Rip Curl vs Billabong: Which Makes Better Togs?

calendar Jun 23, 2026 / · 6 min read · togs swimwear au  ·
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Two iconic Aussie surf brands — and they no longer share an owner

Here is the fact that quietly explains most of this comparison: Rip Curl and Billabong, the two surf labels that grew up together on Australia's coast and once looked like natural rivals from the same world, are now owned by entirely different companies on opposite sides of the corporate map. Rip Curl belongs to the New Zealand-listed group KMD Brands, which acquired it in 2019 and runs it as its largest brand alongside Kathmandu. Billabong, after the collapse and consolidation of the surf industry's big players, sits inside the global licensing house Authentic Brands Group. They are no longer two arms of the same beach culture — they are two differently steered businesses that happen to share a heritage.

That divergence in ownership is why, when you compare their togs today, you are really comparing two different strategies rather than two siblings. This piece looks at where each brand's swimwear sits on focus, fit, price and value for an Australian or New Zealand buyer choosing between them.

Shared roots, separate paths

Both brands are foundational to Australian surf culture. Rip Curl began on Victoria's Bellarine Peninsula in 1969, built on wetsuits and a "search" ethos tied tightly to actual surfing. Billabong started on the Gold Coast in 1973, made its name on boardshorts, and rode the 1990s–2000s surfwear boom to global scale before the industry's debt crisis forced its restructuring. Their swimwear lines carry those origins: Rip Curl's togs still read as performance-and-beach product from a brand that also makes serious wetsuits, while Billabong's swim range leans into the lifestyle-fashion side of surf, where the boardshort and the bikini are as much a look as a tool.

For a buyer, the useful frame is that Rip Curl remains a surf specialist with an unbroken operating identity, whereas Billabong's identity now flows through a licensing model focused on the brand as a marketable name. Neither is inherently better, but they pull the togs in slightly different directions — function-forward versus fashion-forward.

What each brand's swimwear is good at

Rip Curl's swimwear strengths follow from its surf-hardware DNA. Its boardshorts and one-pieces are built for movement and water time, with an emphasis on durable construction, secure fits and ranges that connect to its wider surf and wetsuit catalogue. If your togs need to survive actual waves, paddling and repeated salt-and-sun exposure, Rip Curl's positioning is squarely aimed at that.

Billabong's swim range plays to print, silhouette and the recognisable surf-lifestyle aesthetic — bikinis, one-pieces and boardshorts designed to look the part on the beach as much as to perform in it. For a buyer whose swimwear is mostly for the sand, the pool deck and the holiday rather than the line-up, Billabong's design-led approach is a natural fit, and the brand's long print heritage gives it a distinctive look.

Fit, range and where they sell

Both brands cover men's, women's and youth swimwear, and both are widely stocked across Australia and New Zealand through their own stores, surf retailers and large multi-brand chains. Because surf brands cut for a broad, active customer base, sizing tends to be more forgiving than fashion-house swimwear — but, as always, the only reliable move is to check each brand's own size guide rather than assume your usual number carries across. The independent Australian consumer body Choice is a good general reference for how to judge garment quality, returns and genuine versus inflated discounts before committing.

On price, the two land in broadly the same mid-market band — accessible surf-brand pricing well below designer swimwear, with frequent sales. Neither is a luxury label, and both go on discount often enough that paying full retail for togs from either is rarely necessary. That makes value less about list price and more about which brand's strengths match how you actually use your swimwear.

The ecosystem around the togs

One advantage that does not show up on a single swimsuit is the breadth of the brand around it. Rip Curl makes some of the most respected wetsuits in the world, along with watches, accessories and a deep surf-hardware catalogue, so its swimwear sits inside a coherent water-sports range — useful if you want togs, a rashie and a wetsuit that all come from a label that genuinely understands cold-water and surf use. That focus is reinforced by ownership: as its parent KMD Brands has stated through the recent pressure to carve the brand out, Rip Curl is treated as a core flagship rather than a name to be licensed out, which tends to keep product quality and range consistent.

Billabong's ecosystem is broad in a different way. Under Authentic Brands Group's licensing model, the Billabong name appears across boardshorts, apparel and accessories produced and distributed through licensees, which gives the brand wide availability but can make the in-store experience vary more by region and retailer. For a swimwear buyer the practical implication is to judge the specific garment in front of you rather than assume a uniform standard across every market — a sensible habit with any licensed brand.

Sustainability is now part of both stories, too. Like most of the swimwear market, both brands have moved toward recycled fabrics in parts of their ranges, so buyers who care about materials should read the composition on the specific piece rather than rely on the logo, since the credentials vary collection to collection rather than brand to brand.

Rip Curl vs Billabong at a glance

CriterionRip CurlBillabong
OwnerKMD Brands (NZ-listed)Authentic Brands Group
OriginVictoria, 1969Gold Coast, 1973
Core identitySurf performance, wetsuitsSurf lifestyle, boardshort heritage
Swimwear leanFunction-forwardFashion-forward
Price bandAccessible mid-marketAccessible mid-market
Best forActual surfing and water timeBeach, pool deck, holiday look

Which should you choose?

If your togs need to work — surfing, swimming laps in the sea, hard wear across a long summer — Rip Curl's performance-and-durability positioning is the safer pick, and it benefits from a stable owner that treats it as a flagship rather than a licence. If you are buying for the beach-and-holiday side of swimwear and the look matters most, Billabong's design heritage and print range give it the edge, with the caveat that its current licensing-led model means the experience can vary more by market and stockist.

For most Australian and New Zealand buyers the choice comes down to that single question — performance or look — rather than to any quality gap between two genuinely capable surf brands. If you want to see how surf-bred togs compare against the country's premium swimwear houses, our Seafolly versus Zimmermann comparison covers the fashion end of the Australian market, and our explainer on what togs means unpacks the word itself.

Where to buy

Both brands sell directly: Rip Curl Australia and Billabong carry their current swim ranges online, and both are stocked through surf shops and major chains across Australia and New Zealand. End-of-season and major retail sale events are the reliable discount windows — our guide to swimwear sale season in Australia maps when the markdowns actually arrive.

References

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