Ice Bandage

A cold wrap for sprains and pulls

Product

Ice Bandage

Promise

A chilly wrap for sprains and pulls, this moist bandage comes out of the pack cold and stays cold for two hours.  Unlike sprays and ice packs that sit on the skin in one place, the Ice Bandage can be used for compression too, helping stop blood pooling and aiding recovery. It’s light, packs small and is easy to carry anywhere alongside your normal first aid gear.

Performance

In its shiny foil packet, it’s hard to believe that this is going to stay cold for 120 minutes. So we tried it. This reviewer has had a recurring ankle sprain for weeks, and so it’s an ideal time to test the claims that a mixture of cold and compression can provide relief. And it’s cold. Achingly cold. It comes out of the pack slippery and wraps on quite damp: the smell is a bit like Bacardi, to be honest, and not entirely unpleasant for that. The cold begins slowly with a good build up to the 10-minute mark where it peaks and stays pretty constant. 

Verdict

The temperature did seem to tail off slightly after the hour, but after that long wearing an Ice Bandage, it’s actually quite hard to tell – which is a fair mark of its effectiveness. For people prone to bad joints, this could be a blessed relief.