Product Review: Eskadron Climatex Wraps

Today I'm reviewing the Eskadron Climatex Training Bandages. They're available at multiple retailers online, but here's a link to one of my favorites: smartpak. They run about $70 new for a pair, which means that if you buy them at smartpak, you just have to spend $5 more, and then they ship free. Winning!

Even more winning, I picked up mine at a sale, so I paid $35/pair. That's good, because $140 for 4 polo wraps is roughly 10x what I believe in paying for polo wraps.

Down to the nitty gritty. Here's the official company image to advertise the wraps. I initially saw them in an issue of Practical Horseman, then looked them up because I thought they looked sharp.

They purport to be moisture- and heat-wicking, which makes them ideal wraps for me in the summer time, where even in the am temps are in the 80s and 90s F. I usually have to dispense with boots and wraps completely in the summer time because I think the risk of injury from heat build up is greater than the risk of injury from the occasional interference.

I'll admit, even with the expensive wraps, I was leery. I mean, hello, there are three yards of fabric wrapped around my horse's legs. Isn't that going to make them hot?

Here's Izzy after our ride Saturday, which was a pretty intense dressage work out in 90 degree weather*. Note the area under the saddle is completely drenched with sweat.

Her legs were dry.

For serious. I should have taken a picture.

Ok, so we've established that in my tiny experiment, the wraps worked as advertised. What about their construction?

Well, they're your standard 9' polo length. The first 4.5' is the climatex lining. It feels kind of like a dish towel, but it's a series of tiny compartments that seem to allow airflow between them. This is also the section that provides the padding, which is about the same as standard polos.

The second section is just your standard elastic bandage/wrap. You do have to wrap it more tightly then a normal polo or it will slip down and hang around your horse's ankles, making you look like a dingus in a dressage clinic. (Ask me how I know. Or don't.) The elastic serves to keep the padding in place, plus it's a pretty color.

I have heard that these wraps do not wash terribly well, especially after the first few times. I haven't tested that yet because 1) I only put them on my meticulously clean horse and 2) They dry really fast, so you if you dry them, brush off the dirt, and re roll them, you should be mostly set.

So there you go. I love them, but if I were to get another set, I think I'd go the Centaur Climate Control Wrap route. They look essentially the same and are a fraction of the price, even with the fabulous deal I got.

*I should qualify: it's hot here, but it's a dry heat. I can't begin to comprehend what humidity of a serious nature would do to my results.