I received an interesting package a while ago. It looked like a bazooka, and my son actually wanted to play with the it right away. I opened the package and found out that there were the Opedix S1 Ski & Board Tights that I promised to review.
Before we take a deeper look into the Opedix S1 tights I’d like to say few words about the company who sent me this product. Opedix Labs is a company that designs and manufactures performance-based ski and running tights. The S1 tights are designed to minimize load on an athlete knee, aligning the joint better and helping it work more efficiently, essentially reducing wear and tear and the accompanying side effects that come with it. Their running tights, posture shirts and ski/snowboard tights are proven, through scientific studies, to improve joint alignment in the knees and shoulders.
Opedix tights retail for 190 dollars and their compression should reduce muscle fatigue to allow for longer ski days..
Opedix S1 ski & board tights in review
It took me a while before I got a change to review Opedix S1 ski & board tights because I got an infection in my ankle while training for upcoming half-marathon. After resting two weeks my ankle felt better and I was ready to rock. So, few days ago I went skiing and running with Opedix tights. Although Opedix S1 ski & board tights are not optimized for running I also wanted to check how it’d feel with these tights.
I opened the “bazooka” package that my son so loved and found a smaller “cartridge” from inside. Again inside this cartridge I found the Opedix S1 tights. I carefully took them out of the cartridge but I managed to rip them a bit by accidentally pulling them against the sharp edge of the silver colored cartridge. Hopefully the damage is not that big, most probably it won’t matter at all.
After unboxing the Opedix S1 ski & board tights I checked all the papers that came with the product. I found details of the product, instructions and some marketing material. It makes sense to read those few lines manufacturer has written because there are always things you might not know about the product. For example I didn’t know that the easiest way to put on the tights is when sitting. They are so tight that putting them on like jeans won’t happen easily.
Before wearing my Opedix S1 ski & board tights I wanted to “inspect” them a little bit. I found out that the sewing is done well. There are no sewing mistakes, no holes or anything that would indicate low quality. I was pretty happy with what I saw, except of one issue. I put my hand inside one leg of the tights, and realized that the sewing ripped off a little bit. The damage is minor but it might expand one day, but this can be only be seen after a longer test.
It was late night when I unboxed the Opedix tight package so I did my test in the next morning. I woke up early, enjoyed a quick breakfast and hit the road. I drove to my local hill in order to test my Opedix S1 ski & board tights on slopes. It was a warm morning (only -3 centigrade), so I wore the tights as the only layer under my ski pants.
I sat down and took some time to figure out how to put on the Opedix tights. As the name says, they are a bit tight, so that’s not a super quick process. Although I am used to putting on tights for running I wanted to wear Opedix tights right because the knee support system must be located in the right place – around persons knee. After a minute I had them on and they felt good.
Opedix S1 ski & board tights feel really good when skiing
Wearing Opedix S1 ski & board tights my first thought was “man, these tights feel very good!” Yep, they’re tight, but alsoflexible. The knee support system is exactly around my knee, and I can easily go up and down without feeling pressure.
Opedix S1 tights felt also good on slopes. I went skiing couple of hours, and during that time I had no problems with the tights. They felt really good under my ski pants. It never felt like my tights would “drop down”. They kept their position all the time, even though I went from backcountry skiing to cliff dropping and jumps, as well as fast giant slalom type skiing on slopes.
After couple of hours of skiing I had a little coffee break. While drinking my coffee I realized that I didn’t even remember I was wearing the tights. Opedix tights are tight around knees because of the knee support system, but that tightness is not disturbing at all.
As an experienced skier I can say I am very satisfied with my Opedix S1 ski & board tights. They are great for skiing.
Also running with Opedix S1 tights feels good
I am currently training for upcoming half-marathon races here in Finland. I usually run one long and 2-3 short runs in a week and on that day I was about to run my long run. Even though Opedix S1 ski & board tights are not optimized for running, I wanted to find out how it feels running with these tights. So, in the end of the day I went running in the nearby forest wearing my Opedix tights.
Just like when skiing, you don’t really notice that you’re wearing Opedix tights. They feel very good and natural, even though I was a bit cold since in the end of the day the temperature went down to -12 centigrade. In summertime this problem naturally won’t exist.
Opedix S1 ski & board tights minimize load on an athlete knee, aligning the joint better and helping it work more efficiently, essentially reducing wear and tear and the accompanying side effects that come with it. It is difficult to notice this feature in one day, so I guess I will see the effect of Opedix S1 tights during the next few months. Anyhow, I am really satisfied with my Opedix tights and I believe that the knee support system will bring benefits in the long run.
The Opedix webpage has more information & pricing of these tights.
One Response
Would love to hear the review from a woman- we have different body types and want to know how they do around the butt and abs. I hate it when tights come up around my boobs, or they are so low half my butt sticks out when I do a tele turn.
Lisl