Lead in Bright Kids’ Clothing? What You Should Know About Swimwear

Lead in Bright Kids’ Clothing? What Parents Should Know (And How to Choose Safer Swimwear)

Posted By HiViz Swimwear on March 2026

A New Study Is Raising Important Questions For Parents

A recent university-led study found that some children’s fast-fashion clothing contained lead levels exceeding U.S. safety limits, with brightly colored garments such as red and yellow showing the highest release during testing. Researchers also noted that simulated digestion, such as a child chewing fabric, could expose children to potentially harmful levels.

This matters because, according to the CDC, there is no safe level of lead exposure in children, and even low levels have been associated with cognitive and developmental effects.

Naturally, this raises an important question for parents: does this concern apply to swimwear, especially when it’s worn wet and directly against the skin?

The answer is nuanced, and understanding that nuance is where safe choices become clearer.

Does Your Child's Swimwear Bleed Dye?

Above are two images showing a before-and-after dye comparison following a water soak test. In the glass on the left is a sample of non-certified children’s neon swimwear. On the right is our neon pink HiViz rash guard.

At the end of the soak, the difference is clear. The HiViz swimwear maintained its color with no visible dye release, while the comparison sample showed significant dye bleeding into the water.

This type of result is often an indicator of how well a dye is bonded to the fabric. When materials are not properly processed or tested, dyes can be less stable under real-world conditions like water, heat, and wear. That’s one of the reasons we prioritize OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified fabrics, which are tested for both harmful substances and colorfastness.

The Quick Answer

✘ Bright colors themselves are not the problem
✔ The real issue is:

Material quality
Dye chemistry
Manufacturing process
Whether the product has been properly tested

High-quality, (OEKO-TEX®) tested swimwear, like our kids’ neon swimsuits, behaves very differently than low-cost, fast-fashion garments.

Why Swimwear Deserves More Scrutiny Than Everyday Clothing

Kids’ neon swimwear is worn under conditions that increase the importance of fabric integrity. It is wet, often for extended periods, and sits directly against the skin while being exposed to heat, UV rays, chlorine, saltwater, and repeated wear. Additionally, with the trend toward more full-coverage for sun protection, more of the skin is covered with wet swimwear.

These factors can influence how a fabric performs over time. So can the quality of the fabric and dyeing process. When dyes are unstable or poorly fixed, the combination of moisture, heat, and friction can increase the likelihood of dye release, also referred to as leaching.

This does not mean all swimwear poses a risk. It means the margin for error is lower, and quality matters more when you’re evaluating the need for chemical-free kids’ neon swimwear.

Last year we shared a comparison of one of our kids’ neon rash guards, neon pink and neon yellow, soaking in water compared to another brand’s neon swimwear. The other brand leeched excessive amounts of dye - HiViz’s kids’ neon rash guard leeched none.

Which one do you want sitting against your child’s skin all day?

Water Exposure And Dye Leaching: What Parents Should Understand

Water plays a dual role in textiles:

✔ It can dilute substances
✘ It can increase release if dyes are unstable

In swimwear, this matters because fabrics are repeatedly:

Soaked
Heated
Stretched
Exposed to environmental stress

If a garment is made with low-quality materials, dyes or rushed processes, this can lead to:

Dye bleeding
Fading
Residue transfer
Increased exposure potential

We break this down further in our guide on how swimwear fabrics behave over time, including why some materials trap particles or appear discolored after beach use.

Not All Fabrics Hold Dye The Same Way

Fabric type plays a substantial role, but it is only part of the equation.

Polyester, when properly manufactured, is typically dyed under high heat and pressure. This allows dye to embed into the fiber, resulting in strong color retention and stability in water and repeated wear. This matters significantly when your primary reason for purchasing kids’ neon swimwear is for the brightness of the neon-you don’t want that fading.

Nylon, widely used in swimwear and especially in value brands, can perform very well when properly processed, but is more dependent on dye type and finishing. When corners are cut, it is more sensitive to inconsistencies and can show more variability in colorfastness. Additionally, when compared to polyester swimwear, polyester swimwear always outperforms.

The key takeaway is simple:

✘ It’s not just the fabric
✔ It’s how the fabric is made-the quality

So, Is Bright Swimwear Dangerous?

No — and this is where clarity matters!

✘ Bright color does not equal unsafe
✔ Poor-quality materials and dyes increase risk, lack of certification increases risk further

The issue raised in the study is not brightness itself. It is the use of lower-quality dyes, inadequate processing, and lack of testing.

Fortunately, when you buy your kids’ neon swimwear from HiViz, you can rest assured that not only will they be the brightest kids on the beach, that brightness will stick around all season long, and you don’t have to worry about chemicals leeching into your child’s skin because HiViz uses certified fabric and several, and soon all, our products will have OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 certification.

