Swimming caps are an invaluable asset to any keen swimmer's kit. By minimising drag, they offer a streamlined, speed-hungry approach to give you that vital, water-slicing edge through the pool. Their benefits don't stop there though, as they also help to keep the hair dry and decrease the damaging effects of chlorine – especially if you find a fully waterproof one.
Speedo, Zoggs and Arena are at the forefront of swimming hat design, producing long hair, women's, silicone and polyester caps for the local pool regulars. In the open water arena, Zone3 and Owntop offer neoprene caps to protect even in the depths of winter. Amazon, Argos and eBay are where you'll find all of these, but luckily for you, we've already selected the 10 best of them.
Quick List - Top Swimming Caps
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There are a few very distinct styles of swimming cap that thrive best in certain conditions and for particular people. Whether you're a casual swimmer, you're looking to get into it as a sport or you're thinking of bringing your swimming routine to the open water, this buying guide will help you find the perfect cap.
For the most part, swimming caps can be divided into three types which are influenced by the materials they're constructed from. Looking into silicone, polyester and neoprene caps will help you decide which type of cap tailors to your needs, or maybe it'll make you realise you'll be needing all three!
A silicone cap is what comes to mind for most when they think of a swimming hat. While latex used to be the industry standard for this type of cap, it's now all about the silicone. Silicone caps have taken over in popularity due to their increased durability and the fact they're not a known allergen like latex.
Through their slim and flexible fit, silicone caps are the most likely type to keep your hair dry and out of chlorine's damaging ways. Long hair and don't care? Silicone caps are often the style of cap that caters for extra length the best too.
These facts coupled with their ability to resist wear and tear make them a must-have accessory for any dedicated swimmer.
Here in the UK, open water swimming is an especially beneficial endeavour as, for better or worse, we're surrounded by some pretty chilly water. Proven to improve mental health, boost circulation and the immune system, open water swimming is a sport on the rise.
Although you can get away with swimming in the summer months without one, a neoprene cap quickly becomes a vital ingredient to tackling the open waters in every other season. Neoprene is an incredibly flexible rubber with good insulating properties that make it perfect for turning people into sea-diving seals.
The go-to for diving, surfing or swimming wetsuits, neoprene is the material of choice for any cap that's aimed solely at open water swimmers. The thickness of a neoprene cap will be a good indicator of its warming abilities, with styles between 2 and 4 mm being the best at keeping the chills at bay depending on the season.
Polyester swimming caps are perfect for anyone wanting comfort above all else. Their synthetic fabric construction ensures your hair will have no chance of being ripped or pulled out when you are tasked with the never-fun job of putting on and taking off your swimming cap.
They work best as a fashion-focused swimming cap, or even as a comfortable cap to wear underneath a silicone cap that's more devoted to swim training. They'll also offer you some level of warmth when swimming in the sea in the summertime, giving your head a little respite from the initial thrill of jumping headfirst into the sea.
Some thoughtful brands are also sensitive to people's covering needs and have created modest women's turban-style caps also made from polyester. These hats are designed to conceal the hair and the head in a respectable manner, ensuring no one is left on the shore this summer.
Long hair swimming caps offer varying degrees of cap-bagginess for different hair lengths and thicknesses. You'll notice each of the big swimming brands will offer a long hair model in their silicone range of swimming caps, so if this sounds like you, make sure to opt for one of these.
However, other more specialised caps have upped the ante by increasing their size to suit the wildest of hair types and even dreadlocks specifically. Depending on how thick or curly your hair is, these bold swimming caps could be a better fit for you.
Unfortunately, neoprene caps haven't got with the long-hair program yet, although standard neoprene styles are still great for people with long hair. Due to their insulating nature, neoprene caps need to be fitted as snug as possible to repel as much cold as possible, so luckily, their flexibility allows for a fit with most hairstyles.
