Brand: Aerify  

Model: Charge Recovery System  

Key Features: 8 Air Chambers / 3 Hour Battery Life / 6 Compression Programs / 2 Pulse Modes / X1 Pair Aerify Recovery Boots / X1 Charge Machine + Cables

Best For: Recovery On The Go  

Release Date: Available Now

Price: £949.00 

Buy: Aerifyrecovery.com

Notes: 
Ever seen a pro athletes Instagram and thought what on earth are those huge boots they have on their legs? Well those would be whats known in the industry as pneumatic compression devices (PCD) or to the wider world compression boots. In short, their an inflatable recovery aid that are worn on the legs and theoretically stimulates quicker recover for the wearer. The boots are connected to a controller device that sequentially inflates air pockets in the garment to user-specified pressure, and then sequentially deflates them. There are several theoretical reasons why compression boots enhance recovery which you can deep dive into here. After long efforts at high intensity, there’s some degree of exercise-induced muscle damage at the cellular level, this is accompanied by an influx of fluid into the cells that manifests as swelling and what gym goers call DOMS. Compression is theorised to be beneficial as it physically forces this added fluid back out of the cells and in doing so, it takes many of the by-products of the muscle damage with it.

We tested out the Aerify Charge Boot System after numerous runs over 5K with our average pace sitting around 7.22KM and a heavy leg day in the gym – each boot session we when for a ‘low and slow’ approach setting the pressure to a mediocre 8 compression (when thinking of what it feels like think back to the last time you had your blood pressure done) over 30minutes. Now, be warned you need something you can lay back on and put your feet up, when these things inflate they need room. Setup wise they’re very easy to use, simply open up the sides of the boots and connect the tubes to the boots, then attach those to the charge system. Set your preferences and off you go. Easy. Although the science and opinions are mixed about compression boots we have to say that after each session using them we did actually notice a difference in recovery. Although we did still have some slight DOMS, it was nowhere near the normal ache experienced and we found we could attack the day a lot easier as well as our gym session later that day. Also an added bonus, it came with a bag to store all the kit in which tucked nicely away into a storage when it wasn’t being used.

Overall the Aerify Charge Boot System was great. Easy to setup, easy to use and on top on that – we felt – there were actual recovery benefits to using the boots. Now we come to the price, at £949.00 they are cheaper – not by much – than its competitors Normatec, but its still a large pot of money to spend on something you may use once a week. Don’t get us wrong, if you’re a serious long-distance runner, sprinter, cross-fitter or team sports player these will save you hours of recovery time, we highly recommend you invest in a pair to help you get back quicker after heavy sessions. And with the packability of the boots you can take them anywhere. But for the average gym go-er we’d advise you to give them a miss, its just not worth the investment.