How to Choose The Best Swimsuit For Your Child

Swimsuit season is coming up, and making sure your kids have the perfect swimwear is important! Some kids practically live in their swimming suits all summer long. So, selecting one…or five suits for each of them can sometimes be needed. At least having two suits to alternate is a great idea. Here are a few things to consider while picking the best swimming suit for your kiddos, this summer!

Consider Their Age

You might want to consider some suit types over others while picking a suit for your kids. While this mainly applies to girls' swimwear (boys usually just wear trunks), there are a few things to consider when buying suits for both girls and boys. For example, if you have a baby that’s under three and not potty trained, you’ll need a swimming suit that will accommodate a bulky swim diaper. Also, younger babies have a harder time in swimming suits that have more complicated designs. Babies’ little bodies sometimes don’t fit well in certain suits (i.e. straps fall down, they try to take the swimming suit off, etc.) So, for little babies (mainly girls), consider a plain one-piece swimming suit for fewer issues.

If you have a daughter that is between three and seven years old, consider a two-piece tankini. Tankinis provide good coverage and they have the added bonus of being easier to take off when they need to use the bathroom. While it’s not the biggest deal in the world to get them a one-piece, trying to take off a wet one-piece swimming suit can be a pain when you have a little one who needs a potty break. The tankini will allow them to be more independent when using the restroom or changing since the two-piece design allows for more flexibility.

As far as swimming suits for older kids, it’s more about what they like than anything.

Think About Sun Protection

Getting sunburned is no joke. It’s all fun and game until a few hours later when you realize you’re redder than a tomato. This is bad for adults, but it is especially bad for kids' and babies’ sensitive skin. Make sure kids are always wearing sunscreen, but also, make sure their swimsuit will protect them. Some swimming suits offer UV protection. Rashguards can also be a huge help. So, check for UV protection when buying a suit. At the very least, it helps to cover up littles’ skin as much as you can.

Consider a Rashguard

Rash guards can be great for a number of reasons. As mentioned, they’re great for sun protection. They’re also a great addition to a swimming suit while participating in water sports. When you’re water skiing, surfing, jet skiing, etc. are all great times to wear a rash guard. Some people also don’t like showing a ton of skin while they’re in the water or on the beach. A rash guard is perfect for kiddos who prefer to cover up a bit more. Rash guards sometimes come with swimming suits or can be bought separately. So, if you want one, there’s usually a way to get one that will match your kiddos’ swimsuits in long or short sleeves.

Think About How Many Pieces There Are

As mentioned above, sometimes having multiple pieces to a swimming suit can be good for more independent changing and potty breaks. However, it also depends on the child. Maybe your son doesn’t like wearing trunks and a rash guard. So, don’t buy him the rash guard if you don’t think he’ll wear it. Some girls prefer one-pieces because of the patterns they’re offered in, or they prefer the way it fits. Girls might also prefer to layer a rash guard over the top of their suits as well. It’s all about preference. 

Make Sure They Like What You’ve Picked

Speaking of personal preferences, your kids' opinions really matter when it comes to swimming suits. While some kiddos genuinely don’t care, others might have preferences about the colors, cuts, and designs on their suits. So, take them along as you’re looking at suits. If you don’t want to give them full autonomy, look at a bunch of suits online with them and learn what their taste is so you can better pick a suit they’ll love. After all, their swimming suit might just be their unofficial summer uniform–you want them to love it! If you’re buying something without them seeing it, check the return policy to make sure you can get another suit if they dislike it. No one wants to feel uncomfortable in anything–much less their swimsuit.

Easy Care and Good-Quality

Let’s face it, kids are pretty rough on their clothes. So, make sure you pick swimsuits that are easy to care for and are of good quality. Having a swimming suit that is easy to care for is important if you are short on time, or your kids take care of their suits. Even if they aren’t rough on their swimwear, the chlorine from the pool or salt water from the ocean will be. If not washed properly, their favorite swimming suit might not last long. Make sure you teach your kids the care instructions and how to follow them carefully. It’s always a good idea to start by soaking swimming suits to get all the chemicals and/or salt off of them.

As far as the quality goes, it can be tempting to buy your kids cheap swimming suits. After all, they grow right out of them and you’ll need to buy new ones every year, right? Not always. As kids get older, they might be able to wear their suits or rash guards for more than one summer. By buying a good quality swimming suit, you’ll probably get more than one summer wear and might even be able to pass swimwear down as hand-me-downs, if needed.

Getting a cute swimsuit for summer is usually pretty fun for most kids. Just make sure that you get their opinion, or they might not wear it, and all of your research and purchasing might be wasted. If you’re looking for some adorable suits for this summer, check out Presley Couture’s new swimsuit line! Your kids are sure to love them!