Last Updated: 5th July 2025
Speedo is a globally renowned swimwear brand founded in 1914 in Sydney, Australia, by Scottish immigrant Alexander MacRae. Initially starting as an underwear manufacturer, the company shifted focus to swimwear in the 1920s, with a pivotal moment in 1928 when it introduced the revolutionary “Racerback” swimsuit – the first non-wool suit that allowed greater freedom of movement, especially in the shoulders. This innovation marked the birth of the Speedo brand name, derived from the slogan “Speed on in your Speedos”, coined in a staff contest that same year.
The brand is now recognised worldwide as a leader in swimwear innovation and performance, with a strong presence in competitive swimming and a commitment to ethical trade and the use of advanced materials.
Originally started as a knitting mill producing wool swimwear, Speedo revolutionised swimwear in 1928 by introducing the Racerback suit, the first non-wool swimsuit, which allowed greater freedom of motion.
The brand’s name “Speedo” was adopted in 1928, replacing the original brand “Fortitude”, and quickly became synonymous with competitive swimwear.
The brand debuted at the Olympics in 1932 and gained a reputation for high-performance swimwear.
The company has consistently pushed technological boundaries, pioneering the use of nylon in swimwear in 1957, introducing chlorine-resistant fabrics in 1994, and launching advanced sculpting suits like Shapeline in 2010.
One of its most notable innovations is the Fastskin line introduced in 2000, designed to mimic shark skin to reduce drag and enhance swimmers’ speed.
It is now an Australian-British company headquartered in Nottingham, England, and a subsidiary of the British Pentland Group.
The company’s mission is to inspire people to swim and enhance their experience in and around water, whether for training, racing, fitness, or fun.
Speedo has a strong legacy of innovation, being the first to use nylon in swimwear (1957), introduce chlorine-resistant fabric (1994), and launch near-custom sculpting suits (Shapeline) in 2010. They use engineering simulation and cutting-edge materials to optimise every detail for competitive advantage. Its innovative swimsuits have contributed to more Olympic gold medals than any other brand, highlighting its dominance in competitive swimming.
Reflecting modern values, Speedo incorporates eco-friendly materials like recycled plastics and sustainable production methods, aiming to reduce environmental impact while maintaining high performance.
Speedo offers a wide range of swimwear and accessories, including swimsuits, goggles, swim shorts, and even wristwatches, catering to everyone from elite athletes to casual swimmers and children learning to swim.
Recent technological advancements include the Fastskin swimsuit, inspired by shark skin, and the LZR Racer X, renowned for its speed-enhancing compression and water-repellent features. Speedo categorises its products into performance, fitness, and recreational swimwear, emphasising inclusivity and broad community engagement through digital platforms like Pace Club and Speedo Fit.
Men’s swimwear includes swim briefs, jammers, swim trunks, board shorts, and racing suits.
Women’s swimwear features a variety of swimsuits, including competition suits, bikinis, tankinis, legsuits, full-body suits, and training swimwear. Popular lines include the Hydrasuit, Endurance+ legsuits, and printed swimsuits with styles for open water and pool swimming.
Junior swimwear is designed for boys and girls with options like the Junior Fastskin range for competitive swimming and general training.
They also have over seventy models of goggles, including the popular Biofuse 2.0 goggles designed for fitness and racing.
There are also fins, pull buoys, kickboards, snorkels, swim caps, and other aquatic fitness aids. Mesh bags, ventilator bags, and sports towels for convenience and gear transport are also on offer, and sandals, flip-flops, water shoes, and waterproof sneakers for aqua fitness.
Waterproof digital music players (Aquabeat), waterproof cameras (Aquashot), and related accessories are also available.
The Speedo website showcases a wide range of swimwear, goggles, and accessories with clear product grids and promotional banners for new collections and sales.
There are easy-to-use filters, engaging visuals, and the site also highlights technological innovations in swim gear, emphasising performance and comfort.
The site offers interactive features like the Club Kit design tool, allowing users to customise swimwear with team colours and logos, enhancing engagement and personalisation. The design ensures accessibility and optimal performance across devices, reflecting modern web standards.
Speedo focuses on fostering a community around swimming through initiatives like “Swim United” and collaborations with athletes and organisations. They aim to inspire swimmers of all levels and have developed platforms to provide personalised content such as training plans, tips, and stroke improvement videos.
Speedo also developed “Speedo On”, a social network for swimmers designed to create a personalised community. This platform offers access to training plans, tips, product stories, personalised content, and tracking/analysis features.
It also includes a Speedo On watch application developed in partnership with Samsung.
Speedo offers a wide range of swimwear and accessories, with prices varying by product type and collection.
Men’s swimwear ranges from about $20 to $599 in the US store, with typical swim trunks and briefs priced between $27 and $69.50 on sale.
Men’s swim briefs typically range from about $22.50 to $72.00, with many popular briefs priced around $45.00 before discounts. For example, the Men’s Solid Brief is $45.00, often available on sale for about $22.50 to $31.50.
Women’s swimwear prices range from about $20 for accessories like silicone caps to $116 for one-piece suits, with many styles around $70 to $100. For example, the Women’s Shaping Bandeau One Piece is listed at $116.00, often discounted to about $69.60.
Accessories such as goggles and swim caps range from $6 to $35, depending on the model and features.
Speedo offers several shipping options depending on the region.
For the US, standard shipping arrives in 4-8 business days, costs $5.99 and comes free on orders over $49. Expedited shipping arrives in 3-5 business days, at a flat rate of $16.95. Express shipping arrives in 1-2 business days, at a flat rate of $24.95.
For international shipping, various tracked delivery options depend on destinations, with prices starting from around $6 to $25. Delivery times range from 3 to 15 working days, depending on the country, and duties, taxes, and fees may or may not be prepaid, depending on the destination.
Speedo is a pioneering swimwear brand with over a century of history, known for its technological innovations, quality, performance, Olympic success, and mission to inspire swimmers of all levels globally.
The brand is generally well-regarded for quality swimwear and efficient delivery, especially outside the USA.
Continue To Speedo
speedo.com
