# My Take On Arm Coolers



## stumpbumper (Jan 22, 2011)

This will be the second summer I have worn arm coolers so perhaps cyclists who have not tried them will find my experiences to be of interest.

The hottest temp I have worn them in is 120 degrees. When dressing for a ride I wet the coolers with water after pulling them on and prior to putting on my gloves. By the time the water has evaporated from the fabric I am starting to perspire enough to keep them damp for the entire ride. When coming to a stop they feel a bit warmer than naked arms but no difference while on the move. 

I have two pair, one black, the other white. Black feels a bit warmer when coming to a stop but no difference when on the move. An easy solution is to simply pull them down to the wrists or completely off when stopping for awhile. 

Arm coolers are all about protection and black has an edge there. Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is used to rate the ability of various fabrics to protect the skin from harmful UVA/UVB rays and it ranges from 15 (good) to 50 (excellent). Pearl Izumi coolers are rated 35 UPF for white and 50 UPF for black. Regardless of which I might wear on a particular day, I apply sunscreen lotion to my arms prior to pulling them on. 

Wearing coolers is beneficial in a way that I had not expected until giving them a try. During extremely hot weather I perspire profusely and at about 30 miles into a ride enough sweat has run down my arms to soak my gloves. Wrist bands made of an absorbent material help but are nowhere near as good as coolers because the material absorbs sweat from the entire surface of the arm and wicks it to the surface for evaporation (hence the cooling effect) 

When I first started wearing them I felt a bit dorky and expected a few snide remarks from other cyclists (not that it would have mattered) but the few comments I have heard have been quite favorable. Several others in the group I ride with have started wearing them as well. 

Mine are Pearl Izumi but they are available from other sources such as Desoto, Cannondale, Zoot, Craft, Ecofit and Sugoi. The Pearls are sized a bit large for me. During winter I wear a size Large arm warmer but my coolers are size Medium and quite comfortable.


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## dcorn (Sep 1, 2011)

Do you wear a base layer as well? 

I considered getting some arm coolers to try them out and to beat the sun, but I figured if I'm going to wear a base layer shirt and arm coolers, why not combine the two? I have a black longsleeve Under Armour heatgear shirt that I wear a lot when its slightly too cool for just a jersey. Since it's technically made to wear when hot out, wouldn't this solution work also?


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## stumpbumper (Jan 22, 2011)

dcorn said:


> Do you wear a base layer as well?
> 
> I considered getting some arm coolers to try them out and to beat the sun, but I figured if I'm going to wear a base layer shirt and arm coolers, why not combine the two? I have a black longsleeve Under Armour heatgear shirt that I wear a lot when its slightly too cool for just a jersey. Since it's technically made to wear when hot out, wouldn't this solution work also?


Yes, I wear an Under Armour baselayer and like the coolers because they are quick and easy to pull down or even remove during a long stop. When on the move your long-sleeve idea should be just as good although the fabric in my base layer seems a tad thicker than the fabric the coolers are made of.


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## LC (Jan 28, 2004)

I started with the Pearl Izumi ones but I never really fell in love with them. The ones I really like are some cheap ones from China/Korea which are thinner and cooler feeling. They are like $5 on eBay and only come in one size, but they happen to fit me very well.

Don't know what the UV rating is, but I burn very easy and they seem to provide enough protection that I did not burn even without sunscreen on my arms on a full day ride. What I really need to find is something that works well for my legs.


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## bigbill (Feb 15, 2005)

I have a white pair I used when I lived in Hawaii. I used them on weekend longer rides, I was cooler wearing them and I was tan enough from my afternoon commute.


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## stumpbumper (Jan 22, 2011)

LC said:


> I started with the Pearl Izumi ones but I never really fell in love with them. The ones I really like are some cheap ones from China/Korea which are thinner and cooler feeling. They are like $5 on eBay and only come in one size, but they happen to fit me very well.
> 
> Don't know what the UV rating is, but I burn very easy and they seem to provide enough protection that I did not burn even without sunscreen on my arms on a full day ride. What I really need to find is something that works well for my legs.


Do a web search for leg coolers as some companies, possibly some of those I mentioned above are now making those as well. My legs don't get sunburned as badly as my arms so I have not tried them..


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## aclinjury (Sep 12, 2011)

I wear arm WARMERS in 100F - 112F heat. 
I'll bet with the arm coolers, I might even feel the chill when the temps drop to the mid 80s


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

I have several pairs of white sunblock arm coolers from CustomSportsSleeves. They work well for my long arms and keep my gloves much dryer.