Being heavily influenced by the type of cap in question, features help swimming caps stand out from the crowd. Look for any remark on design through material, spec or aesthetic that a brand has put emphasis on for a truly made-to-fit order.
Features like increased ear coverage in silicone caps can be a good idea if you're worried about your ears becoming infected from the pool or sea water. Meanwhile, any neoprene cap that is rocking a chin strap and high-vis will give you added ear warmth and security from the unthinkable sinking of your hat when out in frigid waters.
Polyester caps are fairly light on the feature front, although just like the other swimming cap styles, any logo of a reputable swimming brand could score you some kudos down the local pool. Or maybe your swim style suits a dressed-down, advertising-free approach, for which you can certainly find too!
Seen as a great way of adding your own personal stamp of style into your swimming story, the colour of your cap can say a lot.
If you're looking to make a colourful impression or stand out in the water for safety reasons, look out for ranges that pride themselves on their diverse hues. These kindly give you the choice by bringing to the table an extensive colour scale for each cap, sometimes offering up to 10 unique designs to select from.
On the other end of the scale, you'll find brands that are clearly lacking a creative colour palette, having just one lonely shade to take or leave. These colours, luckily, are often easy to get along with – black and different shades of blue, for example – so they should allow you to land on a little bit of you regardless.
In the swimming cap world, sizing is very much open to each particular brand's interpretation of the subject. Case in point: some caps are one-size-fits-all, while other, more size-focused brands give exact measurements and cap sizes from XS all the way through to XL and beyond.
If your head sits somewhere outside of the 'regular' scale, whether that's big, small, long or short, then maybe it's best to scope out brands that provide a diverse size range over the ones who take a universal approach.
Products | Image | Click to purchase | Key features | |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Speedo Silicone Swim Cap | ![]() | The Go-To Silicone Cap for Any and Every Swimmer | |
2 | ZONE3 Neoprene Swim Cap | ![]() | Conquer the Seven Seas With 2.5 mm Neoprene | |
3 | Arena Mens Swimming Cap | ![]() | Snug Polyester Offers a Comfort-Focused Fit | |
4 | Zoggs Silicone Swimming Cap | ![]() | A Quality Pick From a Brand Who Know Their Stuff | |
5 | ZONE3 Neoprene Swim Cap | ![]() | Thick Neoprene for the Chilliest of Waters | |
6 | Lahtak Silicone Swimming Cap | ![]() | The Best Swimming Cap for Black Hair | |
7 | Earwaves Silicone Swimming Cap | ![]() | Protect Your Ears With This All-Encompassing Fit | |
8 | Beemo Women’s Swimming Turban | ![]() | A Stylish and Waterproof Turban for Women | |
9 | Owntop Neoprene Swim Cap | ![]() | A Highly Rated and Popular Entry-Level Neoprene Cap | |
10 | Bobury Polyester Swimming Cap | ![]() | A Bargainous Polyester Cap in Range of a Colours |
Speedo has been the leading swimwear brand for many passionate swimmers for over 100 years. Another brand originating from Sydney, Australia, there's no one you can trust more to produce high-performing kit than Speedo.
This is their ergonomically designed, 3D silicone cap that's a popular, inexpensive choice for swimmers of all levels in all countries. With a choice of eight bold colours, be sure to tailor your swimming style to give you that extra little pep in your stroke knowing you're adorned by the best.
This is another cap from the acclaimed neoprene brand Zone3, only this time, it has a 2.5. mm thickness. In theory, this means it could suffice for all seasons of open water swimming depending on where you reside in the UK. It comes in either S or L sizes, however, there's still plenty of room to flex with this style of cap.
The super-stretch technology and chinstrap will help you to find a perfect fit while also offering your ears some warmth too. Let us not forget to mention the high-vis orange either, which helps to keep you easily seen as you soldier through whatever waters you're adventuring into.
