Key Takeaways from CNET
- The JetBoots Pro Plus costs $1,150, but it's worth it if you spend a lot of time on your feet.
- They combine pneumatic compression, infrared LED lighting and vibration therapy to combat muscle pain and fatigue.
- Battery life can be confusing and the boots can be awkward to handle, but I'm not sure there's a way around this issue.
When I visited the first full-scale gym with artificial intelligence in Los Angeles I completed my experience using Therabody JetBoots Pro Pluswhich are offered to all participants for recovery after training.
These inflatable boots extend from the foot to the thigh. They stimulate blood flow with compression impulses, reduce inflammation with LED light therapy and reduce muscle stiffness using vibration. I enjoyed my experience using them, but didn't have enough time to form a strong opinion.
They then loaned me FDA approved JetBoots Pro Plus boots for home use. I've spent the last month testing them out to see if they would benefit my post-workout recovery.
As a health editor who regularly tests health technologies to determine whether they stand out in the market, I have to say that JetBoots are one of the coolest devices I've tested. They look like a product straight out of the future and made me feel like an astronaut. I also liked how they combine multiple treatments to ensure my legs don't feel like wood after an intense workout.
My experience using JetBoots Pro Plus
My favorite workouts Pilateshiking and long walks to recover, and often I feel the effects in my legs.
After exercise, I used the JetBoots, strapping them on my feet while lounging on the couch since they can't be used while standing. There is no app, so you control the device using the built-in control panel, which has a high-resolution LCD screen at main boot. The second boot has its own power button but connects to the main boot wirelessly.
JetBoots Pro Plus control panel.
In addition to recovery, you can also use JetBoots for warming up, sleeping, and targeting specific parts of your legs. There are seven preset treatments—quick start, recovery, warm-up, calf, upper leg, knee, joint therapy, pain relief, and bedtime—all with varying durations (10 to 60 minutes), pressures (20 to 100 mmHg, or millimeters of mercury, the unit of pressure) and cycle types. The latter refers to how the air chambers along the legs are inflated: sequential, sequential (isolated), static, and flow-through. Some use vibration (low, medium and high) and LED (on or off). All of these functions, except cycle type, can be adjusted during treatment.
I noted that some reviewers were disappointed that they couldn't use the Therabody app to control the device, but I personally liked that it didn't have an app. (I have too many apps.) I also found it easy to use the built-in control panel to make changes.
Other people have complained about the size and bulk of the JetBoots, which range in weight from 11.3 to 12.8 pounds. I don't see a way around the bulkiness issue. Yes, they may be a lot to carry from your travel suitcase to where you're going to lay down and wear them, but it's a lot better than lugging around a separate air pump to inflate your boots. If you plan to travel with JetBoots, they are TSA approved.
JetBoot boots come in short, regular and long depending on foot length and inseam. I'm 5'4″ and got the regular size which was a little longer and hit my upper thigh. The short size probably would have fit me better, but using the regular size wasn't much of a problem. They still worked as intended.
My feet are regular JetBoots size.
I noticed a difference in my leg pain after working out.
After a month of using JetBoots, I noticed a decrease in the soreness and stiffness in my legs that I usually experience after workouts, especially the next morning. When I wake up the next day after a particularly intense workout, I find it difficult to move my legs or get out of bed. Then during the day it will be difficult for me to bend my legs.
However, JetBoots helped alleviate this situation and I didn't have a single day where my legs were painfully stiff after a workout.
I also found using the boots to be both comfortable and relaxing as the combination of compression and vibration felt like a nice massage.
Since you'll have to lie down to use JetBoots, you can make the most of this time by practicing self-care. I practice meditationreading or wearing your favorite red light therapy mask for the ideal wellness technological treatment. Before bed, I often used a 10-minute pre-bed routine and found that it helped my body relax before falling asleep.
I didn't like charging the boots
To charge the JetBoots, you plug each boot into a power strip and then plug the power strip into a power adapter that plugs into an outlet.
While I knew I didn't need a USB adapter like I did for many of my other wellness devices, charging was the most cumbersome part of using the JetBoots, as you have to roll up each boot so that the charging ports are easily accessible, which can make them difficult to move around later in a carrying bag. Out of laziness, I simply left the boots out of the case and half-rolled them on the floor.
What JetBoots Pro Plus looks like while charging.
I was sometimes confused by the JetBoots' battery life, which is rated at 150-240 minutes. Once I received them, I connected them until I saw that the battery on the control panel was almost full. However, one boot had less battery life than the other and ended up dying during my 45-minute recovery procedure. I decided I just hadn't charged them both enough, so I kept doing this until I saw the green light on the power adapter.
They lasted through all the subsequent procedures, but sometimes one shoe was more charged than the other, or they drained the battery faster than I expected. I ended up keeping them connected all the time to reduce my confusion.
Cleaning the boots is easy because they are made of non-porous, medical-grade material that prevents the build-up of bacteria. You can lightly wipe the insides with a 70% isopropyl alcohol cleaning solution, such as it's from Walgreens. Wipe the outside with a soft cloth. Dry them and hang them using the built-in hanging loops.
Red light therapy function on the control panel.
Bottom line
I ultimately enjoyed using the JetBoots Pro Plus as I often experience stiff legs and muscle pain after workouts. They are expensive, however, at $1,150, so I wouldn't say they're necessary unless you're on your feet all the time or focused on recovery in that area, like when training for the marathon.
To save money but still get relief during recovery, you may prefer one of the branded massage gunsstarting at US$160, which is some of CNET's favorites. There are also JetBoots Prime, which cost $550, but they only offer compression therapy with no LED, vibration, or preset treatments.
It's also good to know that both boots and massage guns HSA and FSA acceptedand Therabody offers returns within 30 days.
Characteristics
- Battery life: from 150 to 240 minutes
- Dimensions: short (for legs 27 to 32 inches long), regular (32 to 37 inches), and long (37 inches or more)
- Price: US$1150
- Weight: 11.3 lbs (small), 12.4 lbs (regular) and 12.8 lbs (long)
- Guarantee: One year, limited
- Number of ports: 2
CNET Buying Tips
- JetBoots Pro Plus is best for anyone who regularly experiences soreness or stiffness in their leg muscles, especially if you're on your feet a lot.
- The product is priced at $1,150. JetBoots Prime is cheaper at $550, but doesn't have vibration presets, LEDs, or routines.
- You may also consider purchasing a Therabody massage gun to save even more while still experiencing relief. They start at $160.
