When designing the Revive Tank, I wanted to combine the aesthetics of activewear, with the function and effectiveness of thermal therapy. I wanted to create something that was simple, flexible – something you could wear by itself, over or under clothing. Together with my product development team, we fashioned an alternative to bulky, heavy therapy wraps, something not immediately obvious that you could put on and walk out the door while wearing.
We’ve talked a lot about the activewear inspired exterior of the Revive Tank, but what about looking at it from a purely functional standpoint? In this post, I break down the mechanics of the Revive Tank to reveal the purpose and construction that lay beneath.
Superior Therapy:
When selecting thermal therapy packs to use in the design, I had three things in mind: Each pack had to be lightweight, provide both hot and cold therapy and could last for long periods of time. In the end, we partnered with a company that excelled in all three. Each of our packs weigh 15 oz., can be frozen in the freezer for cold therapy or heated in the microwave for hot therapy. Our gel packs contain a unique formula and include small gel pillows inside with different chemical properties, which allow for long-lasting therapy (3+ hours). So when you are using ice, external temperatures naturally melt the pack from the outside, but the tiny pillows stay frozen keeping the pack packs colder from the inside.
Pocket Design:
When considering the therapy pockets, our goal was to allow for the widest range possible to accommodate pain up and down the back. After many tries, we landed on a 2-pocket design targeting the entire mid and low back sections. We learned that although body types may vary in size, the back muscles don’t grow or contract as a result. So whether you are a Women’s Small or a Men’s XXL, our construction covers pain and muscle inflammation using one or both pockets.
Supporting materials:
We chose to use neoprene for the therapy pockets for two main reasons: It protect the skin from the temperature extremes from the therapy packs, and we’ve found it also helps to keep the temperature of the packs sustained for longer periods of time.
The waist compression strap is made of a surgical grade mesh that allows the therapy to be as close as possible to the skin in a comfortable, snug fit without being a compression garment. The strap keeps the therapy in place, supports the packs from the waist and allows for the hands-free experience.
Spandex and mesh materials form the rest of the garment and were selected for their flexible composition and activewear inspiration.
New way of thinking:
We took a new approach on crossing lines between thermal therapy and clothing. Through our unique combination of materials, adjustable compression, and our approach on hidden hands-free therapy, we have a patent-pending on our design.
The end result is a pain-relieving piece of clothing that won’t cramp your fashion style.
Helen Behn is the creator and founder of Spand-Ice: wearable, flexible, gear made for women to get pain relief while staying mobile throughout their entire motherhood journey. Helen started Spand-Ice because of her own personal struggle to relieve chronic back pain without taking time out of her life.