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Slazenger Silicone Swim Cap
by ClareM78
Recently I joined the gym, primarily so that I can go swimming (which i love) but also for classes and general gym use (which I dont love so much!)
I aim to go swimming every day, Monday to Friday, and so far I have almost managed this, which is great. However what is not great is having to wash my hair every day as that ... makes my hair dry out nor do I like to walk around smelling of chlorine, so a couple of weeks ago I invested in this swimming cap.
I bought the swimming cap instore from Sports Direct as I find their prices to be very reasonable and infact this cap was reduced from £2.99 to £2.49 which I thought to be a bit of a bargain. This cap is also available on their website, although on their website it states that this is a mans cap whereas the one I bought just said 'Adult' on it and differs slightly from the picture above in that it has a slight wave to the open edge whereas the picture above looks like it is straight-edged but other than that it is the same.
The first time I used this cap it brought back memories of being a child when we used to have swimming lessons at school and we had to wear swimming caps. Although caps seem to have come a long way since then as I remember those being a lot thinner and tearing fairly frequently whereas this one seems pretty well made and not like it will tear.
I have quite long hair, past my shoulder blades, so i tie my hair up first then pull the cap up over it. I do actually look quite ridiculous when wearing it but i am not worried about that.
The first time I wore the cap I put it on properly and pulled it down so it covered all my hair and my ears. After my swim my hair was completely dry and not smelling of chlorine so I would have to say that this cap is very effective at its job. However, I am quite funny about my ears and i dont really fell comfortable having them covered as it makes me feel quite hot and uncomfortable so now I actually dont pull the cap all the way down over my ears. This is the way I prefer it and yes a bit of my hair at the sides does get wet but that doesnt worry me as only a teeny bit of my hair gets wet and I can live with that.
Overall I would say this is a really good priced item which works extremely effectively if used in the correct way (ie pulled all the way down) and is still effective when worn like I do as it does not let water in past where you have pulled the edges too. I would thoroughly recommend this to anyone who likes to swim often but doesnt like to wash their hair every day.
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Zoggs Float Bands
by k2705
As you may see from a previous review I have started taking Jayden swimming as I feel it is important for him to get use to the water from an early age. Whilst I know Jayden is no where near the stage where he will start to learn to swim, I want him to feel safe in the water as well as having a certain amount of independence so that he ... does not have to be carried all the time.
We purchased him a Zoggs Trainer Seat which we have been very pleased with, however he does not want to be in it the whole time and does enjoy being right in the water and splashing around so we decided to purchase him some Zoggs Float Bands in order to help support him in the water as well as either me or my husband supporting him.
To start with I thought he was a little young for these, that was until we took him swimming when it was a session for under 5 year olds, half the children were wearing these and a lot of them were Jayden's age, the float bands allow your little one to have a bit of independence in the water and feel like they are swimming on their own (although you do need to hold on to them a certain extent)
Packaging
The Zoggs Float Bands come in a small rectangle box, it has the Zoggs logo in the top right hand corner with the name Float Bands written at the bottom in white writing, the stage that the float bands are for is written next to it. The majority of the box is taken up with a picture of a baby in a swimming pool wearing the float bands being supported by a woman. The back of the box is blue and contains all of the product information, including facts about the float bands, the age group that these are suitable for and also the warnings, inside the box is a small instruction leaflet which contains further product information should you need it, all of this information in both the booklet and on the back of the box is repeated in several different languages.
The Float Bands
The Zoggs Float Bands look just like regular arm bands used for swimming, they are made from a bright orange Vylux material, this is designed to be more durable which cannot be easily torn or punctured making them more safe for your baby, there is a certain amount of information written on the float bands in blue which give you guidance as to where to inflate them and such like, it also has the name of the product written on them, again in blue writing.
The float bands have dual air chambers with two separate non return safety valves, these allow you to adjust the bands once your baby is wearing them to get the correct buoyancy, the valves can then be pushed inside the bands so that they are not caught or snagged on anything whilst being worn.
The Zoggs Float Bands are described as being Stage 2 which when you check the chart no the back of the box states that they are suitable for children under 1 year old making them ideal for Jayden's age. Once on your baby's arms and inflated one side of the bands are flat, this part goes against your baby's body on the underside of their arm for comfort, the rest of the bands are inflated to help keep them afloat, they do look bulky when worn, however again they need to be in order to do what they are supposed to.
