CW-X Insulator Expert Tight - Men's - 2006 BCS

i love the idea of these tights. proper wicking of moisture. reinforcement of patella and muscular structure. i think they deliver on that, i feel supported when i run and ski in them.

running: the fit isn't great for me. i have to pull them up to my belly button and tie them tight to start. i am constantly pulling them up. they just don't stay in place very well. i won't race in them for that reason alone, wasted time pulling.

skiing: love them for skiing and with less pounding than running they don't require the same attention to pulling them up. however they still require you tie the waist drawstring. this means quick peeing in the backcountry is a pain in the ass. so much so i don't bother to wear them, because the other tights i have, nike and under armor don't require i tie them. so i can easily manage to pee with much less hassle.

They are great for walking, running and skiing in Colorado.

I purchased these for a climb up Mt. Shasta in northern California. I was looking for something with a better fit and better moisture-wicking capability than regular long underwear. The CW-X Tights fit the bill. Conditions changed from freezing winds in the morning to almost balmy temperatures in the afternoon. I wore the tights underneath wind pants and cold or warm outside, my legs always felt comfortable--and dry. Whether or not the muscle and joint support helps endurance... after the 14-mile, 7,000+ ft ascent/descent, I drove home about 4 hours away. I'm not in super shape, over 50, and starting to have knee issues so, yes, I think the tights provided extra support.

I'm a Pro Ski Instructor 5 days a week and Ski Patrol 1 day as well. On the seventh day I free ski or teach. These tights keep me warm or cool and help me keep my Legs fresh. These garments Really Work!!!!

Bought two pair this fall for trail-runs through the Northern Arizona alpine forests. Great support and comfort. Will wear as a base layer this winter when the snow flies and the wind is knifing through normal clothing. I will agree with other reviewers that you need to up a size. I wear mediums for a perfect fit in all other pants type wear, when I got these for my first run, they felt short and during the entire 6-miles, they kept pulling down and I was constantly yanking them up ("sagging" is unbecoming and unsafe when solo-running in the backwoods). Backcountry took 'em back and exchanged them for larges with no hassle. The larges fit perfect. Backcountry has made me a loyal customer. These tights won't dissappoint.

I'll start off by saying that these are my first compression tights. When I was ordering these, I went into a bit of a panic because of the sizing chart. I am 5'11 and 132 pounds, so I did not even fall into the grey area, but out of bounds even. But I ordered the small size because of my skinny legs. However, I feel that there should be a more accurate sizing chart, because people can accumulate weight in different areas, like be top-heavy or have muscular legs. They should have ranges of circumferences of hips, thighs, calves, etc. corresponding to different sizes.

When I first put them on- they felt strange. I have worn tights before, but I could feel the compression on my calves. BTW, those who worry about the crotch, the material is not as tight around the crotch/thighs so don't worry. It's just tight around the ankles. But you get used to it.

Another strange thing- my legs instantly felt cooler, then became warmer as I wore them. I guess that's a feature.

I do cross-country skiing and I needed something that would feel more free. I would wear long-johns underneath soft-shell pants, but they would bunch up and I hated getting snow on it. The CW-X tights do a better job, however if you are in very snowy conditions or fall down a lot, wear them as a base layer because even though they are somewhat weatherproof, if you get snow on them you will feel the coldness of it and it will leave a wet-spot. It's better than wearing cotton trousers, but it's not like wearing latex by any means. And I never felt exactly "warm" in them, but not freezing either. It felt like there was a very light breeze going over my legs as I was moving a long. It's very noticeable in the beginning, but you adjust to it. It's actually quite pleasant.

I can't evaluate the effectiveness of the knee thing as I don't need support, but I can tell you that my muscles were less stiff when I used them. Usually I ache a bit the next day after skiing, but this time, I couldn't feel anything.

If you are considering either these or the pro version, my guess is that the pro version is tighter...

I plan to use these as a base layer instead of long johns on a regular winter's day. And for those of you worried about the drawstring vs a zipper... The material is not that thick, so you don't need a zipper, it allows a lot of room...

Also, these tights are considered to be "mid-range." If you like to do a lot of outdoor activities in the cold, but you need something light-weight and insulating, these tights should do the job.

I'm 56, and consider myself in good shape. I'm passionate about skiing, and I climb 14ers and mountain bike to stay in shape during the summer. These tights came highly recommended in Skiing Magazine, and always being on the lookout for the latest technology in good gear, I had to have a pair. The tights I got don't look like the picture at all...there are no support panels, just the thin stitching lines. The tights do feel good when they're on, but I can't honestly say that they provided much additional support, and I didn't feel any less tired after a hard day of skiing. My knees felt good, but my quads were still screaming at me. I wore them twice, just to give them the benefit of the doubt, and the magazine claimed they were toasty in cold weather. It was cold the last time I was on the mountain, and I have to say that I have some Smartwool longjohns that are a lot warmer. If I had it to do over, I wouldn't invest the hundred bucks. Live and learn.

