Meet the Instagram-famous, reusable shower cap that's making the cheap, plastic versions obsolete

• There are a host of problems with traditional plastic shower caps: they don't fit well or comfortably, they trap moisture, and they look tacky.
• The premium shower cap Shhhowercap ($43) is the stylish antithesis of the bath accessory people usually hate using.
• With a silicone band that always keeps it in place and a water-repellant surface, the Shhhowercap lets you step out of the shower with hair that looks and feels as good as before you stepped in.
• After trying the Shhhowercaps ourselves, there's no way we can go back to plastic caps.

Whether because you want to protect a great blowout or just don't have the time, you probably don't wash your hair every day. Shhhowercap founder Jacquelyn De Jesu was the same way, usually piling her hair into a top knot and hoping it wouldn't get wet during her shower. She hated the flimsy and cheesy plastic shower caps that dominated the market, so she defaulted to this precarious configuration. It was the best solution at the time — that is, until De Jesu created her own solution called the Shhhowercap.

Shhhowercap is an elevated and more effective version of the bath accessory that most accept as faulty but don't realize they deserve better. It's made with a premium nano-tech fabric, which repels water so it slides right off. This sounds like an obvious requirement for a shower cap, but it also means the cap dries fully within a minute, minimizing the wet mess on your counter or floor.

With its silicone rubber band in the front, it stays fit and secure on your head through your entire shower. Despite its secure fit, it somehow doesn't leave behind any unsightly indent marks on your forehead. The spacious pocket in the back holds all your hair without sacrificing volume, and this is true for all types of hair (Shhhowercap says it has tested the cap on "everything from full head of long braids to big, thick, voluminous, red headed curls").

Shhhowercaps come in bold, bright solid colors and prints. You would never wear a regular shower cap outside of the house, but it's definitely not out of the realm of possibilities with Shhhowercap, which you can wear at the beach or pool without a second thought. It can also be used to keep your hair out of your face as you put on makeup or apply a mask.

Long-time user and Insider Picks editor Sally Kaplan says, "I started using my Shhhowercap about two years ago, and I haven't looked back to the plastic kind since. It creates a tight seal that keeps my hair from getting wet, and because of its anti-microbial lining, it never smells weird." It's worth noting, though, that there was a bit of an adjustment period for her that required some problem-solving. "The one challenge I had with it in the past was that the seal is so good that sometimes my head would end up sweating under it, which would make my roots slightly damp — but I've more or less solved that issue by just using cooler water whenever I have the cap on."

I have to admit that I wouldn't care if the cap came in cute styles because functionality and utility are more important to me. However, style is an undeniable part of the brand's personality and one reason why so many people have gravitated towards the product. De Jesu's background as an art director in the advertising industry certainly shines through in Shhhowercap's marketing and imagery. It's the first shower cap you'll actually want to wear.

Personally, I liked how securely the cap fit on my admittedly large head, preserved the look and volume of my unwashed hair, and dried quickly. That I managed to look cool as I stood in a towel in my small, steamy bathroom was really the cherry on the top.

The bottom line

Acting on the natural tendency towards affordable short-term gratification, you might be tempted to forgo the Shhhowercap for a $10 option, but you have to remember why the alternatives are so cheap in the first place: they're also cheaply constructed, uncomfortable, and won't last long.

Instead of buying, then throwing out four bad caps (or a hundred plastic ones), you can save the time and frustration and buy one great option. The Shhhowercap that Sally started using two years ago is still the same one she uses today, and it works as well as ever. If you're looking for durability and reliability with a splash of style, Shhhowercap is the best option out there.