Boys Togs Australia: Swimwear Sizing and Brand Guide

calendar Jun 13, 2026 / · 7 min read · togs swimwear au  ·
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One boy, two or three pairs of togs

Buying boys togs in Australia comes down to three things: the right style for the activity, a snug fit, and sun protection. Most boys end up needing more than one pair, because the togs that suit school swimming lessons are not the ones that suit a long day at the beach.

This guide draws on the Australian retailer Swimwear Galore's kids swimwear guide for style and sizing, and on Cancer Council Australia for sun protection.

A note on the word: "togs" is the Queensland word for swimwear. Elsewhere in Australia a boy might wear "bathers" or "swimmers", as our guide to togs vs bathers vs cossie explains. The buying advice is the same whatever you call them.

Pool togs and beach togs are different jobs

Swimwear Galore makes a point many parents miss: "Kids can wear their pool swimsuits at the beach, but they shouldn't wear their beach swimsuits in the pool unless the fabric is chlorine-resistant." Its advice is to have "separate swimsuits for each type of swim occasion."

The reason is that the two do different jobs. Pool swimwear is "designed for performance rather than coverage or sun protection," while beach swimwear should have UPF protection and more coverage.

ActivityWhat to buyWhy
Swimming lessons, school swimmingJammers or briefs in chlorine-resistant fabricHolds shape and colour through frequent pool use
Squad training, carnivalsChlorine-resistant jammers or briefsA secure, streamlined fit for racing
Beach and outdoor playBoard shorts plus a UPF rash vestCoverage and sun protection
ToddlersZip-up sunsuit or rash vest with UPF ratingEasy dressing, secure fit, sun cover

For lessons and school swimming, Swimwear Galore recommends "jammers, or briefs from trusted performance brands such as Funky Trunks, Funkita, Speedo, and Zoggs", and for boys, "snug waistbands that stay in place."

What suits each age

Swimwear Galore splits its advice into four age groups:

  • Toddlers and babies (1 to 3). A secure fit matters most, but not so tight that it restricts movement. Look for soft fabrics, wide straps, zip fronts and snug leg openings, in chlorine-resistant fabric for regular pool time. For outdoor swims, choose one-pieces or rash vests with a UPF rating, plus a wide-brim hat.
  • Young children (4 to 7). Choose easy on, easy off styles such as zip-up sunsuits. Its top tip is bright colours: "neon orange, yellow, or pink" make a child easier to spot on a busy beach or at the pool. It adds that adult supervision is still essential at this age.
  • Primary school (8 to 12). As swimming gets more frequent, durability and a "secure, streamlined fit" matter more. "Swimsuits that sag, twist, or ride up are usually a sign that the fit isn't quite right."
  • Teenagers (13 to 16). Comfort, coverage and personal style, with adjustable features. For boys, it lists jammers, briefs and boardshorts, with waistbands that hold.

Sizing: snug, not loose

Sizing varies between brands, so Swimwear Galore recommends checking each brand's size chart and measuring your child against it. The suit should sit "snug on the body without being restrictive."

Two rules follow from that:

  1. Do not buy big to grow into. Swimwear Galore warns that while "it can be tempting to size up," a suit that fits now reduces risk in the water and stops it slipping or shifting. Loose swimwear "can slip or ride up in the water and can cause drag."
  2. Between sizes, go down. "If your child falls between sizes, it's usually better to size down slightly for a snug, safe fit."

Adjustable features such as drawstrings help a waistband sit better.

Fabric: what lasts in chlorine

Swimwear Galore lists the features that matter most:

  • Chlorine-resistant fabric, which it describes as "Made from 100% polyester", built "to resist the damaging effects of chlorine, keeping their shape and colour longer."
  • Stretch, for unrestricted movement.
  • Quick-drying fabric, for comfort after swimming.
  • UPF sun protection, for outdoor play.

For toddlers it adds that "Nylon-spandex and polyester swimwear are perfect choices" for being quick-drying, stretchy and comfortable.

Sun protection: the Australian priority

Cancer Council's advice starts with coverage: "wear clothing that covers as much skin as possible." The best styles are tops with collars and sleeves "of at least three-quarter" length. For a boy at the beach, that points to a long-sleeved rash vest over board shorts.

How UPF works. A UPF rating "refers to both the design of the garment (how much skin it covers) and fabric (how much UV it blocks)." There are "only four UPF ratings for clothing - UPF15, 30, 50 or 50+." Under the Australian Standard AS 4399:2020, UPF 15 is minimum protection (93.35% of UV blocked), UPF 30 is good (96.7%), and UPF 50 and 50+ are excellent (98%).

What a UPF label requires. To claim a UPF rating under the standard, a garment must at minimum cover "the upper body including the torso and ¾ of the upper arms and / or the lower body", with lower-body coverage running "from the hip line to halfway down the thigh." A singlet-style top or very short trunks cannot carry a UPF rating at all, however good the fabric. Cancer Council adds that the rating describes "unstretched, dry material", and that "the tighter the fabric structure, whether knitted or woven, the better the sun protection."

What weakens it. Cancer Council notes three things relevant to swimwear:

  • Water. "Fabrics offer less protection from UV radiation when wet." It suggests taking dry clothes to change into.
  • Stretch. "If a fabric is stretched, it will be less protective." This is common in knitted or elastic fabrics, so "select the correct size for the wearer."
  • Age. "Old, threadbare or faded clothes may offer decreased protection."

Colour. Darker colours of the same fabric "absorb more UV radiation than light pastel shades." That sits in some tension with the bright-colour advice for young children. A dark rash vest with bright togs, or a bright UPF 50+ rated top, can do both jobs.

Slip, slop, slap: where the advice comes from

Most Australians know the rhyme. A 2022 paper in Public Health Research & Practice, "Forty years of Slip! Slop! Slap!" by researchers from Cancer Council Victoria and Cancer Council Australia, dates the campaign's first broadcast to the summer of 1980-81 and credits it with launching "Australia's status as a global leader in skin cancer prevention." Since then, melanoma rates have declined in younger age groups.

The paper is also clear that the job is not finished. Australia "still has one of the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, with about 2000 deaths per year from the disease," and skin cancer has the highest cost to the health system of any cancer type. The authors call for state and territory governments to do more to protect children from UV.

The rhyme has grown since 1981. Cancer Council's current SunSmart advice has five steps for times when the UV is 3 or above: slip on clothing, slop on SPF 50 or 50+ sunscreen, slap on a broad-brim hat, seek shade, and slide on sunglasses. For a boy at the beach, "slip" is where the togs come in: a UPF 50+ rash vest over his board shorts.

The federal government backs the same five steps. An Australian Government health ministers' media release for National Skin Cancer Action Week in November 2019 listed them as the "five simple things Australians can do", starting with "Slip on sun-protective clothing". That release said SPF30 or higher; Cancer Council's current advice is SPF 50 or 50+.

Where to shop in Australia

For pool training in more detail, see our guide to chlorine-resistant togs for lap swimming, and for brand comparisons, Speedo vs Arena in Australia.

References

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