Swim Trunks Without Mesh: Why Guys Are Ditching the Netting

Swim trunks without mesh come in two kinds: unlined trunks with nothing inside, and trunks where a soft compression liner replaces the netting.

Both exist because a generation of men decided they were done with scratchy mesh, and brands finally listened. One of the two options is almost always the better buy, and it is not the empty one.

Here is what happened to the netting, and what to look for instead.

Why are guys ditching mesh netting?

Because the netting fails at its one job: being comfortable underwear. The complaints are universal and colorful. It scratches. It traps sand. It clings when wet, grinds on wet skin, and turns a beach day into a waddle home. Internet forums have compared it to sitting on a cheese grater, and thousands of men typed "same."

Mesh survived for decades because it was cheap to make and nobody offered better. Then quick-dry stretch fabrics got cheap too, and the excuse died. We wrote the full autopsy in why swim trunks have mesh lining.

What are your options without mesh?

Option 1: Unlined trunks. No netting, no liner, just the shell. Popular with guys who cut the mesh out of their trunks and never looked back.

• The good: nothing scratchy, total freedom, dries fastest of all.
• The bad: zero support, wet trunks cling and reveal, and you need something underneath anyway for hygiene, which means buying and packing a separate swim brief or compression short. See do you wear underwear with swim trunks for how to layer unlined trunks correctly.

Option 2: Compression liner trunks. The netting is replaced with a soft, stretchy inner short sewn in.

• The good: full support, no chafing, no sand traps, nothing extra to pack, dries just as fast as mesh.
• The bad: costs a bit more than bargain-bin mesh trunks. That is the whole list.

Should you just cut the mesh out of your current trunks?

You can, and the trunks survive. But you inherit all of Option 1's problems with none of the planning: no support, no modesty when wet, and bare skin on the shell fabric all day. Cutting the mesh is a protest vote. Buying trunks designed without it is the actual solution.

Unlined vs compression liner: which mesh-free trunks should you buy?

The verdict: unlined trunks make sense if you already have a layering system you like. For everyone else, a built-in compression liner does everything mesh promised and none of what mesh did. The buying details, fabric blends, liner length, seams, are in our complete compression liner guide.

What should you check before buying mesh-free trunks?

1. Read the liner description. "Brief liner" can still mean mesh. Look for "compression liner," "boxer brief liner," or "stretch liner."
2. Check the liner length. Inner-thigh coverage is what stops chafing. Brief-cut liners protect less than mid-thigh ones.
3. Confirm the shell is quick-dry. Polyester or nylon shell, not cotton blends.
4. If unlined, plan the layer. Quick-dry swim underwear, ordered at the same time, or you will be improvising with cotton boxers on day one, which defeats the entire project.

Frequently asked questions

Do swim trunks without mesh dry slower?

No. Modern polyester-elastane liners dry as fast as mesh, and unlined trunks dry fastest of all. Drying speed stopped being mesh's advantage years ago.

Why do cheap swim trunks still have mesh?

Cost. Mesh netting is one of the cheapest liners to produce. It persists in budget trunks because it saves the manufacturer money, not because it serves you.

Are unlined swim trunks appropriate for public pools?

Yes, as long as you wear a swim-appropriate layer underneath. Unlined trunks alone go see-through when wet more often than most guys expect.

What is the netting in swim trunks for anyway?

Support, modesty, and quick drying, a 1950s solution to men swimming in cotton underwear. Full story in why swim trunks have mesh lining.