Bond Eye Care Guide 2026: How to Wash, Dry and Protect Crinkle, Shimmer and bare Swim
Day three of the vacation. Your crinkle bikini has done laps in the hotel pool, an afternoon on a sun lounger slick with SPF and a sandy walk back to the room, where it's now lying in a damp, rolled-up knot on the bathroom floor. Tomorrow you'll wear it again. By the end of the trip, the bright color you fell for already looks a little tired.
Bond Eye, the Sydney label known for its textured Authentic Crinkle™ swimwear, says its pieces are meant to be wardrobe staples "for years to come." It also publishes a detailed garment-care page that explains how to keep the fabric's soft hand feel and bold color. Olivia Reviews combined that page with the fabric notes on Bond Eye's product listings in October 2026 to build a simple routine for each kind of piece, from matte crinkle to shimmer, lurex, terry and the smooth bare range.
Quick take: Rinse your suit right after you swim. Hand wash it separately in cold water with a little diluted, mild detergent made for delicates. Don't wring, twist, rub or scrub it, and keep fabric softener, bleach, the dryer, the iron and the dry cleaner away. Drip dry it in the shade, never rolled up wet. Keep sunscreen, tanning products and oils off the fabric, and steer clear of harshly chemically treated pools and spas. Shimmer crinkle needs extra care to avoid pilling and snagging. Building a set to rotate? See today's Bond Eye deals.
Why crinkle needs a routine
Bond Eye compares its tubular bound crinkle fabric to your body: unique, and at its best when it's well cared for. The fabric notes explain why. The crinkle is constructed for four-way stretch and "instant recovery," and nearly all of the brand's collections use fibers made from regenerated nylon. Stretch fibers, heat and harsh chemicals are not a good mix, which is why almost every rule below is about keeping things cool, gentle and clean.
Bond Eye also asks you to follow the care label sewn into every piece, to use a mild natural soap rather than harsh chemical detergents, and to limit washing to when it's really necessary. A cold rinse after swimming is the daily routine. A proper wash is the occasional one.
The everyday routine, step by step
- Rinse immediately. After the pool, the beach or a spa, rinse the suit in cold water as soon as you can.
- Wash by hand, separately, in cold water with a diluted mild detergent meant for delicate fabrics.
- Be gentle. No twisting, wringing, rubbing or scrubbing. Press the water out instead.
- Skip the extras. No fabric softener, no bleach, and no tumble dryer, iron or dry cleaning.
- Drip dry in the shade. Bond Eye says some colors may fade in sunlight.
- Never leave it rolled up wet, in a towel, a beach bag or a heap on the floor.
- Keep wet pieces apart. The brand warns that some colors may bleed or transfer when wet, so keep them away from other fabrics until they're dry.
What to keep away from your swimsuit
- Pools and spas treated with harsh chemicals. Bond Eye notes that colors may also fade in chemically treated water.
- Tanning products, lotions, sun creams and oils. Bond Eye lists all of these as things your swimwear should avoid touching.
- Rough surfaces, such as pool edges, rocks and wooden decks, which can cause pulls in the knit.
Fabric by fabric
Shimmer crinkle: the delicate one
Shimmer pieces, such as the $95 Sinner Brief in Emerald Shimmer (88% nylon, 12% elastane), are knitted with a premium high-filament nylon yarn for a velvety sheen. Bond Eye's fabric guide calls shimmer delicate and says it needs extra care to last. The product pages are more specific: treat it with extra care to prevent pilling and snagging. In practice, that makes rough surfaces the biggest risk. Sit on a towel, not on the pool edge, and wash shimmer on its own.
Lurex and micro crinkle: the sparkle pieces
Lurex crinkle weaves a gold lurex thread through the waffle knit, and Micro Crinkle is a tighter knit with all-over lurex that Bond Eye says gives a firmer, more supportive fit. The Ring Side Madison One Piece, with resin ring hardware at the side cut-outs, uses this fabric. Bond Eye doesn't publish separate rules for lurex, so the standard routine applies: cold hand wash, no wringing, shade drying.
Recycled and eco matte crinkle: the everyday workhorses
The matte core styles, such as the $115 Sofie Triangle, use Bond Eye's Recycled crinkle (88% recycled nylon, 7% nylon, 5% LYCRA®, made with GRS-certified recycled yarn), while Eco crinkle is 55% recycled nylon, 33% nylon and 12% LYCRA®. These are the pieces you'll wear and wash the most. Here the brand's sustainable-care note matters: because the fibers are regenerated nylon, they can shed small plastic particles in a washing machine. Bond Eye recommends a GuppyFriend wash bag to cut down what reaches waterways.
