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Shein Swim Review [2024]- worth it or not?

Today we’re talking all about Shein swim! I ordered 8 Shein swimsuits and have all the details including three you should try this summer. If you want the scoop on Shein clothing beyond swimsuits, check out this full review of Shein here. 

 

What is Shein? 

Shein is an online retailer specializing in fast fashion from China. Over the years they’ve established warehouses in the US (which makes for faster shipping) and gotten more consistent with sizing. You can find thousands of trendy, cute, lower quality pieces at very affordable prices. It is not the place to find the white tee you want to wear with everything for the next seven years but a great place to dip your toes into a new trend. 

Are Shein Swimsuits worth it? 

This is my first season trying Shein swimwear and I was a little wary. Isn’t swim wear something you need to be decent quality? How would sizing work? Will it be wearable for under $15? 

I found the swim selection (8 different styles, 10 suits total) to be a lot like Shein products overall, hit or miss. I loved a couple of the swimming suits and some of them would never work. 

What to expect from Shein swimwear and bathing suits: 

You can expect the suit to be the same as pictured on the website. Don’t expect very high quality fabrics but all 10 suits I ordered were not see-through and the material has held up to swimming and handwashing (I hand wash most of my swim, regardless of where it’s from, and let it air dry). 

Expect slightly higher-cut legs and slightly cheeky back coverage in general (very trendy, maybe not your thing). Like with anything on Shein you can usually find a good number of reviews for each piece. Use these customer photos and sizing information to gauge material and coverage. 

All the swimsuits I ordered came with padding. 

What size should you order in Shein swimsuits? 

Order your regular size. All the bathing suits I ordered run true to size.

Usually, my biggest tip with Shein is to read the reviews and check the details for each item. With clothing, I find their sizing to be less consistent than other stores and so reviews and measurements are really helpful. With swimwear, I did this, sized up according to the sizing measurements, and ended up with a few suits that were way too big. The suits that fit the best were all the ones I ordered in my regular size. 

Here are pictures and details about each Shein bathing suit I ordered from:

I’ve given each a letter grade in style, fit, and material. 

(for reference, I am 5’4″ and usually wear an xs, size 25, 32B) 

Ditsy Floral Smocked One Piece (available in three colors): 

Fit: A-

Material: A-

Style: A

One of my very favorites from the order. It runs tts (the medium was a little big on me and I re-ordered in a small). It has good coverage. Tie straps are adjustable so you can wear it a little lower / higher. The smocked detail is really cute and the print/ color is so fun! It also comes in three cute colors and I love this cute suit!

They brought this back again this year in three new colors and it is just as cute!

Wearing in a size S 

Green Zip One Piece (comes in lots of colors):

Fit: B+

Material: B+

Style: A

This is such a steal for the price. It has a functional zipper (great for nursing moms!), higher cut legs, and such a pretty olive color. The back is scooped and has medium bum coverage. This is another suit I really like and am keeping. It also comes in a classic black and grey.

Wearing a size XS

White and Blue Floral One Piece: 

Fit: A

Material: A

Style: A+

My hands-down favorite suit from the order. This is very flattering, a gorgeous print, and a higher quality suit than some of the others in the order. The fit was also the best of the swim (if you’re looking for a smaller swim suit, this is a great one). The white isn’t sheer or see-through when wet. If you’re going to order one suit, this is the one I recommend! 

This suit is sold out and hasn’t been brought back yet (fingers crossed) but there are lots of cute floral one-piece options.

Wearing a size XS

Black ribbed one piece: 

Fit: B

Material: B+

Style: A

Another great one piece option from Shein, the black ribbed one piece is a classic black suit in this trendy fabric. I love the ribbed material and will be keeping this one. The fit isn’t quite as good as the blue floral or the yellow one piece (runs slightly big on me) so it isn’t sucking you in but I’m still a big fan. The straps are not adjustable so this would work a tiny bit better for someone with a little bit longer of a torso than me. 

