Do Any Swim Caps Keep Your Hair Dry? Just Get These Tested Ones

If you want to keep your crown of glory dry when swimming, you will need to get the best swim caps to keep hair dry.

In another article, we asked whether chlorine bleaches blonde hair. In that post, we said that it is better to cover the hair with a swimming cap. You can also rinse out the hair as soon as you get out of the pool.

When you pop over to Amazon.com or any other online marketplace, you will find so many swimming caps to keep hair dry.

Therefore, it can be hard to choose the best one since all the vendors claim theirs is the best. However, just as we did with the best swim trunks for love handles, even here, we will do the groundwork for you.

We will bring you the best budget swimming caps that can keep your hair completely dry.

What is the best swimming cap to keep hair dry?

The swimming caps you buy depend on your needs. If you have long hair, you want a cap that can keep it all tucked away from the water.

A swim cap also helps you to keep the water out of your ears. Remember, you can develop swimmer’s ear if you let the swimming pool water get inside the eardrum.

Did you know there are different types of swimming caps at different prices? It is best to learn about all of them since not all are good for you.

Here is a brief look at the cap types going by their material:

1. Silicone swimming caps – best for keeping your hair dry

A silicone-swimming cap is going to keep your hair more than 90 percent dry. It is also built strongly. So it is going to last a long time with frequent usage. Besides, silicone material stretches well without developing weak points where it can start tearing.

The last thing you want is chlorinated water coming into contact with your hair after you have been to the hairdressers. A silicone cap will keep your ears and hair completely dry.

Because these caps fit snugly without developing any wrinkles, you will not experience any difference in your performance in the water.

Silicone is not going to keep you warm in the water. Neoprene, which we will discuss next, can do that. However, it will keep the water out and that’s what is important.

Use a silicone cap for swimming if you are a recreational swimmer. You can also use it in a heated pool without any problem.

Neoprene swimming caps

Neoprene is the material of choice that’s used for making wetsuits for swimming, scuba diving, snorkeling, kayaking, paddle boarding, and other water sports.

But in this case, you are looking for swimming caps to keep your hair dry, and neoprene ones will not help you at all.

This material does not keep water out. Neoprene caps are designed to keep your head warm when you are swimming in cold water.

They absorb water, which is warmed up by your body’s warmth. This water creates a buffer zone between your skin and the cold water from outside. This traps your body’s warmth on the skin.

If you are using a heated swimming pool, the Neoprene cap is also not good for you. It can make your head super warm or hot since it prevents body heat from escaping.

For clarity purposes, DO NOT wear a neoprene swim cap if you want to keep your hair dry. It will not help!

Bubble swimming caps

If you are not sensitive to latex, you might want to try the bubble swimming caps. They are designed to keep your head warm when you are swimming in cold water. You can use them in open water swimming, in the lake or sea.

These caps are waterproof. Besides, they are made of thick rubber, so they will not let water in and they will not let warmth escape. If you have really long hair, it will be easier to tuck into this cap than any other cap.

These caps can also go over the ears. When you are swimming in cold water, the ears get minimal circulation, so they are always the first to get cold. The bubble cap can help you keep your ears warm and keep out any noise.

Instead of wearing earplugs for swimming to prevent water getting inside, this cap can help.

Polyester/Lycra Caps

Despite including them in this list, these caps are not going to keep your hair dry. Polyester material allows water to pass through so as soon as you dip your head in the water, your hair will become wet.

These caps are not going to keep you warm, and they will not keep your hair dry. Rather, they are going to keep your hair organized. That’s all they do. If you would like to keep water out of your ears, you should wear your earplugs since this cap will allow water to pass through.

The good thing about these caps is that they are affordable, but some from established brands such as Speedo can be a bit costlier.

If you are wondering whether there is a way you can make these porous caps keep water out of your hair, yes. There is.

Get a slightly bigger polyester cap and then wear it over a shower cap. The shower cap will keep the water out of your hair. The swimming cap will hold the shower cap in place.

Best swim cap to keep hair dry Amazon

Amazon has the largest collection of swimming caps that you can wear to keep the hair dry. Besides, many of the big brands sell their swimming items there.

Since there are thousands of swim caps on this marketplace, here, we bring you a few of the best caps. These are budget swim caps to keep hair dry.

Remember, it really does not matter where you are going to buy your cap. What matters is to know the best type of cap that will keep the hair out of the water.

Best swim cap to keep long hair dry

If you have a mass of hair on your head and you need to keep it dry, you need to choose the best cap for that.

Even if you have braids on your head, you should get a cap that’s designed for just that. Even people who keep dreadlocks can still get a cap that can help keep their hair dry.

Here, only two types of caps come in handily for long hair. These are the Silicone caps, because this material does not let in water. Just make sure you get the right fit for your hair. A person with long hair might need a bigger cap as compared to a person with medium size hair.

You might also consider choosing a bubble cap, which is made of latex rubber. It is waterproof. Besides, it will also reach below your ears so they are protected from the cold water. Please find out whether you are allergic to latex before buying such a cap.

