Best adjustable cap for all
Top pick
A whopping 14 inches in diameter, the Glow by Daye Satin Lined Shower Cap is more capacious than most other luxury shower caps we considered. It’s also the only shower cap we tested that ticks every must-have feature on our testing checklist. This cap is a dependable option for adults and children with heads of all sizes and various types and lengths of hair.
This cap has a soft and flexible vinyl exterior that’s impervious to water. And it’s lined with a silky satin that serves as an additional barrier to protect a little or a lot of hair. Plus, the adjustable drawstring enables it to contract to fit child-size heads or expand large enough to accommodate long locs or cumbersome hair rollers — all while remaining tight enough around the perimeter to ward off any sneaky water droplets.
Glow by Daye’s shower cap is pricier than many reusable shower caps we considered, and it’s more than double the price of our other picks. But due to its exceptional performance and adjustability, it’s worth the extra cost. Plus, it’s backed by a one-year replacement warranty, which is better than the coverage for any other shower cap we liked.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Due to its drawstring and satin lining, this cap is slightly heavier and more cumbersome than most, but not in a way that feels burdensome.
- Some testers who weren’t very concerned about keeping the edges of their hair completely dry didn’t find the additional time (20 seconds or so) it took to properly adjust and tuck the drawstring worth the hassle. So more-cavalier wearers may prefer one of our nonadjustable — and less expensive — picks. That said, one of our long-term testers, who for years swore by ultra-low-cost shower caps, admitted that “after getting accustomed to the silky fabric shower-cap feel” of the Glow by Daye cap, “it’s hard to go back” to the cheapies.
- A few reviews suggest that this cap eventually loses elasticity or falls apart, but we have not experienced this.
Care instructions: The manufacturer’s instructions call for hand-washing (video). However, when we machine-washed this cap on cold and air-dried it a couple of times to test its durability, it held up fine.
Variants: seven color/pattern options.
Best for lots of hair and/or large heads
Best for…
Everything about the Donna Premium Collection Super Jumbo Shower Cap is oversize except the price. This cap is extremely large, and it’s an excellent choice for people with larger head circumferences or a lot of hair.
This shower cap’s expansive elastic band stays in place, and it remains tight even after months of use. Technically this cap’s band could work for children and adults alike. In practice, however, a child might be overwhelmed by its size (think Toad from Super Mario Bros.). It comes in a variety of colors, and though there’s nothing discreet about this cap, in the darker color options, its immense girth is somewhat muted.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- Of the caps we recommend, this one is manufactured with the roughest and least appealing plastic.
- Some Amazon customers say that theirs fell apart immediately or after a few months, but our test caps are still in great shape after many more months of use. And one tester owned one of these caps for seven years before the elastic finally disintegrated after a routine washing-machine run.
Care instructions: Although this cap doesn’t come with manufacturer instructions, we machine-washed it in cold water to test its durability (and we always air-dried it).
Variants: five solid colors (navy, black, pink, purple, white)
Best budget option for most people
Budget pick
Casual “grab and go” shower-cap wearers — those who just want something innocuous and functional — may prefer the cute styles from Betty Dain’s Fashionista line of super-comfortable shower caps. This cap (which fits both children and adults) is 11 inches in diameter, so it’s large enough to comfortably cover most heads. But people with long braids or locs, or those who like to shower wearing hair rollers, may want to consider our picks from Glow by Daye and Donna.
The shower cap’s elastic band helps it stay comfortably secure on the wearer’s head. The caps in this line have a double layer of PEVA, which creates additional hurdles for any zealous water droplets attempting to ruin a hairdo.
The Betty Dain caps come in eight designs, all of them with lovely names, from the gorgeous black-and-gold Starry Nights to the Diva (which is fittingly covered in high heels and handbags).
Flaws but not dealbreakers
- People who don’t like bows may not like the Betty Dain Fashionista Shower Cap. Every design we tested had a decorative bow tacked on, and it seems that the bow can’t be removed without compromising the cap’s watertightness.
- After we used this cap for a few months and machine-washed four times, we noticed a few loose stitches in the elastic band. But that didn’t affect the cap’s functionality.
Care instructions: Betty Dain says its shower caps are all machine-washable (and should be air-dried).
Variants: eight patterns
Other shower caps worth considering
If you don’t want a shower cap that looks like a bulbous beret: Consider the AQUA Sun Bun Turban. This beautiful, watertight cap is made with soft polyester, and it looks like a cloth turban. Because it’s stealthily waterproof, it works well in public: We wore it during drizzling rain and were impressed by the protection and inconspicuous design. Note that the Sun Bun Turban is compact. It’s not large enough to be worn with rollers or long braids, and those with carefully coiffed hair (like a big top bun or large bantu knots) might find that this cap squishes their styles. It’s also the most expensive shower cap we recommend, but this is the best cap we’ve tested for people who want to look chic while protecting their hair.
If you prefer a tubular shower cap for long and/or heavy braids or locs: The Always Covered XXL Satin-Lined Beanie Shower Cap 2.0 is the best we’ve tested, especially for people who can’t or don’t want to tie up their hair up so it can fit into a traditional circular shower cap. It’s watertight, adjustable, and lined with protective satin. It’s wide enough to be comfortable for people with larger heads. And it’s one of the only caps that’s long enough to protect floor-length braids or locs. (The company makes smaller versions for people who prefer a tubular style but have shorter hair.) This one is pricey, but it’s well crafted, and it comes in over 30 designs.
