Early morning workouts – the necessary evil of every triathlete’s life. Yes, there are a few who revel in them, but most of us…well, we would rather be asleep in bed. In those dark hours when most commuters are barely into their first cup of coffee, the most important thing—whether you’re a morning person of not—is to be seen. We have covered active options such as the XLAB Training Strobe, but passive options are equally important. Lights may die or be pointed the wrong way, but bright and reflective clothing stands the entirety of any workout.

There are many options out there, including shirts, jackets, tights, socks, and calf sleeves. But recently Zensah added additional variety to the mix by launching their Reflect Compression Arm Sleeves. The sleeves are offered in five colors, four of which are neon, and all include their Reflect technology. Zensah’s reflective technology does its job so well that we actually had a great deal of difficulty shooting photos of the sleeves, using a flash was not an option.

Like all Zensah gear, compression was a priority. The sleeves provide for targeted elbow support. And while we have never had the need for the added support, we did come away feeling that our arms felt a bit more refreshed after a long run.

Zensah is offering the sleeves in S/M and L/XL and offer moisture wicking technology. The sleeves themselves never became over saturated, so Zensah’s moisture wicking technology was clearly effective. And a quick trip through the washing machine left the sleeves looking and smelling like new (Just remember these are meant to be hung to dry, not run through the dryer).

Zensah suggests dusk, dawn, and darkness usage for these sleeves. And while we always listen to the suggested instructions, we know that early morning workouts tend to end when the sun has come up. To that end, we did conduct some warm weather testing (85°F), and came away thinking that the sleeves had reached the upper limit of what they can handle. Anything above 80° and the heat started to build up. Think of these as more arm warmer than sun protection. However, for those early morning rides or runs, you can easily strip the sleeves off when the sun has come up.

Overall, we walked away impressed with the sleeves. Out on our long runs, these sleeves are a welcome addition. We always appreciate any piece of gear that makes our workout that much safer, and the added benefit of compression never hurts as well.