and recreational swimwear and has sponsored top athletes such as Michael Phelps, Cody Miller, and Katie McLaughlin. TYR is a brand that specializes in both competitive swimwear and triathlon equipment, and is known for their product’s durability. Arena is a competitive swimwear brand that is worn by world-class athletes such as Lydia Jacoby and Kyle Chalmers.

What are the best brands for competitive swimming?

For competitive swimwear, the best brand for you depends on your specific needs as an athlete. For example, if you are chiefly a triathlon competitor, you will find no better designed triathlon wetsuit than at Blueseventy. However, If you are looking for traditional, high-quality swimwear for racing, you should try brands like Speedo and TYR. Each brand offers its own unique area of excellence, so it’s important to match your individual needs as an athlete to a brand that matches them.   

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