Nani Swimwear Review: The Utah Brand Solving Swimsuits That Actually Stay Put

Three women in Utah got tired of the same problem. String bikinis that shift the moment you move, or one-pieces that solve the movement issue by looking frumpy.

Nothing sat in between.

They started Nani in 2016 with savings, Google, and a basement to hand-pack orders from. Growth hit 784% in 2025. The brand now sells through Dick's Sporting Goods, REI, Walmart and Amazon alongside its own site.

Here is what the suits actually deliver.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

1. Patented pockets, a feature almost no other swim brand offers
2. 85% recycled polyester fabric with UPF protection
3. Genuine size inclusivity with strong midsize feedback
4. Fit guarantee and free exchanges when buying direct
5. Coverage-based browsing, filter by low, medium or maximum

Cons:

1. A recent switch to invisible seams has annoyed long-term customers
2. Foam cups undercut the sustainability messaging
3. Some cuts do not suit long-waisted bodies
4. Score sits at 4.2 out of 5, good rather than exceptional
5. Utah brand using a Hawaiian name, which some buyers have questioned

First, Avoid the Confusion

Two different companies, similar names, very different reputations.

Nani Swimwear (naniswimwear.com) is the Utah brand this review covers, founded 2016, sold at major retailers.

Nani Bikini is a separate San Diego company with a Better Business Bureau profile carrying serious allegations, including a complaint accusing it of copying designs and photos from another business. It has also failed to respond to complaints filed against it.

Check the URL before ordering. They are unrelated.

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The Pockets Are the Real Innovation

Most swim brands compete on print and cut. Nani patented pockets.

The Yoga Pocket Bottom is the piece that gets mentioned most, and it solves something genuinely annoying: nowhere to put a key, a card, or a phone at the beach. Reviewers who discover them tend to become repeat customers over it.

The rest of the range organises by coverage rather than style, which is a smarter way to shop swimwear than most sites offer. Low coverage covers bralettes, thin straps and high-leg cuts. Medium sits in the middle with crops, wider straps and mid-rise bottoms. Maximum goes fullest.

Popular pieces include the Emi Marine Bottom, Scout Colorblock Bottom, Stevie One Piece, Braided One Piece, 4 Way Reversible Bralette and the Reversible High Rise Bottom.

Pricing

Reasonable rather than cheap, and frequently discounted at retail partners.

Bottoms typically run $40 to $52, though Dick's has them from $19.48 on sale. One-pieces sit at $57.77 to $100. Hybrid reversible shorts are $62, and the Make it a Romper shorts $52.

Buying direct gets you a fit guarantee and free exchanges, which matters more than a small discount if sizing is uncertain.

What Buyers Report

The consistent theme is that the suits stay put during actual activity. Paddleboarding, beach volleyball, swimming laps, chasing a toddler around a pool. Reviewers repeatedly mention the wide waistband on bottoms creating a slimming effect while staying in place.

Fabric gets described as soft, buttery on the inside lining, and durable. One REI reviewer has bought the same bottoms in multiple colours across several years and reports they hold up for one to two years of regular pool use.

Sizing runs true to the chart for most people. A reviewer at 5'2" and 105lbs took an XS. Another at 5'6" and 130-140lbs took a small in both top and bottom. A third at 5'9" and 141lbs took a medium. Several recommend sizing up if between sizes.

Midsize feedback is particularly strong. One reviewer described the Beach Break Flat Rib set as the first two-piece that worked on her midsize frame, crediting the longer band.

The Complaints Worth Knowing

The seam change is the most substantive one. A long-time customer at REI noticed her new bottoms had no exterior stitching around the legs and assumed a defect. She reordered, got the same thing, contacted Nani, and was told the brand is moving to an invisible seam across all swim bottoms.

Her verdict was harsh: the invisible seam looks fine until you put them on, at which point the lining shows at the sides. She called it a terrible design idea and said she would stock up on the old version while she can.

The foam cups drew a pointed TikTok critique. The tags proclaim the suits are made from recycled materials, while the foam cups go straight into the bin. That is a fair inconsistency to flag on a brand leading with sustainability.

Cut compatibility varies. One REI reviewer with a long waist and small waist found the cut hit in all the wrong places despite acknowledging the quality was good. Body shape matters more than the marketing suggests.

The name question came up in one honest review: a Utah-based brand using a Hawaiian name gave the reviewer pause. She proceeded anyway, citing the women-owned structure and recycled fabrics, but noted it rather than ignoring it.

The Numbers

Overall score sits at 4.2 out of 5 across 75 reviews on Knoji, which ranks it as a mid-range performer against competitors like Cupshe, Triangl, Billabong, Frankies Bikinis and Kulani Kinis.

That is a fair reading. Solid, well-reviewed, genuinely liked by its customers, without being untouchable.

Shipping and Returns

Buying direct from naniswimwear.com gets you the fit guarantee and free exchanges, which is the main reason to order there rather than a retailer.

Newsletter signup gives 15% off a first order, and promo codes circulate through review sites and creators fairly regularly.

Retailer purchases follow that retailer's policy. Walmart offers free 30-day returns on Nani items, and Dick's and REI both have their own return windows, REI's being particularly generous.

If sizing is your concern, buying direct makes more sense than chasing a small discount elsewhere, because the free exchange removes the risk entirely.

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Contact

1. Website: naniswimwear.com
2. Support: contact form on site, plus Sizing, FAQ and Returns pages
3. Also at: Dick's Sporting Goods, REI, Walmart, Amazon
4. Direct benefits: fit guarantee, free exchanges, 15% off first order

FAQs

Is Nani Swimwear legit?

Yes. Founded 2016 in Utah by three women, sold through Dick's, REI, Walmart and Amazon, with an overall 4.2 out of 5 rating. Do not confuse it with Nani Bikini, an unrelated San Diego company with a poor BBB record.

Does Nani Swimwear run true to size?

Generally yes, and the size chart is accurate. Several reviewers recommend sizing up if you fall between sizes.

What makes Nani different from other swim brands?

Patented pockets, coverage-based shopping, and a genuine focus on suits that stay in place during activity rather than just looking good standing still.

Is Nani good for midsize bodies?

This is where the strongest feedback sits. Multiple midsize reviewers describe it as the first brand that fit properly on both top and bottom.

What is the issue with the new seams?

Nani has moved to invisible seams on swim bottoms. At least one long-term customer reports the lining now shows at the sides, and prefers the older stitched version.

Final Verdict

Nani solved a real problem and did it with a feature nobody else offers. Suits that hold through paddleboarding and pool days, pockets that actually work, sizing that fits midsize bodies properly, and recycled fabric behind it.

The 4.2 rating feels right. Genuinely good rather than flawless, with the seam change being a legitimate recent step backwards that long-term customers noticed immediately.

Buy direct if sizing is uncertain, because free exchanges remove all the risk. Check the coverage filter rather than guessing from photos. And make sure you are on naniswimwear.com, not the similarly named brand with the BBB problems.