The Only Swim Cap That Kept My Hair Completely Dry in the Pool

I spend a lot of money getting my hair professionally styled. Getting my hair wet would cause it to revert to its original state of chaos and disarray. Plus, snagging another hair appointment could take days or even weeks (insert scream!) to arrive—this is as terrifying as a person who wears extensions and can’t style their own hair well. Getting my hair wet is literally washing money down the drain and, more important, wasting hours of my time at the salon—time that I don’t have.

See the dilemma? So, we made it our mission to find a swimming cap or bathing cap that actually keeps hair dry while in the water. One that will allow me to, say, swim some laps before running errands and not have to attempt to style my hair afterward—a lofty goal, I know. If a swim cap could guarantee that your entire head of hair would remain bone-dry after being submerged, that would be a game-changer for people across the globe. 

Six Consumer Reports employees and I took the plunge to evaluate eight swim caps. I embarked on this journey not believing that any of these caps would work, and if one could keep your hair dry, would it be too painful or too ugly to wear? Only one worked in keeping my hair dry, and others had their merits, too. Let’s jump in to find out which ones we liked and the ones we never want to use again.