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

By the time I evaluated the Eversport, I was tired of jumping in the pool. It was my last swim cap to try, and I had lost hope. I even decided to lower my expectations. But the Eversport surprised me. My hair was left completely dry after being fully submerged in 10 feet of water. The Eversport kept the hair dry for two out of the six evaluators, and barely wet around the edges or back for some others.

The Eversport came with a small card explaining how to apply the cap and offering a one-year free return and exchange service. If the cap tears within 12 months, consumers are promised a replacement. That was nice. When I took the cap out of the package, I was shocked by the size. This cap is huge, gigantic even. It’s at least two inches longer than the other silicone caps we evaluated. It is designed for people with long hair. I have shoulder-length hair so there was plenty of room still left at the top of the cap. I was intentional about smoothing the cap down so that all of the air pockets would escape. The cap was so big that it covered my forehead, all the way to my eyebrows and both ears (which the manufacturer recommends covering to keep water out). If I pulled it down over my face, this swim cap would cover my nose (not exaggerating) and it was a tight fit. 

After jumping into my pool, I noticed that the Eversport did not move at all. As a reminder, I jumped into 10 feet of water. To withstand that much pressure is pretty amazing. I even touched the bottom of the pool. Then, I swam to the side of the pool and exited. After removing the Eversport, my hair was just as dry as it was when I entered the pool.

Now, was it comfortable? No! One CR evaluator said it was so painful she had trouble thinking. “I couldn’t wait to rip it off,” said Pang-Chieh. “I felt like blood was being cut from my head because of the squeeze on my forehead.”

So yes, it’s a tight fit, but what good swim cap isn’t? It wasn’t as uncomfortable as the Speedo or the Soul Cap. Those were really tight and didn’t keep my hair dry. To me, getting my hair wet defeats the purpose of wearing a swim cap. 

The Eversport was great with swimming and diving, and it also withstood the water’s pressure and did not budge. “It stayed in place the whole time I was swimming. I didn’t have to adjust it,” said Raven.

My No. 1 goal was to keep my hair dry. Dryness outweighed comfort and style. The Eversport does not inhibit swimming and keeps your hair dry. It is also big enough for extra-long hair, braids, or locs. Thus, cue the fireworks and drop the balloons! We have a winner.

The Hairbrella fits like a cute hair bonnet. The interior is lined with satin and has what the manufacturer calls a “performance clasp” which makes it adjustable, unlike any other swim cap that we evaluated. Swimmers can tighten or loosen the cap to find the perfect fit. 

“I found this concept of swim cap to be cute. The almost bonnet-like exterior and satin lining were quite nice,” said Dawn.

This swim cap does not stretch, so those with thicker hair, braids, or locs had a difficult time putting it on. Raven, who has curly, thick hair, struggled. “I could not get it to fit on my head, so I tried to do it with a high ponytail since the low one didn’t work and it just would not fit on my head," she said. The size of the cap may have been a factor here.

My hair is not thick, so the application was seamless for me. It wasn’t as uncomfortable to apply as the others, and it did not pull or tug my hair when putting it on and taking it off. It was also very easy to adjust. When applying the cap, I had to make sure to smooth out the air pockets that developed inside before swimming. 

“I love this swim cap. It fits beautifully, looks cute, and the buckle in front is smart, allowing you to adjust its fit,” said Lisa. However, not all the evaluators appreciated the unique style.

“The color, the look—all bad. I kept thinking about the movie Coneheads every time I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror,” said Jodhaira, who had the silver colorway. 

After jumping in the water, the Hairbrella did not move or shift due to the water’s pressure, but it felt like I was wearing clothes in the pool. The Hairbrella is heavier than a traditional swim cap, so I don’t think serious swimmers would use it. 

“While I like the fact that it’s adjustable, the size of it creates a certain degree of drag that will impede the speed of one’s swimming,” said Pang-Chieh.

It’s a good thing I am not serious. When I show up at any pool, my mission is to show off my swimsuits and cool off. As far as the Hairbrella’s performance, the water did seep in around the sides of my hair, but the top of my hair remained dry.

“For the amount of effort it took to put this cap on and adjust it, I felt like my hair should have been bone dry and it wasn’t,” said Dominque. 

The cute, unique style and the comfortable fit have earned Hairbrella the distinction of best for those with short- to medium-length hair.

The Arena was easy to put on and it covered my hair very well. It was less of a tight squeeze than the Speedo and the Soul Cap (more on those below) although they are similar to put on. This swim cap was a fan favorite to the majority of the evaluators because it is stretchy and easier to apply and remove. The Arena pulled my face and my eyebrows so I looked like Spock from Star Trek, but the Speedo and the Soul Cap felt tighter.

“I was shocked at how well this fit me. When I took it out of the packaging, I thought it was going to be a repeat of the Speedo, but this covered my hair really well,” said Jodhaira.

As far as performance, my hair got wet. Once I hit the water, the cap shifted, water seeped in, and the entire back part of my hair got wet.

“I personally don’t mind that swim caps aren’t waterproof because honestly, I feel like it’s impossible for them to truly be that. What I look for in swim caps is a comfortable cap that doesn’t create too much drag and this fulfilled both criteria,” said Pang-Chieh.

For those who wear swim caps to protect from chlorine exposure and to limit their hair’s saturation, the Arena will work well. This swim cap was the most comfortable of those evaluated and managed to keep a good amount of water out, thus earning the distinction of Most Comfortable swim cap.