Wearing a size XS


Black scalloped one piece: 

Fit: C

Material: C+

Style: A

Ben complimented this one the first time he saw it. I LOVE the scalloped detailing but the fit and fabric of this one isn’t as good as the others. It is loose through the chest area (I’m have a 32B post 3 children chest) and you can tell from the pictures it doesn’t fit super well through the torso. This one gets an A for looking cute in a picture, a C for fit and a C for quality. It doesn’t feel super secure and is rather cheeky. 

Wearing a size S

This exact one is sold out but they have some other similar scalloped options that look really cute.

Two toned black and tan one piece: 

Fit: B

Material: C

Style: B

My face says everything about this suit – not my favorite. This is the suit I wanted to love and just didn’t. The material is very thin and it is very cheeky. I also sized up and really shouldn’t have. It has the highest leg cut of all the swim I ordered and I didn’t feel very comfortable or secure moving around in it. That said, if I was mostly lying by the pool on a kid-free vacation with just Ben, I might consider this one in my regular size. 

Wearing a size M

This one is completely sold out.

Two other suits I didn’t take pictures in (and am returning): 

Pink One Shoulder One Piece: 

I love the one shoulder silhouette of this suit but the side without the strap doesn’t stay up while wearing it. I love the color and the material is fine but if you actually plan on swimming or chasing children (or lifting your arms above your head),  skip this one.  

It comes in a few different colors (and this looks like the same suit in a fun floral print) but I don’t understand the thousands of great reviews because with a few movements I was completely exposed. Maybe if you have a larger chest to fill it out more it stays in place?

(ordered size S)

White One Piece: 

I always want to order a white one piece but can’t justify spending up on something that seems a bit impractical. At under $15 this seemed like the perfect time to try. I was pleasantly surprised with the material and quality, but the fit in the chest didn’t work for me. If you have more of a chest than I do, this could work. 

It comes in three colors and is under $15 here

A few other suits from Shein I’m eying (that I didn’t see the first time around because the swim collection is HUGE and they’re always adding new styles): 

(ordered size S)

Summary: 

 
Suits worth ordering right now (suits I am keepin):
  • Yellow smocked floral: one of my favorites – runs tts, flattering, good coverage (re-ordered a small because the M was too big and I really liked it) 
  • green zipper one piece – runs tts (medium was too big so I re-ordered a small and love it) 
  • blue floral – LOVE THIS ONE (my favorite – flattering – feels like great quality) 
Avoid these suits (ones I am returning): 
  • Pink one piece very cute but the side without the strap doesn’t stay up super well. If you’re just lying out at the beach and want something cute, the bright pink color is darling in person, but if you actually plan on swimming or chasing children (or lifting your arms above your head), skip this one. 
  • white one piece – top fits a little weird, will return 
  • Black + Tan scalloped- runs tts and very cheeky/ thin material on bum 

Still up for debate (ones I’m still deciding on): 

Other outfit details:

Oversized Sunglasses (from shein): You cannot beat these for $6

Cateye Sunglasses (not my favorite): Shein has a standard 30 day return policy with the exception of a few items. Sunglasses are not returnable but at $4, it was a risk I was willing to take. You can check out their other sunglasses here (so many great options under $10) 

White slides: I ordered these cute slides off of Amazon for summer and they’ve been great for pool days 

A few other pictures  – zipper detail, coverup, etc. 

Oh and here’s a Shein swim coverup for you. It is unlined, very thin, and I wasn’t a huge fan right out the package but then I put it on and, for under $10, it is very cute and comes in a handful of colors. 

SHEIN HUB – get all the reviews + tips here

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4 Comments

  1. Pingback: Is Shein Legit? A 2021 Review and must read before you order | Elisabeth McKnight
  2. Pingback: 7 things to order on Shein this week: end of summer edit | Elisabeth McKnight
  3. I am a 18W with a pear shaped body. I have not seen anything especially your swimsuits that would fit me. I am 66 years old.

  4. thx

    Did you write your weight some where and I missed seeing it?

    I thought all of the suits would run very small, because the prices are so cheap.

    I am glad I read your review….. TY