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Do Compression Boots Work? Here’s What the Science Says

Pros swear by expensive recovery boots, the latest trend in sports medicine for the masses. Do they actually do anything?

therabodyTherabody

By Jack Seemer

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For years now, pneumatic compression sleeves — aka “recovery boots” — have been used by professional athletes in an effort to speed up recovery and enhance performance. NBA stars such as LeBron James and Kevin Durant swear by them, as does half the NFL. But the price of entry remains steep, with some examples costing well over a grand. This begs the question as to whether compression sleeves make sense for everyday athletes. And, most importantly, do they even work?

First off, what are compression boots?

Recovery boots are sleeves that wrap around your legs and fill up with air to squeeze your lower limbs at a controlled rate.

black compression boots
Inflatable boots fill with air, starting at your feet and squeezing up your legs like a tube of toothpaste.
Hyperice

They’ve become a fixture at gyms and physical therapy offices for the purpose of helping athletes flush metabolic waste from their bodies after grueling workouts.

While designs vary from brand to brand, the general premise is the same: a pump fills a pair of inflatable boots with air, starting at your feet.

Recently, major brands such as Normatec and Therbody have begun to sell consumer versions for home use.

How do compression boots work?

While designs vary from brand to brand, the general premise is the same: a pump fills a pair of inflatable boots with air, starting at your feet and squeezing up your legs like a tube of toothpaste.

man sitting on couch with recovery boots
Theoretically, compression increases blood flow to tired muscles, flushing out unwanted toxins and reducing inflammation.
Therabody

This technique is called intermittent pneumatic compression (IPC), and it was originally designed to treat patients suffering from lymphedema, deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or pulmonary embolism (PE).

Theoretically, this type of dynamic compression increases blood flow to tired muscles, flushing out unwanted toxins and reducing inflammation from small muscle tears.

Are there any other benefits?

Improved circulation, reduced inflammation and reduced recovery time are the main reasons athletes reach for recovery boots.

Improved circulation, reduced inflammation and reduced recovery time are the main reasons athletes reach for recovery boots.

According to some physicians, as well as the brands that sell the boots, they offer other benefits, too. These include increased flexibility, lower levels of muscle soreness and better injury prevention.

What does the science say?

Here’s where things get weird. Pneumatic compression’s efficacy is well-studied in the medical field, with experts mostly agreeing: recovery boots help patients suffering from lymphedema or DVT (in other words, people with compromised circulation). But what about healthy individuals — like elite athletes at the top of their game? Depends whom you ask.

Generally, recovery boots easy to use, easy to store and feel really, really good.

One 2018 study, published in the International Journal of Exercise Science, found that daily use of recovery boots “significantly decreased” muscular swelling and other consequences of working out. But another study, published in the same journal, found that pneumatic compression “offered little to no benefit in recovery” when used by healthy subjects.

Has Gear Patrol tested them?

Yes, we’ve tested various recovery boots from leading manufacturers, such as Hyperice and Therabody. Generally, they’re easy to use, easy to store and feel really, really good.

Generally, they’re easy to use, easy to store and feel really, really good.

Despite a lack of hard scientific evidence that they “work,” there’s something to be said for their passive approach to recovery, especially for athletes who tend to cut corners on stretching or self-massaging with a foam roller. These boots do the work for you, while you catch up on your Netflix queue.

Are there any downsides or risks to using compression boots?

Numbness in your legs may occur if the pressure setting is too high. However, there are no major downsides to using recovery boots, even if the science doesn’t necessarily check out.

The biggest risk is spending a bunch of money on a tool that certainly feels good but doesn’t actually work as advertised. Speaking of money …

How much do compression boots cost?

Recovery boots aren’t cheap. Hyperice, one of the leaders in the space, offers several different packages (including additional items for your hips and upper body) under the brand name Normatec. Basic boots start at $724 and escalate from there.

Therabody, which makes the ever-popular Theragun, also sells its own line of compression boots. The budget model, RecoveryAir Prime costs $599, while a Pro version, with more control settings, will set you back $1,299.

Are there cheaper alternatives?

If you fantasize about the possibility of sitting in front of your TV for hours while getting a leg massage, be prepared to shell out. However, recovery is a growing category, with new products launching all the time.

You could also just buy yourself a foam roller. Though less impressive than a pair of state-of-the-art recovery boots … you can still use one in front of the TV.

Both Hyperice and Therabody offer massage guns, which retail for just a couple hundred bucks (though far cheaper options abound). Massage guns are more active in their approach, employing percussive therapy to break up lactic acid and increase blood flow. Of course, they require you to be more active in using them, too. If you find yourself on the road a lot, they’re far more portable.

You could also just buy yourself a foam roller, which will set you back anywhere from $10 to $40. Though less impressive than a pair of state-of-the-art recovery boots, foam rollers are proven at decreasing muscle and tissue tension and improving flexibility and mobility. Plus, you can still use one in front of the TV.

So, what’s the verdict?

An exciting product with a lot of promise, compression boots are anything but a straightforward buy — especially for everyday athletes.

There just haven’t been enough studies to justify the current price of entry. But like with some supplements, if you’re a hardcore athlete who likes to stay on the bleeding edge of sports science, the cost may be an easier pill to swallow.

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