Today I would love to share with you my thoughts on the CW-X insulator pro tights. The tights retail at… a high price. Let me start of by saying I LOVE all the CW-X tights I have owned (which is currently 2 pairs). All CW-X products are expensive, and these tights are not an exception. Not for your newbie runner, but the performance and research that has gone behind these tights seems to be geared to the more elite athlete. That being said, this not-elite athlete had to suffer the embarrassment of having to go back to the store are ‘upgrade’ sizes. Yes, I know these tights are meant to be TIGHT but still… perhaps CW-X needs to re-evaluate their sizing chart. It is truly a workout just getting these tights on. Oh the joys of having hips! Overall the tights performed well. Do they do all the miracle work they promise? I am not sure the average athlete (aka me) will notice the increased VO2 max (as mentioned on their website) just because of the tights.
Now for the nitty gritty details that I found. According to the CW-X literature, the knee is supposed to sit ‘right in the centre of the webbing’ for maximum benefit. For this to happen I had to pull the tights up higher which = cold ankles (or high socks). This fit seemed to be a bit off for me, but when mass-marketing I suppose you have to go for the middle ground. For cold weather tights, I was disappointed. Why have I not been able to find warm enough tights that don’t have to be layered to stay warm in our Canadian winters? Is it too much to ask to have some wind protection or added warmth in the groin area? My legs did become cold while running between -5oC to -10oC, which is pretty warm for winter. I do like the muscle-stabilizing aspect of these tights. I find that I slip and slide a lot more in the winter, and that I am more prone to injury. I feel more stable and supported in these tights. Another frustration with me is that the company is in NY, their research facility is in Japan, and the consumer pays a large fee for the product, so do you have to skimp out on labour in Thailand? Not that the quality is bad, but there is no indication on their website of the working conditions of their employees, which for me is never a good indication of how an employee is treated. Just a thought.
I think the best test of a product is the ‘would you buy it again’, and to that the answer is a definite YES. After perusing their web page I am rather excited to try out their bras. But that my friends is for another review…
