Do you need a swim cap?

The swim cap has never been the glamorous end of swimwear. It squeaks, it pinches and it gives everyone the same slightly startled look. It is also, in the right places, genuinely useful.

Pools: it depends on the pool

Pool rules vary a great deal. Some pools ask everyone to wear a cap, some ask only people with long hair, and many have no rule at all. Hotels, gyms and lidos all set their own policies. The simplest approach:

• Read the sign by the entrance or the pool's website before your first visit.
• Keep a spare cap in your bag if you travel; a cap-required pool is a sad place to arrive without one.
• When in doubt, wear one. Nobody has ever been asked to take a cap off.

Open water: be seen

In the sea, a lake or a river, a cap's main job is visibility. A swimmer's head is small and low in the water, and boats, paddleboarders and even lifeguards can struggle to spot it, especially in waves or glare. A bright cap, such as orange, pink or yellow, makes you far easier to see.

• Organised swims usually give you a numbered cap, often colour-coded by wave or distance. Wear the one they give you, even if you have a favourite.
• Swimming independently, pick the brightest cap you can find. Many swimmers pair it with a tow float.
• In cooler water, some people wear two caps, or a thicker neoprene cap, for warmth.

Our guide to wild swimming kit covers the rest of the bag.

Hair and comfort

For people with long hair, a cap keeps it out of the eyes and mouth, which makes breathing and goggles far easier. It also cuts down on tangles. Caps do not keep hair completely dry; they reduce how much water gets in and how much the hair moves around. Some people with longer or thicker hair like a larger cap designed with extra room.

For people with short hair or no hair, a cap is mostly about warmth and keeping goggle straps from slipping.

Materials

• Silicone: thick, stretchy, durable and less likely to pull at hair. A good default for most swimmers.
• Latex: thinner, lighter and cheaper, but more likely to snag hair and tear. Not for anyone with a latex allergy.
• Fabric (Lycra or similar): comfortable and easy to put on, but lets water through. Good for gentle swims and pools that just want hair covered.
• Neoprene: warm, often with a chin strap, for cold water swimming.

Putting it on without a battle

1. Wet your hair first, or wet the inside of the cap. Dry silicone pulls.
2. Hold the cap open with both hands, fingers spread inside it.
3. Place it at your forehead and pull it back over your head.
4. Tuck in stray hair and adjust it to sit over the tops of your ears if you like.
5. Put your goggles on over the cap, or under it if you want the straps held still.

Rinse it in fresh water afterwards and let it dry away from direct sun. A little talc or a dusting of cornflour inside stops silicone sticking to itself.