Sturdy Woman

Wearing compression garments can be an effective conservative treatment for lipedema and lymphedema. They increase circulation, stimulate lymph flow, and support loose connective tissue. Compression can also be hot! Over the past few months, I’ve received dozens of messages asking for hot weather compression recommendations. So, even though I love the standard K2 CzSalus compression leggings, I decided to try the CzSalus ‘summertime’ garments.

In May I took them to a beach in Florida to celebrate my birthday and a few weeks later I took them to New Orleans for a week-long conference. We’ve also had record heat on the East Coast of the United States the past few weeks and I’ve tried the ‘summertime’ leggings in heat indexes over 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

Here’s what I think!  

Features and How to Wear

They also come in all the same colors and have similar sizing, with the caveat that the ‘summertime’ only comes in one length. The standard leggings come in regular and short.

I’m five feet, five inches tall and wearing a medium. In the video below you can see they come up over my stomach, almost to my bra line.

‘Summertime’ compression is different in two major ways. One, they stop at the ankle rather than coming down on your foot. This keeps the compression discrete when you wear sandals and other open-toed shoes. It also allows you to get a little breeze on your ankles and feet. This was disorienting at first because I hadn’t experienced air there in years, but I’ve come to love the new fashion possibilities it has opened up and, of course, the cooling factor.

Speaking of cooling, the second difference with the ‘summertime’ leggings is that they are about half as thick as the standard garments. This makes them less bulky under other clothes and, as designed, less hot.  

The video above shows some of the ways I wear the CzSalus ‘summertime’ compression. I usually wear running shorts over them while exercising because they are a little bit see-through. By the way, I love my new Brooks sneakers! They came out with better colors this year! The shoes come in wide and extra wide. You can also see how discrete they are with jeans and sandals, both of which are from Torrid. The top is from LOFT.

Potential Drawbacks

First, you may develop swelling in your ankles and feet because they don’t cover you there. I certainly swell there because of my lymphedema and venous insufficiency, but it will depend on your individual symptoms.

In other posts, I have talked about how our swelling and fluid retention can set off the scanners at airport security. Well, I set it off in New Orleans for the first time in a long time. I was wearing the ‘summertime’ leggings and my ankles were puffy and swollen at the end of a long, hot day of walking. Yep, that little sliver of exposed, swollen ankle is what they pat down. If the main reason the ‘summertime’ compression appeals to you is because it doesn’t have feet… remember you can always fold up the foot on your standard compression and tuck it in your pants. Your ankle may swell, but your feet will catch some air.

Number two: Because ‘summertime’ compression is thinner, it is also more delicate. To avoid tears, it is even more important to be gentle when donning them and you might consider using donning gloves. Honestly, I’ve never torn my standard K2 leggings from CzSalus but after maybe a dozen wears, each pair of my ‘summertime’ compression had a small hole on the inner thigh. I soaked the holes with clear nail polish and they seem to be holding up, but you should probably expect fewer uses out of the ‘summertime’ compression leggings.

Check out Lipedema Compression Leggings: Washing and Care for more tips on caring for your garments.

CzSalus ‘summertime’ leggings give 18-22 mmHg compression, which is less than the usual 25-30 mmHg I normally wear. CzSalus recently introduced a ‘summertime’ legging at the higher compression level and offer it exclusively through their website. I excitedly ordered a few pairs and really wanted to like them, but it’s been hard. The diamond texture dug painfully into my skin and they took 4-5 wears to stretch and get used to, even in a larger size. I advise sticking with the 18-22 mmHg ‘summertime’ leggings I’m linking here. They are soft and comfortable all day straight out of the package and I was satisfied with how well they controlled my swelling.

Did They Make a Difference in the Heat?

There is no version of wearing two pairs of pants that isn’t going to be hot. I think the biggest benefit I’ve gotten from CzSalus ‘summertime’ leggings is that I started wearing sandals, but there’s also nothing wrong with showing your compression with your sandals… When it’s hot… it’s hot no matter what you are wearing! Take it easy, stay hydrated, and consider jumping in a pool! (Have you heard about swim leggings?!)

Summary and Conclusion

Too long; didn’t read? All in all, I like the CzSalus ‘summertime’ leggings but only in the K1 compression level. They are soft and comfortable straight out of the package and about half as thick as the standard K2 CzSalus compression I usually wear. That keeps you cool, but also makes the garment more delicate so you may not get as many wears out of each pair. Additionally, you may experience swelling in your ankles and feet, depending on your symptoms, since the ‘summertime’ compression is ankle length with no foot coverage. Even with that, I like wearing them and will buy more pairs!

Have you found another brand of compression leggings that work well for hot weather? If so, please share in the comments. Lots of people are looking for tips! For more about me and how I use conservative treatments to manage my lipedema, lymphedema, and venous insufficiency, check out the rest of the blog!

Product Roundup

• CzSalus Summertime Compression Leggings
• CzSalus Standard K2 Compression Leggings
• Brooks Ghost Wide Running Shoes
• Donning Gloves
• Land’s End Swim Leggings

Purchasing through Amazon links in this post helps support Sturdy Woman. You pay the same low price but I may earn a small compression which helps offset the cost of running the website and YouTube channel.