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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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AllSports (http://allsportsrecovery.com/) origionally carried both Recovery Pump and NormaTec. After a few months, they went with NormaTec MVP after amateur and elite clients overwhelmingly said it was better.

The place is awesome. I can use NormaTec, Cold Laser, Ultrasound, Ice Bath, and Free 15-min massage every day for a $59/mo.
Last edited by: runshoe: Nov 17, 11 22:00
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [actionman] [ In reply to ]
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do you have the lx7 version of the Doctor's Life compression sleeves? do they go far enough up your thigh? how tall are you?
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [pchampagne] [ In reply to ]
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We have been using the NormaTec MVP PRO for quite some time now and just posted a 3 part review. http://tribomb.com/review.php?ID=132 It includes a sneak peak of the scaled down MVP unit coming in 2012. And yes, we have the Recovery Pump unit as well. A review on that will be coming soon.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [runshoe] [ In reply to ]
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The Water Street Gym in Washington, D.C. also has two pairs of the Normatec MVP boots available for use.

If anybody's interested in knowing more feel free to PM me.

(Since I'm already shamelessly plugging, why not... massages, physical therapy and Computrainers are also available.)
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [JSA] [ In reply to ]
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JSA wrote:
Ok, let's throw Podium Legs in there for $600. Any thoughts?

My first thought is that Podium Legs does not go all the way down to your feet/ankles. This is, perhaps, a really stupid question, but, wouldn't that cause some of the "fluid" to go down to your feet rather than up your leg? How do you prevent swelling in the feet/ankles?

http://www.podiumcycling.com/...ir-compression-pants

I am interested in these as well. There was a photo of these posted in this thread that got removed. They are significantly less expensive and if they perform even 80% as well could be a competitive option. But I can't find anybody that can give an unbiased opinion. Every review has come from a sponsored source. I'd be interested if there was anyone who was an end user that had feedback. Especially if they had also used either the Normatec or the Recovery Pump.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [vikingmd] [ In reply to ]
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I love my Podium Legs! Ive used NormaTec MVP, honestly Id say the work the same as NormaTec. There are just less settings, ie less massage options. This is not a bad thing however, you can still get a light massage, or target certain muscles or get a deep flush. Plenty of options still!
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [AVSfan] [ In reply to ]
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AWESOME DEAL on Podium Legs, I just got mine! I used the code as I saw on a post "BENNETT" and saved even more money! :) Im excited to try these!

Steven Reynolds
USA cycling and USAT certified coach
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [SRcoaching] [ In reply to ]
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Is the Normatec MVP boot the one that Dr. Lim was using with the Garmin team at the Tour a few years ago?

I remember doing a write-up on such a contraption and the recovery ice vests on the weight weenies site but that was a few years ago and cannot find the thread.

I'll tell you this-I remember calling someone about this and the retail price was about $6,000 US and a doctor's prescription was needed. For some reason they sold the same models to professional teams but charged them $9,000 US.

The Normatec may or may not be superior, but the price puts it out of the range of most average weekend warriors. Just try to sneak such an expenditure past the wife and see how long it takes for you to be in the doghouse sleeping next to Rover.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [Berzin] [ In reply to ]
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All in all these boots are great for recovery. They all offer very good results . For me the the cost of the equipment was very important. Quite a few companies are on the internet selling these products. For 799.00 and a two year warrenty on the machine and sleeves I choose to go with a pump from http://www.sportpump.net/.. I also have very short legs SportPump was able to fit me to my exact size with many different sizes available. SportPump accepted 2 payments which made the purchase alot more attractive. Just another option .
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [cam2win] [ In reply to ]
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I am biased against Recovery Pump, because at a big race I actually overheard on of their Reps talk smack about NormaTech. He was telling folks in a race expo that NormaTech offers the same technology but asks for a lot more money. He also made some other smartass comments about NormaTech.

If it is the same stuff, why is the company who makes the Recovery Pump a model that is even pricier than NormaTech?

Also NormaTech has developed their own technology while Recovery Pump just rebadges the product of another company, and jumped on the triathlon bandwagon after NormaTech.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [Herbert] [ In reply to ]
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And I don't have either pump, nor am I in the market for one. And I am not sponsored by either brand, ST doesn't get ad dollars from either, and none of the brands is or was my marketing client. :-)
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [timmythompson] [ In reply to ]
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Most all of these are used and have been used for years in the medical field. Just google lymphadema pumps. The norma-tec is marketing to sports using their own technology and they all sell on the medical side. Recover pump and Sports Pump are both rebadged and rebranded. Nothing wrong with that but do your research and see what works for you. I have a lymphapress petite Model 701 that I bought off of Craigs list for $250 which is the same as the recovery pump. The Sports pump is the Bio Compression brand, these can be picked up pretty cheaply as well.



