This idea has been on my mind for years - ever since I had our first daughter. I loved the idea of a full coverage UPF 50+ swimsuit and a sun-safe hat. Something I could just throw on her, with some zinc on her nose and cheeks and off we’d go for a day in the sun, I knew how delicate babies skin was and it didn’t feel great smothering her in sunscreen, along with it being an absolute mission to put it on a wriggly kid. I started thinking about design, wanting to make the suits user friendly, prioritising simplicity and functionality. Talking with other Mum’s helped my ideas to flow - adding important features to the swimsuits like a double ended zip so families aren’t having to take the whole suit off for nappy changes or bush wees.
The bucket hat was a combination of thoughts, once we started working with manufacturing we discovered that using the same material for the hat was achieving zero waste from our swim suit material. This was a big thumbs up for aligning with our HaRei values. So one side of the hat matches the suits if you enjoy the “matchy match” look, otherwise the other side of the hat is a solid colour in ribbed fabric, this makes them reversible, along with the adjustable tie. The added bonus of a bucket hat, along with the beautiful ribbed fabric meant they could be used as an everyday hat, all year round, they aren’t just a “swim hat”.
The towel idea came a bit later, from the experiences of swimming lessons, beach days, camping trips, and travel adventures. Again, I wanted something practical, functional, and fun. I’d seen sand-free, quick-dry towels and loved the concept, but I thought, “Why not make it even better?” That’s when I came up with the idea of a front pocket, somewhere for little ones to stash their treasures as well as having the towel fold neatly into itself. Once it’s compact, it can live in your car boot, nappy bag and beach bag, ready for any last-minute adventure.
I could just picture it - families resort hopping on a tropical island, using their towels multiple times a day. Throwing them on the kids, hanging them in the sun to dry while they swim and repeat!
I also wanted these towels to grow with your child. The bottom adjustable snaps mean you can change the length as they get older. When snapped, it’s 50cm - perfect for a 1/2 year old and when you unsnap it, it’s longer. The towel still fits my 7 year old at full length of 60cm , that is giving 5 to 6 years of use!
My next thought was the camping trips, where towels never seem to dry. Another advantage to the towels snaps - you can clip the towel onto your caravan awning arm to dry and it will not blow away, or the clothesline when you’ve forgotten your pegs (which, let’s be honest, happens often). The side snaps also give kids a bit of extra privacy once they get out of their wet togs and just have the towel on.
I really believe HaRei’s designs have nailed that balance between looking good and actually working for real families - just like ours. It’s about making life a little easier, a little more fun, and embracing the chaos that comes with raising little ones.
