The best shower caps you can buy

The folks at Drybar know a thing or two about blowouts, so it's no surprise that the brand's The Morning After Shower Cap is your best bet for making sleek styles last.

I love my naturally curly hair, but I still get a little thrill on the (very) rare occasion that I get it blown out. My temporarily straight hair always makes me feel like a completely different person.

If, like me, you prefer to extend the life of your blowout for as long as possible, The Morning After Shower Cap by Drybar is for you. It's lined with terry cloth that helps block out the humidity from your shower, and the oversized shape gives your strands plenty of room to breathe.

The Morning After Shower Cap looks more like a traditional shower cap you'd buy at the pharmacy, but the extra attention to detail makes it worth a few extra bucks. For example, the elastic that secures the cap on your head is lined with cotton to help you avoid those red angry lines.

Kathleen Hou at The Cut says that The Morning After Shower Cap is "so big that putting it on makes me look like Toad from Super Mario Brothers," but ultimately enjoys using it because it has enough space to keep her waves from getting smushed.

Essence also named this pick as being great for college students who have to run to and from shower rooms.

Pros: Terry cloth lining helps preserve blowouts and other styles, large size accommodates all hair types, cotton-trimmed elastic doesn't irritate skin

Cons: Price is high for a shower cap that you can't wash

The Betty Dain Fashionista Shower Cap keeps your hair dry and frizz-free for less than $10.

The Betty Dain Fashionista Shower Cap is shaped a bit like a collapsed soufflé, but don't let it's vaguely comical silhouette fool you — It's just as good as the other options on this list if you're not looking to splurge but still want to take your shower cap game to the next level.

The mushroomy shape I mentioned earlier is actually part of the selling point for this cap — it's huge. If you have big curls, Afro-textured hair, braids, or an otherwise voluminous style, the Betty Dain Fashionista is large enough to accommodate your needs. Thanks to the nylon exterior, it's resistant to mold and mildew.

That said, it won't last forever, but at only $6.95, you won't wince when you have to pick up a new one.

Betty Dain Fashionista is the number one best-selling shower cap on Amazon, with a 4.2 rating based on 1,600 reviews. It also comes recommended by the website Naturally Curly, which named it one of the top three best shower caps. If there's such a thing as a "cult favorite" shower cap, this is it.

Pros: Inexpensive, oversized to accommodate lots of hair types

Cons: Not likely to last a super long time

EcoTools Shower Cap and Case comes with its own storage pouch to make packing a breeze.

Vacation is a prime time for shower cap usage, especially if you're traveling somewhere warm where pool and beach time will be on the agenda. But packing a damp shower cap at the end of your trip? That can be a huge pain.

The EcoTools Shower Cap and Case is the ideal travel companion, as it comes with a reusable travel case. Both the cap and the case, like all EcoTools products, are made with eco-friendly, recycled materials like organic cotton, EVA, and renewable bamboo, and the case is constructed of breathable mesh with a zipper closure, so you don't have to stress about mold and mildew if you need to pack your luggage before the cap fully dries.

And the cap design is pretty great too, with enough room for long hair and soft cotton lining to protect your strands from frizz and breakage. As Bustle points out, "If you decide to use the cap with a hair mask, you can flip it inside out so that the treatment doesn't get into the cotton lining." Editors at Rank and Style and Byrdie are also fans of the portable, travel-friendly design.

Pros: affordable, cotton lining, ventilated travel case

Cons: not super attractive design, cotton lining can get stained

The Kitsch Luxury Shower Cap is cute enough to brave the great outdoors, whether it's poolside or in the outdoor showers.

Shower caps are not known for their fashionability, but sometimes you need to protect your strands in public. The Kitsch Luxury Shower Cap is cute enough to wear poolside, with its old-fashioned '50s-style silhouette, fun patterns, and fun bow detail at the front.

The cap is made of 100% waterproof nylon with an elastic-lined band that expands and contracts for a snug fit that won't let a drop of water inside. Kitsch is a Los Angeles-based brand that sells a variety of spa, pool, and shower accessories, and the shower cap is one of their most popular styles. There are several fun prints and patterns available.

Byrdie named Kitsch their top shower cap pick for swimming because it's both cute and secure. It's also been featured by publications such as Bustle, Total Beauty, and Rank and Style.

Pros: no plastic, cute patterns, chic design, flexible elastic band

Cons: not particularly large