--- ---  # Attention Hipster Swimmers, This Beard Cap Is the Answer to Your Prayers by [Rishi Iyengar](https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Jun 3, 2015 8:23 AM UTC  Virgin Trains has launched an innovative swim cap for bearded men which will be trialled with customers competing at the Great North Swim, Lake Windermere, U.K., on June 12–14, 2015 Virgin Trains has launched an innovative swim cap for bearded men which will be trialled with customers competing at the Great North Swim, Lake Windermere, U.K., on June 12–14, 2015Mikael Buck—Virgin Trains by [Rishi Iyengar](https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/) ## Rishi Iyengar Jun 3, 2015 8:23 AM UTC Facial hair, especially the long unruly kind, can prove a severe impediment to a swimmer’s aquatic aerodynamic ability. A new [invention](http://www.virgintrains.co.uk/about/media-room/#/pressreleases/innovative-beard-cap-is-created-for-the-bearded-nation-1171510) from Virgin Trains called the Beard Cap, however, promises to change that forever. The “innovative swim cap for bearded men,” as the rail company described the device in a press release, is just like a regular swimming cap, except it also extends to cover the wearer’s chin and press the beard closer to the face. The cap, which is “reusable, adjustable and perfect for keeping bushy beards under control,” will be launched at the Great North Swim in England’s Lake Windermere from June 12 to 14. The invention is even backed by research commissioned by the company, which revealed that over 1 in 10 men attributed their beard to slower swim times, and nearly a quarter of men feel their beards negatively impact sports performance. “At Virgin Trains we’re passionate about giving our customers the most awesome experience possible, and this extends to their sporting endeavors as they are traveling to the Great North Swim with us,” said Adrian Verma, the company’s senior partnerships and marketing manager. “In addition to the 50% discounted tickets to the event for spectators and competitors, we’re delighted to be offering customers this innovative cap to help them do their best.” ### See 11 Adorable Babies Swimming Underwater  Zoe, 5 months Seth Casteel  Michael G., 12 months Seth Casteel  Zelda Mae, 7 months Seth Casteel  Emerson, 7 months Seth Casteel  Adeline, 10 months Seth Casteel  Bailey, 14 months Seth Casteel  Colton, 11 months Seth Casteel  Warren M., 11 months Seth Casteel  Khyleigh, 9 months Seth Casteel  Michael R., 4.5 months Seth Casteel  Valentina, 9 months Seth Casteel Now There Is a Swimming Cap That Men Can Use for Their Beards ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3906769/beard-cap-swimming-cap-beards-virgin-trains/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3906769/beard-cap-swimming-cap-beards-virgin-trains/"},"headline":"Attention Hipster Swimmers, This Beard Cap Is the Answer to Your Prayers","datePublished":"2015-06-03T08:23:17.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:47:28.736Z","description":"Talk about shaving a few seconds off your swim time","url":"https://time.com/3906769/beard-cap-swimming-cap-beards-virgin-trains/","keywords":["Newsfeed","Bizarre","Men","swimming"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc212cf35dc74e340/698852bef887dc7b99e90bf1/buck_beard_cap21.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Rishi Iyengar","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/rishi-iyengar/"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltc212cf35dc74e340/698852bef887dc7b99e90bf1/buck_beard_cap21.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"BUCK_Beard_Cap21","caption":"Virgin Trains, official train partner to the Great North Swim, has launched an innovative swim cap for bearded men – the Beard Cap - which will be trialled with customers competing at the Great North Swim, Lake Windermere, June 12 – 14, 2015. Responding","creditText":"Mikael Buck—Virgin Trains","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/time-section-newsfeed/","name":"Newsfeed"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3906769/beard-cap-swimming-cap-beards-virgin-trains/","name":"Attention Hipster Swimmers, This Beard Cap Is the Answer to Your Prayers"}}]}] ```