VeloChampion Compression socks trial and review - Another yes from me.

VELOCHAMPION 500 Series sports compression socks

My trial and review.

THE INTRO:

So depending on whether or not you read my last review which was for the VeloChampion calf sleeves, you will know that writing actual product reviews is new to me as I usually only write race reviews after I have done one.

Most of my running events and races that I take part in are to raise money for charity, which is why I write about them so I have a written account and record of what it was all about for donors to read after ward, and so other runners can get a good idea and feel for what a particular event is like. This helps them make a more informed decision on whether or not a race/event sounds like it is worth doing.

I have a memory like a sieve and writing it all down in blog form and attaching some of my favourite pictures also gives me a nice memento to look back on later.

I was lucky enough recently to see a request from VeloChampion for runners to trial some of their product and I was lucky enough to be selected once I applied.

So they sent a pair of compression socks and calf sleeves, the later of which I have already trialed and reviewed in my previous blog post, and you can find that here : 

http://fitnesswithgru.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/velochampion-calf-sleeves-my-trial-and.html 

I was also sent a pair of compression socks to review and I waited until I had finished trialing the calf sleeves first and had written the review before starting to trial the socks.

Having now trialed them for over a week and under various circumstances I feel confident I can now provide a decent enough review for your perusal.

I will start as last time with all the manufacturers blurb from their website about the product itself in the information section, as I don't want to misquote anything.

Feel free to scroll past and return to it later for more detail about the product after reading the review itself... 

PRODUCT INFO:

This pair of high performance, unisex compression socks use highly advanced technical yarns that provide comfort and recovery DURING and AFTER exercise. Our compression socks are fully tested in a state-of-the-art lab, passing strict guidelines to meet the 20-30mmHg compression rating. VELOCHAMPION is one of only a small number of brands to use a certified manufacturer which uses production machinery that can accurately test the compression of the socks.
The compression benefits are ideal for all sports activities e.g. running, cycling, football, rugby, fitness, athletics, hiking, gym, yoga, golf, tennis, squash, triathlon, cross fit, weight/dead lifting etc. They are also perfect for people who stand up for long periods at work, fly regularly, suffer from calf strains/muscle pulls/Achilles tendon injuries or to combat deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
Products features

• Compression support DURING exercise
• Compression Recovery AFTER exercise
• Graduated compression from foot to calf design aids the flow of oxygen to the muscles
• Improves muscle performance/reduces fatigue
• Aids recovery by helping the muscles 'pump' blood back to the heart
• Ventilated Foot bed which is wear proof and comfortable
• Comfortable Cuff design keeps the socks in place without restricting blood flow
• Heel and Foot bed support reduces pressure and friction build-up
• Available in 4 unisex sizes - please see image for size guide

Technical Information The compression socks act as a layer of muscle gently squeezing stretched vein walls. This built-in feature helps fight the force of gravity and circulates blood back up to the heart more efficiently. When blood is properly circulated it provides much-needed oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles that have been deprived during a workout. This compression helps muscle regenerate as well as help to remove any lactic acid build up.

Quality Control
Compression socks provide standard graduated compression fully tested on EACH sock before dispatch. The socks undergo the most advanced medical compression stocking testing (MST Professional) to ensure a true compression and conforms to CE DD ENV 12718/USA FDA standards. This means you receive the very best compression socks available on the market allowing you to reach higher performance with faster recovery times.

MY TRIAL:

So back to me again and for the trial I used the socks after a week off from running after completing the R.E.D. January challenge for Mind in January, which was basically running, walking, cycling or whatever you wanted every day for the entire month. 

I had chosen to run every day and ran mostly 5k's and fast 1 milers in between for a bit of recovery especially after a hard day at work.

To me this was an ideal reason and time to trial the socks as my legs where a little tender after a hard consistent month of everyday running, something I never do.

My trial comprised of at least two 5k's, a 7 mile big dunes run, a 10k road run which I have just completed and a shift in work with them on to check out the recovery benefits.

I will point out that I have in the past ran full on hill marathons and all day events in compression socks and indeed calf sleeves before now including the very tough Runners Hub Excalibur hill marathon with over 5500ft of climb at Moel Famau and the Clywdian hill range. I will be doing so again this year and most likely in the VeloChgampion socks or sleeves.
https://www.excaliburmarathon.com/ 

The only reason my trial runs for the products are all short is because I am not in long run training at the moment, and do not run big mileage until needed for the distance involved for my next event, and I don't feel it is necessary to do so for an accurate product trial and review. 