Prints and dyed colors
Bond Eye says each crinkle garment is individually hand-dyed, so some color variation is expected, especially in tie-dye and ombré pieces. Saturated colors like Saffron are exactly the ones to dry in the shade, keep out of heavily chlorinated water and keep apart from pale fabrics while wet. The Tie Side Vista Brief ($105) is a low-rise, tie-side style made from a polyester and recycled-nylon crinkle blend.
bare: the smooth, sized range
bare is Bond Eye's smooth fabric, 75% recycled nylon and 25% spandex, with seamless edges and a self-lined, reversible build. The Melody One Piece is a full-coverage square-neck style sold in XS/S and M/L. It points you to the same garment-care page as the crinkle. Because it's reversible, both sides face the world, so rinse it inside and out after the pool.
Terry: built to dry fast
Bond Eye's Terry is a towelling-inspired loop texture that the brand says dries quickly, and Stripe Terry adds raised stripes. Loops can catch on rough surfaces just like crinkle can, so the same advice about pool edges and decks applies.
Sarongs and scarves
Bond Eye gives sarongs a care routine of their own: cold hand wash, separately, with mild detergent; don't rub or wring; no bleach or tumble dryer; line dry in the shade. Unlike swimwear, sarongs can take a low iron, and the brand lists professional dry cleaning as an option. The screen-printed cotton Kendal Scarf, which ties as a head scarf, is $55 and is listed in the brand's sarong category.
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Bond Eye care at a glance
| Do | Don't |
|---|---|
| Rinse right after swimming | Leave it rolled up wet |
| Hand wash cold, separately | Twist, wring, rub or scrub |
| Use diluted mild detergent for delicates | Use fabric softener or bleach |
| Drip dry in the shade | Tumble dry, iron or dry clean swimwear |
| Keep wet colors apart | Let sunscreen, oils or tanning products touch the fabric |
| Use a GuppyFriend bag for machine-washed nylon | Sit on rough edges in shimmer or terry |
If something goes wrong
If a piece arrives faulty, Bond Eye's FAQ asks you to email customercare@bond-eye.com as soon as possible with your order number, the style number, color and size, and at least two photos of the garment. The team aims to reply within 48 hours. US customers can also start a return through the returns portal and choose "DAMAGED" as the reason. Normal returns, by contrast, need the item unworn and unwashed with tags and hygiene stickers attached, so try a new suit on carefully and don't wash it until you've decided to keep it.
What we like, and what to watch
What we like
- A dedicated garment-care page with clear washing and drying rules.
- Fabric-specific notes on product pages, like the shimmer pilling warning.
- A sustainability tip on microplastics, not just a care label.
- Sarongs get their own instructions.
What to watch
- Hand-wash-only care takes more effort than a machine cycle.
- Colors can bleed when wet and fade in sun or chemically treated water.
- Shimmer pieces are delicate by the brand's own description.
- Many sale pieces are final sale, so a fault claim is your only route back for those.
Who this routine suits
Good fit: anyone who owns, or is about to buy, Bond Eye swim and wants the crinkle to keep its color and bounce, plus travelers who swim every day of a trip.
Maybe skip Bond Eye: swimmers who train daily in heavily chlorinated pools and want a suit they can toss in the washing machine.
Saving on your next suit
- First order: Bond Eye says mailing-list subscribers get an emailed code for 10% off a first full-price purchase. It isn't published on the site, so none is listed here.
- Sale styles: pieces like the Ring Side Madison and Melody were marked down about 30%, but they're final sale.
- Free US shipping on orders over $250, and $5 standard below that.
- Current offers: compare them on our Bond Eye coupons page.
Bond Eye care FAQ
Can I put Bond Eye swimwear in the washing machine?
Bond Eye's instructions say to hand wash separately in cold water. For any regenerated-nylon piece that does go in a machine, the brand recommends a GuppyFriend wash bag.
Can I wear sunscreen with a crinkle swimsuit?
The brand says to avoid contact with sun creams, lotions, oils and tanning products, so keep sunscreen and oils off the fabric as much as you can.
Why does my shimmer piece look fuzzy?
Bond Eye says shimmer crinkle uses a delicate yarn and needs extra care to prevent pilling and snagging. Keep it away from rough surfaces and wash it on its own.
Is color variation a defect?
Not necessarily. Bond Eye says crinkle pieces are individually hand-dyed, so some variation is expected, especially in tie-dye and ombré.
Final verdict
Bond Eye care is mostly about what you skip: heat, harsh chemicals, sunscreen on the fabric, wringing, and leaving a wet suit bundled up. Rinse cold, wash gently, drip dry in the shade, and give shimmer a little extra caution, and your crinkle should keep its stretch and color for many summers. When you're ready for the next piece, see today's Bond Eye deals first.
→ Check the latest Bond Eye coupon codes and deals
Olivia Reviews researched Bond Eye using its official website, product listings and published policies in October 2026. We haven't personally tested these products. We may earn a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.