How to Choose a Swim Cap
With a little help, choosing a swim cap is an easy task. Ultimately, your swim cap selection should complement your swimming activities feel great when you’re wearing it.
3 Basic Types of Swim Caps – How To Choose
There are three basic types of swim caps on the market. Kiefer carries a variety of colored and patterned caps, made by Kiefer, Speedo, and TYR, but there is not much variety across brands. Swim cap material is the biggest decision – they do not all have the same intended use, so let’s get talking!
Lycra Swim Caps
Are you an aquaciser? If you like to do water aerobics, aquatic therapy, or work against the current in the lazy river, a Lycra cap might be perfect for you. Lycra swimming caps are made of a soft, breathable fabric so you won’t get a ‘hot head’ doing your swim workout. They are strong enough to keep your hair in place and out of your face, but stretchy enough to be comfortable. Try out the Kiefer Lycra Swim Cap or a Speedo Lycra Swim Cap.
Latex Swim Caps
Lap swimmers, you are looking for something different and more streamlined. One option is a latex cap. Latex is a stretchy and durable rubber (if cared for). Latex caps are more widely available and are also the least expensive. Latex caps are available in solids, patterns, and team prints. These caps are often included in race bags for triathlons or open water swimming competitions. They are easily customized to give a team or event a unified look. Kiefer offers a huge variety of latex caps:
- Fun Caps with seasonal themes
- USMS logoed caps for master’s swimmers
- Superflex Latex Caps to accommodate more hair, and custom caps designed by your team or organization.
You can race in them, train in them, and if you accidentally rip one or lose one – the inexpensive price won’t break the bank.
Silicone Swim Caps
Option number two, also recommended for lap swimmers, is a molded silicone cap. Silicone caps are more expensive than latex caps, but outlast them without fail. Soft silicone doesn’t grab your hair like latex and will stretch to accommodate different amounts of hair. Silicone swimming caps are for everyone, and Kiefer has an excellent selection to choose from:
- For longer hair: the Kiefer Super Stretch Silicone Swim Cap
- For a kids swim cap: the Kiefer Jr Silicone Swim Cap
- For most swimmers: the classic Kiefer Standard Silicone Swim Cap.
Because silicone bathing caps are more user friendly, have a longer life, and offer a soft grip around your head, I put them at the front of the field.
Specialty Silicone Caps
Silicone swimming caps have more mold varieties then latex, and additional specialty styles are available for smaller audiences:
- Silicone Racing Caps: the Speedo Aqua-V Swim Cap is designed to reduce drag and have a seamless fit over the head.
- Junior Fun Caps: Younger swimmers will appreciate fun print caps like Kiefer’s Kitty, Doggy, and Fishy caps. TYR’s CharacTYR swim caps that feature whales, sharks, and fish with protruding fins! .
Ultimately, swimmers should go with what they like. Try different bathing cap materials and different brands until you find your favorite. Just because you don’t swim laps doesn’t mean you won’t prefer latex or silicone over Lycra.
The important thing is you get yourself in the water and just keep swimming!
Kiefer Customer Service is happy to help you select bathing caps for swimming.
PS. Looking for more advice? Check out our swimsuit material selection guide.
About Emily Milak
Emily Milak is a lifetime competitive swimmer living in Southeastern Wisconsin. Emily is a US National Team champion, NCAA champion, and USMS champion with extensive coaching experience. She is a product development consultant at Kiefer.
Thank you for the information! I’m often more selective with certain types of items due to having some sensory issues and being highly sensitive. Comfort and functionality are important for me. I found your information most helpful in determining which cap may be preferable to purchase.
Glad to hear it Jessica!
Thank you. I am getting a soft swim cap for my aqua aerobics training. The information you provided was good for me!
Awesome Andromeda!
My 10 year old twins swim competitively and I was looking for a cap that might give them an edge against the competition. I wanted a bright colored cap so I can keep track of them in the water, but was wondering if the bright color would go against them if the swimmer next to them noticed it and added a little extra kick to pass them.?Im just a m,om trying to help them be their best. I dodnt have a lot of money to spend on caps, but was wanting your opinion. I usually get them from Walmart, but this year I want to try to get something better for them. Thank you
Hi Rosee, a swim cap is unlikely to give a noticeable ‘edge’ to youngsters, but if they like it and it makes them feel good that will make a difference. If they are on a team they may be required to wear a team cap at competitions, but often times you can get their names printed on them to be able to pick them out of a crowd. Buying a silicone cap will be more upfront cost than others, but they should last at least twice as long if cared for properly and they come in cool colors too.
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