I have every confidence both products will still perform well over a long distance, and indeed will reap extra benefits for you, especially for your after run recovery, of which I always find is quicker if compression wear has been worn during a run or afterwards to enhance post run recovery.

THE REVIEW: 

So my first experience was perhaps my hardest and initially my most frustrating. That being trying to get them on! I got them out of the packet and thought, nice looking socks, nice material and nice decent looking quality and yes decent compression that looked like it wouldn't just stretch out and dissipate after a few runs or washes.

How true that was, I had forgotten how hard it can be to get compression socks on in the first place and I was struggling to get just the foot section over my foot and up to my heel. I was being over careful not to just yank them up by the top of the sock as this is not recommended by manufacturers in general as you will stretch out areas of the sock, and risk ripping or tearing seams if there are any on a product. 

I almost gave up as at one point as I was pulling I was genuinely concerned that one little slip and I would in fact knock myself out with a knee to my own face and give myself a hard to explain black eye in the process.

I did get them on past my heel eventually, and they rolled up my calf up to my knee no problem at all and to be fair once on everything was OK. I have narrow feet so I would recommend to anyone that you give yourself a little leeway with the sizing so you are not struggling like I was to get them on the first couple of times.

 I also found a handy You Tube video that showed a tip on getting them on easier by turning them inside out up to the heel and then pulling them the rest of the way up. You would have to see it for yourself to understand it clearly, but it did make them easier to go on on my subsequent runs.

I must stress though that I am a size 11.5 UK and I subsequently noticed that the socks are in US sizes so my Large socks were a US 12 max which is a UK 11.5, so my foot was the largest size they were actually designed to take.

Therefore it was my fault for not going for the next size up and VeloChampion were good enough to send me a pair of XL after ward to rectify this and once unpacked it was clear they would go on nicely and far easier so panic over, no need to worry, just order the right size first people...oopsie!.

Anyway, after all the drama of getting them on I continued with the large pair while I waited for the XL to arrive later in the week.

First run was a 5k with my local Lunch Bunch runners who I lead on a Thursday lunchtime run around my local town and it's public amenities, such as a delightful marine lake, promenade, seafront and several Victorian parks.

The 5k was a cold damp day and was why I decided to wear them for definite as I always find keeping muscles at optimum temperature while out training a bonus, especially with cold damp icy winds etc, which we had plenty of believe me.

They were nice and comfortable, warm and felt as did the calf sleeves like a security blanket wrapped around my calves. On the entire run they felt 100% OK and no need to try and pull them up as they don't roll down, and stay completely in place, so all good as far as I was concerned.

Trial number two was an aborted run as I was about to go out and the phone rang and I got delayed and decided I didn't have time to run. After the effort of getting the things on I decided I was leaving them on, and would test out the recovery and comfort uses of improved blood flow whilst on your feet for hours at work for example.

This meant I wore them around the gym I work at which normally tires my legs as I don't stop moving around for the entire shift. They were under my tracksuit bottoms by the way, so I didn't look over prepped for a nights work.

Again they felt nice and comfortable and I did feel they helped my legs during the shift, so if anyone is thinking of using them for long shifts on their feet I would say they are worth giving a go.

Next up was my toughest run in them. It was a sand dunes run along the highest dunes range alongside my local beach. I had a 1.25 mile walk there and a 5 mile out and back run up down and along all the highest ones I could find, followed by a 1.25 mile walk back. This actually gave me over 1000ft of climb within the 5 miles of actual running.

It was the first time I had ever done the entire range of big dunes as I usually run the lower ones or run between them. I was concerned that my calves would swell with all the effort and the socks may become too compressive, but they were fine and the blood flowed nicely as it should and I had no degeneration of the calves at all during the run. So again a good result for the socks as far as I was concerned.

The third run was another Lunch Bunch 5k run and again they kept my legs nice and warm and comfy and I had no issues at all.

My fourth and final run was an extended 10k road run to the post office to actually collect my XL socks as I wasn't in when they originally arrived via post. Again they felt comfortable, warm and nicely secure as compression wear should make you feel.

By the fourth run getting the socks on had by now become second nature and I had mastered the technique so all four trial runs were done in the Large socks and all were positive experiences.

THE CONCLUSION:

Bearing in mind I am a critical person by nature I couldn't really find any issue or problem with the compression socks and for the price they are at the moment they are a cracking buy. 

