When you’re walking out on a beautiful beach in Hawaii, ready to grace the waves, the best men’s board shorts will keep you moving wave after wave, barrel after barrel. But don’t mix it with other swimwear. Board shorts are a little different from your typical swim trunks. Traditional pairs usually have a fixed, non-elastic waist that attaches with a lace-up closure or Velcro. This helps prevent surprisingly thin fallout after wiping badly.
They’re also typically longer, and have a sleeker, more slim design by comparison – meaning fewer pockets. As far as materials go, board shorts are made for real bashing, so they’re made from lightweight, but dense materials like high-twist nylon and polyester. Importantly, unlike swim trunks, board shorts typically don’t come with a built-in mesh liner. Although mesh linings may allow water to drain quickly, they often get in the way of surfing and can cause friction (ouch).
Born from water sports sports, board shorts cater to surfers and wake boarders and often have great colors to match their more extreme athletic abilities. So while you can wear them as a regular pair of men’s shorts, their inherently sporty demeanor is a bit limited in terms of style. If the open ocean of board shorts seems a little daunting, that’s because it is. But you won’t be disappointed because we’ve tested a bunch of options and settled on only the best of the best. So here are our picks for the best men’s board shorts.
The Best Board Shorts for Men, According to GQ
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Best board shorts overall: Birdwell 808 Board Shorts
When surfing was a budding subculture, young beach rats with sun-bleached hair wore something like Birdwell’s classic board shorts. In fact, many of the stalwarts of those nascent anonymous styles were probably wearing these exact shorts. It’s no surprise that this brand became famous among wave-skimming daredevils. Nor is the fact that he has retained his legendary status to this day.
Birdwell’s board shorts are the prototype of this style, made of dense, rugged nylon that wicks water like a squeegee and dries in a jiffy. They come with a timeless straight silhouette with a drawstring waistband, secure buttoned flap pockets and a mid-thigh inseam. While modern men’s board shorts are full of high-octane colorways and next-generation technical details, the beauty of Birdwell’s throwback designs is that they actually look great at the beach, too. Unlike most modern options, we feel completely comfortable wearing Birdwell’s shorts with our everyday outfits. They are the perfect ideal of men’s boardshorts: simple and high quality.
Best Budget Board Shorts: O’Neil Hyperfreak Board Shorts
O’Neill’s prowess in the surf field has kept it on the scene for decades. And if you’re looking for a pair of board shorts that go far beyond getting the job done without taking a sledgehammer to your bank account, consider the O’Neill as your next pair. The front panel is made of the brand’s “HyperStretch” material that offers the wearer great range of motion and the back panel is made of ultra durable stretch Cordura fabric.