Arena are another swimwear brand at the top of their game, creating market-leading swimwear of all types since the 1970s. This men's polyester swimming cap is a great cap to be used under a silicone cap or entirely on its own.
Through the slimmed-down, skin-tight design and elastic headband, this cap will guarantee not to slip off no matter who's wearing it. All in all, it's a crowd-pleaser, coming in a simple black in one universal size with a premium polyester feel.
Hailing from Sydney, Australia, Zoggs have been producing high-quality swimwear and goggles since the early '90s. This is their ever-popular silicone cap that's suitable for amateur swimmers right the way up to professionals.
Use it in the pool for training and competition along with the open waters in summer for a water-repelling, streamlined outline. With a choice of nine colours and a large Zoggs logo to show your dedication, you'll be able to stand out in the swimming crowd with pride.
Being constructed from high quality, Yamamoto smoothskin neoprene ensures this cap won't let your head down. At 4 mm thick it's also perfectly capable of handling the frigid winter waters all over the UK.
The low-drag hydrodynamic design will help you to slice through the open waters, giving you that added bit of security and glide against the elements. It also features a Velcro chinstrap and comes in four sizes, providing a remarkably secure fit that needs to be felt to be believed.
Offering the most amount of hair space of any style on this list, this premium silicone cap is ideal for anyone who's worried about their thick, curly or afro locks falling victim to chlorine's wicked ways.
Choose from five striking colours for a truly personalised statement cap for your swim training sessions, or just wear it as a casual summer cap. At first glance the only sizes are L and XL, however, this refers to the extra bagginess and not the headpiece, which is designed to fit one and all.
Next up, a thickened silicone cap with a unique all-encompassing head and ear design. As their name suggests, Earwaves are in the protection business, creating swimming caps for people who need to make sure the water is as far away from their ears as possible.
This ergonomic cap comes in one size which should suffice for most heads, and there's a basic set of ear and nose plugs included too. The thick silicone is also likely to give some level of cold protection when open water swimming.
This ladies' turban swimming cap is both stylish and sensitive to some women's preferences to keep their hair and head covered. The pleated polyester is very roomy ensuring all hair styles can stay protected from pool chlorine or salty seawater.
The PVC waterproof inner lining is what gives this cap good protective properties, creating a barrier of defence between the water and your hair. It takes a one-size-fits-all approach, but this shouldn't be a problem thanks to the extra room and stretchy elastic edge.
An inexpensive neoprene cap that just works, this cap has rallied the open water swimming troops from Cornwall through Wales and up to Scotland, proclaiming its warmth even in the dead of winter!
This is another universally sized cap, which is standard for neoprene, but the Velcro chin strap will help to keep it in place. The only nod to the budget nature of this option is the lack of thickness in millimetres, which is a prerequisite for higher-end neoprene.
Bobury have put looks at the forefront by offering this cap in seven unique colours including black, pink and purple, to name but a few. This makes this one-size-fits-all polyester option perfect for any avid swimmer looking for something bright and comfortable.
The elastic, wide-edged design ensures a certain level of staying power with the seam line eliminating any chance of deformation. It's nothing fancy, but this extremely cheap hat is ideal for slipping under a silicone or neoprene cap – or just flaunted on its own, of course.
The benefits to one's health start to pile up thick and fast when swimming becomes a part of your life. However, before all this expanse of body and mind can take place, you'll first be needing to equip yourself with some kit essentials. We've ranked a few more swim-centric products below to help you out.
Whether you're crushing laps at your local pool or having a crack at the open waters of this great country, a swimming cap should be right there with you. Here's hoping this article has scoped out your next protective cap for times spent in your happy place.
Author: Connor Macanally
No. 1: Speedo|Silicone Swim Cap
No. 2: ZONE3|Neoprene Swim Cap
No. 3: Arena|Mens Swimming Cap
No. 4: Zoggs|Silicone Swimming Cap
No. 5: ZONE3|Neoprene Swim Cap
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