I found them a nice comfy compression sock and of good quality and they gave me every confidence they would last a fair time and the material used was a decent one.

Once I had resolved my initial sizing issue which was my fault I can honestly and happily recommend them to any of my running friends. Especially those with any kind of issues with Achilles, calf issues and any muscular aches or pains in the lower legs. 

I won't go into the in and outs of whether or not you need or do not need to wear them etc as they are there as a running/cycling/sporting etc accessory and only you can decide. Personally I have always found them to be of benefit when I have chosen to wear them, and I know plenty of runners who have had issues with injury and previous injury and the compression sleeves or socks have helped them no end in their road to recovery and subsequent injury protection.

THE SCORES: 

Looks: 4 out of 5 for me. Look good but in my mind could be more one colour.

Fit: 5 out of 5. Once I got myself the right size.

Quality: 5 out of 5. I cannot fault them.

Price: 5 out of 5. At the offer price an absolute bargain, otherwise good value.


Overall score : 19 out of 20. Almost a full score for the price band and market they are aimed at. It's not a question of an overly high score, but more that it is hard to fault or deduct points from a good product.

As I said in my previous review the VeloChampion stuff seems to be a good buy and good quality, whether it's on some of the offer prices they currently have or whether it is at the normal price.

I would suggest going online here and checking out the current offers and flash deals which are at near on 50% off, a serious bargain.

 https://www.velochampion.co.uk/collections/compression

Give them a try folks! 

 

 

 

Velochampion calf sleeves - My trial and review - Suitably impressed.

The review:

Velochampion compression calf guards/sleeves.

So this is new for me. I was lucky enough to see a post on Twitter by a company called Velochampion who I already knew did cycling wear as I had a cycling jersey of theirs which was one of my favourites.

The post on Twitter was asking for people to trial and review some of their new product, mainly some calf compression guards/sleeves and some compression socks. This particular review is for the calf sleeves/guards as I have spent a week trialing them before reporting back with this review.

I will begin with a copy and paste of the manufacturers blurb about the product itself so I don't have to try and explain it all and risk inaccurate information on my part. So here is the aforementioned blurb first.....

 These high performance UNISEX 20-30mmHg compression rated calf sleeves use technical yarns to provide athletes with comfort during exercise and help speed up the recovery process.

- Ideal for all sporting activities including cycling running and triathlon
- During and After exercise benefits - Compression support DURING exercise - Compression Recovery AFTER exercise
- Graduated compression design from the ankle to above the calf aids the flow of oxygen to the muscles. - Improves the performance of muscles and reduces fatigue
- Aids recovery by helping the muscles 'pump' blood back to the heart - Comfortable Cuff design keeps the socks in place without restricting blood flow

Available in 4 unisex sizes 

Technical Info:
Standard Graduated Compression 20-30mmHg
The compression calf sleeves act as a layer of muscle gently squeezing stretched vein walls. This built-in feature helps fight the force of gravity and circulates blood back up to the heart more efficiently. When blood is properly circulated it provides much-needed oxygen and nutrients to tired muscles that have been deprived during a workout. This compression helps muscle regenerate as well as help to remove any lactic acid build up.

Quality Control
Compression calf sleeves provide standard graduated compression. This compression is fully tested on EACH VeloChampion sock before it is despatched.

The calf sleeves undergo the most advanced medical compression stocking testing (MST Professional) to ensure each sleeve has a true compression and conforms to CE DD ENV 12718/USA FDA standards. This means you receive the very best compression calf sleeves available on the market allowing you to reach higher performance with faster recovery times.

Ok, back to me again. I hope you found all the above information useful and it saved you a bit of time looking it all up on their website.

I'll start with the important bit, the price and their website so you can go and have a look and hopefully buy yourself some, especially while  they are on offer as I write this at £9.75 down from £19.99! It's a ridiculous price for a product of this quality I can assure you. I've had cheap entry level cr*p from some manufacturers before and I can assure you this isn't.

https://www.velochampion.co.uk/ 

THE ACTUAL REVIEW:

So I will start with pointing out that I have worn compression sleeves before including on the Runners Hub Excalibur marathon at Moel Famau  2 years on the run so am aware of their benefits and how they should feel and work. It was an incredibly difficult challenge on the lower legs and I feel calf sleeves or indeed compression socks are of great benefit in events like this, especially with 5500ft of climb. They helped me no end.