Once at the pool, expect to see me wearing big earrings, flip flops with bling rhinestones, and holding a colorful frozen drink in my hand. Fashion is life as far as I am concerned. The You Go Natural immediately appealed to my fashion sense. This super cute turban-style swim cap goes on tight. The cap has a silicone interior and a soft, shiny satinlike exterior. Folks, this cap is a really tight fit, but didn’t change the look of my face like the Speedo or the Soul Cap. Putting on the You Go Natural is not for the weak. A lot is going on with this turban. If you have braids, thick hair, or locs, things may get even more challenging.

“So tight, why so tight?" I wanted to love this one so badly for so many reasons (Black-owned, Shark Tank success story, cute), but I couldn’t. This was so tight on my head. The fit was extremely uncomfortable,” said Jodhaira.

My daughter jumped into the pool wearing the You Go Natural and it was so heavy that swimming was difficult. It also did not withstand the pressure of the water, nor did it stay in place. Her hair was wet along the sides, in the back, and on the ponytail.

“The cap did not stay in place because it was so heavy. It was being pulled off my head,” said Raven. For serious swimmers, the You Go Natural is a nonstarter. All of that material will slow you down. 

“I will say, though, that the material is beautiful—thick and soft. The design is thoughtful. I wish it protected better, though,” said Lisa.

For taking selfies and withstanding the kids splashing in the pool near you, the You Go Natural is the perfect pick, thus earning the most stylish distinction.

When I removed the Copozz from its package, I immediately thought, yay! This is a cute swim cap. I was excited by the floral pattern. There are several patterns and styles to choose from. 

“I would definitely use this one in real life because of how comfortable it was and the fact that I like its print,” said Pang-Chieh

The Copozz is what one evaluator called “deceivingly wide.” It is a bit larger than the other traditional silicone caps so applying the Copozz was a snap because it is so roomy and not as tight. With these qualities, I was not surprised that the cap shifted a lot while in the water.

“I could feel and hear the cap slipping off my head. Like my ears and the hair at the back of my head slowly became more uncovered as time went on,” said Jodhaira.

Although it was a comfortable fit, the Copozz could not withstand the pressure of the water and had to be constantly readjusted. This cap performed the worst in keeping water out.

“I would wear this one again, even if it wasn’t a perfect seal. It was comfortable, easy to get on, kept my hair almost dry, and didn’t tug on my hair,” said Jodhaira.

If you are looking for a comfy and cute swim cap that gets your hair wet, this one might be for you.

I inspected the Sporti after removing it from the package and noticed small grips (or bumps) along the inside perimeter of the cap. I assume they are there to keep the swim cap on your head, but with a tight-fitting cap, those grips did leave a mark.

“This was a deal-breaker for me and I wouldn’t purchase this cap because it lacked proper protection and leaves marks on the skin,” said Lisa.

The Sporti was similar to other traditional head-hugging silicone swim caps. After stretching the cap, it was easy to apply. The fit was snug but not too uncomfortable. Several evaluators did note that the cap had a strange bulge when worn. We are assuming that’s for people with longer hair, but even the evaluator with long, curly hair noticed the strange bulge. 

“It pushed my bun to the right side of my head so there was this bubble on the top left of the cap where there was no hair and then a huge lump on the right where all the hair was,” said Jodhaira.

The Sporti was not effective in keeping the water out (even with the grips). My hair got wet all around the edges.

“This one is pretty awful in the keeping hair dry department, but at least it wasn’t painful to wear, so it misses the last place spot for that reason alone,” said Jodhaira. “Also, what were they thinking with all those bumps?!” 

The Sporti got about 20 percent of my hair wet and wasn’t as tight as some of the others. It stayed in place and only shifted slightly on the left side after I hit the water.

You couldn’t tell that the Soul Cap could be used as a torture device just by looking at it. The cap looks like a traditional swim cap, but it is much tighter. This cap had my head hurting. 

“Soul Cap is my least favorite because the amount of discomfort it caused me is unparalleled. Sure, it didn’t get as much water in as the others, but at what cost? I will never put this on again nor wish this upon anyone,” said Pang-Chieh.

Even before getting in the water, I had to keep tugging and readjusting the cap. After swimming, the water pressure caused the cap to shift and roll up on the sides. The Soul Cap was painful, the material of the cap was not flexible, and the cap didn’t keep your hair dry.

“I hate this cap. That is not an exaggeration—I actually hate it. Getting this on was so hard. It pulled on my hair so much as I was putting it on, and the material has absolutely no stretch,” said Jodhaira.

The Speedo was the second swim cap I evaluated and I was immediately turned off by the one-size-fits-all label because the cap was too small for me. I have always wanted to know how I would look with a facelift and now I know. The Speedo tugged on my entire face and it was an uncomfortable fit. I don’t know why anyone would wear this consistently. The longer I wore it, the more it shifted toward the top of my head, exposing more and more hair. It rolled up on the sides along my ears and in the back. Then, I jumped into the water and the shifting became more apparent.

“When I submerged myself in a tub and moved around, I could feel the swimming cap creeping up, especially around my ears,” said Pang-Chieh.

After swimming with the Speedo, I first thought that my hair was only wet around the edges, but after removing the cap, I discovered a large portion of the left side of my hair was also wet.

“It hurt my forehead and temples and barely covered the back of my hair, but I will say that it kept water out pretty well. Aside from a very small amount of hair on the back of my neck,” said Lisa.

The Speedo was too tight and did not do a good job of keeping my hair dry.

“The fit of this was terrible, but at least it wasn’t as painful as the others! Definitely not an option for people with long hair, said Jodhaira.