Review: CW-X Stabilyx Tight

[KnottedYet]

It's a miracle!
http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodCW_125809.html

Where to begin?

Putting them on: these are compression tights, give yourself a good 3 minutes to put them on properly. Put socks on first. You don't want your toenails catching in the fabric as you slide your feet through. Use the pads of your fingers to work the tights into place, not your nails. Follow the instructions on the hang-tag about arranging the tights to the knees before pulling them up. (oh, and go commando. there is a floating gusset so you won't have seam irritation.)

Fit: I used the fit chart provided by CW-X. Right now I am 40 lbs heavier than I was 2 years ago, so I was a bit worried that the athletic fit might be a problem. No problem! And no sausage legs! The tights make even me look sleek and smooth. No camel-toe, there's some pretty cool engineering with the gray panel up the inner thigh to prevent that. The fit was beautiful.

Feel: When I put them on, I felt like this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JdGQ0...eature=related Except, unlike Jeri Ryan's 20 minutes to get into her costume, it only took 3 minutes to put on the tights. Well, there *might* be a couple other differences between me and Jeri Ryan, but they are relatively minor... The Stabilyx tights are very comfortable once you get them adjusted correctly. They give firm support without any sense of constriction.

Kineseotape: I chose the Stabilyx because the pattern of support bands was the most similar to patterns of kineseotape I've used and liked. I could have used an additional band from medial knee to lateral hip to facilitate hip external rotation, but really that's a training issue I should be working on anyway. The CW-X Pro tight has the hip rotation band. Like good kineseotape, the bands facilitate the muscles underneath them. You correct yourself by turning on the muscles that are being lazy. Wearing kineseotape (and by analogy these tights) makes the muscles stronger because they are cued more.

Performance: Which helped more, the compression or the kineseotape effect? Heck if I know! What I do know is that I ran my regular route this morning. Same speed, same route. Normally near the end of my run I'm getting tired and sloppy and starting to hear the siren call of my waiting coffee pot. The tights really shone at the end of my run, because I was feeling perky and strong and warm and NOT tired. In fact, my legs felt so good that I extended my run until the dog was starting to get unhappy and the call of the coffee was strident.

Warmth: This was my first run in the Stabilyx tights. Normal chilly rainy weather for this time of year. My legs were surprisingly warm in just the tights. I had considered wearing my Hind running pants over them, but the tights looked so good I went without. Turns out they were perfect on their own. Not too hot, not sweaty and clammy, not chilly.

Look: I looked just like Seven of Nine. (see above) Really. <snort> Actually, I looked damm good. I've never gone for my run dressed only in tights. My old tights were for extra warmth, and I wore them UNDER my running pants. Nobody got to gaze at my blobbiness as I ran. BUT, the CW-X designers know their stuff. I ran in these tights alone, and I looked good! The compression panels smooth out the lumps and blobs and hold everything still. My fat didn't jiggle. The different colors of gray create a bit of camoflage or visual misdirection, which also helps.

Let me reiterate the most important quality of these tights: My Fat Didn't Jiggle.
(any of you who have been running while overweight know the pain of bouncing fatty whiplash. it honestly hurts. no pain with these tights!)

[Zen]

Let me reiterate the most important quality of these tights: My Fat Didn't Jiggle.

SOLD!

The kinesiotape effect is intriguing as well.
(when you said Jeri Ryan I thought Jeri Blank. That would be funny)

[divingbiker]

Perfect timing! Thanks for the review.

I've been trying to decide between the Stabilyx and the Performx tights. I don't really have any knee issues, but recently some IT band pain has been rearing its ugly head. Which do you recommend, Knot?

[Kathi]

I wear these as well, skiing, snowshoeing, hiking. Look at the CWX website, the tight selector page helps you chose the model for your particular need.

http://www.cw-x.com/ExploreProducts....&selector=true

[Zen]

What a fantastic site. I like the ability to maneuver the model.

[Trek420]

Because I'm short I asked for 3/4 length. Survey says: "Recommendation: 3/4 Pro tights Features: - Provide support to the hips and lower back for extra stability and core power - Improve circulation to keep legs fresher and cramp-free over time - Provide excellent support to the hip flexors, quads and hamstrings"

Hmmm, looks like for knee specific I have to go full length, or maybe this'll work:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodCW_125806.html

[OakLeaf]

FWIW, at 5'3" I don't have too much of a problem with extra fabric in the ankles - knee placement is more of an issue lengthwise, which capri length wouldn't help with that. Because of the snug fit, once I get the tights in the right place around my knees, they don't really move around.

