OK... I'm providing detail to help people looking for specific pain relief and not just a warming sleeve. I also waited a week to write the review to see how the sleeve held up during a variety of activities. Note that my comments are about a Medium size sleeve, not a Large as originally order.
Reason for Purchase: I've been having some serious tennis and golfer's elbows (even though I don't golf) for 8 months. Tried to rest as much as possible, even stopped playing piano and sports for 3 straight months of those 6... to no avail. Previously tried compression straps/bands, but felt I wasn't getting enough support and didn't like the thick overlapping velcro that would catch on my shirt when I moved my arm. Seeing so many pro tennis players now using sleeves, I thought I'd try one. After some research, it looked like this Venom sleeve would help me more than the bands and provide me with strong support and not just warmth. Turns out I was right.
Use: I've used it for a variety of strenuous activities as well as typing and light household chores. I've even used it for a couple of hours at night to keep my arm from twisting in my sleep. My arm feels supported and warm during use. Nice compression without too much pressure (no fingers blowing up in size or skin soreness by the end of play).
Today I played 2 hours of Pickleball followed by 1 hour of snow shoveling (wet, heavy, heavy snow, too). I didn't have any pain during or immediately after. Obviously not healed yet... 'cuz really only total rest is going to do that... but I must say my elbow feels way less strained after using this sleeve. Haven't tried tennis yet... going to wait until the snow melts to give my arm some more healing time as tennis is much more arm strenuous and I hit fairly hard (plus I'm sure I'm doing something with wrong my forehand that's not helping the scenario...will fix that in the summer).
Have decided that I will get one of these sleeves for my other arm, which has some sensitivities in the elbow area lately due to a tendon pull/tear in the shoulder about 6 months ago. Yes, how fun the 50s are compared to what you could get away with in your 20s!
Care: Haven't need to wash it until tonight (today was the first time I really sweated in it). Don't anticipate any problems with hand wash/line dry as this material has really held its shape/compression all week long and has not slipped or bunched at all during any activity.
Size: Large was too big on me. I ordered a Large per Venom's instructions/chart for measuring arms. While I have an athletic build, I'm only 5'6" and wear size 10/Medium typically. So, I questioned the chart as my measurements came up clearly in the Large range and I read tons of reviews by some pretty big guys who said they were Larges going by the chart. But then I found others, including females, whose body sizes didn't seem that large who were advising to absolutely follow the instructions and not order up or down a size. So I did and ordered the Large.
When the Large sleeve arrived, I put in on right away. It immediately slipped off easily. Some compression above the elbow, but definitely little to no compression at or below the elbow. I contacted Venom via Amazon asap with a message that I'd need a Medium, but there wasn't any return info provided in the shipment. I got a reply fairly quickly stating that a Medium was already being shipped to me at no cost and I was to just keep the Large. True to their word, my new sleeve arrived in 2 days.
Don't know what to suggest for sizing instructions as arm strength/sizes can't necessarily be predicted clothing size every time. That said, I can't imagine a female my size needing anything bigger than a Medium in this sleeve (again, I'm a very strong, athletic size 10/M, sometimes 12/L depending on cut/brand). Hope this helps.
Overall Yay or Nay?: Really like this sleeve and the Venom customer service. Definitely will recommend this product/brand to my friends. It's a Yay.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 7.28 x 3.94 x 1.06 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 0.06 Kilograms |
| Brand Name | Venom Sports Fitness |
| Color | Orange |
| Material | Nylon |
| Suggested Users | Unisex-Adult |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Size | Small |
| Sport Type | Tennis |
