Atlanta may not seem like an obvious location where one needs winter running tights. However, these awesome tights are the perfect balance of compression and soft lining to keep the wet Southern winter chill away.

Disclaimer: I received a pair of 2XU Hyoptik Thermal Compression Tights to review as part of being a BibRave Pro. Learn more about being a BibRave Pro (ambassador), and check out BibRave.com to review, find, and write race reviews!

Make the 2XU sponsored #BibChat at 9pm EST on January 26!

The 2XU website describes the tights as “Stand out and get noticed. HYOPTIK reflective logos help you stay visible when training in low light conditions for greater safety. Powerful compression wrap and protect key leg muscles to help prevent muscle soreness and fatigue and long term overuse injuries. Graduated compression engineering promotes greater blood flow assists with improved warm up pre exercise and faster recovery post exercise. Train longer without fear of fading into the darkness.” I know there is limited research as to whether compression is really effective, however I always feel that compression at least helps me warm up faster, and at most makes my recovery shorter. It’s an observational bias but a lot of runners swear by it and, if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

My hope were very high for these tights. I really love compression tights but my last 2 pairs (from a different company) had several problems. First, I’m short and curvy on bottom so I don’t fall into a clear size zone. Second, they were always difficult to get on and by the end of a long run the waist band would chafe or cut into my skin. Third, both pairs of pants failed along very inconvenient seems in the crotch area. One of these failure occurred about 18 miles into a 50k and was remedied with duct tape. To say the least, I was done paying $100 plus on that brand.

 

The 2XU Hyoptik tights were very promising right out of the box. They’re soft (“high filament yarns for dryness – moisture wicking”) with nicely hidden seams (“flatlock seams to reduce chafe”), as opposed to the wetsuit feeling material from my previous tights. For once, I fell nicely into a specific 2XU size box and they slipped on without much struggle. The greatest bonus about their size is that they’re not too long, which means they don’t bunch up a lot around my knees; this is usually a big problem for fun size athletes. The wide waistband keeps the tights up without pinching the love handles. Finally, there’s a thin, soft lining for just the right amount of warmth; I was worried that a lined tight would be too warm for most of Atlanta winter weather. However, my first long run in these guys started in the 30s and went up to 50s, and I was comfortable the whole day. I loved them so much I washed them that night and wore them again the very next day. I wore them in the early morning darkness a couple of time and say that while the reflective branding is nice, it’s subtle and not really a substitute for wearing a reflective vest or blinkies.

Pros:

• Sizing for all body types
• Good for fun size runners
• No chafing
• Compression that’s sexy rather than looking like a wetsuit
• Cost comparable to other compression brands
• 50 mile trail race with NO chafing!
• Material has maintained it’s integrity after wearing them in all my runs since Jan 1 and washing several times.

Cons:

• All compression gear tends to be on the pricey side. However, if you invest in good gear you’ll be a happier runner.
• 2XU website text is difficult to read
• I want a whole set of 2XU gear now 😉

Want more info before buying your own pair? Check out these other BibRave Pro Reviews!

• Frank
• Mark
• Cass

Have you tried 2XU gear or other compression? What are your thoughts? Chime in below and join the 2XU sponsored #Bibchat on Twitter at 9pm EST on Tuesday, January 26 for your chance to win cool prizes! Follow 2XU on Twitter @2xu_usa, #RunHyoptik