The Swim Hat Company
The Swim Hat Company (SHC Leisure Limited) is a UK-based custom printer and embroiderer producing personalised swimming caps, sports apparel, and accessories for swimming clubs, schools, and event organisers across the UK and internationally, via direct phone and email sales.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersStourbridge, United Kingdom
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What The Swim Hat Company does
The Swim Hat Company (legally SHC Leisure Limited) is a UK-based custom print and embroidery business headquartered in Stourbridge, England, founded in 1985. The company specialises in fully customised printed swimming caps and complementary sports apparel and accessories, serving swimming clubs, schools, triathlon and open-water event organisers, charities, and individual swimmers primarily in the UK with selective international direct shipping. Its reference customers include British Swimming, Swim England, British Triathlon, the BBC, and Sport Relief, signalling credibility in the regulated and competitive swimming ecosystem.
Its core capability is in-house screen printing and embroidery conducted at the company's UK factory, supported by more than 40 years of domain expertise. The swim cap portfolio spans silicone, suede silicone, latex, polyester, and lycra constructions, with up to six-colour print runs and an 'allover print' technique that enables seamless multi-colour coverage across the entire cap surface. Beyond caps, the product line extends to printed and embroidered t-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, headwear, activewear, bags, goggles, towelling, water bottles, sport umbrellas, and training aids, with many items offered as part of complete club kits.
The business operates a sales-led, direct-channel model with no self-service e-commerce checkout; customers engage via phone or email to receive artwork proofs and per-unit quotes before production. Pricing is volume-tiered (for example, silicone single-colour caps from £5.85 each at 25 units down to £2.65 at 250 units), supplemented by per-order express delivery surcharges and individual-naming fees. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds and operates as a small (11-50 employees) niche manufacturer-distributor.
The Swim Hat Company firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Swim Hat Company
- Legal name
- SHC Leisure Limited
- Website
- https://swimhatco.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Swim Hat Company (SHC Leisure Limited) is a UK-based custom printer and embroiderer producing personalised swimming caps, sports apparel, and accessories for swimming clubs, schools, and event organisers across the UK and internationally, via direct phone and email sales.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Swim Hat Company industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Custom Swim Caps
- NAICS
- Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992), Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Sporting & Athletic Goods, Nec (3949)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Swim & Surf Performance Wear (CRAAAEAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Hats, Caps & Headwear (CRAAAJAE)
Keywords
Where The Swim Hat Company is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stourbridge
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Swim Hat Company business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Custom Printed Swim Caps: Custom printed swimming hats sold as one-time purchases with printing in multiple colours. Products include silicone, suede, latex, polyester, lycra, and competition swim caps. Lead time is typically 3 weeks with express options available.
- Customised Sports Clothing: Screen printing and embroidery services on t-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, activewear, and headwear for clubs and teams.
- Sports Accessories: Sales of bags, holdalls, goggles, water bottles, umbrellas, training aids, and towelling products, many available with custom printing or embroidery.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Silicone Swim Caps - One Colour Print |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Silicone Swim Caps - Four Colour Print |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Express Delivery |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Printed/Embroidered Bags |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Customised Water Bottles |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Embroidered Towelling |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
The Swim Hat Company product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Swim Hat Company manufactures and sells custom-printed swimming caps in silicone, suede, latex, polyester and lycra materials, decorated with club logos, names and competition numbering via in-house screen printing and embroidery. The range extends to custom apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, headwear, activewear) and accessories such as bags, goggles, towelling, water bottles, sport umbrellas and training aids, supplied to swimming clubs, schools, event organisers and individual swimmers.
Product overview
The Swim Hat Company is the UK's leading provider of fully customised printed swimming hats, with over 40 years of experience in custom print and embroidery. The core product offering centers on swimming caps available in multiple materials: silicone, suede silicone, latex, polyester, and lycra. The company expanded its portfolio to include a comprehensive range of sports apparel and accessories including t-shirts, hoodies, polo-shirts, headwear, activewear, bags, goggles, towelling, water bottles, sport umbrellas, and training aids. All products can be customised with club logos, team branding, or individual designs through printing or embroidery services. The company operates from the UK with free standard UK shipping and a typical 3-week lead time.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Custom Silicone Swimming Caps Custom-printed silicone swim caps available in adult and kid sizes, decorated with club logos, names and artwork for clubs, schools and individual swimmers.
- Custom Suede Swimming Caps Custom-printed suede swim caps for club and team use with logo and artwork decoration.
- Custom Silicone Long Hair Swimming Caps Larger silicone swim cap sized for long hair, custom-printed with club or personal artwork.
- Custom Latex Swimming Caps Custom-printed latex swim caps supplied to clubs and individuals.
- Custom Polyester Swimming Caps Custom-printed polyester swim caps available for clubs and events.
- Custom Lycra Swimming Caps Custom-printed lycra swim caps for club, team and personal use.
- Competition Swimming Caps Competition-format swim caps, custom-printed with logos and competitor numbering for events and clubs.
