A month ago we proclaimed that the Zensah High Compression Shorts provided the “perfect balance of compression and maneuverability (Our First Thoughts Here)”, so the question is after a month of testing has our opinion changed in any way? The answer is – not in any way; we have worn them for a month and can attest that these shorts impressed every time we wore them.

The Details

When it comes to compression we are usually looking at a number of factors. First up is the compression, does the clothing provide strong, consistent compression across the entirety of the article of clothing? The Zensah shorts did this better than any short we have tried in the past few years. In fact Mike has been wearing the same compression shorts for nearly a decade (washed many, many times), due to the fact that the five pairs he has purchased to replace them never could live up to the compression of that pair. The Zensah’s were the first pair that he felt not only provided that same level of compression, but in fact provided more.

Next we look at maneuverability, can you easily move around in this product? For some compression products this may not be a factor since they are going to be used for recovery. However compression shorts are something you will probably use for both workouts and recovery. That being the case, the question became, do these shorts allow enough maneuverability to let you perform workouts in them? Absolutely, we used these during numerous long runs and sprint workouts and never felt these products held us up or inhibited our workouts in any way. The Zensah shorts provided us support and compression through the entirety of our workouts without fail.

Finally we look at those additional little things that make us want to own the product, factors such as the ability to deal with sweat and how did it deal with multiple washes. The moisture wicking fabric of the shorts was almost deceptive in its abilities. Often after workouts we found the shorts had dealt with our perspiration much more effectively than we realized or had noticed while we were working out (something we appreciated greatly). After workouts, once the shorts went into the wash, we were happy to see that they came out fresh and new with no lingering odors. Additionally the shorts showed no sign of unusual wear from multiple washes.

Final Thoughts

Our final words from our first articles were to ask whether we thought these shorts would be better for workout or recovery. After a month we have found that there is not really a correct answer for this. We found that we preferred these for post workout recovery, not because they weren’t great to wear for workouts (which they were). Instead we found that the overall comfort level we experienced during the recovery period overshadowed our use of them during the active. This was partly due to the great compression that they provided, and partly due to the high waist design which while we grew accustomed to, we just tended to prefer a lower waist design for our workouts. You may find that you prefer these for your active workouts and at the end of the day it comes down to your personal choice. However rest assured, whether you use these for recovery or to workout, you are going to find these shorts will provide the compression you crave in a product you want to use every day.