We all know that recovery is an essential part of both your training and post-race routine, but let’s face it, not all of us are keen on sitting in an ice bath. So for those ice bath averse among us, recovery garments become an essential training and racing tool.
Speaking of ice bath averse, our multisport editor hates anything even remotely cold. So ice baths are obviously not on the top of her recovery checklist. With that in mind, she was more than happy to give SKINS’ RY400 Long Tights for Recovery a try after her last race.
SKINS’ specializes in all things compression, which was evident from the moment we pulled these on. Unlike other compression tights, these don’t make you feel like a stuffed sausage. In fact, our multisport editor said that these almost didn’t feel like recovery tights at all. The tights provided plenty of flexibility, and the material was breathable and comfortable for long periods of time. She was more than happy to wear them for hours, which is good since SKINS recommends the wearer keep the tights on for at least 3 hours to maximize recovery. In fact, SKINS says you can even wear these to bed to speed up your body’s natural recovery process.
The Tech
Composed of 76% Nylon and 24% Spandex, the RY400 is warp knitted. Common in sportswear, warp knitting offers a more durable fabric (less susceptible to runs) and provides no natural stretch. Instead, the spandex/nylon mix provides specific levels of elasticity and controlled compression. The RY400’s fabric also contains Memory MX—a unique high-stretch elastomeric yarn. This fabric technology ensures that the tights return to their original shape no matter how much stress you put them under.
The RY400 have also been engineered with Gradient Compression in mind to provide the correct level of squeeze to each muscle area, enhancing blood flow and oxygen delivery—exactly what you need after a tough workout.
SKINS has also incorporated UV protection of 50+ into the RY400; however, we don’t recommend stepping outside your house in the tights alone. Let’s just say that….umm, they don’t leave much to the imagination. So unless you want to attract some odd looks, we’d recommend pulling on a pair of jeans over the tights before you run out to the store.
Fit
As we mentioned earlier, these tights fit like a second skin. Our multisport editor never once felt “over-squeezed.” SKINS provides a detailed sizing chart, which takes both height and weight into account. We found the sizing to be spot on. Our tights fit like a glove. Never once did they feel too tight or too lose, so there was no need to constantly pull and tug at the fabric to get it back to the proper place. Once we had them on, the tights stayed right where they were supposed to.
Care
No one wants to worry about hand washing their sportswear. At AG, our rule is if you can’t throw it in the washing machine, we’re not wearing it. The RY400s were super-easy to wash and wear. Simply throw them in the wash with the rest of your gear and allow them to air dry. Done!
Do they work?
These tights perform as advertised. We pulled on the RY400 tights after a 70.3 and definitely noticed a difference the next morning. We experienced less muscle stiffness and pain—especially in the calf and quad areas.
Overall, we were very happy with our experience with the RY400, and would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for recovery tights (that you’ll actually want to wear!). These were extraordinarily comfortable, and the payoff the next morning was especially worth it. Less soreness means you can get back to training faster, which means the RY400 has become a permanent step in our recovery program.