“I've been dealing with a surgically-enhanced knee going on 30 years now. I know icing helps reduce the inflammation and the post-op metal knee braces then herringbone wrap tutorials were gold BUT it's a PITA. I have a really physical job and I don't want my knee to impact it so I ice. So awkward and could never get packs to stay in place, even those movable ones, plus sitting with my leg up for half an hour, unable to change awkward positions so the stupid pack wouldn't slide off? Argh! This sleeve though? GENIUS!! I measured and was surprised I was suggested size large (I'm female & almost standard height, but those old soccer muscles still take up space I guess.) This thing works. It does the Ice & Compression part of RICE so well that I've been able to skip the Aleve most nights. The initial 5 minutes until the knee goes numb are pretty rough, but the next 10 minutes of pain-free life are bliss. It doesn't stay cold much longer than 15 minutes, though that's all I need to do the job since my original injury is so old & not acute. Perhaps for a newer injury where the rec is 30 minutes, you might do better with two sleeves in succession. For me though, between the compression and the cold gel around the entire knee, the 15 minutes gets the job done (my tendon was harvested for replacement tissue for the acl, so two trauma sites in one knee) and since 15 min is pretty quick, it's easier to fit it into my busy life. Now if I could just go out-of-body for the ten minutes until my knee goes numb...”
“So, first thing, make sure you get the right size if you're wanting to use them comfortably for arms. The smaller sizes are good for arms, while the larger sizes will slide off your arms if being used for elbow icing/heating. The med/large sizes are probably better for legs, though I have not yet used them that way. These are great for heating-- just microwave for 90-120 seconds and they're quite warm. Good for warming up muscles before stretching, or as part of recovery therapy. They're ok for icing, although I find they don't really numb the area much before your body heat warms them up.”
“Great idea and concept but it runs small. I purchased the XL because I needed it for a thigh muscle injury. Did as web instructions said, measured my leg and the Xl should have fit. Not so. I had to really pull on it to get it up to my mid thigh, there is no stretch. I was afraid that if I pulled too hard it would break the soft outer housing. Aside form that , I left it in the freezer overnight and the cold only lasted for about 15 minutes. If the company would make an XXL, made the outer shell a little more sturdy and add more gel, it would be a great product. Had to return it.”
“The ad would lead you to believe that you'll be running around town with this thing on your leg but it's not practical for that at all. It's too heavy and bulky and the compression is weak compared to my other sleeves. And by the time you got outside the heat/cold will have dissipated to the point of being useless. However, for home treatment I really like it, though I think it's a bit pricey ($3 worth of material made in China should equal about $14.95, not twice that IMHO). After a couple hours in the freezer this thing is super cold and remains cold enough to be therapeutic for about 15 minutes which is all I need. It's so cold at first that I put it over one of my traditional sleeves for comfort. The cold encompasses the entire knee unlike an ice bag and it doesn't sweat condensation. Very convenient and no biggie if you move around the house a bit. I included before and after photos in case you've never seen an ice bag before :) It stays very warm for about the same length of time after about a minute in the microwave. I bought a rechargeable heat/massage wrap for longer treatment periods. Despite my four-star rating I bought a second one (only using them on one knee) so I would always have one ready. I store them in the freezer. As for the elastic giving out as some reviewers have mentioned, I haven't had mine long enough to evaluate that but I imagine it will be fine since I don't use it outside the home. I'll get back to you :)”
“Great way to ice the elbows. Imagine it would be good for knees too in a larger side. Doesn't stay ice cold long enough to ice both elbows after a heavy lifting session tho.”
