Cool Wings - product review

[OakLeaf]

I will say that once they become waterlogged, either by sweat or by rain, they're no longer effective. From that, I'm pretty much convinced that they work by increasing airflow.

I'm still bemused by the way that the gripper is bigger than the sleeve part, though. Maybe I just got a defective pair.

[witeowl]

@uforgot: Well, it blows my hypothesis out of the water, but I guess it's worth something that I'm not the only person they don't work for. I wonder why we're different? Shame it took $30.00 to find out. I wonder how they'd do as lightweight arm warmers???

@OakLeaf: Saturation definitely wasn't a problem. Since there's virtually no humidity here, it takes a lot before I'm dripping sweat, and I can't recall ever sweating so much that my arms were damp here in the desert. (In higher humidity areas like San Diego, yes, but not here in the desert.) About the gripper: I'd suspect a defective pair. The top part for me is just a natural finish to the shape, which does slowly increase from the wrist up. It's not significantly bigger.

[OakLeaf]

@OakLeaf: Saturation definitely wasn't a problem. Since there's virtually no humidity here, it takes a lot before I'm dripping sweat, and I can't recall ever sweating so much that my arms were damp here in the desert.

That's what I mean, though - if humidity is so low that your sweat is already evaporating as fast as you can sweat, then increasing air flow won't increase evaporation, or cooling.


ETA - just out of curiosity, because mine are wearable, but if they're defective I think I'll exchange them: survey for anyone with the arm coolers - how much bigger is your bicep than your upper arm where the grippers are supposed to ride? As well as I can measure myself (in approximate riding position, with some tension in the bicep but not a lot), it should only be 6-7 mm.

[witeowl]

That's what I mean, though - if humidity is so low that your sweat is already evaporating as fast as you can sweat, then increasing air flow won't increase evaporation, or cooling.

Right, that's exactly what I was trying to say with my "doesn't work in the desert" hypothesis. But then uforgot shattered that.

[Biciclista]

except it is also reflecting the sun OFF of your skin which contributes to your feelings of comfort.

[Fredwina]

I also have the Arm Coolers live in the desert!
I'm going with the air flow theory. when I'm moving, they are noticeably cooler. Standing around, I want to peel them off right away!
Have the leg coolers, but haven't tried them, since my recumbent wants to give me a permanent chainring 'tat