I am a new swimmer and think my long hair could be slowing me down. I want to swim faster, so I'm looking into getting a swim cap. As I understand, there are several different types of swim caps available. I am thinking I need a silicone swim cap. As I understand it, it blocks out water and is more durable than other materials.

Would I be fine with a silicone, or should I look at another material like latex or lycra? Or does it really matter at all? I just don't want to find myself buying another swim cap a month from now. I'm pretty cheap.

The two popular options are silicone and latex. I highly recommend Silicone over latex any day - it is not much more expensive, and it is twice as thick and a million times less likely to just snap. It's also much easier to put on.

I've used the same silicone cap for over a year now, and I've just watched my friends snap their latex caps over and over.

Your choice is good to buy a silicone swim cap as its material is such that it will have less friction with water while swimming & minimizing your problems.

There are several kinds of swim caps on the market, including latex, Lycra, and silicone. Silicone caps are popular with swimmers at all levels.

Silicone caps are made in one size, although manufacturers are looking at making different sizes to accommodate the needs of the market. This is because swimmers with long hair often find these caps to be too snug, given the room needed to fit in all their hair. Silicone is very slick, so the cap must fit you well or it will slip right off.

Silicone swim caps stretch well and are resistant to tearing. There are more and more custom-designed silicone caps with features like Tripwire technology, which reduces drag and enables easy movement in the water. So I think Silicone swim caps is the best choice for you.

I too have long hair which has kept me from swimming for awhile, but I am back. I put a lot of conditioner on my wet hair and then put a cap on top of it. If anybody else does this I'd like opinions on the best kind of cap. Although I can get a large silicone cap, I think silicone is too slippery and won't stay on my wet slippery hair. I'm thinking that a latex cap is probably best. Anybody else swim with these conditions and have an opinion as to the best cap?

I don't like the way latex caps become gluey and sticky if not immediately dried and powdered after each use. Silicone is easier to care for and lasts longer. They are also warmer, which could be a consideration if you swim in an overheated leisure center pool. They are a bit more slippery, but if you pull them down far enough to go past your hairline onto your forehead they stay put.

Silicone swim caps for sure. Less upkeep than latex and silicone lasts much longer. You'll get your money out of it for sure.