There seems to be no end in sight for the amount of kinesiology tapes available to consumers. Some are able to be purchased through retailers and online stores, while others are strictly limited to health care offices. There are different prices as well as reported differences in quality.
Kinesiology tape has seen an uptake in popularity over the past few years. People use them to provide pain relief, improve their range of motion, increase their blood flow and support their proprioceptive functions. One such product that has been making headlines around the world is the KT Tape, a product that is manufactured in the USA.
What Is KT Tape?
As previously stated, KT Tape is part of a line of kinesiology tapes available to consumers today. The KT Tape is reportedly made from 100% synthetic microfibers, which the company claims to provide ‘superior weight-to-strength ratios” and is “fast drying” while preserving the benefit of being anti-microbial.
KT Tape recommends that one checks out their website for their how-to videos on treating certain injuries. The instructions on their videos are easy to follow along with, and the tape also comes with a list of written instructions for the most common applications of the tape.
PROS:
- Protective Container. The tape comes conveniently packed in a small container to protect it whilst in one’s gym bag or purse. Many users have complained that their kinesiology tapes have become damaged going to and from the gym.
- Pre-Cut Strips. The tape comes in twenty different 10 inch strips, which means that one doesn’t need to carry scissors or a knife around them in order to use it. This is unlike some other brands are that inconvenient to use while on the go.
- The KT Tape comes with different reflective colors. This is an important feature for users that enjoy running early in the morning or late at night. This gives one an extra level of safety to compliment one’s existing reflective gear.
- The price is relatively inexpensive when compared to other competitors on the market. It should be noted that the KT Tape is known as a premium brand and only costs $19.99. The tape can be ordered directly through the company’s website, although there may be cheaper re-sellers elsewhere online.
- It is very common to find the KT Tape in almost every major retailer around the country. It can be found in stores such as Target, Walgreen, and Amazon. If one remembers that they forgot their tape and home, they should be able to run into just about any store and get a roll of this stuff.
CONS:
- It is reported that the tape is known to peel off after running only a few miles. Even when the tape is advertised as lasting up to seven days.
- Another common complaint from the KT Tape user base is that lack of support of the tape. Although users reported that they could definitely feel notice the support that the tape gave them, it did not stack up as well competing products on the market.
- The material is reported to be quite firm and hard to manipulate when applying it one’s body. It is known to have slippery feel to it and does not have a good amount of pliability. This can be a problem for some people when one tries to apply it to difficult spots on the body such as the wrists or ankles.
What Are People Saying About KT Tape?
There are many diverse opinions when it comes to the quality of KT Tape. There were some customers that reported it helped them recover quickly from their injuries in a very short time frame, while others reported that the tape didn’t help much at all.
The diverse range of experiences about the tape makes it hard for it to be a recommendable product under most circumstances, especially since it is one of the more expensive tapes on the market
One the other hand, the KT tape website does feature many positive reviews about the product. There are some glowing testimonials from their clients that swear by KT Tape as an absolute must for anyone that goes to the gym regularly.
It should be noted that the success or failure of a given product is largely determined by one’s expectations and point of view for a particular product. What one considers are a failure for KT Tape another may consider it to be a great success and so on.
This is why companies such as KT tape offer their users features such as 14 day free trial, so that one can experiment with the product risk free. Although KT Tape does not offer this as an option for their customers, it is priced less than $19.00, so one is arguably not risking much anyway.
The Bottom Line – Is KT Tape Recommended?
There are many diverse opinions when it comes to the effectiveness of KT Tape, with some claiming that the product is a must have for every gym-goer, to people who seem to be endlessly critical of the product. It should be noted that everyone’s experience of the product is going to vary from person to person. There is no way for a manufacturer to please everyone.
The product itself comes from a long line of fitness gear that is designed to enhance one’s physical performance, as well as helping them to recover from injuries faster.
In conclusion, there is enough evidence to suggest that KT Tape is a well-made product that lives up to its claims of providing relief from a common assortment injuries. Common sense should be used here to not consider KT Tape as a magic pill that is guaranteed to work no matter what.
As long as one keeps their expectations in the check then they may be pleasantly surprised with the performance of KT Tape.