If you want a jumbo, satin-lined budget-friendly cap: Auban’s Extra Large Shower Cap is great for those with bigger heads and/or hair who want a watertight shower cap with a satin lining. It’s not adjustable, like our top pick from Glow by Daye, nor is it as comfortable or as cute. But it’s about half the price of Glow by Daye cap, and it’s nearly as big as our enormous option from Donna, which is slightly cheaper but unlined.
The competition
We found the Aquior Extra Adjustable Shower Cap difficult to adjust and not as watertight as our picks.
The Femi Brands Lovatress Shower Cap was unwieldy and cumbersome; for a tubular shower cap that protects long hairstyles like locs and braids, we preferred the cap from Always Covered.
The Grace & Company shower cap is cute, but it’s also small in circumference, unlined, not adjustable, and pricier than our pick from Glow by Daye.
Grace Eleyae’s shower caps are satin-lined and watertight, but not adjustable, and they’re smaller and more expensive than our Glow by Daye pick.
The Hairbrella Shower Cap is satin-lined and adjustable, but it’s much pricier and not as comfy or as easy to adjust as our Glow by Daye pick.
MikiMini Shower Caps are affordable, watertight, and come in multiple sizes, but our pick from Betty Dain is cuter and more comfortable.
Hairsome’s Shower Cap for Men is a brimmed shower cap that is roomy, comfortable, and made with two layers of waterproof fabric. We found that water occasionally breached its uniquely brimmed perimeter, but this cap is still a good choice for people who are more concerned about looking fly in the shower than keeping their hair edges dry.
Quickie Cap shower caps are unusual in that they open from both the top and the bottom. So wearers can secure their hair within the waterproof fabric using magnets and Velcro. We found that this style of cap did not cause our hair to be less smooshed in comparison with our Glow by Daye pick, which is less expensive and has a satin lining. But if you want a shower cap that can open from the top, this one is a good choice.
The Shhhower Cap is made with a waterproof fabric, and it comes in many attractive colors and patterns. However, it’s twice the price of our Glow by Daye pick yet not nearly as roomy or comfortable. Plus, we found that the perimeter of our hair was often aquatically compromised after we used this cap.
Louvelle shower turbans are cute. But they don’t have the capacity to fit a lot of hair, and they aren’t as watertight as our picks.
WhaleLife shower caps are satin-lined and comfortable. However, water frequently seeped into the cap and wet our testers’ hair (this could be due to the way the elastic is sewn).
Although Kitsch shower caps are cute, they’re less secure than our picks because of a lack of elastic around the top half of the cap.
The jumbo, clear SuperCrownz caps are prettier than our enormous budget pick from Donna, but they’re not as expansive, and they’re typically three times the price.
How we picked and tested
When I started researching this guide, in 2021, I pored over shower-cap-seller websites and product reviews of various caps to find ones that were worthy of testing. I also studied patents filed by shower-cap inventors, to find out the elements that result in a truly great product.
There are thousands of shower caps available for purchase but only a handful of differentiated styles to pick from. The vast majority are circular in shape and elasticized. But we also tested turban-style options, such as the AQUA Sun Bun Turban and tubular, beanie styles, like those from Always Covered. We considered only reusable shower caps. And we sought models that were big enough to contain a large amount of hair, ruling out single-use cheapies (like the ones found in many hotel bathrooms).
Although a shower cap can technically be constructed from any material, we chose to focus on caps manufactured with at least one layer of waterproof material — usually plastic or plastic-coated fabric. (Plastics such as PVC and PEVA effectively keep hair dry but are difficult to recycle.)
Most of my nuclear family members — two adults and one of my kids — use a shower cap daily, so we all tested every shower cap for at least six months. And we vetted them according to the following criteria:
Effectiveness: Some shower caps carry claims of being impenetrable but actually allow water in, whether directly through the fabric or via an insecure perimeter.
Fit and comfort: A shower cap should never slip off, damage hair, or feel uncomfortable when it’s being worn.
Durability: We looked for sturdy shower caps that would continue to look and work great after at least six months of use and machine-washing (and air-drying).
These criteria helped us considerably narrow the testing pool, and then I sent the finalists to three additional Wirecutter staffers, including a regular shower-cap wearer who describes themself as having a “larger-than-average noggin”; an occasional shower-cap wearer with what they called an average-size head; and a shower-cap novice who said they also consider their head size to be average. These staffers, along with their partners and children, judged each shower cap on its effectiveness, comfort, and durability. While I’ve tested all of the options, throughout the years, about a dozen people have tested the top three picks against various competitors.
Why you should trust us
Throughout my teens and 20s, I spent hundreds — if not thousands — of dollars straightening my very thick, naturally curly hair. Water was the enemy of my chosen hairstyle, and I became obsessed with finding a more protective shower cap, to the point of trying to invent one myself. Over the course of a decade, I spent quite a bit of time and money developing dozens of prototypes — with my efforts resulting in a few failed patent attempts — before motherhood and a newfound admiration of my natural-born curls took precedence. I may one day return to my obsession, but fortunately, in the interim, others have made tremendous strides in shower cap designs.
In addition to being a lifelong shower cap enthusiast, I’m also one of Wirecutter’s health, beauty, and grooming experts, and I’ve tested everything from hair dryers to bathroom scales.
Like all Wirecutter journalists, I review and test products with complete editorial independence. I’m never made aware of any business implications of my editorial recommendations. Read more about our editorial standards.
This article was edited by Rory Evans and Jennifer G. Sullivan.