Where Risk Actually Increases

Higher concern is typically associated with:

Ultra low-cost fast fashion
Rapid production timelines
Minimal quality control
Lack of third-party certification

This can increase the likelihood of:

Heavy metal contamination
Poor dye fixation
Residual chemicals

Safer materials, better dye systems, and proper testing all require greater investment.

Why Certifications Like OEKO-TEX® Matter

This is where testing replaces assumptions.

OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100 evaluates textiles and all components for over 300 harmful substances, including heavy metals like lead, formaldehyde, pesticides, and restricted chemicals. It also evaluates extractable substances, meaning what could transfer to skin, and includes requirements for colorfastness.

For swimwear, this is especially important because:

It is worn wet
It is worn for long periods
It sits directly against skin

In these conditions, what can transfer matters more than what simply exists in trace amounts.

Why HiViz Takes This Approach

When we started HiViz Swimwear, we had a choice: cheap or quality? We didn’t build HiViz to be the cheapest option. We built it around one vitally important question:

Would we feel completely comfortable putting this on our own children?

As moms, we think about:

What touches their skin
How long they wear it
What happens when it gets wet
How it holds up over time
How we can better protect them

That’s why we:

✔ Use high-quality materials designed for durability and stability
✔ Prioritize OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified fabrics
✔ Focus on real-world performance, not just appearance
✔ Have OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified products (and soon all of them will be!)

If you’re looking for neon swimsuits for kids designed with both visibility and material integrity in mind, you can explore our collection here:
👉 https://hivizswim.com/collections/all

The Real Takeaway For Parents

This study is not about avoiding bright clothing. It is about understanding what matters.

✘ It’s not the bright colors that pose the risk
✔ It’s the quality, process, and testing

FAQ

Is bright swimwear safe for kids?
Yes, when it is made with high-quality materials and tested. The color itself is not the risk.

Can swimwear release chemicals when wet?
If dyes are unstable, water and heat can increase release. This is why testing for colorfastness and extractable substances is important. All HiViz Swimwear has excellent colorfastness and is OEKO-TEX® STANDARD 100 certified or made with certified fabric.

Is OEKO-TEX® the same as chemical-free?
No. It means the product has been tested for harmful substances and meets strict limits. [insert document link here]

What fabrics are best for swimwear?
Both polyester and nylon can be safe when properly manufactured. The key is quality and testing. In our personal testing experience, kids’ neon swimsuits made from polyester leech color much more than HiViz kids’ neon swimsuits.

Why does higher-quality swimwear cost more?
Neon swimwear for kids varies in price range. But you pay for what you get. Higher-quality kids’ neon swimwear is made from better materials, uses safer processing, and carries verified testing. Better quality materials and processes cost more, as does certification.

Final Thoughts From Mary & Brittany

Swimwear is often worn in conditions that amplify the importance of material quality. Wet, warm, and against the skin for hours at a time is not the same as casual clothing.

As parents and founders, we believe children’s swimwear should be designed with those realities in mind. That means prioritizing visibility, durability, and materials that have been responsibly tested.

When we say swimwear should be about safety first, we mean it.

Safety through visibility

Safety through UPF 50+ sun protection

Safety through certified testing

Insanely bright, the highest sun protection, and free of harmful substances that can harm our most precious people.

With love, truly,
Mary & Brittany

Teach safety before fun.

Teach Safety First - The water is like the road.

We teach our kids not to go near the road without an adult. Not to chase toys into the road-and they listen. We teach them that it is dangerous. So we can teach our kids that water is the same. You do not go near it without an adult. You never go into it chasing your toys. It is dangerous.

There is plenty of time to teach them how to have fun after we teach them safety.

In-Water Water Safety:

Make sure to engage your children in conversations about appropriate actions when they witness another swimmer in distress.

Things to make sure you let them know:

Do not enter the water themselves, even if it's their sibling
Instead, scream for help, attract the attention of adults
Call emergency services if they are capable.

This knowledge empowers children to take the right actions while staying safe and potentially avoid an even more serious situation.

FAQs

WHY THE SAFEST SWIMSUIT COLOR IS NEON

Neon swimwear has been proven to be the most visible color when submerged, making neon the best swimsuit color for visibility. Dressing your kids in our neon rash guards will make them stand out at the beach, pool, or splash pad! You can rest easy knowing you'll easily be able to keep an eye on them.

WHY HiViZ NEON SWIMWEAR STAYS SO BRIGHT

When we started HiViz and were searching for 'the right' material for our suits we were looking for high-quality material with great colorfastness-that is how well the material retains color. Most swimwear companies use nylon spandex blends, we don't. The way color is bound to polyester fibers is in a much more permanent way than how nylon is dyed. This means that polyester will hold onto the color while nylon swimwear bleeds color every time it gets wet causing recurring colorloss and bleacing out the color. When you're buying swimwear for it's bright neon color, bleeding color and lightening is not what you want-this is why HiViz customer's love our polyester blend!