Tuesday, May 18, 2010

ATAYNE clothing: A great combination of quality and mission

ATAYNE's clothing carries the message of their mission
ATAYNE: http://www.atayne.com/

Last December, Runner's Tech Review received two technical shirts from ATAYNE, a clothing company that produces high quality, environmentally sustainable athletic apparel. These shirts were created with polyethylene terephthalate (PET) from recycled plastic bottles or as ATAYNE likes to say--trash. According to the ATAYNE website, these shirts use 2/3rds of the energy and only 10% of the water required to produce equivalent shirts of virgin PET. Runner's Tech Review loves sustainably produced products but we also have high expectations for performance. The ATAYNE shirts we received are well made, substantial, and look attractive. Many of their offerings are printed with words and pictures that convey a positive environmental message.

Receiving our short sleeved shirts in early winter limited our ability to test them outdoors except on unseasonably warm days. As mentioned above, the shirts are substantial and heavier than most other technical jerseys. Fittingly, my first experience with my ATAYNE shirt was on a run at Stillwell Woods in Syosset, NY. I went out on a chilly, 25 degree day using the ATAYNE jersey as a bottom layer with a long sleeved tech shirt on top. This combination provided warmth, but I did find myself sweating within the first mile of my run. The ATAYNE shirt did a very good job of absorbing sweat but the second layer trapped the moisture and inhibited its evaporation. I did notice that even after drying, the shirt carried little or no sweat odor, making it possible to wear more than once between washes. The next couple of times I wore this shirt I was indoors on the treadmill. In both cases heat was a factor and I again experienced good absorption, but the material did collect a lot of moisture.

I refrained from using this shirt through the rest of the winter months but resumed wearing it during my 4:00 AM weekday runs in early spring. Running in temperatures between 35 and 45 degrees, the ATAYNE shirt yielded an excellent combination of sweat wicking and evaporation. I appreciated the shirt's thicker and heavier material that kept me warmer at the start of a cold morning run than my other short sleeve technical shirts. My two most recent experiences running with this shirt reinforced its relative effectiveness in different weather conditions. A late April run under partly cloudy skies with temperatures below 50 degrees proved just perfect for the capabilities of the jersey. Even after covering five miles with many hills the shirt kept up with me. However, a more recent run in 76 degree heat, with sun and humidity, seemed to overwhelm its wicking properties.


Adventure Girl found that the woman's cut was flattering, although the sizes run on the small side. The weight of the fabric was less of an issue during her trial runs, but she agrees that it won't be a go-to item in mid-summer heat. Given that the shirt performed well, AG is excited about the prospect of supporting a company with strong environmental ethics and practices. ATAYNE is a B Corporation, which means it is legally required to consider the impact of their decisions on the long-term interests of their employees, suppliers, community, consumers, and the environment. It's also based in Maine, a state for which AG has a soft spot. Although it's product line is more limited, ATAYNE's mission and approach to manufacturing clothing makes it something of an east coast version of the venerable Patagonia.

What's good:

High quality construction
Substantial feel
Thermal
Moisture absorption
Better than average odor resistance
Price (check out the outlet for lots of options under $20!)
Style
Company ethics and mission

What can be improved:
Moisture evaporation
Website

Both The Emerging Runner and Adventure Girl are keen to add more ATAYNE products to their running gear collections.

This review by the Emerging Runner and Adventure Girl
Posted by The Emerging Runner at 5:14 AM
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Moji Knee - Field Test

Website: GoMoji

View more news videos at: http://www.nbcchicago.com/video


The Moji Knee is is an innovative system for athletes who are looking for a way to ice a knee injury without giving up any mobility. We received a sample unit from the company so that we could perform a field test during race and then test under less rigorous conditions.

Our original plan was to field test the Moji cold compression system during a 180+ mile relay run over a 24-hour period. We quickly encountered a problem keeping the Moji's frozen gel cold cell frozen as it needed to be transported without a cooling source for three hours prior to the race. Over this duration, the cell thawed and it was no longer cold enough to use. So, the first lesson is that it's important to use the Moji system within 20 to 30 minutes of removal of the cell from the freezer.

Due to this limitation the first Runner's Tech Review field test with the Moji was performed a week later, by two women who had completed a grueling hike/run. One of the reviewers was suffering from severe knee pain and the other utilized the system solely for preventative joint maintenance. Let's call the first reviewer A and the second B.

A had been using frozen ice packs off and on throughout the day before transitioning to Moji. She immediately declared it a significant upgrade and remarked that she particularly appreciated the simultaneous application of cold to both sides of her knee. In addition, A found she was able to comfortably move around the house while wearing the Moji. As someone who experiences chronic knee pain, A indicated an interest in investing in a Moji (or two -- as she experiences pain in both knees).

B used the Moji after hiking, running, and playing soccer. She cautioned against wearing the Moji on a bare knee without first thawing the gel pack a bit. Since B used the Moji as a preventative measure only, it was difficult to judge its effectiveness over a short duration of time, but, like A, she also indicated it evenly distributes cold temps across the entire knee, except for the backside. Since B's leg is slim, she didn't feel comfortable walking around because the Moji tended to slip down her leg, but it is important to note that the sample that was provided was sized for a larger person.

