The dangers of the mermaid tail swimsuit that has become fashionable 2026

Fashions, in summer, are especially noticeable in everything that has to do with water: swimsuits, accessories and inflatables. Lately the trend has been precisely to take photos on Instagram with the most striking float in the store, from the pink flamingo to the giant donut to the unicorn. As far as possible, being aware that they are water toys and not safety elements, there is no bigger problem with them than the dubious taste of some models. However, this year we must warn of the risk that comes with the summer element that is fashionable among the little ones: the mermaid swimsuit.

It is true that fortunately, at least yet, their use has not become so viral, but they are sold in almost all multi-brand stores where they offer a catalog of children's swimwear, and they are so attractive that children who love little mermaids love them. And you know what happens when something enters a child's eyes... Parents can resist the impulse, but grandparents, uncles or friends will arrive and the whim will end up falling. That is exactly what the mermaid swimsuit is, a very attractive whim, but what not everyone knows is that they are also dangerous, as we are going to show you below.

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Caution when using

These swimsuits, which are sold for girls because they are usually in a two-piece format - bikini type - with the colors of the fairytale mermaids, include a tail like the one that has made these mythological characters famous. The tail is divine to make envy in photos and to friends in person, but its use in children is a risk that must be avoided at all costs, including in portable pools, such as those that have become so fashionable during the quarantine. Even more so in these because adults tend to be more confident thinking that there is no way that a child who knows how to swim well could drown.

This is more or less what happened to Adam Lisberg, who on his Twitter profile warned a few days ago about the danger of letting children bathe in this type of swimwear. He did it in the first person, telling how his daughter almost lost her life when she lost her foot and was left at the mercy of the water in a canvas pool in which she played with her older sister while he watched them from the kitchen, "every minute or two minutes." Little Annabelle, five years old, survived thanks to her sister pulling her out of the water before notifying her father, who reacted quickly with the help of other people and the emergency services. The story, which is told in great detail in a long thread that is highly recommended for reading, fortunately had a happy ending and the girl is now home after spending two days in the ICU, but it is an example that illustrates very well why these swimsuits are totally inadvisable, especially for such young children.

The problem that led Annabelle to not be able to get out of the mermaid tail or get up when she fell is that, according to her seven-year-old sister Ruby, the little girl raised the tail above her waist and put her arms inside to play with the statues. This can be done with almost any model of this swimsuit because it collapses easily, and since it does not have operational arms, a fall can be fatal, even in a small pool where it does not cover, like the one Annabelle fell into.

But they are no longer a danger for this specific reason, but rather for a more obvious reason that already affects any boy or girl who puts on a mermaid tail: the feet go together in the same piece, they are practically canceled, so it is very easy to lose balance in the water with such a swimsuit. A completely unnecessary risk that can end in a big scare or directly in tragedy if the little one is not able to stand up after rushing into the water. There is no need to allow a child to be exposed to such a danger, so we are extending the alert from Annabelle's father, Adam, so that anyone who is going to buy or has already bought this swimsuit for his daughter avoids using it in the water.