Heath Dotson
HD Coaching:Website |Twitter: 140 Characters or Less|Facebook:Follow us on Facebook
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [vikingmd] [ In reply to ]
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X2 i am interested in these too,

i don't have deep pockets so these might be a good choice for me

Darryl
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [runitaly] [ In reply to ]
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Is Sport Pump identical to Recovery Pump? Sport Pump looks to be a few hundred dollars cheaper.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [mcnocera] [ In reply to ]
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If you're in the market, the cheaper Normatec MVP is now out. Just got mine last week. I'm pretty impressed. An hour a day after IMCDA and my muscles felt perfect by Wednesday, no soreness/weakness etc. I've never bounced back that quickly. Too bad they don't make a version to recover training motivation that quickly...
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [mcnocera] [ In reply to ]
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SportsPump should be cheaper, as well as PodiumLegs and Recovery Pump.

These are all re-labeled products.

RecoveryPump has been out for decade plus and is the LymphaPress Petit Basic System. Podium Legs is imported from Korea I believe and is pretty much the MaxStar UAM-8000 and SportsPump is the BioCompression SC-2004 (and their Ice version is the BioCryo)

NormaTec is the only one of these companies that is the actual designer and manufacturer of their devices, and like RecoveryPump is FDA approved for over the counter sales. Will not name names, but some companies out there did not go through getting FDA clearance so a reason why they are cheaper is less overhead, but also means they can risk fines or not being around if you need warranty work.

Build and quality on the NormaTecs is hands down best of the lot, as well as their compression technology much better... in short, the boots all first co through a calibration process that measures pressure, so if you have one person with thing legs and another with large legs, they will get the same amount of compression, where with other boots that is not the case, so if you have larger calves say, and you want to work your quads, in some of the other boots, you will be putting your calves in a vice to get the solid work on the quads.

The new NormaTec boots also have reduced volume compared to their Pro model, making them less bulky, as well as zippered legs for easy on and off.

For disclosure sake, I do own a pair or the NormaTec MVP (new model) which I purchased, as well as have been a long time fan. I have considered them the best boots on the market for the last year plus when I started learning about them, but I also like many, went through the cost-benefit analysis. I actually had made a purchase of one of the cheaper models listed, had a phenomenal deal on it, and canceled the order before taking the delivery and paid more to get the NormaTecs after trying them again at Rev3 Knoxville.

The newer and more basic model of the NormaTec puts them much more in line with some of the other models, but you get what you pay for. To me the biggest factors were:

1) Not being ripped off on a jacked up price. I call this the Lake Placid effect (i.e. if you go through a medical wholesaler, you can get the other devices cheaper, but once they are "marketed" to athletes, the price goes up

2) An active company making improvements. Laura Jacobs, the founder of NormaTec worked with the LymphaPress Petit Basic System, saw the need for improvements in the device back in the 90s and when she could not get LymphaPress to make the changes, she started her own company. NormaTec could have just taken their medical devices and relabeled them like other companies do, but instead they started tailoring them to the sports market by making higher quality materials, making them more portable, and even spending a lot of time making the compressor more quiet.

3) Quality materials and manufacturing. NormaTec makes their devices, and specificially made improvements to them in creating athlete focused devices

4) Calibration - This is perhaps the biggest feature. The boots will measure my legs and give me the same compression as someone else with completely different physical characteristics. No other company in the space does this. So I set my boots for 6 or 7, that will be the same as anyone else regardless of legs. Using say Recovery Pump with my large legs, I might have to go down two settings and even there, to work my quads, my calves would get wrenched.

5) Equal compression. Normatec will inflate each chamber equally through a cycle. In most other boots out there, your feet will get 4 - 5 times the compression as your quads. In the Normatec. Chamber 1 inflates, than 2, then 1 deflates and 3 inflates, then 2 deflates and 4 inflates, etc. NormaTec also has the Peristaltic Pulse which means the main chamber goes through a pulse cycle increasing the pumping and flow and more closely mimics the lymphatic system.

You can make what ever comparison you want - Carbon fiber frame to steel frame, race wheels versus training wheels: The NormaTec
MVP is a little more expensive than some of the other products out there, but you get a lot more. To be honest, I look at some of the other products that are out there and I cringe; that was why I canceled my other order... I thought about what I was buying, putting my legs in there and then compared to the NormaTecs I had just been using... and in the end, I spent more, but to me it was worse to cut the corner and then have to justify every time how much I saved when all I would have been thinking was how much better the NormaTecs felt.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [renolaw] [ In reply to ]
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My name is Chris and I am one of the owners of SportPump. I have provided compression pumps for twelve years, mostly in the medical community but also to athletes as well. The SportPump brand is based on the proven technology of BioCompression Systems and has been used on athletes for years with great success. Top triathletes Angela Naeth and Ben Hoffman are currently using the system. You can see what they have to say by visiting our website - http://www.sportpump.com. Our mission is to provide a quality product that is affordable, durable, and made in the USA. But most of all, effective! I welcome all questions and comments.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [renolaw] [ In reply to ]
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Where can you get a price? The normatecsport site isn't very descriptive at all, just asks you to fill out a preorder form.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [renolaw] [ In reply to ]
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Where did you order them from "cheaper Normatec MVP"...can't find anything online.