I am signed up for a 3rd go there again this year and will very likely be donning my VeloChampion calf sleeves there.
 https://www.excaliburmarathon.com/

 I have also worn compression socks before, so am familiar with what they should and can do. I say this because my test runs for this trial where all short.

 I am also familiar with brands like Red Venom for compression wear at the cheapish low to mid price range to Skins compression wear at the mid to high end so I know what you should get for your money.

I spent all January doing the R.E.D. January challenge, which was basically running every day in January to fund raise for Mind the mental health charity. I did this as my leisure time is dedicated and committed to fund raising as many of you will know already.

This particular challenge was new to me as I would never normally recommend anyone runs everyday, certainly not mainly 5k's which is what I did with recovery 1 mile runs on other days when I was resting as such.

I got delivery of a pair of the calf sleeves and a pair of the compression socks, but I will trial and review the socks separately.

The calf sleeves I wore on the last week of the challenge, and at that point I was pretty much in dire need of them as my lower legs were by now aching on and off during the day and I was getting a little worried that shin splints or the like may be approaching.

For this reason the calf sleeves were a God send as putting them on pre run was like fitting a perfectly fitted glove combined with a security blanket as they went on easily and felt really comfy, and also gave me a feeling of warmth comfort and security that gave me confidence that they would help me out on my run.

I was suitably impressed with the quality as well, as soon as I unpacked them I pretty much knew they were going to feel good once on. They fitted me perfectly from my ankles up to my knees and I am a tall 6 ft 2 runner so that is often a challenge. The compression felt just right, not too much and not too little, and they felt as comfortable as my Skins compression socks which I would normally wear when my muscles were a little weary.

My first run with them was a 1 miler after a late shift at the gym on a cold damp night so the added warmth was a bonus, especially as I was going all out for the mile with no warm up, so keeping the calf muscles warm and comfortable was vital. The run went well with an overall 7 minute mile and I sat in the calf sleeves for half an hour before taking them off as I was enjoying the comfort so much, especially as my legs had been aching after work before the run.

I repeated this for the next two nights at 1 mile for a fast mile each time which pushes your chance of an injury without warm up sometimes, so the calf sleeves/guards were an extra line of defense against that and they did their job.

On the 4th trial out I did a 5k run with my local run group who I take out on a Thursday Lunchtime 5k social run each week as I have free time during the day Mon-Thurs. Again they were a treat to put on and they gave me the confidence that they would be ok on the run despite all the days off running I had already done that entire month.

The entire 5k the legs felt fine and the calf sleeves sat perfectly in place at all times, no pulling them back up required at all on any of the runs so the fit was perfect.

I even wore them for an early Sunday morning 4 hr shift at the gym purely for recovery purposes as I had worked an 8.5 hr late shift on Saturday night and was on my feet all shift and my lower legs were far from happy when I got up Sunday morning. 

Normally as my gym shift progresses on Sunday mornings my legs start to feel the effects from the shift the night before and start to ache and tire, but with the calf sleeves on they felt fine, I didn't notice any discomfort or tiredness at all. Definitely a thumbs up from me for recovery, especially as I wear compression gear for recovery after my longest training runs for comfort purposes and I have always found the actual recovery process is definitely sped up by this.

CONCLUSION

On a whole I am very impressed and happy with the Velochampion compression calf sleeve/guards and whether they are on offer at £9.75 or at their normal price of £19.99 I wouldn't hesitate to buy some more and I am certainly going to recommend them to running friends inc triathletes and maybe even cyclists if I can get past the secret code of what you can and cannot wear whilst out on your bike etc :)

SCORES

Looks: 5 out of 5 - I like them.

Fit : 5 out of 5 - Fit me perfectly.

Quality: 5 out of 5 - Can't fault them.

Price: 5 out of 5 - At the offer price a bargain, and at full price good value.

Overall: full score, and not just because I got them to trial for free, as I said I will likely buy some spare pairs of these while they are on offer especially. I am an honest truthful person as everyone who knows me will agree. If I don't like something I will tell you :)

NEXT UP...

Next blog post/ trial/review will be for the compression socks once I've done some decent runs in them over the next week.....See you soon folks!

Velochampion are currently offering a  'Flash Deal' at £20 for a pair of their calf sleeves/guards and a pair of their compression socks, I would highly recommend that package while it is available.

https://www.velochampion.co.uk/collections/compression