Wednesday, January 6, 2016

CW-X Revolution Tights Review



While the benefits of wearing compression gear during a run has both supporters and skeptics, I personally have found that compression gear can make a huge difference in my legs staying fresher longer.  The idea is that the compression gear reduces the amount of muscle vibration, resulting in less damage to the muscles.  Compression gear also reduces the onset of lactic acid buildup, which means your muscles should be less sore than if you are not wearing compression gear.

You might not have heard of CW-X, but they have been around since 1991 in Japan.  CW-X Conditioning Wear was developed by the Wacoal Human Science Research Center in Kyoto, Japan.  Using a combination of human anatomy knowledge and experience in complex fabrications and apparel design, CW-X set forth to design the first anatomically-engineered high-performance sports apparel.  The company launched the CW-X brand in the US market through the Wacoal Sports Science Corporation in 2002.

I got to test out the Revolution tights.  I have used running tights in the past, but never any with actual compression.  Let’s start off with the typical features that you might find in most running pants.  The Revolution tights have a key pocket in the waistband, the UPF+ material protects you from the sun’s harmful UVA/UVB rays, and the flat seam construction increases comfort and decreases the risk of chafing.  That is where the Revolution tights depart from your run of the mill tights.

The Revolution tights are made with a blend of 50% COOLMAX Nylon/50% Polyurathane fabrics to keep your body cool and dry.  It pulls the moisture away from your skin and carries it to the outside of the tights.  While the wicking is not all that uncommon, the material is 14% lighter than normal running tights.  The material and seam construction felt amazing.  The material provides a 4-way stretch to move with your body flawlessly.

The Revolution tights have CW-X's EXO-Lite Seamless Support Web.  This is what really sets these tights apart from the competition.  The support web helps your muscles and ligaments band together to better stabilize the knee.  This is great for people with knee pain.  The EXO-Lite Web provides gentle and continuous support to the medial and lateral heads of the gastrocnemius in the calf.  There is even extra support higher up in the tights.  The Revolution tights provide better support for your lower abdominal area, hips, and back.  This will help provide extra support and power to your core area during your runs. 

The other thing that I liked was that there are no zips near your ankles.  My zippers always seem to creep up during my runs or chafe my ankles.  The legs never crept up and the tights were easy to put on.  This is a great feature.

Pros:
Reduces muscle vibration
Looks cool (although my wife disagrees)
No annoying zipper at my ankles

Cons:
Pricey starting around $188

CW-X’s Media Links:



I have to say that these are amazing tights.  You can find them at places like Road Runner SportsBackcountry, and Amazon.  Check around because while the price is fairly standard for the tights, the 3/4 tights can be found on sale for as low as $80.  While they are pricey, I feel that they are worth the price of admission.  With premium materials, superior construction, and awesome compression, the CW-X Revolution tights are my go to pants this winter.

Note:  I received this product in exchange for a review.  The review is my personal opinion of the product and I was not required to give a particular opinion of it.  I am not a doctor, so please use all of the products that I review at your own risk.

1 comment:

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