Budgy Smuggler Review: Are Aussie-Made Togs Worth It?

Aug 16, 2026 / Oct 5, 2026 · 7 min read · togs swimwear au ·

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A brief made in the factory that once made Speedo

Budgy Smuggler still makes its swimwear in Sydney, in a factory it says was used by "some great Australian brands before us like Zimmerman, Jets and of course Speedo itself when it was Australian owned." That is the claim that sets it apart from most of the swim brief rack, and it comes from the brand's own blog, where its Chief Smuggler, Linny, says that "since we started, nearly 20 years ago… every pair of Budgy Smuggler swimwear has been proudly made in Sydney, Australia."

The other brands in that list, Linny says, have "shipped manufacturing totally offshore." Zimmermann, Jets and Speedo are all still sold in Australia; Budgy Smuggler's point is about where the sewing happens. This review checks what the brand says about its fabric, sizing, prices, returns and range, using its own pages fetched on 5 October 2026, and what Cancer Council Australia says about sun protection in swimwear.

Where the brand came from

The brand's About Us page tells the origin story: it "started as a bit of a laugh in a backyard in Australia when some mates decided to write 'Budgy Smuggler' on the back of a speedo-style swimwear. Why it has been successful, we have no idea." Its men's swimwear page dates the brand to 2008, and says the name "is a play on the Australian slang term for men's swim briefs."

The same page says "All Budgy Smugglers are 100% Australian Made in our factory in Sydney with the best quality fabrics," and that the company is family owned. The blog post on making in Australia adds that the factory "is run by our original cutter, Wayne, who has been with us for 2 x decades!" Linny gives three reasons for staying local: being able to "track your production through every step", the feeling of "putting on a piece of Australia", and enjoying "seeing our swimwear being crafted."

The fabric, and what "SPF 50+" means on a brief

Budgy Smuggler's men's swimwear page describes the build the same way throughout: a "recycled polyester and elastane blend with SPF 50+ protection and chlorine resistance", with an adjustable drawstring. It says the fabric "delivers 80 to 90 hours of chlorine resistance", and that the fabric is "GRS certified recycled polyester, meaning the environmental credentials are independently verified." GRS is the Global Recycled Standard; the brand does not name the certifier on that page.

The sun-protection claim needs a little context. Cancer Council Australia explains that a UPF rating on clothing "refers to both the design of the garment (how much skin it covers) and fabric (how much UV it blocks)." Under the Australian Standard, it says, "to claim a UPF rating, as a minimum, clothing should 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 swim brief does not cover that much, which is presumably why Budgy Smuggler describes its brief fabric as "SPF 50+" rather than giving the brief a UPF rating. Its long-sleeve kids' onesie bundles, which do cover more skin, are the items it labels "UPF 50+." Either way, Cancer Council's advice is to "choose clothing that covers as much skin as possible" and to use SPF 50 or 50+ broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen on the rest.

Sizing

The brand's sizing guide runs men's briefs from XS (28) to XXXL (40), against waists of 70 to 105cm. It also lists the matching Speedo size for each, so a Budgy Smuggler M (32) lines up with a Speedo 14. The fit note reads: "Men's fit is true to size. Women's: recommended to size down." The men's page adds: "If you are between sizes, go up."

Women's swimwear is sized from 06 to 20, with bust, waist and hip measurements in centimetres. Boys' and girls' sizes run from 6 to 12 months up to 10 years.

What it costs

Budgy Smuggler's site shows prices in the visitor's local currency, so the figure you see depends on where you are. When we checked with the Australian store selected on 5 October 2026, these were the listed prices in Australian dollars:

Range	Price (AUD)	What the brand says
Men's briefs, most prints	$69	Australian Made, recycled fabric
Men's Artist and Community prints	$75	"Priced at $75 to reflect the artist contribution built into every pair"
Girls' one-piece	$70	Australian Made
Boys' briefs	$49.50	Listed price on the day we checked
Kids' onesie swim bundle	$80 (one artist print at $90)	"UPF 50+", "not Australian Made"
Women's tops and bottoms	$65 to $70	e.g. Tallows Tri Top, $70
Women's one-pieces (racers)	$110	Thin Strap, Thick Strap and High Cut Racer

Prices change with sales and new drops, so check the store before you buy.

Not everything is made in Australia

The kids' range has an honest exception. The brand's FAQ says the onesie swim bundle, "a full body long sleeve suit with matching briefs and a hat, designed specifically for babies and toddlers up to 5 years", "provides more complete sun coverage than a brief alone and is not Australian Made." Its kids' page says both the onesie bundles and the swim and cap bundles "are not Australian Made but carry UPF 50+ protection." The boys' briefs and girls' one-pieces are listed as Australian Made. Check the individual product page if origin matters to you.

The artist collection

Budgy Smuggler's Artist and Community collection carries prints by Australian artists, and the brand says the artist "receives a royalty on every pair sold." It names Indigenous Australian artists including MerindahGunya, Charlie Wanti and Nardurna, alongside Mulga and Mitch Revs. A McGrath Foundation Floral print sits in the same collection; the McGrath Foundation provides McGrath Cancer Care Nurses for people diagnosed with cancer. The brand also sells NRL and AFL designs.

Shipping and returns

The shipping and returns page lists free shipping over $120, a 90-day returns policy, and free returns for Australia and the USA through a returns portal. Domestic orders are dispatched within 1 to 2 business days via Australia Post. Standard shipping takes 5 to 7 business days (2 to 3 for metro Sydney), express takes 1 to 2 business days to NSW, Queensland and Victoria (2 to 4 elsewhere), and Sydney has same-day shipping. International standard delivery is 7 to 10 business days.

For a wrong size, the brand's advice is practical: process a return for a refund and place a new order, so "we won't be waiting for the return of your unwanted item before shipping out the new one."

Is it worth it?

If you want a swim brief made in Australia, with a stated recycled fabric, a published size chart that maps to Speedo's sizes, and a 90-day returns window, $69 buys that. The brand's account of its Sydney factory is specific, named and checkable, which is more than most "locally made" labels offer. If you want maximum sun coverage, though, a brief is a brief: Cancer Council's advice is to cover as much skin as you can, and a rash vest or the onesie bundles do more of that.

For more on Australian swimwear labels, see our Australian swimwear brands round-up and Speedo vs Arena comparison.

Where to buy

Budgy Smuggler sells direct through its online store. Australian readers should select Australia in the store's country menu to see prices in Australian dollars. The brand also runs separate stores for the UK and France.