Love these tights. Purchased in early Fall. Was not sure for sizing to abide by the height or waist measurement -- being they need to fit snug, the waist is more accurate. I am 6'2" and about 160. Medium is more effective than the large. I own both the 3/4 and full length. Have used mostly for cycling. 3/4 were great for fall rides. Full length are very warm. Wore cycling thru Yellowstone in late October in sub-freezing temps. Warmth was no problem and muscle support is excellent. Highly recommend and will grab more in the future, especially when on SAC.

It is an interesting idea to combine muscular/joint support in a tight. CW-X falls short IMHO in two respects. First the "support" is far short of that need to actually provide protection for knees. It feels good, but that's as far as it goes. Second, if you are over 6 feet tall and athletically built, the tights re several inches too short. Clearly a Tall size is needed, but alas, that would have cost CW-X a few dollars.

If you're short, they might work for you, but don't expect any real support

I'M A SKI PATROLLER IN THE NORTHEAST , THESE ARE THE BEST BASE LAYER I HAVE EVER USED , I AM OUT 50+ DAYS SKIING , THEY KEEP YOU WARM AND YOUR LEGS ENERGIZED AFTER A LONG DAY . I PLANNING TO BUY ANOUTHER PAIR .

I found them a little tight but i fall between small and med. with most sizing. i got the small and they are just right, they provide Great support to the knees and lower back and they seam to wick well and are very warm.

I couldn't find these for a few days of early season cold weather skiing and I missed them bad. I found them in my dry-suit bag. I wear these under my dry-suit for cold-water scuba diving and had left them there after the last ice-dives I made. The material slides inside the dry-suit and inside my fly-low pants so it never gets bunched or bound. The xl's fit my 36" belly a little loose, but are tight around my mountain biking tele-turning stumpsized quads. they say light-weight insulation but I never have gotten cold with them. yet.

I have the regular CW-X tights and love them, but with winter needed something heavier and wind proof. These fit the bill. When I first got them I was highly skeptical they were heavy enough, because they felt close to my regular CW-X, but they truly keep me warm, although I have only been running in snow and ice in 20 degree weather. However, I feel confident they will keep me warm in colder temps.

There is one complaint. I think they ought to offer various inseam lengths. I am only 5'7 and the bands for the knees are just a little too long so I have to pull them up several times during my run. Also this time I bought a smaller size and while it is tight it works better.

Bought these tights for winter rides or runs. I'm not sold on the patented conditioning web technology as they don't really stay in place as you move, but they are nice tights if you can get them on sale. I'm 6'2", bought the XLs and they are a bit long. I position the web as stated in the instructions but end up pulling them up to belly button height to stretch out excess material so you're not going to win any fashion awards. They seem durable and weather resistant. Buy these if they're on sale, if not, get some standard tights.

Bought the men's small for my female 5'9" 125 frame and the women's small for my 5'4" 130 husband. Mine fit perfectly and stay in place. Husband's are a nip tight in the waist, but his legs fit great. We're both 55 and found the support let us ski moguls all day, whereas we use to crap out around 2 PM sans CW-X.

Went to Jo-Ann Fabrics (sewing store) and bought some low-profile cord locks (those do-dads that snug up your hood & hem) and used a tweezer to fish the CW-X drawstrings through the cord lock opening; now it is a snap to loosen/tighten the drawstring during the day. CW-X should add them to the design.

Husband is warm in the tights under ski pants. I wear thin silk long johns over mine to stay warm.

Also bought them for our son & his wife and they won't snowboard w/o them. Really makes a difference in the fatigue factor for them.

I am a 5'9" 127Lb freshman college cross country and track runner (distance). I purchased the men's small, they fit pretty good although the "knee diamond" isn't perfect. I have used these several days for the past 3 weeks and really like them. They do a great job keeping my legs warm (tested from 24 to 42+ degrees Fahrenheit) and i believe the insulating web does work. My legs feel better and i just jumped my mileage up substantially so they helped to keep my legs from feeling the effects like normally. I also bought the "CW-X Expert Tights - Women's" (not insulated) for my 5'3", 100-110lb girfriend (another runner on my team) and she really loves them, in fact, we did mile repeats (5 of them) and when we were done she said "thank you so much for these! (pointing to the tights), they felt soo good!".

