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Comparison

Tucann vs board shorts: which should you buy?

Two different garments for two different days at the beach. The comparison, with what customers who switched say.

Customer photo from Eric L. wearing Fly Fern Black Swim ShortsCustomer photo from Bryan W. wearing Fluro Aqua - 7"Customer photo from Samuel K. wearing White Camo - 3"Customer photo from Shawn C. wearing Donut Blue Swim Shorts - 3"Customer photo from Romano K. wearing Make Waves Blue V2 - 3"Customer photo from Nuno P. wearing Geo Black Swim Shorts - 3"
Side by side
Board shortsTucann swim trunks
Length9 to 21 inch, at or below the knee3, 5 or 7 inch
FitLoose, straight legTailored, defined leg
LinerNone (or mesh)Compression stretch liner
WaistFixed with lace up flyElastic with drawstring
PocketsUsually one back pocketTwo side pockets plus zip pocket
Dry timeFastFast, four way stretch shell
Best forSurfing, paddlingSwimming, beach, pool, boats, gym, travel
Wear as shortsLooks like swimwearReads as tailored shorts

Why the categories are different

Board shorts were designed for surfing: long so the board does not rub the thighs, loose so they do not restrict paddling, no liner so they dry on the board. Those are good design decisions for surfers and poor ones for everyone else. For swimming, a loose long short is drag and a wet flag around the knees. For the pool bar, it looks like swimwear. Tucann's cut solves for the second group: a short, tailored trunk with a liner that makes it wearable from the water to dinner.

What switchers say

Customer photo from Eric L.
Love these shorts. Living in Florida I can Wear them all the time. It’s been a long search to find the perfect boardshort for the beach. But I finally Did with Tucann. Will be ordering more ASAP.
Eric L. · Verified purchase · Fly Fern Black Swim Shorts
Customer photo from Bryan W.
Best pair of shorts! Always had board shorts that are ok except when you loose weight or gain weight. I like the liner that doesn’t show the privates when getting out of the water. 🤙🏽
Bryan W. · Verified purchase · Fluro Aqua - 7"
Customer photo from Samuel K.
This bathing suit/board short is #badass. This is my 3rd pair. The fit is enhancing and super comfortable, even as I’m in the process of trying to l...
Samuel K. · Verified purchase · White Camo - 3"
Customer photo from Shawn C.
My 3rd pair of Toucans. Great fit, not too long, not baggy. Love the material and their unique prints. Quick shipping. If you see a print you like, gr...
Shawn C. · Verified purchase · Donut Blue Swim Shorts - 3"
Customer photo from Romano K.
Main reason for getting these shorts was the smart idea to add the built in aqua liner instead of the usual mesh lining and it really makes wearing sw...
Romano K. · Verified purchase · Make Waves Blue V2 - 3"
Customer photo from Nuno P.
Great graphics, perfect material and the inside mesh is very useful. In my opinion they could be 1 inch shorter but that's my personal taste.
Nuno P. · Verified purchase · Geo Black Swim Shorts - 3"

Where board shorts still win

Surfing. Tucann does not make a surf length and the cut is not intended for a board. Twelve reviews in the archive mention surfing, all positive, but these are customers swimming and body surfing rather than riding waves daily. And if you simply prefer a loose fit, a tailored trunk will feel fitted, because it is.

Shop Tucann swim trunks Browse all 12,444 reviews

How this page was made: every figure is computed from the 12,444 customer reviews on this site (11,351 contain written text). Percentages are the share of written reviews that mention a theme. Quotes are reproduced unedited and link to the original review. Read our methodology.