If you suffer from any leg pain – be it temporary or chronic – you'll know how difficult it can be to treat, outside of frequent sessions on the physiotherapist's table. Now, US company Ublives wants you to have the same results, all in the comfort of your own home.
The Ublives SoleFlux Relax are essentially a pair of zipped-up leg compression/massage boots that feature an assortment of programs that control the inflation and deflation of a series of airbags inside the comfortable cocoon-like 'boots.' While I first described the experience to my New Atlas colleagues as what I imagined a hybrid of a sleeping bag and boa constrictor would feel like wrapped around your limbs, they do have a rather strange mix of pressure and force, mixed with relaxing comfort.
There are three therapy modes that form the basis of the SoleFlux Relax MO, with pressure and time adjustable on a detachable control panel on each boot's outer thigh. Mode 1 is a relaxing massage, for the most part, that steadily inflates airbags from foot to thigh in order. At first, I did not find this at all relaxing, as the compression at the top of my thighs was a lot more intense than expected. That said, I have managed to accidentally fall asleep while running this mode, too.
The second mode is for circulation, where two adjacent airbags inflate and deflate together, in a sort of squeezing sequence that's aimed at getting things moving. For anyone who has spent time in hospital with a wired-up compression sock on, it's not dissimilar to that, except it's done with much more gusto.
Why? Because Ublives didn't design these boots for passive treatment but for users to actively treat ailments that exist already. I found this setting particularly helpful in recovery after long runs and gym leg sessions, or simply to help ease the fatigue from a day spent walking 20,000 steps and standing around. While it's easy to be skeptical – I certainly was – it did seem to boost recovery time and had a noticeable difference when attempting back-to-back days of running or gym classes.
Of course, sports and exercise recovery is not going to be for everyone, so I think where this gadget's real appeal lies is how broadly it can be a fit for users. I imagine it would be handy to have on hand following ankle-swelling long-haul flights, or for other conditions that shift fluid to the extremities and can prove incredibly uncomfortable. As someone who has a bunch of metal and pins in one leg, from ankle to high shin, my left leg is prone to inflammation (look, I push it hard, so its complaints are valid). These boots seemed to help the stiffness I wake up with more days than not.
Naturally, using these for injury recovery should be approached with caution and personal medical advice, as despite the pressure settings, they can compress with some force, which users should be aware of. And, much like the old physiotherapist, they're no magic pill for turning battered, weary old legs into those of an elite footballer. However, they're a damn sight more effective than doing nothing.
Oh, the third mode is a combination of both – sets of airbags inflate and deflate in seemingly random order – which has been perhaps my favorite setting.
As I mentioned, the timer allows you to set three different cycles – 10, 20 or 30 minutes, with 20 being the default. While I personally found the 10-minute sessions a bit quick, they're great if you don't have a lot of time to sit around having your robot massager tend to your legs.
Buttons on the control panel of each "host" (Ublives' words, not ours) that clips into the sides of the boots are easy to control. Short and long presses control different functions, so you're also able to adjust for specific airbags for targeted massage, or change pressure mid-mode.
Having the little control panels on each boot is both a pro and a con. The pro is that if you want to just focus on one leg – say, for example, treating a chronic issue like my left ankle and leg – you can run that boot independent of the other. The downside, though, is that you need to time the start of both boots together if you want them to be synchronized. Out of sync admittedly wasn't that relaxing.
Users have reported relief from restless leg syndrome and night cramps, which for many will be worth the price tag alone. As for practicality, the USB-C control units take just over two hours to charge from flat to full, which then will provide around 200 minutes of use. Split that use over days and you have more than a week's worth of 20-minute sessions before a charge is needed.
As other reviewers have noted, perhaps the biggest surprise here is the intensity of the pressure. I like and can stand a good amount of pressure with deep tissue massage and other physio I've had, but this is not for the fainthearted. Starting on the lowest pressure of five settings, I found that very much my limit; I dared to try it on a middle setting, at three of five, and had to unzip the boots mid-massage. While this is not necessarily a complaint, it is something to be aware of.
At around 5ft6 (169 cm actually), the boots do engulf my whole legs – so much so they could really become pants if they had a bit of material joining them at the top. Press images of the SoleFlux Relax in action show people with much more leg length than me. So perhaps in the future the company could explore more than a "one size fits all" option. This also goes for the fit width-wise, which plays a role in how tolerable different pressure levels are.
The 3.3-kg (5-lb) set folds neatly into a decent overnight-style sports bag, which can be used without the boots packed in. I don't think portability is their selling point, but they are easy to carry around if needed. Oh, they're also fairly quiet to operate and their constant hum is actually quite soothing.
As briefly touched on earlier, the makers recommend consulting a physician if you suffer significant or risky leg issues, including skin redness, those with damaged or fragile bones, people with pacemakers and/or severe heart disease or abnormal blood pressure. But if you think the Ublives SoleFlux Relax are up your alley, head to the company's website to see current pricing and deals.
The set normally retails at US$599 – which is not the cheapest compression boot on the market, but far from the most expensive – and as of publishing, a sale has them at under $479 with free shipping (US). While it may be a lot of money to drop on a very specific gadget, it's a damn sight more convenient and, in the long run, cheaper than physio.
Source: Ublives