I've become a bigger and bigger fan of these tights as I continue to use them for more and more activities. I originally bought them for cold weather running, but have been using them for mountain-biking, rock-climbing, and even as a base-layer beneath expedition-weight capillene on really cold ski days. They'd really be sweet for running if they added a bit more insulation in the swimsuit area but I guess we need to preserve the market for insulated underwear. I highly recommend these tights and will likely buy more pairs downstream!

I run all winter long and winter in my neck of the woods is cold- often down to
-40C (for you non-metric people that's damn cold). My legs feel the same in these tights whether it's just below freezing or instant nose-hair freezing. Highly recommended!

I'm 5'11" 175 and medium is a good fit. Snug but not uncomfortable. So far the bottoms being in the boot have not been a problem. I teach skiing and am in gear all day long (4 days so far and no complaints). It would be more convienient to have a fly, but not a key issue. Legs feel good and old tender knees have not complained. A well made product.

These tights are just the best. I've do plenty of winter running and I love them.

They keep me warm and dry (from sweat).

Use them for any aerobic outdoor activity in winter weather. Your body will benefit from the support they offer the joints and muscles.

I'm wearing the insulator pant over a pair of padded biking shorts. I ride my bike to work once a week (it's roughly 16 miles round-trip) and during the cold winter mornings (temperature slightly below freezing) they still hold up. An amazing product.

Having just purchased the men's tights from CW-X, I have to admit that they were certainly warm on a cold Vermont weekend skiing, but to suggest that my leg muscles felt better would be a reach at best.
Not quite sure how much a compression pant would do at the start, I can't say that they made any difference at all.
And at the price being asked at any store, I don't think they are a great value. I will however use them to see if over time, I fall in love with them.

Seem to be good; good quality. Not sure how much the webbing helps, but I feel supported and warm in them.

I've been using the midweight CW-X tights for over a year now. These new insulated versions are fantastic. On colder mornings I use them for my normal trail runs. I can't wait to try these as a base-layer for skiing this winter. The leg support these tights provide help my overall performance and my legs don't get as tired. Great product.

I had seen all of the ads for CW-X products over the years, and I finally gave in and got the Insulator tights. They are awesome. I wore them on a 15 miler yesterday morning and I feel fresh today! It was also 34 degrees out yesterday and I was toasty.

The pants work great in the cold.
The sizing chart might be a bit off. I am 6'0" and 200lb the chart says I am a large, but mediums fit me the best. I may even go to a small. CWX needs to have in between sizes i.e. med-large, or even long- or short-medium.

The tops of the pants could be shorter in length from the waist to crotch.

I recently purchased a pair of the CW-X Insulator Expert Tights in anticipation of a hike to the top of Mt. Marcy NY in mid February. Expecting temperatures below zero at the summit along with a difficult winter climb, I was very interested in an article of clothing that would help keep me warm and offer muscle support. Needless to say, CW-X more than came through. I stayed plenty warm and felt strong throughout the journey. I especially noticed a significant difference in my knees. Having had two major knee surgeries the CW-X helped support my knees and allowed me one of my most comfortable winter climbs ever.

Just wanted you to know I tried your CWX tights. I bought both the top and bottom to see how they worked for me. I always ski with my right knee braced by an Ace bandage to provide it with extra support after blowing out my ACL and medial miniscus several years ago. I used to race salmon, dual salmon and super G but after my accident, I just free-skied. After I used this product, my r/knee hardly ached at all and I felt more support. The upper tights gave me more circulation in my upper body, and I never felt cold at all or too warm. I would recommend this product to not only advanced skiers but for those who have circulation issues. Hopefully, if I feel this good next year, I try racing again. Oh, by the way, I am over 50 and I think this product will help me continue to ski aggressively.

Kept my legs warm througout the day. Felt great although not sure how much muscle power it gave me.

The tights fit well enough, although the drawstring is uncomfortable and don't hold them in place... you need to rely on your quads to keep them in place. They look good, but I didn't run any faster. They do block out direct wind to keep the breeze from turning my skin red and they wick moisture away fairly well. In my opinion, not worth the extra $$.

I was very pleased with the Insulator Expert Tights. My lower legs, calves and hamstrings felt the extra support provided by the tights.

Excellent

OK.. maybe I thought purchasing these plus my new racing Madshus skis would win me the Cascade Crest Title...... unfortunately they don't tout it improves your VO2 Max and it didn't. But it did provide a comfortable and supportive racing tight that I am pleased with. With the nice contours and styling my legs look pretty muscular too. Beware..... wear windshield underwear too with these so you don't frostbite your member.