Thanks!
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [renolaw] [ In reply to ]
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renolaw wrote:
If you're in the market, the cheaper Normatec MVP is now out. Just got mine last week. I'm pretty impressed. An hour a day after IMCDA and my muscles felt perfect by Wednesday, no soreness/weakness etc. I've never bounced back that quickly. Too bad they don't make a version to recover training motivation that quickly...

Where did you buy it from? If you don't mind, what are they going for?
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [bwain] [ In reply to ]
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I emailed Normatec directly and they sent me info on the new MVP (scaled down version of the MVP Pro) and the pricey MVP Pro. The price for the MVP was around $1500, and you pay for them on the site (http://www.normatecrecovery.com/) which isn't totally live yet. Normatec was great to work with, I bought them 2 days before leaving for CDA and they overnighted them to my hotel so they were waiting for me.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [Maui5150] [ In reply to ]
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Other thing I forgot to add... I have been researching these devices and companies for a little over a year now...

The big selling point, and one of the major signs of quality are the pro and others who use / purchase the devices. So when I see NBA players like Kevin Garnett, Lebron James, pro footballers, cyclists, olympians, etc.. you look at the top performers and teams who are out there, and consistently I see the NormaTec Pro boots (also mainly because the MVPs really just came out)

Now granted, the Pro model is a little pricier, but also tells me that the people who are at the top and pinnacle of their fields and can chose close to anything they want for training and recovery devices, I see the NormaTec models in their hands and not the others.

Look at the US Olympic Team? Whose recovery devices will they be using? I know in the past it has been NormaTec and imagine that will continue. Thought I heard something at the Quassy tent something ridiculous like 150 pairs of the NormaTecs were heading over to the London games with the US Team. I know from the past few seasons of the Tour de France, when I have seen pictures of riders recovering, I have seen the NormaTec boots and not the Recovery Pumps.

Always nice to have options, and I am grateful to all the companies out there who help athletes perform and improve.

Took me a LONG time to decide. First pair I ever used was the Recovery Pumps and after that a long road of trying the others, researching and then weighing the cost benefit. For me I made the right choice and have not looked back.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [mcnocera] [ In reply to ]
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The NormaTec MVPs are somewhere around $1600 and I think do some slightly better deals at the race venues.

I was giving them some grief on the website at Quassy... They used to have a bigger site up with Crowie on it, etc. and was told that they had taken the site down during the FDA approval process.

The basic model pretty much just came out this month. I believe Rev 3 Quassy was their first unveiling so I imagine you will start seeing a lot more literature, website, etc. in the near future.

I don't think the MVP model official launch has happened yet, but models have started to make their way out into the field and think they are just making sure on the feedback, etc.
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [Maui5150] [ In reply to ]
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This thread has had a lot of great info and anecdotes put out there, but here's a quick update regarding current market options, since many of the previous posts mention now incorrect information regarding Rx's and pricing, etc.


  • Normatec (http://www.normatecrecovery.com/) Just went live with a new website like today, they have their MVP model available for $1650, no Rx needed. There is also a Pro model that needs a Rx.

These are still the two main options to choose from, and I can't decide for myself. (As for others, podium legs site has been down for weeks so I'm guessing that's done and sport pump I cannot take seriously.)
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Re: NormaTec MVP Boot vs. Recovery Pump Boot [Rappstar] [ In reply to ]
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Rappstar wrote:
Mtntriathlete wrote:
when rest a good old ice bath, and massage will do the same thing for free!


There's actually some evidence out there that cold therapy (aka ice baths) are a bad thing for training. If you have inflammation from a sprain/break/strain/etc., then of course ice can help. But there's some evidence now that part of the process of "increasing fitness" is your body's response to inflammation. I.e., the compensation part of training load response is, it now seems, at least partly due to the presence of inflammatory stress which training creates. If you artificially remove that stress with an ice bath, you can limit the body's compensatory response. You'd be better off just allowing your body the time it needs rather than artificially shortening your recovery time with ice. That's part of why devices like the NormaTec & RecoveryPump are superior to ice - because they are basically supporting what your body does naturally. That is, in fact, the specific design of the NormaTec and part of why it was designed to function the way it was. I'll have to dig around to find the article. A quick googling didn't yield it; though it did yield a reference by a coach on letsrun to the same article, but of course without a link. Anyway, something to consider.

Secondly, and this is more of a question because I'd love to know, where do you get massage for free?

Well I do not know about free, but I do not need all these silly systems you guys are talking about right now, because everyday after I ride my bike a million miles I have a thai woman walk up and down my legs for like $5/hour... and I swear to god I'm stronger than jens voigt the next day and normatec or whatever has nothing on thai feet. So answer to your question.... thailand.
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