Ractive One: Revive Active boots product review

oliverbridge7
Oct 27
4 min read

Updated: Nov 5

Recover like a pro!

A top of the range pair of compression recovery boots at a slightly lower cost than some others.

Choosing is stressful! I hope I can help. My experience is based on over 15 years of trial and error, always self-supported, self-taught and parting with my own hard earned money as sensibly as possible. Views are my own.

Review of the Racitve One: Revive Active boots

The idea of compression for recovery has been around for a long time but only over the last few years has what previously seemed to be confined to the laboraties of tour de france teams is now in peoples' lounges across the world.

Where to do you start?

It's a minefield. I've used 3-4 different compression boots at events and owned two different brands but as I haven't used enough I'll just focus on the headlines and pros, cons of Ractive One if you're deciding to buy them or not.

Firstly, what do compression boots do?

These are motorised, typically battery powered, boots that can be full or mid leg and are lined with inflatable pockets of air that will compress and decompress in various sequences. The compression in most boots can go pretty high but some have lower limits than others. Why is this good? This aids better blood flow, the circulation of dormant muscle fatigue such as lactic acid....basically a massage! Which is a good way to think about the equivalent cost of massages you would typically have or want and save with these. Not that I condone ditching massages, for starters they can be full body, and I also think they're amazingly beneficial. Have to write about those another time! I digress...

Here are the headlines about the Revie Active

#1: High quality made and comfortable

The Ractive One Revive Active boots are no disappointment when they arrive after spending on something that isn't the top of a necessary to buy list. They are tough and well made material that shows some care and attention in the make. This is reassuring that you're not likely to have to replace them anytime soon, I haven't yet.

On slipping them on and starting to inflate them you can feel the material is comfortable, non-itchy and you're happy to spend up to 45 minutes in them, as is the longest one-time setting.

#2: Four Parts, Five modes, but easy to work

The Revive Active boots have four parts from the foot to your upper thigh and have five modes that are different sequences of inflation of those parts. E.g. one at a time, two at a time, full leg and two others that are a bit more random.

To select these modes there is one big button saying MODE and it also shows you which part of the leg is inflating at any one time so you can determine which one you like and want.

Changing the PRESSURE is also easy with a simple - and +, and something I particularly like is that you can change something instantly, it doesn't have to reset!

The only other button beyond the Power on/off is the TIMER button and that switches between 15-30-45 minutes. You can also change this in the moment so if you're feeling a bit more time you can easily change it and keep relaxing.

I believe other models might have more sequences and things but these are a great level of enough options to warrant the cost and ease to use when you want to relax post-race or training.

#3: Good range of power

I have used these very often and recently recovering from surgery after badly breaking my leg and the lowest levels of 30 and then 50 have been a good pressure if not even too high at times.

Cranking it up to its highest levels over 200 will give you a VERY good squeeze that'll really make you feel like you're on the massage table of someone with particularly strong fore-arms.

#4: Full leg?

One observation of these vs. my other model and others that I have tried is that they do not quite give that pressure in the highest compartment of the leg on the thigh.

Of course there are different sizes and we all have different leg lengths but that is one thing I would mention as a slight negative for the Revive Active.

Headlines & any outstanding Pros and Cons

No outstanding pros and cons vs. others I have tried but I like them a lot and they are a very good option if you're looking to invest in this sometime luxury product to help elevate your recovery and hit training again better.