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## howdoesseanroll (Mar 27, 2012)

stumpbumper said:


> Mine are Pearl Izumi but they are available from other sources such as Desoto, Cannondale, Zoot, Craft, Ecofit and Sugoi. The Pearls are sized a bit large for me. During winter I wear a size Large arm warmer but my coolers are size Medium and quite comfortable.


i just picked up a set of white pearl izumis because my arms were getting burned consistently. They work very, very well - even if I feel stupid wearing them


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## ZoSoSwiM (Mar 7, 2008)

I wear long sleeve skin tight base layers that do the same thing.. I've never bothered wetting them down though.. Hmm.. Might have to try that!


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## viciouscycle (Aug 22, 2009)

I just wear a long sleeve jersey.


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## Marc (Jan 23, 2005)

I have a pair of arm coolers from Bontrager. Work great so far at beating the sun and staying cool, I hate slathering on SPF40 to not tan/burn during the summer


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## Clipped_in (May 5, 2011)

I started wearing the PI white sun sleeves last summer and I agree with everything the OP said except that I never gave the dork factor a second though. I really like them - much better than a long sleeve jersey, but then again I'm a big warmer fan because of their versatitlity.


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

What is the lowest temperature y'all wear them at? Living in Seattle, I think our concept of heat wave may be rather different from other places...


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## Clipped_in (May 5, 2011)

gordy748 said:


> What is the lowest temperature y'all wear them at? Living in Seattle, I think our concept of heat wave may be rather different from other places...


I'll wear them on cool mornings before the sun comes up in the mid 40's if I know it will warm up within an hour or two. I'm often climbing first thing which warms me up on those rides, but I'm here in Utah's Wasatch Front and we don't have the humidity like you. I would think humidity would be a real factor for both warmth and cooling effect.


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## The Weasel (Jul 20, 2006)

Marc said:


> I have a pair of arm coolers from Bontrager. Work great so far at beating the sun and staying cool, I hate slathering on SPF40 to not tan/burn during the summer


Kind of off topic, but I've found the brand you use can make a big difference. Neutregena goes on well and no oily mess. They make a 70spf sport spray I just bought but haven;t ye tried.
Other than that, i don;t weat enough to use the arm coolers, but the two people I knowwho have, have had favorable comments, so I don't see any dork factor in them. Besides, use what you have to to survive those hot and humid days, and the UV protection is plain smart.
Thanks for the feedback.


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## Kuma601 (Jan 22, 2004)

I've been wearing the rash guards offered in the surf shops for the last 4-5 years. Variety of colors available and these work well as a base layer that also provides more neck coverage. UPF rating is 40-50. Cost depending on brand ranges from $30-$65. A range of thicknesses as well but the thinner reduces UPF ratings. I see enough these days wearing arm coverage so it doesn't look odd at all. Skin cancer is a far worse result.


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## Doug B (Sep 11, 2009)

Link to a set of arm cooling thingies?


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

The humidity in midsummer here seems to render them useless for cooling because the sweat simply stays put. However, the UV protection is good to have. 

I wore them because I preferred them to using sunscreen, but the medical advice is to apply sunscreen as well, so I'm going back to sunscreen and no coolers.


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

viciouscycle said:


> I just wear a long sleeve jersey.


LS jerseys aren't typically form fitting like the sun sleeves. Evaporative cooling works better with form fitting sleeves, just like base layers. At 7k ft.+ in northern NM, the arm coolers/sun blockers work real well, other than when climbing something steep. I would not even try the black ones due to high solar intensity at this altitude.


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## JimP (Dec 18, 2001)

Doug B said:


> Link to a set of arm cooling thingies?


This is what I order in White and with the UV protection. 

http://www.customsportssleeves.com/Custom-Sized-Arm-Sleeve_p_17.html


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

gordy748 said:


> What is the lowest temperature y'all wear them at? Living in Seattle, I think our concept of heat wave may be rather different from other places...


I wore them at the start of Livestrong Austin. It was about 55 at that early in the morning. Damn my arms were cold. The rest of my body...........fine. After about 45 min and some sun, they were great.


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## Vibe (Jan 11, 2011)

JimP said:


> This is what I order in White and with the UV protection.
> 
> http://www.customsportssleeves.com/Custom-Sized-Arm-Sleeve_p_17.html


This is great - thanks!


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