Friday, March 31st
2023 Swimsuit Store Reviews
Bare Necessities
- Women's fashion bikinis and one-piece swimsuits, sizes 4-24W
- Free shipping on orders of $70+ (or all orders during promo)
- Fitting experts on hand via toll-free number or online chat
- 120-day return policy
Bare Necessities is known by more than two million shoppers as being the place to go for a bra that fits. The company translates that know-how into swimsuits, with an expansive inventory that's practically busting at the seams. (Sorry, we couldn't resist.) If you're typically challenged to find swimwear that fits all of your curves (or straight lines!), Bare Necessities is ready to come to the rescue.
Get personalized help finding the right fit
We love that this store offers "Fit Experts" from 8:30a-8:00p Monday through Friday and even on Saturdays from 8:30a-6:00p (all times EST). This is a huge help if you're tough to size accurately, or if you're not a one-size-fits-all kind of gal. Big on top and small on the bottom? Irregularly-shaped? Cup sizes at one extreme or the other? Bare Necessities is the only place we found that not only takes that into account with the swimsuits they sell, but they also save you the guesswork and help you get the right fit the first time.
Online store is easy to shop
But, if you just want to dive in (...we know") and browse for yourself, this is one of the easiest online stores to do it. Use the filter dropdowns to choose the style, size, brand or color you prefer, if any, and then sort your results by Best Sellers, Price, New Arrivals, Brand, or Top Rated. And hey, this store doesn't judge: under style you can even choose "sexy swim" or "modest swim" .
Read customer feedback for swimsuit fit info
Bare Necessities' swimsuits have a decent amount of customer ratings. The one with the most ratings we could find (just over 100) was the Freya Sundance Tankini Top, available in five colors, five band sizes and seven cup sizes starting at D and ending at GG. Plus, important detail: it was a UK-sized swimsuit, and the store recommended looking at the sizing chart to ensure the proper fit. User reviews are also a great way to see how these suits hold up under normal usage: you can see how well people thought it fit, whether they recommend it, their body type and any comments.
No surprises on pricing
Swimwear here isn't the most or the least expensive we found. That Freya tankini top was priced from $41.99 to $84 depending on the color, and the suggested matching bottoms were anywhere from $18.99 to $60.
Savings promotions are out there
But, savings are a possibility. When we first visited Bare Necessities, we got a pop-up offer of 20% off our order (some brands excluded) if we provided our email address. There was also a seasonal promotion in place with savings up to 40% on certain swimwear and free shipping on all orders, not just the regular complimentary delivery on orders of $70 or more.
Returns = refund or store credit
How about returns? The policy here is more generous than most, giving you up to 120 days on any unworn, unwashed merchandise. There's one limitation: in the first 60 days from purchase, you'll get a refund to your credit card, but from days 61-120, you'll get an email voucher to buy something different instead of a refund. You can either pay for the return shipping costs yourself or, for a $5 fee deducted from your refund, you can use Bare Necessities' prepaid label.
Less-than-fair rating from the BBB?
Given how big the Bare Necessities name is and how long the company has been in business, we were stunned to see that they have an "F" rating from the Better Business Bureau (under the name of their parent company, BareWeb - be careful if you search for that!). But, the reasons behind that rating were pretty insignificant: two or three unanswered complaints, and an unresolved issue about advertising a certain percentage of savings when only a few items actually qualify. To us, neither of those things seem like a big deal.
Customer service is hard to reach
Then again, almost half of the shopper reviews we found for Bare Necessities were a rock-bottom 1-star rating. Time and time again, customers complain that their calls to the toll-free number for the company just ring and ring (or disconnect without putting them through to a representative) - and that they only seem to get a response if they post a complaint somewhere online. Who wants to jump through those hoops?
Proceed with caution
And yet, we still give Bare Necessities a reasonably good three-star rating. We just can't overlook their Fit Experts feature because - assuming you can get a hold of them - they can make the typically-unpleasant experience of shopping for a well-fitting swimsuit a much more positive one. We recommend that you shop here with guarded optimism because of the problems people have reported regarding customer service.
More Swimsuit Store Reviews
The 10 Best Swimsuit Stores
Where Can You Find the Best Selection of Swimsuits?
Let's face it: most of us really don't like shopping for swimwear, even when we have hundreds of options right at our fingertips. Standing in front of a changing room mirror, under harsh lighting and with barely enough room to turn around, is not exactly a recipe for a mood-boosting retail experience. What if it didn't have to be that way?
Good news: it doesn't! You can buy your next swimsuit online and try it on in the privacy of your own home, no fluorescent lights required. Snap a photo and text your friends to see if they like it, use a filter to see how you'd look wearing it at the beach - it's really that easy.
Swimsuit Store FAQ
Continued from above...
But wait. Do stores really let you return swimsuits if you don't like how they look or fit? Yes! Of course, you usually have to keep the hygienic liner in place, the tags attached, and return it in unworn, unwashed condition in order to be eligible for a refund.
Better yet, many top online retailers of swimwear make it easy to get the right fit on your first try. How? Some provide tools that take your measurements and your feedback on how certain brands fit you (e.g. too small, too large, true to size) to give you an approximation of how any particular trunks, bikinis or one-pieces might fit. Also, look for detailed customer reviews: they're usually sortable by height and weight so you can choose ratings from shoppers with your same body type, and many times they even include candid photos.
There are a lot of online swimwear retailers to consider, from household name brands you already recognize and love to lesser-known stores with plenty of trendy and classic styles you might not find anywhere else. Where should you shop? Here are some factors to keep in mind to help you pick:
- Who you're buying for. Some stores only sell women's swimsuits, while others include apparel for the whole family.
- What size you need. Almost every swimsuit retailer carries standard sizes from S-XL, but not everyone has options for smaller/bigger ends of the spectrum. If you're typically challenging to fit or you need options like long torso styles, maternity or mastectomy wear, there are stores that are happy to accommodate you!
- How easy it is to shop. The best online swimwear stores will help you find several items you'll like. They accomplish this with filters and sorting features, reviews and ratings from customers, and plenty of information about each swimsuit (like fabric, sizing charts, and so on).
- How long you have to make a return. Some stores only give you 15 days, while others have no time limit at all! Be sure you understand the retailer's return and refund policy before you make a purchase, especially if you're shopping ahead of time and might not try the suit on right away.
- What others say about the store. Does it have a good reputation for treating customers well? Has the Better Business Bureau given the retailer a strong rating?
TopConsumerReviews has evaluated and ranked today's top online retailers of swimsuits. We're confident that this information will help you find the perfect apparel for your next trip to the beach or pool!
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