Summersalt
Rated: Good
Price: $$
Location: USA
Quick verdict
Stylish, size-inclusive swimwear made from genuinely recycled materials. But the gap between polished sustainability marketing and verified practices is the most significant concern. Summersalt's swimwear uses 78% GRS-certified recycled polyamide from fishing nets and post-consumer waste, milled in Italy, with data-driven fit built from 1.5 million body measurements across sizes 0-24. However, there is no Code of Conduct, no living wage evidence, and only partial supply chain tracing. Commons Earth rates the brand "Poor" overall and flags sustainability information as "misleadingly worded." Expanding non-swim lines use conventional cotton, wool, and cashmere with no disclosed sustainable sourcing proportion.
Key info
- Headquarters
- St. Louis, Missouri, USA
- Founded
- 2017
- Product categories
- Swimwear, Activewear
- Price range
- $$
- Key certifications
- GRS (Global Recycled Standard) for recycled polyamide swimwear, WRAP certified (50%+ of final production). Some factories hold GOTS or BSCI certifications. No B Corp, Fair Trade, or Climate Neutral certifications.
Summersalt sustainability rating
Our ratings are based on a scale from 1 (We Avoid) to 5 (Excellent). How we rate
Rating breakdown
Swimwear uses GRS-certified recycled polyamide (78%) from fishing nets and post-consumer waste, Italian-milled. However, expanding non-swim lines (pyjamas, cashmere sweaters, outerwear) use conventional cotton, wool, and cashmere with no disclosed sustainable sourcing proportion.
No published Code of Conduct. No evidence of living wages. Only partial supply chain tracing (Tier 1 only). Commons Earth found "no concrete information" on labour practices. Manufacturing in undisclosed Asian factories.
Recycled swimwear fabric is genuinely lower-impact. Recycled mailer packaging. But no carbon measurement, no water reduction programmes, no textile waste minimisation, no circularity programmes.
Sustainability information buried in FAQ. No factory list, no impact reports, no Code of Conduct. Commons Earth specifically calls information "misleadingly worded" and "hidden." This is the most significant gap between marketing and verification in this batch.
Data-driven fit from 1.5 million body measurements is genuinely innovative for reducing returns and waste. Reusable recycled packaging serves as travel pouches. Product durability. Swimwear consistently reviewed as lasting 3-5+ years. However, no take-back or circularity programme.
What they do well
- 78% GRS-certified recycled polyamide swimwear, Sourced from fishing nets and post-consumer waste, milled in Italy
- Exceptional size inclusivity. Sizes 0-24 built on data from 1.5 million body measurements across 10,000 women
- Reusable recycled packaging, Ships in recycled plastic bags that serve as travel pouches
- Strong product durability. Swimwear consistently reviewed as lasting 3-5+ years
Room for improvement
- Labour transparency is the critical gap. No Code of Conduct, no living wage evidence, no factory disclosure; directly contradicts "ethical manufacturing" marketing language
- Commons Earth rates brand "Poor" overall. Flags sustainability information as "misleadingly worded"; claims on non-swim products receive almost no scrutiny
- No end-of-life circularity. No take-back programme, no repair services, and no formal environmental targets or carbon data published
About Summersalt
Summersalt was co-founded in May 2017 by Lori Coulter and Reshma Chattaram Chamberlin, who met over lunch at NYC's Gramercy Park Hotel. Coulter brought a decade of apparel design experience and 3D body-scanning expertise from her previous startup, True Measure; Chamberlin added DTC marketing prowess, Based in St. Louis for its lower operating costs, the brand raised $26.9 million from investors including Founders Fund and Steve Case's Rise of the Rest.
Swimwear uses Italian-milled recycled polyamide (78%) blended with Lycra (22%), certified under the Global Recycled Standard. Expanding categories. Pyjamas, cashmere sweaters, outerwear. Use a mix of recycled polyester, TENCEL Modal, organic cotton, and conventional materials. Manufacturing occurs in Asian factories, with specific countries undisclosed.
More than half of final production is WRAP-certified, and some factories hold GOTS or BSCI certifications. The critical people-related gap remains: no Code of Conduct, no living wage evidence, only partial Tier 1 supply chain tracing. The gap between Summersalt's polished marketing and verified practices is the most notable cautionary story in this group.
At $95-125 for one-pieces, Summersalt sits below luxury sustainable swim brands like Mara Hoffman ($200-350) but roughly comparable to Andie. The Sidestroke one-piece, called the "Unicorn of Swimsuits" by the Today Show, remains the signature product. Shipping is free on all US orders, but the 21-day return window with an $8 refund fee is notably restrictive.
Product highlights
The Sidestroke One-Piece
78% recycled polyamide one-shoulder swimsuit in sizes 0-22, data-driven fit from 1.5 million body measurements.
$115
Signature product called "Unicorn of Swimsuits" by the Today Show; genuinely recycled fabric with innovative data-driven fit.
The Ruffle Backflip One-Piece
Recycled polyamide with ruffle detail and diagonal seaming for a more playful silhouette.
$115
Same genuinely recycled fabric with a more playful design, maintaining the size-inclusive fit.
Cloud 9 Pyjamas
Recycled polyester and TENCEL Modal from beech trees, using 10-20x less water than cotton in Modal production.
~$88–120
Shows the brand expanding recycled materials beyond swimwear into loungewear.
The Bow-Shoulder Ruched Sidestroke
Elevated recycled polyamide one-piece with bow detail and ruching.
$125
Premium version of the bestseller with refined details at a modest price increase.
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