I was delighted to be asked to review the SKINS A400 Men’s Top Long Sleeve. I’ve always been a fan of compression gear and having tried a few brands in the past, I was excited to try this top from SKINS.

First Impressions

Delivery was quick and the presentation box felt and looked great quality. The top itself also felt great quality, mirroring the packaging. I immediately noticed the rubber gripper on the bottom of the top. This is an excellent addition as my previous tops had a nasty habit of riding up. After taking some quick photos to share on my Instagram account, I also noticed the generous level of reflectivity. I sometimes workout early in the morning and this will be great for Winter time too.

Technology

Although a few people are sceptical of what technologies actually work with compression clothing, I prefer to think “if it feels right, you’ll train right.” Here are a few other benefits:

• Improved neckline for increased comfort
• ADAPTIVE Technology keeps you warm when it’s cold and cool when it’s hot
• A-Seams for comfort and durability without chafing
• Bonded hems for comfort
• Stretch airflow mesh under arms increases breathability

To think that a training top can keep you cool when you’re hot and vice versa, is nothing short of a miracle. Technology blows my mind sometimes and I’ll always embrace it. Regular readers will know that I have issues with eczema. Therefore I’ll always choose clothing that wicks sweat away when I’m training to avoid irritation. Whether the technologies above worked or not (which they did), I’ll continue to wear compression clothing simply it helps with my eczema. Most people don’t understand seeing runners wearing leggings in the summer months. “They must be boiling.” Incorrect. The leggings are cooling the runners legs down as well as offering benefits such as increasing recovery time.

Conclusions

A comfortable and affordable compression top. I’ve always struggled in getting compression tops off my body, I’m silly like that so I won’t list this as a negative! SKINS offer UV protection on all their clothing so you can go out training and not have to worry about the position of the sun. The mesh inserts under the arms provided extra breathability in the armpit area, another common area for eczema sufferers. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if the creator of compression gear was an eczema sufferer himself! I’ll always recommend compression clothing and the top I tried from SKINS was a really good piece of kit.

If you’re thinking about renewing your top or are thinking will it help your training. Why not give it a go and see if it works for you, I’m convinced it will.