Written by Menswear Style in Health & Fitness on the 27th February 2020

A fit-and-healthy lifestyle has a lot more to it. The right equipment, proper shoes, high-quality socks, latest tech gadgets, nutrition plan -- it’s all part of the game for both professional and amateur athletes. To extend your collection, there’s another increasingly popular piece of sports apparel today -- arm sleeves. Arm sleeves proved to be useful and beloved by athletes, gym enthusiasts, runners, cyclers, hikers, and everyone who cares to add an extra piece of apparel for better performance and quicker recovery.

Whether you’re doing some physical activity on your own, having a challenging workout plan or training for a 5K, improving your metabolism, endurance, as well as cardiovascular capability is a number one health priority. With that goal in mind, whatever high-end performance apparel becomes available on the market, it should find its place somewhere on your list. Read on to learn more about the benefits of arm sleeves and why you might want to add them to your apparel collection.

Perfect for Cold and Hot Weather 

If you’re a fan of outdoor activities, you need to align your apparel with different weather conditions to ensure a pleasant workout. When it’s cold outside, you don’t want to put too many layers, as you will get hot quickly and after some time, probably find it difficult to exercise on the cold weather while you’re super-heated. Therefore, a more comfortable and practical option is arm sleeves. They’re lightweight, so your workout will be a lot more efficient and you won’t feel any discomfort. Similarly, you’ll want to keep your arms cool in hot weather. In this case, it’s best if you look for arm sleeves that have breathable mesh zones. They will create a refreshing feel and allow for enough air to come in and keep your arms cool while you’re working out, cycling, running, or performing any other activity. Arm Sleeves are also a great protector from overexposure to the sun, as they’re blocking the heat and absorbing harmful UV rays.

Compression Boosts Performance  

Some of the arm sleeves also contain compression. You can look for this extra option as well to improve your performance. Compression features are known for their tight feel that regulates blood flow and circulation in the arms. You will feel gentle pressure on the outer skin surface. This has the effect of subtly increasing blood pressure in the arms, which helps increase the flow of blood throughout the body. When heart rate increases, blood supply over time also increases, helping the athlete improve their oxygen supply and energy level. 

Muscle Recovery  

Muscle recovery is one of the favourite benefits of arm sleeves for many athletes. Regulating different aspects, from weather protection to blood circulation, arm sleeves can help tired muscles to recover quicker from physical activity, increase endurance, and even reduce fatigue. The key is in the technology and fabrics used. Elasticity and carefully chosen fabrics make a whole difference in the way you feel during your workout and afterwards. Stabilised muscles and increased blood circulation both help with recovery after extensive physical activity. Furthermore, the tightness should be optimal, not too tight and not too loose, as either of the extreme cases won’t provide the necessary recovery.

Sustainability & Sports Apparel  

Let us take this a step further. Another blooming trend, or better put, movement, is in sustainable apparel. A Danish brand called Rockay launched a collection made from 100% recycled material, including arm sleeves. Rockay’s goal is to accelerate the growth of a more sustainable production, to help clean our planet while maintaining world-class performance wear. They do this by recycling abandoned fishing nets and ocean waste, and turning it into brand new, fully sustainable performance wear. All of Rockay socks use Econyl Yarn, which is made from waste rescued from landfills and oceans worldwide. ECONYL® regenerates nylon to its original purity, without losing quality. The collected waste is first sorted, then cleaned, and finally regenerated to brand new nylon that can be recycled and recreated infinitely. Click here to learn more about Rockay’s manufacturing processes. Rockay Arm Sleeves are designed for added comfort and protection in cooler conditions, but also perform in warm conditions with breathable mesh zones. They give you extra flexibility in your workout. 

Key Features of Rockay Arm Sleeves 

- Seamless construction using special high-quality cylinder knitting machines, holding 200 very thin knitting needles (1/50th of an inch thick), which makes them more durable than other sleeves and also provides a smoother feel, greater stretch, and improved fit 

1. Thanks to advanced Swedish technology called Polygiene and its unique coating, Rockay products also remain odour-free, resulting in wearing more and washing fewer, further increasing their eco-credentials: saving water, energy, time, and money. 

2. Breathable mesh zones - Premium material: ECONYL 100% regenerated nylon made from recycled fishing nets and ocean waste 

3. Reflective Rockay logo for workouts at night 

4. Rockay lifetime guarantee

Rockay Arm Sleeves Fabrics  

Rockay Arm Sleeves are made from a perfect mix of well-known fabrics, plus all the above-mentioned environmental components to it: 

- 58% Econyl regenerated nylon,  

- 25% Recycled Polyamide 

- 17% Recycled Elastane 

- Polygiene anti-odor technology 

Nylon is known for its incredible durability, quick-drying features, and stretchiness. Elastane provides extreme stretch and recovery. Polygiene’s unique coating prevents the growth of odour-causing bacteria and fungi in our clothes, by using low concentrations of silver salt. Instead of washing Rockay arm sleeves, you can simply let them dry and use them again and again. They won’t produce any unpleasant smells.

Compression Boosts Performance and Muscle Recovery are just two of the benefits of using a Rockay Arm Sleeves which are made from sustainable fabric ECONYL.