Hey guys,
I've been wondering if UnderArmor HeatGear and other "dry" compressions (from Nike, Adidas, etc) are worth their price tags; playing in Floridian 90+ degree weather has really made me consider compressions, or at least HeatGear and its equivalents. I've been prowling around pretty much everywhere from blogs to forums wondering if these things really work. Some say they do, and some say they make things worse. In any case, I have my doubts - how can an extra layer of clothing is going to keep your body cooler than without it. I've searched these boards and have found that some of you find them to be pretty useful. Do these things REALLY make a difference (in HOT, HOT, HOT 90*+ weather)?
90°F weather is cool compared to here in AZ. It was 114°F (that's about 45.6°C!) today!
I find that those shirts do work, to some degree. If anything, it keeps your sweat from weighing down your jerseys. I don't really like the ultra tight shirts, and use the more lose shirts (their tag line is: Works Like Underarmor, feels like a t-shirt, or something like that!). Here in Virginia, where it gets very hot and nasty humid, it works, for me at least.
Old US Keeper: 90°F weather is cool compared to here in AZ. It was 114°F (that's about 45.6°C!) today!
It's not cool, believe me. The humidity is often over 80%, which makes an enormous difference.
Zulu, Under Armour absolutely works, in my experience. Don't think of it as an 'extra' layer - don't you wear something under your shorts anyway? So make it Under Armour's heat gear. The metal gear compression shirts are great too - I always wear one under my goalkeeper jersey in summer. But if you don't want to do that, then at least make sure the jersey you are wearing is a light, breathable, wicking material, like adidas' ClimaCool or Nike's Dri-Fit. This stuff is light years better than what we used to have to wear in the 80s and through much of the 90s.
Thanks for the quick replies guys, but I have a few more questions.
Justin, what's the difference between the MetalGear and HeatGear compressions and are they best worn loose (loose fit lines) or tight? I'd assume tight. Also, are the shorts worth it?
I think Metal Gear is just one of their models, I believe the highest-priced model of heat gear. By "are the shorts worth it" do you mean the compression shorts? If so, yes they are worth it. They are compression gear, so they only come in a very tight fit. They are extremely thin and elastic tho, so they don't feel restrictive.
If you mean their regular shorts, then I can't say if they're worth it, as they really aren't going to do anything that Nike and adidas shorts do.
As for undershirts, they can be tight or loose, it's up to you.
Alright, thanks for the help guys. I may go out tomarrow, try em on, and hopefully buy one. I had tried one (short sleeves) by a company called 8 Layers today at Marshalls. I don't mind the tight fit, so I may go with that as wearing two normal shirts bugs me, but I'm either going long sleeves or none as I have the feeling the short sleeves can irritate me (sleeves rolling up).
Yeah I go with sleeveless myself, for the same reason.
I recently bought a Nike Pro vent and it is amazing. I never thought something like that would work so much but it does. However I cant compare it to Under armour as I have never used it.
Dida still needs a team! lol
Why be negative when you can be Positive? Beats me!
Keepers are criticised and praised, its the keepers choice to decide what to listen to.
Agree with Dida, the Nike Pro Vent stuff is very good. Keeps you nice and dry,just holds the sweat so if it gets a little windy and the temp drops you can get a bit of a chill!
Can't speak highly enough of this compression gear, both UA and our own Canterbury, Heat and Cold gear. Use it all the time when playing and coaching and in my opinion it does make a difference in the heat of summer (don't remember what that is after 28 days of rain in July) and winter.
Someone's using the conversion widget on their MBP :-)
Now back to topic, yes they work to a point. If it's humid, then forget it. The moisture has no where to go.
Here in July it might be up to 34C but with high humidity, the humidex will put it over 40C. In those days, the material doesn't work at all for me unless there is some kind of breeze. I'd rather play in a dry 114F. :-)
Sad to say that my Nike Pro compression shorts tore away today. It spilts when i dived at the rocky pitch. I've only wear these for 3months.
They definitely do the job. The idea is that as you sweat, the fabric, which is tight to your skin, wicks up the perpiration, spreads it out and lets it evaporate (and cool) more quickly.
That said, there are plenty of off brands (WalMart even has their own) that work just as well. The material is often the same as used by other makers; it's just the logo that costs more.
One more question guys, how useful are these things when the temperature drops down to around normal? Normal being around 70*-80*.