Baby Swimwear: Six Factors Everyone Should Know

Let’s face it. The chances of kids not swimming when the weather is good are pretty small. Whether they’ll head to the beach on a family day out, to a local swimming pool or splash about in the backyard, they will be exposed to the sun. So, when choosing baby swimwear, Australian parents need to consider more than how long the suit will last.

As with all baby clothing, there are plenty of swimwear options out there to select from for your infant. While price is always a worthy consideration, the level of protection that the suit can provide against the harsh effects of UV rays is the primary issue.

At Stingray, we have been helping parents select the most appropriate choice of child, toddler, and baby swimwear for Australia’s especially strong sunlight.

Why protection is so important?

Your choice of swimwear might seem a small issue, but with Australia having the highest rates of melanoma, the deadliest kind of skin cancer, in the world, the importance of protecting yourself is acute. Statistics shows that an average of 1,200 people die from melanoma annually while it’s estimated that 66% of Australians will develop some form of skin cancer by the age of 70.

Studies also suggest that sunburn in early childhood increases the chances of developing skin cancer later in life.

The reason for such high instances is that Australia suffers high levels of UV radiation, due to long periods of clear blue skies that offer a little natural protection, and our location is close to the equator. This means that anyone who is exposed to the sun unprotected is at a high risk of suffering UV radiation.

Australia is fighting the skin cancer problem hard, and recently, six states and territories have banned commercial sunbeds. When outdoors, wearing sun protective clothing makes a big difference, and sun protective baby swimwear for Australia’s harsh sunlight is key too.

Six Baby Swimwear Facts

1. Babies younger than four weeks old should not be permitted to swim. Instead, keep out of direct sunlight. If you want to get your baby swimming early, take them to baby swimming classes at an indoor pool. Most accept babies from four months old.

2. For outdoor swimming, long sleeved baby swimsuits are better than short sleeved though sunscreen can be applied to the forearms and hands.

3. A high collared baby swimwear is important. Australia’s strong sun can, otherwise, burn the neck area.

4. Choose a swimsuit with high-quality chlorine resistant fabric so that it fits snuggly over the body. The fabric can also be easily washed (simply rinse) without the suit being stretched or damaged.

5. Make sure that the suit’s Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is high. Stringray’s suits have a rating of UPF 40, meaning more than 97.5% of UV radiation is blocked. The most common is UPF 30 that blocks about 97%, while the maximum is UPF 50 that blocks 98%.

6.Even with a sun protective baby swimwear, Australia’s strong sunlight means a baby sun hat should be worn at all times.

Baby Swimwear from Stingray

Stingray is the original provider of reliable sun protection clothing in Australia, helping to protect people from the health risks posed by UV rays in everyday sunlight. Included in our catalogue of clothing is a dedicated section for babies and toddlers, featuring long-sleeved and short-sleeved Raysuits – baby swimwear. Australian parents can rely on Stingray when it comes to providing excellent sun protection to their child’s skin.

For more information on our range and how it can protect against Australia’s harsh sun, check out Stingray.com.au.