- Allover Print Suede Swimming Caps Premium suede swim caps printed edge-to-edge with full-coverage artwork via sublimation, for clubs and events wanting high-impact branded caps.
- Custom T-Shirts Custom screen-printed or embroidered t-shirts for swimming clubs, events, schools and individual buyers, decorated with supplied artwork.
- Custom Hoodies Custom printed or embroidered hoodies for swimming clubs, teams and events.
- Custom Polo-Shirts Custom printed or embroidered polo shirts for club officials, teams and events.
- Custom Headwear Custom-branded headwear such as caps and beanies, supplied to clubs, events and individuals.
- Custom Activewear Custom activewear including team-wear for clubs, schools and events.
- TYR Alliance Kit Bag TYR Alliance Kit Bag stocked and supplied alongside custom cap and apparel orders.
- Bags & Holdalls Range Bags and holdalls including mesh bags, backpacks, drawstring bags and kit bags supplied to swimmers, clubs and events.
- Goggles Swim goggles supplied to swimmers, clubs and events alongside custom cap orders.
- Towelling Swim towelling products supplied to clubs, events and individual swimmers.
- Water Bottles Water bottles supplied to swimmers, clubs and events.
- Sport Umbrellas Sport umbrellas supplied alongside custom apparel and cap orders for clubs and events.
- Training Aids Swimming training aids supplied to clubs, schools and individual swimmers.
Quantifiable outcome
- 4.9/5.0 Google rating from 112 reviews
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use The Swim Hat Company
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Swim Hat Company technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
The Swim Hat Company partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
The Swim Hat Company competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Squad Kit: UK teamwear and club kit provider offering custom-printed and embroidered sports apparel and accessories to clubs, schools, and teams — overlapping customer base and product range.
- Garment Printing UK: UK custom garment printing and embroidery business offering personalised apparel and accessories. Comparable on the custom print/embroidery capability and direct-to-club distribution model.
- Wild Thang: UK-based custom apparel print and embroidery specialist serving sports clubs, corporates, and events. Closely comparable business model — custom screen printing and embroidery on apparel and accessories for UK clubs.
- Cram Crew: Specialist provider of custom swim caps and team swim gear for clubs, schools and teams. Direct competitor in the same custom printed swim cap niche serving swimming organisations.
- Pro Active Sports: UK supplier of custom-printed teamwear, swim caps and sports accessories for swimming clubs and schools. Directly competes in custom swim caps and team outfitting for the UK swimming market.
Broad incumbents
- Speedo: Global swimwear giant offering caps, goggles and apparel. Comparable as a swim-cap supplier to clubs and competitive swimmers, though Speedo is brand-led rather than custom-print focused and operates at vastly greater scale.
- 4imprint: Large UK/US promotional products and custom apparel distributor. Overlaps in custom-printed promotional sports accessories (caps, water bottles, bags) but operates at broader scale across many categories.
- TYR Sport: Major competitive swim and triathlon brand. Swim Hat Co is already a TYR bags/accessories supplier, making TYR a partner and broad incumbent peer in the swim accessories and team-kit category.
- Arena: International competitive swimwear brand serving national federations and clubs. Comparable as a swimming-focused apparel and caps supplier to clubs and competitive swimmers across Europe.
Regional players
- Custom Swim Caps Australia: Australia-based custom swim cap specialist serving swimming clubs and schools. Comparable product offering and custom printing model, but focused on the Australian/NZ market rather than competing directly with Swim Hat Co in the UK.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Swim Hat Company social profiles
Digital presenceThe Swim Hat Company financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Swim Hat Company leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
The Swim Hat Company funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Swim Hat Company M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Swim Hat Company
What does The Swim Hat Company do?
The Swim Hat Company manufactures and sells custom-printed swimming caps in silicone, suede, latex, polyester and lycra materials, decorated with club logos, names and competition numbering via in-house screen printing and embroidery. The range extends to custom apparel (t-shirts, hoodies, polo shirts, headwear, activewear) and accessories such as bags, goggles, towelling, water bottles, sport umbrellas and training aids, supplied to swimming clubs, schools, event organisers and individual swimmers.
Is The Swim Hat Company a public or private company?
The Swim Hat Company is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was The Swim Hat Company founded?
The Swim Hat Company was founded in 1985. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Swim Hat Company based?
The Swim Hat Company is headquartered in Stourbridge, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does The Swim Hat Company make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Custom Printed Swim Caps are the primary driver. The others are customised Sports Clothing and sports Accessories.
Who are The Swim Hat Company's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Squad Kit, Garment Printing UK, Wild Thang, Cram Crew and Pro Active Sports. Broad incumbents are Speedo, 4imprint, TYR Sport and Arena. Custom Swim Caps Australia is listed as a regional player.
Does The Swim Hat Company have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Swim Hat Company.
What industry is The Swim Hat Company in?
The Swim Hat Company's product category is Custom Swim Caps. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAAAEAG, Swim & Surf Performance Wear, with a secondary code of CRAAAJAE, Hats, Caps & Headwear. Its NAICS code is 33992 and its SIC code is 3949.