WaveWear and Competitor Compression Analysis
Evaluation of Clothing Pressure Characteristics of WaveWear and Competitor Compression Leggings
Abstract
This study evaluates the clothing pressure distribution of seven compression legging samples, including two WaveWear adhesive silicone products (#1 and #2) and five competitor brand leggings (#3 to #7). The objective is to assess the pressure exerted by these products on the body across different postures, thereby determining their efficacy in muscle support and compression stability.
Design
Seven samples of clothing were provided for this test. The seven samples of clothing were placed onto different mannequins to test the compression of each garment. The first two samples were WaveWear adhesive silicone compression leggings, but one of them was worn inside-out to test the reversed application impact. The other five samples were competitor brand compression leggings with varied material and construction.
The environment of the test was held constant as it was performed in an artificial climate chamber to ensure repeatable conditions. The temperature was maintained at 20° C ± .5° C and a relative humidity of 50 ± 10%. Each manikin was equipped with four pressure sensors at key anatomical regions to capture localized compression force. These locations were at the upper thigh area, the knee joint region, the mid-thigh area, and the ankle area.
Test Protocol
Each sample was conditioned for at least 12 hours in the climate chamber to stabilize fabric tension and moisture content. The electrodes were securely attached at predefined anatomical sites following the client's specifications to ensure consistent placement across all samples. The manikins were placed in two different positions, sitting and standing, for one minute. During the last 10 seconds of this minute, pressure data were collected by the devices on each manikin.
Results
The data provided detailed feedback on how much pressure the manikins felt at each location of the sensors. The highest clothing pressure was generally observed at the ankle and the knee, whereas the other two locations did not show as high pressure. When the manakins were placed in their standing position, the samples with the highest pressure were #6, #5, and #4. When the manakins were placed in the sitting position, this changed as sample #1, the WaveWear sample, had the second highest pressure. #5 had the highest pressure at 4.05, but the WaveWear sample was close behind at 3.87.
When analyzing the WaveWear performance in this test, WaveWear sample #1 demonstrated high clothing pressure, specifically in the sitting position, indicating effective compression and consistent fit.
(Figure A)
Based on the data from the figure above, it is revealed that the WaveWear #1 sample exhibited a large difference in the amount of pressure received on specific areas when sitting versus when standing. When the manikin was standing, the pressure was 1.21 kPa, but when it was sitting, this level rose to 3.87 kPa, leading to a difference of -2.65 kPa. This substantial shift of over 200% suggests that the material or design of sample #1, which was the WaveWear sample, concentrates force in the bent position, leading to high support when participating in physical activities like running or lifting weights. This compression test showed that the WaveWear compression works best when you use it in high-contraction activities, but still provides ample pressure in standing positions.
These results contribute to the usefulness of the compression within Wavewear when participating in activities like playing sports, running, or performing everyday tasks. Being able to receive immense support when bending your joints is vital for injury prevention and to help reduce future problems like arthritis and other musculoskeletal disorders.
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