Sunday, March 7, 2010

Review: The ActiveWrap Heat and Ice Back Wrap




When I was asked if I'd like to review the ActiveWrap, of course I said yes! I chose the heat and ice back wrap for both Mr. and I to try out since we get bad backs (he also has a bad knee, but I wanted to try this out too so I chose something we could both use, heehee). Let me tell you, this could not have arrived at a more better time! What a back saver!

The ActiveWrap® heat and ice back wrap features extreme comfort, fit and adjustability. Complete with our specially formulated non-migrating 7 x10" hot/cold pack and a durable compression wrap made of eco-friendly material. This new pain modality features Active Medical Plush™ fabrication to lock in the body's natural warmth when used for soothing heat while insulating keeping the cold in during cold therapy applications. Perforated side panels for added breath-ability during long duration use demonstrate superior quality to typical neoprene wraps. In addition, ActiveWrap uses eco-friendly materials that out perform typical petroleum/oil based neoprene found in every current neoprene sports medicine product on the market. The bottom line is they CARE about the environment and they CARE about you.

Choose their complete system with an additional hot/cold pack. This will give you a designated pack for heat and a pack for cold. This is ideal for hours of continuous relief. These quality packs are unlike anything on the market.

This ActiveWrap back wrap is perfect for Lumbar Sprains-Strains-Thoracic Sprains-Strains-SI Joint Discomfort- Post Surgical Disc Injuries-Sciatica-Piriformis Syndrome-General Back Muscle Soreness- Back Spasms & Stiffness- Arthritis. It's also Washable/Microwave/Freezer Safe.

The complete system includes: Compress support wrap, 1 Large 7" x10" hot & cold pack with protective cover and a drawstring team storage bag.

They use Eco-Friendly Materials, Washable, and Reusable. Sustainable Packaging.

This back wrap comes in two sizes:
◦Xs-Md (Item bawb008) Waist size up to 35"
◦Lg-XXL(Item bawb009) Waist size 35"-54"
Retails for $41.95

"What is the difference with your ice packs compared to basic drugstore ice packs? Answer: ActiveWrap ice packs are uniquely manufactured to prevent "gel migration." This means that our gel material is elastic or rubbery by nature and can not be pushed or flattened from one side to the other. If you imagine a tube of toothpaste being pushed from the bottom up, this is how traditional gel packs have reacted under pressure. ActiveWrap ice packs deliver a uniform blanketing treatment when used for both heat and or ice therapy. No migration...no bare spots...a big difference."

Find more FAQ about ActiveWrap here. Find ActiveWrap around the net at their Blog and Twitter.



So we were sent an ActiveWrap Back Wrap to review. Both Mr. & I have sore backs, mine is lower back. It gets sore mostly after cleaning, sorting laundry or just slightly bending over to reach something. One wrong move and it's out the rest of the day. Right now my back is hurting with a pinched nerve (the kind where it's hard to walk) so I have the heat wrap on. I am loving this therapy wrap! It's nice and wide and big, feels like a big bear hug to your back. Plus the ActiveWrap doubles as a support wrap, holding in my belly, minimizing it (yay!) and giving my back support for better posture as well as my abdominals (would be perfect for post baby mommies!). You can also use it just as a support wrap without the cold/heat pack.

To heat up the gel pack, just place it in a microwave safe bowl full of water and heat until hot, mine took up to 6 minutes. Or if there is no water available (say, you're at work), just place the gel pack on a paper towel and heat 30-45 seconds depending on the wattage of the microwave.
Love this back wrap! I would definately recommend this to anyone with any sort of back problems and remember it's also great for support.

Check out the gel, it stays in place!




*UPDATE: regarding the commenter below, I contacted ActiveWrap about this concern and here is what they say:
"Most traditional water based gel packs can reach very high temperatures and there is truth to having temperature variations in gel packs.

However, we recommend the use of warm water combined with microwaving for a short duration of time to achieve a more even temperature. Its like poaching an egg in the microwave....without water it will blow apart...in water it heats evenly.

Since activewrap gel is more elastic and combined with a thick nylon skin cover traditional issues are drastically reduced. This is not to say if someone does not follow the instructions that are located in several different areas on the wrap that the product will not get hot!

If you place soup in a microwave for too long and drink it without testing it can cause burns as well. This is not to say soup should never be place in the microwave. Always test and use common sense is the best way to go.

The other benefit of ActiveWrap is that the combination of the neoprene insulated support and the pack provide heating so you don't have to heat the product over a minute to receive a long duration therapeutic heat treatment.


ActiveWrap Inc
http://www.activewrap.com/ "


I wrote this review for "Mommy? I'm Hungry!" about ActiveWrap. I received free product to keep for this review. All opinions for this review are that of myself & family. Product info & some images provided by PR/website.

Print
Pin It!

4 Lovely Comments:

microwaveguru said...

Heat wraps should NEVER be heated in a microwave oven. I am a microwave scientist and have studied products like this, as have some of my scientific colleagues. The problem is that they tend to heat most in the middle and that higher temperature migrates to the surface. We've measured temperatures high enough to cause 3rd degree burns 30 to 60 seconds after removal from the oven.

Anonymous said...

Traditional water-based gel packs usually tend to heat inconsistently. However the elastic non-migrating gel in ActiveWrap is much more consistent. In addition, the thick but permeable nylon pouch that covers the pack further buffers the chance of skin irritation. Another important point is the pack should be placed "in a dish of water" within the microwave to achieve a much more even state of heating.

If you placed a cup of coffee too long in the microwave and did not test before drinking you can and likely will experience a severe burn. This is not to say coffee should NEVER be placed in a microwave. Default to some old fashion common sense and test before applying any heat wrap (or drinking coffee for that matter) and always follow the instructions provided.

Rachelle S said...

Like I said in my review, this is a great heat pack wrap. I heated it in a bowl covered with water. It came out hot and even temperature to me. Wrapped in the pouch then onto the wrap, and then over my shirt on my back, it was perfectly warmed. I never received any burns whatsoever. I believe this product to be safe to use. Any concerns should be addressed to the company, I just reviewed how this product worked for myself. thanks! =)

contact info: http://activewrap.com/contact/

Post a Comment