Directions for Use
When it comes to using the Zoggs Float Bands it is pretty self explanatory, however there are instructions inside the booklet should you need some advise. The information states that you should
* Slide the float bands on your baby's arms
* Squeeze each valve and blow air into them to inflate each chamber
* Close the valve by firmly inserting the stopper
* Push the valve into the chamber until the top of the valve is flush with the chamber
* Once in the water keep hold of your child and check the buoyancy, the water should sit around level with their shoulders, adjust as needed
* To deflate the float bands pull the valve out, remove the stopper and squeeze the bottom of the valve to release the air
Warnings
As with most products there are a few warnings on the back of the packaging, these state that
* Only use under adult supervision
* These are not a life preserver
* Supervision should always be within reach of the wearer
* Check or signs of wear and tear and throw away and replace at the first sign of damage
* Always ensure they are securely fitted
Again these are quite self explanatory and common sense, however they are important points which need to be adhered to to ensure that your child is safe at all times when in the water.
Price and Availability
Zoggs Float Bands are available from a variety of shops which sell swim wear and accessories, we purchased ours from the leisure centre where we take Jayden swimming and the pair of float bands cost just £4.99, personally I thought they would be more expensive than this and was pleasantly surprised when I saw the price.
My Opinion
We have had the Zoggs Float Bands a while now and the first time we took Jayden in the pool wearing them he loved it, we put them on him and inflated them whilst he was out of the pool and he wasn't to keen on them to start with and tried to shake them off, however once he got in the water wearing them they didn't bother him at all.
We held Jayden on his front wearing the bands and supported him around the middle and he kicked his legs and moved his arms like he was trying to swim and move through the water, we helped him around the pool and the bands kept his front end afloat whilst we supported his middle, when we did this before and without the bands his head would often go into the water a bit, whilst he wasn't bothered about this I didn't want him swallowing too much water, the bands prevented this and gave Jayden a bit more independence, whilst he still had to be supported we could just guide him around the pool whilst he kicked all his liked, he seemed really pleased with himself, like he was swimming on his own.
He is definitely not frightened of the water and the bands will help him to gain more confident of being in the water and supported as he gets older. The Zoggs Float Bands were definitely worth the money, they are strong and of an excellent quality. I would highly recommend this product to anyone taking a baby swimming.
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Speedo Pacific Storm Goggles
by rji0907
We have recently come back from a holiday in Lanzarote and I love nothing more when on holiday abroad than cooling off in the pool or the sea having fun with my son and family. However, if you are a regular reader of my reviews you will know that I suffer from really sensitive eyes and the slightest bit of water in my eyes, especially ... salty sea water, can really irritate my eyes and ruin the fun moments I spend with my family.
A problem like this in water is easily solved though - goggles! I hate wearing goggles personally as I feel they are more for serious swimmers which is something that I am most definitely not! However, if wearing them when in water means that I get to enjoy those times with my family then it is a small sacrifice to make so that's what I do now.
As I don't swim much, I have tried cheap goggles but I found that they leak water and can break quite easily too. I decided for this holiday to go with a better quality pair and ended up going for the Speedo Pacific Storm Swimming Goggles.
I shopped around online to find a decent pair of goggles at a good price and found these goggles in Argos for £9.99, which I didn't think was too bad as Speedo are a leading brand in swimwear so I was sure these would be of a high standard and therefore I didn't mind paying that bit extra for them. These are available for both adults and children and mine came in a sea blue colour, though I believe you might be able to get them in black too.
As expected, I was really impressed with these googles. They provided a fairly comfortable fit without feeling too tight around the head area, and the padded suction area around the eyes works well as it sits quite comfortable around the eye area without leaving red marks on your face. Although not overly tight on the face area, the goggles don't let any water into the eye area so they did the job really well. The padded suction around the eyes almost seem to mould itself to the shape of your face to provide a barrier to keep the water out - and it works!!
Not only do these do the job that goggles do, they have a couple of added extra benefits too. For example, they have uv protection and anti fog lenses so you can see where you are going (which is always handy!) . Also, the blue coloured lens is designed to eliminate glare from the water or sun which will help protect my eyes further.
These have a double rubber strap which feels quite thick and secure. Although I haven't owned these goggles for too long, I have enough confidence in the product to feel that the strap is of a high enough quality that it won't thin or stretch too much over time which is a problem I have had with cheaper models in the past.
Overall, as goggles go, these are pretty damn good. I had a great holiday with no issues in the water with my eyes and that was down to these goggles. They didn't let any water in at all and I felt really confident when wearing these that I could splash around with my son to my hearts content without fearing getting water in my eyes. They are pretty comfortable as goggles go and do a great job without being overly expensive and therefore, they come with a recommendation from me.
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