The ultimate guide to swimming caps – Swimming caps are generally designed for competitive swimmers to reduce the drag while swimming. However, they can also be used for training purposes. Or just to keep long hair out of the way while you enjoy a relaxing swim. Your swim cap is almost as important as your swimming costume these days.
It’s good to be aware that unlike shower caps, swimming caps are NOT designed to keep the water out completely. So there’s no guarantee your hair will stay completely dry. They are there more for performance purposes and to keep your hair out of the way while you swim.
Swimming caps can also be used to cover your ears while you swim. Great if you have ear problems. Or if you like to wear ear plugs, they’ll help to keep them in place. Or, if you like to use an MP3 player while you swim, the cap while help to keep the buds in your ears.
Different Varieties
There are so many different varieties of swimming cap out there. It can be a little daunting to know which one is the right one for you. First off, think about what you want from your cap. To keep your ear buds in place? To keep your hair out of the way. Or for performance. This will help narrow down what type of swim cap you want.
To help you find the perfect swim cap, here is a list of the different types available.
Swimming caps are made from a variety of different materials. The most common ones used are – silicone, latex, and lycra. However, you may also come across caps made from rubber, neoprene and polyurethane. These aren’t that common though so we won’t go into all of these. My favourite has to be the silicone caps as they’re comfortable, durable and won’t try to rip all of your hair out when you take the cap off!
Silicone Swim Caps
Silicone is one of the best types of swimming caps (and my favourite). As I said, it is extremely durable and will last for years if it’s cared for properly.
Latex Swim Caps
The latex caps are far thinner than the silicone ones and therefore much less durable. They’re also prone to ripping whilst putting them on or taking them off. You do need to be extra careful with these caps.
To be honest, the only good thing about them is they are more breathable than the silicone caps. Making them better for hotter climates. Oh and they’re much cheaper than the silicone caps.
Rubber Swim Caps
The rubber caps are slightly thicker than the latex swimming caps. However, this means they’re usually not as stretchy or elasticated. Similarly to the latex caps, rubber swimming caps are very light weight and roughly the same price. The benefits to getting the rubber cap over a latex one is if you have an allergy to latex.
Swimming Caps That Won’t Pull Your Hair
Caps made from softer fabrics like Lycra and neoprene won’t pull your hair at all. But, as discussed above, these materials are not the best for reducing drag. Need to swim with a rubber, silicone, or latex cap for a competition? Try using baby power, talcum power, or corn starch in the cap while in storage. This will make it easier to put on when you need it.
How To Put On A Swimming Cap
Once you get the hang of it, it’s actually very easy to do. The technique you use will depend on whether you have long hair or not. The cap will generally have a crease down the centre. Use this crease as a guide for the centre of your head, down to the back of your neck.
For those of you with long hair, put it up in a loose bun or ponytail and secure with a hairband. Hold the swimming cap open with both hands and place the front of the hat against your forehead. Once on your forehead, pull the cap over the top of your head and bun (quickly works best). Pull down towards the back of your neck. It’s likely you will have some stragglers so just tuck them up the sides of the cap once it’s on. Adjust the cap where you need to for the perfect fit. It’s pretty much the same technique for people with short hair, it’s just easier and less tucking in!
Sizing Swimming caps
Most swimming caps are the same size so you don’t have to worry about the too much. However, I have quite a small head and don’t have long hair so find the junior caps fit me better than the adult sizes so try out both and see what is better for you.
Swimming Caps To Cover Your Ears
This used to be a tricky one as swimming caps were never meant to keep your ears dry or covered in any way. However, this has thankfully now changed and there are lots of swimming caps available that will cover your ears. Whether you want it to help keep your swimming buds in your ears or you suffer from ear problems and don’t want excess water going in there. So far, I have found that Speedo do the best swimming caps for covering your ears and aren’t that expensive either.
Caring For Your Swim Cap
It’s so easy to take off your cap after a great swim, put the cap in your bag and forget about it until your next swim but that’s a quick way to get your cap to go mouldy! Be sure to always rinse off your cap in clean (chlorine free) water after you’re finished. This will help to ensure any chemicals such as chlorine (which can begin to break down the structure of your swim cap over time) are removed. Once clean, be sure to dry off your cap completely and store it in a cool and dry place (your swim bag if it’s dry).
NEVER leave your a swimming cap in the sun or in a hot car as this will destroy it VERY quickly! If you want to go the whole hog, you could even dust your swimming cap on both the inside and outside with something like talcum powder or baby powder to make sure ALL the wetness has been taken out of it.
Protecting Hair From Chlorine
Especially necessary if you swim a lot is to protect your hair from the chemicals in the chlorine in swimming pools. There are a variety of shampoos and conditioners available that will help to protect and repair your hair from these nasty chemicals. If you use these shampoos and conditioners along side wearing a swimming cap, it will give your hair the best protection. I will go into more detail on what shampoos to use in another post so look out for that…coming soon!
Caps For Swimmers With Long Hair
Speedo makes a silicone long-hair cap that comes in a variety of colours that you can get direct from Speedo or from places like Amazon. Obviously these are designed specifically for swimmers with longer hair because they offer more room at the back of the cap. So if in fact you don’t have one hair, these caps won’t work well for you at all. As they are made from silicone, they’re more durable and comfortable.
Where To Shop For Swim Caps?
To be honest you can get caps pretty much anywhere these days and it doesn’t really matter where you buy from. My go to place is either Amazon (low prices) or places like Sports Direct as they also do lower prices than direct from the brands.
My go to choice of silicone caps are from – Speedo and Slazenger and will be around £3 – £6 per cap for the junior sizes and between £4 – 8 for adult sizes.
Would you get a swim cap to match your swimming costume? Do you care about fashion while in the swimming pool?
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