Both reviewers had difficulty correctly putting on Moji without referring to the instructions and both agreed that the device is made of very high quality materials. Other observers remarked about the quality and 'professional' appearance of the Moji Knee. The packaging was attractive and the reusable storage bag was useful for easy and clean transport.

The third test was performed by an active runner who used it to treat some minor knee pain and as a preventive measure after distance runs. The Moji Knee was easy to set up and it provided excellent cooling around the entire knee for the first 30 minutes. Once the gel began warm up from contact with the knee it became far less effective. It was also difficult to tighten the brace enough to keep the cold directly on the targeted part of the knee, especially when walking. Another benefit for the design is that it can be wrapped around the upper thigh to provide support and cooling to the quadriceps muscles.

Overall, we recommend the Moji as a high end therapeutic tool for those with chronic knee pain. Anyone undergoing physical therapy for the knee will find it extremely useful, and it could surely be worn during electro stim treatments. Just be aware that it won't be adequately cool for use after more than an hour outside of the freezer. For those who'd like to use Moji in situations where access to a freezer isn't available there is another product we didn't review, called Moji to Go, that might fulfill your needs.

The Moji Knee retails for under $85 and is available at http://www.gomoji.com/

Emerging Runner Labs Rates "MixMyGranola"

Website: MixMyGranola

MixMyGranola can be described as Web 2.0 for food. Consumer generated content on the web that you can eat. Interesting yes, but is it a good experience? I took it to the Emerging Running Advisory Board to see what they thought about this product. The raters were me, Sedentary Man and Adventure Girl and our rating criteria were based on quality, taste, freshness and value.

According to their website, the company started when the founders concluded "none of the ready-made granolas that [they] could find in supermarkets and grocery stores really fulfilled all of [their] granola dreams. They created MixMyGranola.com to allow customers to custom-make their own granola mixes.

I was happy to try it out. Raoul from the company provided a gift certificate that allowed me to create a pound of mix. There was a dollar limit so I needed to constrain my choices to allow me to choose a combination of ingredients that added up to less than the amount of the gift certificate so I could reserve for shipping. The MixMyGranola website is attractive and the process is made very clear. You choose your base granola and then choose dried fruits, nuts and grains. You can even choose non-traditional mix-ins like gummy bears although I can't imagine a person who is so interested in good granola would make such an unhealthy choice. But the Emerging Runner is not here to judge the customers, just the company.

The selection process was simple and I liked the fact that, with each step, you understand both the cost and the nutritional makeup of your choices (calories, fat, fiber, etc.). I chose a mix with a muesli base, dried strawberries, dates, walnuts and pecans. I entered my personal data, the certificate code and then submitted. I received an acknowledgement of my order and my mix showed up a few days later by Fedex in an attractively designed tube.

I divided the mix up and gave portions to SM and AG and asked them to rate it based upon the above criteria. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being best) the three of us scored it as follows:

Quality: 4.7
Taste: 3.7
Freshness: 4.3
Value: 2.3

Impressions:

OVERALL
(ER) “I liked that I could specify every ingredient and I also liked the quality of the ingredients. Flavor (muesli) was slightly bitter and would have benefited from some balancing sweetness (dried fruit helped a little). I wished that I had chosen a granola base. Value questionable - can you justify paying $12/lb to get exactly what you want versus paying $8-9/lb at a high end market for a good quality mix?”

(AG) “Good website, fun process, nice packaging. Excellent fruit and overall quality. I think MixMyGranola is something I’d purchase as a treat or for consumption during a special race or event, not for everyday consumption and training.”

Criteria

QUALITY
(AG) “Definitely top-notch, as reflected in the below comments regarding taste and freshness.”

(ER) “I don’t have many points of comparison but this seems to be very good stuff. The pecans were huge and there was a generous amount of mixed-in ingredients.”

TASTE
(AG) “The muesli had a pleasant, oaty flavor that helped to counteract its dry, dusty nature. The fruit contributed the most vibrant flavors. The dates and strawberries alike were perfectly sweet, although I might have preferred more of both. The pecans were very good and counterbalanced the sweet fruits, although might have been better if toasted (roasted?).”

(ER) “I did not care for the muesli’s flavor but the rest of the ingredients tasted great. I added some brown sugar and heated the mix and I liked it much better.”

FRESHNESS
(AG) “Here MixMyGranola surpassed any other granola I have had recently. The fruit, in particular, wasn’t overly desiccated as you often find with dried fruits. Instead, they were moist and almost reminiscent of the texture of gummy bears. The strawberries were a quite surprisingly jewel-toned red that didn’t deviate too far from the natural color of a strawberry to be suspicious. The oats were too dry, but I think this is their nature. I added half of my portion to milk, and that improved the experience dramatically.”

(ER) “Certainly fresh, no complaints about that.”

VALUE
(AG) “The price is prohibitively steep. I think silver is trading at approximately $12 a pound, and this granola exceeds it by a few dollars. I might be willing to pay $15 for an entire pound of the delicious strawberries, but I think the sticker price is too high for a mix.

(ER) “Unless you are a dedicated granola fan with very little free time I question the cost against the work to buy high quality ingredients like these and mix them yourself. All the same, it’s a fun experience and a high quality product.”

 

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