Later, shin splints. I had the pleasure of trying out the Shin, Calf and Forearm XT Brace with Hot/Cold Gel Pack from XTBrace.com. Here’s what I thought:
QUICK REVIEW:
Utility: A
Quality: A
Comfort: A
Price/Value: A
Overall: A
As someone who has dealt with shin splints on and off for the past 16 years, the Shin, Calf and Forearm XT Brace with Hot/Cold Gel Pack from XTBrace.com was a godsend. Had they never reached out to me, I wouldn’t have found the product I had always wanted, but never knew existed. Something that can be worn while working out and used to treat pain afterwards is nothing short of amazing. The XT Brace is constructed well, made of high quality materials, and gets straight A’s across the board.
Highly adjustable, highly comfortable, and highly recommended. Get yours for $35 here.
FULL REVIEW:
From the makers of the XT Brace:
The Shin, Calf and Forearm XT BRACE is a tight-fitting brace with an adjustable velcro strap combined with a large custom nylon hot/cold pack that stays in place. This is one of our most adaptable braces where the same unit can be used on different parts of the body. The Shin, Calf and Forearm XT BRACE can help with those menacing times after a long run where your shin is needing comfort or just been on your legs too long. The adaptable feature of fitting on the forearm (for most sizes) is helpful for those times you hit the gym too hard or nursing an injury. The high-performance “super stretch” material allows the brace to hug comfortably and tightened with high impact velcro. The orange stitch ridges are not just for looks, but add extra support to the unit.
This is one of our most versatile braces that covers the shin, calf or forearm with one brace. This is definitely a best buy for the flexibility and value in one unit.
Many of our customers tell us that this brace helps them with shin splints, nerve sensitivity in the shin, weak calf muscles and when you hit the gym hard with weakness in the forearm.
The XT Brace comes in an attractive package that pretty much tells you all you need to know about the items inside. The package included the adjustable brace and the gel pack:
As you can see, both items are made from high quality material. The XT Brace has a few velcro tabs in the back so you can adjust the size when you put it on:
As mentioned on their website, the XT Brace has many features:
DESIGN and SUPPORT
- Provides all-in-one icing and heat gel pack that can be used in a microwave, hot water, freezer or ice box
- Compression support
- Allows mobility for the active lifestyle by wearing the brace out and about
- Specially designed and reusable high-performance microwaveable and freezable gel pack
- Impression line design allows the gel pack to stay flexible while being colder longer and staying warmer for a greater period
- Gel pack holds in place with specially designed pocket
- Use XTBRACE support with or without gel pack
- Adjustable one-size support that fits most sizes
THERMAL COMPRESSION and ARTHRITIS ASSISTANCE
- Promotes heat retention for improved circulation
- Provides more efficient muscle movement
- Heat and Cold treatments help reduce inflammation and ease the pain and stiffness that comes with arthritis*
While I tried the XT Brace on my forearm, and it fit just fine, I’ve never had a need for a forearm brace so I pretty much only put it to good use on my shin. I have above-average sized calves (25 years of soccer will do that) so I was worried the XT Brace would fly off and hit someone in the eye once I started running. Thankfully, it didn’t, and I was able to run in comfort for once. The pain I usually feel in my legs wasn’t noticeable. I wish I had two of these to wear at the same time.
I was really worried the XT Brace wouldn’t fit with the gel pack inserted, but sure enough, it stretched and fit just fine. The compression combined with the cold gel pack really helped with my recovery (I wore it on the opposite leg), and again, I just wish I had two of them to try out at the same time.
Using the gel pack as a heat pad makes me nervous, though. The last thing I want is this thing blowing up in my microwave. I went with the hot water heating method, which worked just fine. Personally I feel cold therapy helps with my issues more than heat therapy, so I didn’t do more than one trial using the pad as a heating pad. To each their own.
If you’re in the market for a brace and gel pack combo, you can’t go wrong with XT Brace. I really can’t recommend this thing enough. Get yours here, at XTBrace.com.
