hey, im thinking about get some arm coolers…do they really work??? a lot of people use them in hawaii, but if they reallly work, why dont they use them on the run, too?
From my personal experience they work.
I have tried using them running in hot temperatures but the water doesn’t wick away the moisture giving the same cooling effect as on a bike I’m guessing because of the speed of the wind on the bike vs the run.
hey, im thinking about get some arm coolers…do they really work??? a lot of people use them in hawaii, but if they reallly work, why dont they use them on the run, too?
they are stupid. save your money.
Yeah they do. I’m from Utah and have been doing an oly tri down in AZ the last three March’s. Its usually still in the 40’s-50’s up here and 80’s down there so staying cool is a challenge. This last time I wore the sleeves under my wetsuit with no problems. Last year I tried to put them on in transition and it was a pain plus I tore one a little.
They work best when wet as well which is a reason to wear them under the wetsuit.
I’ve also only used the De Soto brand arm coolers and they work great.
They absolutely work BUT they need to be wet in order to provide any cooling. If you train and race where it’s very humid, your sweat will likely keep them wet enough. My issue is here in AZ, it’s so dry even when hot that they don’t stay wet and i can’t sacrafice water in my bottles on the bike or run to always douse the arm coolers.
There was a thread here not too long ago you can do a search for. I learned that the way the Desoto ones work is by trapping moisture in the fabric that is against the skin to give continuous evaporation and therefore cooling. In constrast, the typical sporstwear wicks moisture away for quick evaporation outside of the fabric to keep you dry, so you’re comfortable but not as cool.
As for not too many people using them for the run, my personal guese is that it just doesn’t look as cool (no pun intended). Also, on the bike your arms are largely stationary but on the run you swing them constantly, and therefore it’d be much easier for the arm coolers to slip off as they’re not that elastic. However, you can get short and long sleeve racing tops with the same fabric as the arm coolers from Desoto.
They work on the bike b/c you are moving fast and you get better air flow over the arms…better air flow wicks away the heat better. I’ve used them in hot races on the bike…but switch to the run and the rate of air exchange on the arms is not enough and they start to heat up and trap heat.
I used them on the bike at Kona last year. I was skeptical but I decided to give the Zoot one a try for two reasons. 1. I wanted to keep cool and for $20 it was worth a try. 2. They provide SPF protection from the sun. I think they were a lifesaver in that respect. As far as staying cool, I would agree with Brian. They work really well when wet on the bike. Running with them just didn’t generate enough wind to cool me off.
work for sure.
I kept pouring water over during bike which has real cooling effect
then on run, found putting ice on the inside on bicep was definite the way to go.
yes, they work. and i use them on the run - in fact, i think they’re more beneficial for the run than the bike. if you jam some ice cubes inside the bend of your elbow, you’ll instantly cool down. but you do have to keep them wet to get any benefit.
Yes they work.
Like others posted keep them wet or use some ice.
Do they “work”? I doubt anyone will have an experience where they say they felt chilled. My experience is that they do not make you hotter and offer another layer of sun protection. Good enough for me to keep using them.
thanks for sharing your feedback. if they are a challenge to put on while wet how do you use them for a non wetsuit swim race? do you swim with them on or just get it done it T1. any tips for putting them on while wet?
best,
gs
I put them on in t1. They aren’t easy to get on but not impossible either. Easier than compression socks and people do that all the time.
Do they “work”? I doubt anyone will have an experience where they say they felt chilled. My experience is that they do not make you hotter and offer another layer of sun protection. Good enough for me to keep using them.
X2
yes, they work. and i use them on the run - in fact, i think they’re more beneficial for the run than the bike. if you jam some ice cubes inside the bend of your elbow, you’ll instantly cool down. but you do have to keep them wet to get any benefit.
That’s more a function of blood cooling. There are a ton of veins that pass through the inside of the elbow. Same reason that ice packs under the arms and the back of the neck cool you.
John
yes, that’s true, but during a run or race it’s a lot easier to shove ice cubes down arm coolers, than to carry ice packs.
so, which ones are the best? destoto?
It doesn’t matter that much. I like the zoots. You can use arm warmers in a hot race because just keeping the sun off and the water on is a huge difference. The less exposed skin the better.
For me they work on the bike, but not the run. What they do is spread the sweat out for increased cooling, but you need enough airflow going past them that this makes up for the increased insulation of having skin covered. The air velocity when running just isn’t high enough…yeah I know, I should just run faster.
At an Oly last year (80 deg. day, low humidity) I saw a guy with arm coolers and leg coolers on the run…he did not look happy.