Product Review: CW-X Stabilyx Tights

Well, winter is upon us, judging by the frigid temps as of late.  The upside is that we, seemingly for the first time in years, have snow on the ground before March.   Well, not much here in Owatonna, but up north an hour or so they have plenty, and we've never been shy about driving for our outdoor entertainment.   All of this has led me to make a purchase I've been thinking about for a few years - cross country skis.   I'm pretty excited, but still trying to remember what little I used to know about the sport and learning what I can from watching others and YouTube.  So, until I have something more entertaining to write on that front, I thought I would share my impressions of the tights I talked about a while ago.

As I mentioned in my earlier post, I have a nagging knee pain that likes to interfere with my activities.  While I have some idea of what I need to do to physically correct the issue, I felt I needed something to support my legs a little better to try and prevent future issues.   That's where my tights come in.   I did some reading and settled on the CW-X Stabilyx line, which claims to have a lot of support for joints, especially knees.

I really just never get sick of these...

I got a pair of awesome rainbow 3/4 length tights to start with, and began running in those shortly before my PR 5k from November.   I have to say, I was initially pretty skeptical, but my knees felt great while I was running in them.   I really like how they keep everything from moving when I run, especially as I still have a pretty heavy gait.   In the interests of science, I did a run with my normal workout tights to compare the before and after.  Not only did my legs feel worse while running, but also my knee ached for days after that run, where I had had no pain after running with the CW-X tights.  

After that test, I purchased a pair of insulated full length tights and another pair of 3/4 length tights so I could make sure I always had a clean pair to run in (TMI?).  The insulated tights fit a little tighter than the normal fabric, so if you are just at the edge of fitting into a size, you may want to size up in those.   I did a 5 mile run in single degree temps (with negative windchill) and was chilly, but fine.  I probably needed a wind pant for that temp range, but when the wind was behind me I was perfect.   Besides running, I've worn both the full length and 3/4 length tights cross country skiing.   Again, really nice to have that compression while out and about, and they make a decent base layer.  

Insulated tights - you can see the knee stitching here

So, bottom line time.  I love 'em.   If you have minor knee issues, it may well be worth trying them out to see if they can provide some relief.   While I by no means have completely eliminated my knee pain, it isn't interfering in my activity level at this time, I think due in part to these tights.  They are awfully spendy ($90 for the 3/4), but in my opinion well worth it.   The sizing chart seemed accurate to me, and others that I know have reported the same.