I figure it was somewhat hard to find good evidence for this shirt so I will give my .02
I was skeptical but used it for a Half iron this weekend.
First off for the bike it was 91 degrees with 70% humidity but overcast for about an hour then sunny. I didn’t notice an actual cooling effect but also didn’t get hot. It was one of those okay I’m comfortable kind of things, nothing special. (in hindsight that means it worked) But at the time it made me think it was useless so I was nervous I would burn up on the run.
The RUN.
13.1 miles in hills and sun at noon. 96F 70% humidity. HOT suckage.
The shirt did everything and more. I felt great, and didn’t have to pour water over me at every aid station but it sure didn’t hurt to do so. It only made it cooler. The best part of the the shirt was the 3 pockets down the spine. I was doing a 3 loop course and each loop I had a volunteer pour ice into the top two pockets and this was like working a miracle. I would actually find myself getting chilly, yes chilly in 96F heat! I would suggest this thing to anyone who is considering and it feels incredible.
No I do not work for desoto but felt everyone and anyone who trains/races in this kind of heat would benefit from a great product.
I’m glad you posted this, I just got the Skin Cooler Base layer. Wore it for the first time Friday on a day with a heat index of 100 degrees (94 actual temp). Usually I really suffer in the heat but it was amazing. While I certainly wasn’t cool I was very comfortable with none of that ‘clingy’ feel from the shirt. I thought maybe it was all in my head so I wore it for my long run the next day (don’t worry, I washed it) and had the same impression. It was a warm morning and I felt perfectly comfortable. I’m definitely going to pick up a few more of the DeSoto Skin Cooler items (singlet, l/s shirt) to see if I get the same result. I have yet to be disappointed in anything I’ve purchased from Emilio and this may be my new favorite item.
I’ve been using the skin cooler tri-jersey here in the DC heat and humidity. The best thing for me is it doesn’t get super heavy and slimy with all the water like a normal tech jersey or shirt.
I’m thinking of trying the hat since my current run hat gets really soaked and I’m hoping the skin cooler one will do better.
Oh the tri-jersey does become somewhat see-thru when it gets wet…
We have a product manager named Steve A who has a degree that includes work in clinic trials. He knows research methodology. Steve has been testing a number of skin cooling garments here in Tucson where it is warm. He has found that, across the board, there is some effectiveness in lowering heart rate and skin temperature especially if the garment is kept wet. I doubt this is a surprise to many people, but I am surprised by how few people have adopted this type of cooling strategy.
We have a product manager named Steve A who has a degree that includes work in clinic trials. He knows research methodology. Steve has been testing a number of skin cooling garments here in Tucson where it is warm. He has found that, across the board, there is some effectiveness in lowering heart rate and skin temperature especially if the garment is kept wet. I doubt this is a surprise to many people, but I am surprised by how few people have adopted this type of cooling strategy.
That’s interesting he’s doing the testing in Tuscon. I have the ZOOT arm coolers and have used them here in Phoenix They work great but the problem I have found living here is that they dry out so quickly in Arizona, unless you can keep them wet all the time, they end up being a bit too warm on the arms. Hot dry air moving over your arms cools better. If it’s very humid and or you have aid stations every mile with water you can use, then they work great.
In a sense I see the issue, because in Boulder they also seem to dry quickly. A quick squirt from the water bottle enhances the cooling for a few minutes. Whats nice, however, is that they reflect the sun off your skin. I don’t feel a major cooing effect, which would be awesome, but I also get the sense that I still don’t get as hot (or sunburned) as if I didn’t have the arm coolers on.
And the SPF protection they offer is nice. I just noticed on the bike, when they were bone dry and it was 100 out, I cooled better with air moving over my skin than with the sleeve on. It’s more humid here now though and I need to re-test them under these conditions.
The shirt doesn’t become super see through, in other words you don’t see every ripple in your abs. But you can see a tattoo. The guys at desoto say the black works exactly the same.
Thanks for the report. I live in FL and the weather is miserable from May-September. I was a bit skeptical about the benefits of the new gear, but will give it a try. I just ordered the l/s skin cooler and a beanie…
Didn’t get any sort of chafing on the nips, but its also not like a normal material in a moisture wicking shirt. Actually its a bit rougher, but not rubbing.
Disclaimer: I did put body glide on before the race started so it may have stayed on after the swim thus preventing the chafing.
Good to know.
I raced IM Racine 70.3 this weekend with the heat in the low 90’s and I was using the DeSoto arm and leg coolers.
I think they worked out great. I imagine they are pretty similar materials. Might have to try the shirt.
I figure it was somewhat hard to find good evidence for this shirt so I will give my .02
I was skeptical but used it for a Half iron this weekend.
First off for the bike it was 91 degrees with 70% humidity but overcast for about an hour then sunny. I didn’t notice an actual cooling effect but also didn’t get hot. It was one of those okay I’m comfortable kind of things, nothing special. (in hindsight that means it worked) But at the time it made me think it was useless so I was nervous I would burn up on the run.
The RUN.
13.1 miles in hills and sun at noon. 96F 70% humidity. HOT suckage.
The shirt did everything and more. I felt great, and didn’t have to pour water over me at every aid station but it sure didn’t hurt to do so. It only made it cooler. The best part of the the shirt was the 3 pockets down the spine. I was doing a 3 loop course and each loop I had a volunteer pour ice into the top two pockets and this was like working a miracle. I would actually find myself getting chilly, yes chilly in 96F heat! I would suggest this thing to anyone who is considering and it feels incredible.
No I do not work for desoto but felt everyone and anyone who trains/races in this kind of heat would benefit from a great product.
I have the Underarmor version, and have used them for years. What I do wonder is if there is a significantly better function on hairless skin, as it seems like the hair can create an airspace between the top and skin. Anyone…anyone?