The best swim cap for keeping long hair dry should also fit well. If it does not, it can come off easily when you are swimming. If this happens, the entire objective of wearing the cap is lost.

To be on the safe side, do not choose the cheapest head cap for swimming that you find in the market. Always consider the features before the price. Caps for long hair are going to cost more than other caps.

Waterproof swim cap for black hair

African Americans need to protect their hair from water when they are swimming. The reason for this is that the chemicals in the water can make the water dry and frizzy. If the hair becomes too brittle, it will start breaking and thinning.

However, choosing the best waterproof swim cap for black hair is harder than choosing one for Caucasian hair.

The good news is that swimming attire manufacturers have considered this. There is a good lineup of caps to use for black hair.

Consider buying a cap such as the Lahtak Long Hair Swim Cap on Amazon.com. This one is specifically designed for people with long hair.

In fact, in the description for this product on amazon, they say it is the best waterproof silicone cap for dreadlocks, braids, Afro weaves and hair extensions.

Because this is a silicone cap, it keeps your hair and ears completely dry. It holds gently on your head so it does not press against your skin or your hair. It has a loose fit to give room for your dreadlocks or hair extensions.

Also, note that no swimming cap can keep all of the water out of your eyes. However, unless you go dipping your head or swimming underwater, you should be able to keep your hair 95 percent dry.

Will a swim cap keep hair dry?

When people ask this question, what they mean is whether there’s a swim cap that can keep your hair 100 percent dry.

Unfortunately, swimming means hitting the water really hard, generating a lot of splashes. Thus, no matter how carefully you do your favorite swimming strokes, some water will definitely get into your hair.

Even the waterproof swimming caps such as the silicone ones will not keep all of the water out of your hair. However, they are designed to create a good seal on the hairline, which prevents most of the water from seeping in.

So to the question of whether the swim cap is going to keep your hair dry, yes it will. Should you worry if some water gets into the hair? No. That’s normal with many caps for swimming.

Keep checking the cap to ensure that it does not have tears. If you think your hair is getting too much water, the cap might be torn.

Another thing to consider is the type of swimming cap. Neoprene, Lycra and Polyester caps are going to let in water and they will make your hair wet.

If your silicone and bubble cap allow in too much water, well, check for tears.

How to keep your hair dry while swimming without a swim cap

If you find that you forgot your swimming cap at home and you still want to swim, there are a few ways that you can keep your hair considerably dry.

One of the ways is to keep the hair tied up tightly in a bun. If there are no loose hair strands getting into the water, you are not going to get wet with chlorine water.

Even if water splashes onto the hair, it is not going to penetrate most of the hair. Only the mostly exposed hair will get water.

Braided buns, topknot and ballerina bun are some of the best styles to keep water off your hair. Styles such as the French braid, fishtail braid and regular braid do not keep your hair out of the water. However, they help to keep it organized.

If you are swimming without a cap, you will be exposing your hair to chlorine damage. However, there are several things that you can do to prevent Chlorine damage.

Rinse the hair before swimming and apply a recommended oil that can create something like a membrane over your hair strands. That way, the chlorinated water is not going to penetrate this layer to damage your hair.

After swimming, make sure you rinse the hair thoroughly under fresh running water. This is going to wash out all the chlorine and leave you feeling fresh.

Overall, it is just best to wear a swim cap even if it is a porous one. A cap helps you to organize your hair so that it doesn’t tangle up.

Without a cap, you have more work to do. You need to keep the hair organized. At the same time, swim gently so that you do not splash too much water around.

Why you should wear a swimming cap

There are many benefits of wearing a swimming cap when you are at the pool. In fact, the benefit is not just about keeping the hair dry. There are others.

Unknown to many people, wearing a swimming cap has many benefits. The first one is keeping the water out of your hair. If you have been to the salon, you do not want to wash all the treatment out with chlorine water.

A cap is also going to help prevent pool chemicals from getting into your hair. These can be the chemicals used in cleaning the pool, soaps and all. There is also chlorine, which can damage your hair.

Wearing a cap also keeps your hair in one place and it prevents it from trailing behind you in the pool. Of course, if this happens, some hair will break away and float about in the pool.

When you are swimming, hair can get in your face and interrupt your line of sight. If you have a pair of swimming goggles, it will prevent hair from getting into your eyes, but a cap will do much better.

It can help your swimming speed. If your hair is floating behind you, you will experience drag, which slows your swimming speed.

Finally, wearing unique swimming caps can make it easy to identify your children when they are in a public swimming pool.

Conclusion

The best swim caps to keep hair dry work to keep most of the water out of your hair. Chlorine and other chemicals in the pool water can damage your hair.

However, when you get out of the pool, it is best to rinse your hair with fresh water. That way, any traces of chlorine can get out.

Choose silicone swimming caps over all the others. They fit better, keep water out and they cover the ears.

When you are done at the pool, just rinse the cap with clean water and dry it before storage.