Muscle recovery made lazy, just press play and lay back…but is it worth the price?

The dream is to bounce back from whatever race or training session that's been thrown at you within a day. We are getting closer with these compression boots, trust us. After 6 months of training, racing and laying back in the chair testing a whole list of the best compression boots, we’ve seen all we need to see to make a decision on whether or not the Normatec Pulse 2.0 Boots are worth it for muscle recovery at home or at the gym.

We are not getting any younger, and recovery seems to take longer and longer the older you get, but it doesn’t have to be that way. We review the Normatec Pulse boots and see how they compare to competitors like Recovery Air, Rapid Reboot, Recovery Boots, Air Relax and Renpho compression boots.

Normatec Pulse 2.0 Review - Are Compression Boots Worth It?

Bottom Line: These Normatec Pulse 2.0 inflatable muscle recovery boots almost make a whole gamut of recovery tools redundant, pretty much combining a roller, massage gun, a trigger ball and a set of hands all in one. It is a steep price point for casual fitness enthusiasts but it is undoubtedly a one-of-a-kind high tech recovery machine for athletes and weekend warriors alike.

Price: Varies depending on attachments

What Makes The Normatec Pulse 2.0 The Best Recovery Boots?

Are compression boots worth it? Well, wether you’re an elite athlete or a weekend warrior in the gym, there’s mornings when you roll out of bed and feel every muscle.

Your body cringes at the thought of putting your shoes on for another session. Traditionally we would have approached this with plenty of time on the foam roller, combined with targeted massage gun therapy and some massage if we were really hurting. 

What we found was, in the absence of these other three practices, just using the Normatec Pulse 2.0 boots for 40 minutes on the highest pressure setting (of which there are 7) gave a similar leg feel to a combination of contrast therapy, foam rolling and massage gun time.

So put simply, yes they are worth the money. We opted for just the leg setup which comes with two individual leg sleeves/boots to slide on. More on that later.

What’s The Science - Do Normatec Compression Boots Help Speed Up Recovery?

We always come back to the science behind things. Because, although anecdotal evidence is great sometimes, it can sometimes mislead you to making bad choices, wasting your money and overall slowing down your progression of recovery. We don’t want that. 

Science tells us that compression technology, like the Pulse Technology in the Normatec boots, effectively mimics the muscle pump of the legs and arms, enhancing the movement of fluid and metabolites out of the limbs after an intense workout. 

It is worth it to note that the Normatec line, which gives you an option to pick and choose between leg attachments, hips attachments, arm attachments, or the whole lot, are designed by a physician bioengineer (MD, PhD). The reason why a session in these recovery boots feels so good is because of the variation in three key techniques - pulsing, distal release, and gradients. 

Not only that, the boots consist of 5 separate chambers that are filled independently and in different phases, to achieve maximum benefit. This has been shown to encourage increased blood flow and lymphatic drainage mechanisms that “reduces muscle soreness and attenuates reductions in flexibility”, as referenced, specifically using Normatec Pulse 2.0 Boots, in this study.

To add to the list of the reasons why the Normatec Compression Boots are worth the money, the boots have been clinically proven to accelerate recovery in the form of reduced pain sensitivity, treatment of the dreaded delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS), upgrading gene expression in muscle tissue and the main event here -  decreasing muscular fatigue post exercise. 

Who Should Use The Normatec Pulse 2.0 Recovery System?

Now that we know the Normatec Pulse 2.0 compression boots are worth it, let’s look at specifically who these recovery boots suit the most.

We are all human. Everyone has felt the muscular and energy effects of some sort of race, training session or even hard days work on the feet all day (or in a chair). Fatigue and soreness is what we are battling with here, so if you have felt that, chances are you would benefit from incorporating compression technology into your recovery routine. 

We have been sharing the leg system around when we need it, and honestly they are hard to let go of. There are some obvious contraindications to using these boots like doing so on a broken limb, but let's focus on who these are suited to:

• Athletes and elite sportsmen and women: like runners, triathletes, crossfitters and lifters are a group that could have the utmost benefit from using this system. Getting back to training and reducing the amount of time you are unable to train is an essential element of being an athlete. 

• Weekend warriors: who give it hard go occasionally and still maintain and regular training regime through the week.

• Poor circulation and pregnancy: those who suffer from conditions that contribute to poor circulation, as well as pregnant women who have trouble with the same at different stages of pregnancy would definitely benefit from regular compression therapy sessions. 

• Office workers: obviously we would prescribe movement first to someone who is sedentary for most of the day or sits at a desk for the majority of their working day, but in conjunction with movement/exercise we would see the Normatec boots as a solid remedy for those lacking in movement through the day. Working from home? Press play while you tap away at the keyboard.

What To Expect From The Normatec Pulse 2.0 Boots?

Compression boots are worth it only when you get consistent use out of them. Expect your training partners to constantly be at your house trying to use your setup. Seriously, we know our fair share about recovery and the difference in recovery time using the boots compared to passive recovery is insane. Although we generally employ a very broad spectrum of recovery methodologies, we tested out the boots in isolation. 

Using the Normatec Pulse 2.0 compression boots in isolation for recovery, we collectively recorded an average of a 48 hour improvement in returning to a state of full, pain-free readiness to train following a set 10km run. They are worth their weight in gold for muscle recovery!

This is not a scientific study but it is a noticeable, unmistakable fast tracking of muscle recovery if we have ever come across one.

Depending on what you want to go for, the system consists of the following parts:

• The NormaTec Pulse 2.0 device, essentially the controller of air pressure and timing

• The hoses which connect into the body attachments

• Power supply to plug into a power plug or wall outlet

• Leg, hip, or arm attachments, as we said, depending on which you opt for. They are all different prices which you can see here… We only tested out the leg system, but hard core people might want the Full Body Recovery System.

It is reasonably lightweight, at 1.6kg (3.5lbs) so it can be transported around in your gym bag without too much of a noticeable weight. Battery lasts up to 2 hours too, so plenty for a couple of sessions. Post-use, we noticed that the sleeves can get a little stinky so it’s pretty mandatory to give them a wipe down on the inside, particularly if you’re not the only person using them.

Other options in compression recovery boots

Normatec kind of has the lion's share of what's best in inflatable compressions recovery. But, there are some other options that come with a more stomachable price tag if you are looking for compression boots on a budget. We have come across two other options that are also worth the money that we’d be comfortable recommending but have not thoroughly tested as yet:

1. Compex Ayre Rapid Recovery Boots, available on Amazon for a fraction of the price.

2. Kingsfield Recovery Compression Boots, also available on Amazon for about half the price of Normatec.

Final Word on Normatec Pulse Boots

Pros

Best pulse technology compression

Backed by 2 year warranty 

Portable with 2 hour battery

Cons

Expensive

Controls lack session completion alarms

Normatec app is a little useless

We can not go past compression recovery any more for rapid post workout recovery technology. Although there are more cost effective alternatives, we stick with the thinking that generally you get what you pay for. Pair the Normatec Pulse 2.0 boots with your cold therapy, sauna routine, stretching and massage gun trigger point therapy and any level of activity will not leave a lasting recovery burden on the body.

When paired with your cold therapy, sauna routine, stretching, and massage gun trigger point therapy, this multifaceted approach ensures that any level of activity will not leave a lasting recovery burden on the body. The combination of these recovery methods can lead to improved performance, faster recovery times, and reduced risk of injury, making them a valuable investment for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike. By prioritizing recovery technology like the Normatec boots, you can maximize your training efforts and maintain optimal physical health.

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