[Jones]

Great review Knot. I love my cw-x Capri's and bought the tights when TE did 20% off but haven't had a chance to wear them yet. I do enjoy all your reviews.

[divingbiker]

Look at the CWX website, the tight selector page helps you chose the model for your particular need.

I did, and was still confused.

[KnottedYet]

Perfect timing! Thanks for the review.

I've been trying to decide between the Stabilyx and the Performx tights. I don't really have any knee issues, but recently some IT band pain has been rearing its ugly head. Which do you recommend, Knot?

I hate to add to the confusion, but, it really depends on WHY your IT band has been getting grumpy. (weak abs? lazy external rotators? pronated feet? underactivated glutes and hams?)

Next time your ITB is being naughty, take a moment and stand still. Try sqeezing your buns, then let them go and try holding your lower belly flat. Let the abs go, and continue with unlocking your knees, then trying to stand bow-legged, then pushing weight onto the pinky-toe side of your foot. If any one of those helps relieve some of your ITB sensation, that's probably the one that's being lazy. It's been slacking off and forcing your ITB to take up the strain. If more than one helps, add 'em all up and make them your new habit!

(and look at the CW-X descriptions for the tight that encourages the muscles you found need to work harder to relieve your symptoms)

I've got "all of the above" being lazy on my bod, particularly the abs and hip stabilizers. I quite liked the support and cuing from the ab panel and heavy outer hip reinforcement on the Stabilyx.

[colby]

Because I'm short I asked for 3/4 length. Survey says: "Recommendation: 3/4 Pro tights Features: - Provide support to the hips and lower back for extra stability and core power - Improve circulation to keep legs fresher and cramp-free over time - Provide excellent support to the hip flexors, quads and hamstrings"

Hmmm, looks like for knee specific I have to go full length, or maybe this'll work:

http://www.teamestrogen.com/prodCW_125806.html

I have to wear "petites" in everything and the 3/4 length tights hit about mid-calf for me. They cover enough of my knee and the surrounding area that my knee feels supported. My legs feel MORE supported in the full tights, which go to my ankles, but I prefer the 3/4 for warmer weather. The only other pair I have are the full insulator stabilyx tights. I like the insulator tights for winter running and wear them for snowboarding as well with a shell over them. I love you cw-x.

My only complaint about the pro 3/4 tights is that I have busted the seams in the thighs on TWO pairs now from regular wear. I do not have dainty thighs, they rub together. Eventually (6 months?) even if I wear a layer over the tights, I rub the seams off in the upper thigh (in a really painful location if you don't catch it in time and it proceeds to chafe). It's fixable, but frustrating. I refused to buy a third pair this year and ran the rest of the season in tri shorts with seams of steel. I handed the cw-x off to a friend to fix.

[divingbiker]

I hate to add to the confusion, but, it really depends on WHY your IT band has been getting grumpy. (weak abs? lazy external rotators? pronated feet? underactivated glutes and hams?)

Next time your ITB is being naughty, take a moment and stand still. Try sqeezing your buns, then let them go and try holding your lower belly flat. Let the abs go, and continue with unlocking your knees, then trying to stand bow-legged, then pushing weight onto the pinky-toe side of your foot. If any one of those helps relieve some of your ITB sensation, that's probably the one that's being lazy. It's been slacking off and forcing your ITB to take up the strain. If more than one helps, add 'em all up and make them your new habit!

(and look at the CW-X descriptions for the tight that encourages the muscles you found need to work harder to relieve your symptoms)

I've got "all of the above" being lazy on my bod, particularly the abs and hip stabilizers. I quite liked the support and cuing from the ab panel and heavy outer hip reinforcement on the Stabilyx.

I don't have the patience to analyze myself, so I just went ahead and ordered the Stabilyx. Had to get them from backcountry.com since TE only had the grey, and I wanted black so I wouldn't be conspicuous. Bad enough that I go in public in tights. Will post my thoughts when I get them. Thanks for the advice.

[Zen]

I think of these as Spanx I can wear to the gym

[KnottedYet]

I think of these as Spanx I can wear to the gym

EXACTLY!!!

They are a MIRACLE and I LOOOOOOOOVE them!

[Zen]

When I took those off I had the banding pattern imprinted on me.
That's some compression
they did look good, though