Disclosure – I have seen websites advertising posture clothing and since I live with chronic back pain I was interested in finding out if a shirt could benefit me. ActivePosture gave me a posture shirt to trial in exchange for an honest review.
Why I wanted to Review the ActivePosture Posture Shirt
I live with chronic back pain due to having scoliosis. I live with lower back pain constantly and often have neck and shoulder pain. Obviously, I have a structural problem. However, even with scoliosis, there is still room for improving posture.
Bad posture causes pain and very often pain can cause bad posture. It can become a vicious circle. So it is important to try to correct the posture as much as possible. Better posture might not cure the back pain, but it might help.
You can find an excellent article which explains how to use muscle memory to develop better posture here. It will prove to be very helpful if you suffer from back pain. And if you want to prevent back pain, it’s definitely worth reading.
Knowing how important good posture is, I was interested to read about the ActivePosture® clothing range. I’m not a stranger to back supports and posture correcting items.
I’ve been in full torso plaster-casts, had a plastic brace moulded for me and orthopaedic corsets. I hated having to wear them because they were so uncomfortable. I’ve had back supports which didn’t give much support. And a physiotherapist used to regularly tape up my back. This was many years ago before Kinesio taping became popular, but basically, that’s what my physiotherapist did. The taping felt good…initially. It was supportive and I could feel it pull my muscles into the correct position. However after a very short time, I was in agony. I wanted to get that tape off. Imagine pulling an elastoplast off a small wound. Now imagine pulling tape off your entire back. I needed to soak in a bath and then have someone pull off the tape.
When I read the information about the range of ActivePosture® clothing, I was excited to learn it was based on the kinesio taping method. That appealed to me – the same support and correction, but without the actual tape. Kinesio taping helps to stimulate muscles, improve blood circulation and can help maintain better posture. And as I said earlier, better posture, can mean pain reduction.
What is Posture Clothing?
This is from the ActivePosture® website :
“Posture clothing activates muscle memory to help you achieve an improved, upright posture.
Posture clothing can be a comfortable and practical solution for problems induced by poor posture, or it can act as a supplement to training, exercise and physical therapy. Your posture has an influence on your physical health and overall well-being, so having aligned posture is beneficial during work, training and in everyday life.”
About ActivePosture®
ActivePosture® sell a range of men and women’s posture clothing in various colours and styles.
ActivePosture® is the only UK distributor of posture clothing developed by the American company AlignMed. AlignMed make the world’s only posture correcting clothing which is registered by the FDA as medical clothing.
The posture clothing range is CE marked as a medical class 1 product, meaning that the shirt meets the essential requirements of all relevant European Medical Device Directives.
About the ActivePosture® Posture Shirt
Special Features
- Neuroband technology which activates and stimulates specific muscle groups and joints to help improve your posture
- Mesh vented panels on the back
- Anti-microbial protection
- Moisture wicking
Material and Washing
The posture shirt is an 80% 20% polyspandex mix.
You can machine wash it on a 30ºC delicate wash cycle, however, the company recommends handwashing.
Fabric softener must not be used and it cannot be tumble dried.
I have washed my shirt by hand. It dries quickly and maintains its shape.
Size
The top needs to be tight fitting to help posture.
I am normally a UK size 12/14 and I chose the medium-sized top. I am tall, with a long back, and the top fits well, sitting perfectly on my hips.
Style – Pull on or Zipper Version
The posture shirt comes in either a pull on or a zipper version.
I opted for the zipper version because putting on and taking off a tight top over my head would be difficult for me.
My Review of the ActivePosture Posture Shirt
My First Impressions on Reviewing the Activeposture Shirt
The first thing I wanted to check for my review was the quality of the Activeposture vest. And I am pleased to say it appears to be a quality product and finished well. The material is lightweight and soft. The zip is completely covered, so it does not touch your skin. There are four hook and eye fasteners at the bottom which you fasten first to make it easier to pull up the zip. It feels tight (as it should), but not uncomfortable and gave a warmth against my skin.
How to Use the ActivePosture® Shirt
A leaflet comes with the posture shirt which explains that you should wear it for only 30 – 60 minutes a day for the first week, then increase the time slowly.
I thought thirty minutes at a time would be too short. However, I was wrong. They say this for a reason. For the first few days, by the end of thirty minutes, I was glad to take it off. My back muscles were starting to ache. The pain stopped whenever I removed the shirt.
This might sound crazy, but I didn’t mind feeling that pain. That ache reminded me of the pain I had when the physiotherapists taped my back. So I guess the shirt was doing what it was supposed to do. It was pulling my muscles into a better position. Just like anything involving normally unused muscles, building up slowly is the perfect way to use the shirt.
After a few days, I didn’t have that ache at the end of thirty minutes, so I slowly increased the time. I’ve worn it almost every day for the last four weeks and I can wear it for a few hours without any more discomfort than my normal back pain.
Did the Posture Shirt Help Me?
I would say it’s a work in progress, but so far, I’m happy.
I like the feeling of support it gives, especially on my lower back.
It is very comfortable. If I slouch, I am aware of wearing it. It’s like a gentle pulling feeling to remind me to put my shoulders back and straighten up.
I know how important good posture is, so I will continue to use it. It can’t correct my scoliosis obviously, but if it can help my posture even just a little bit, it could also help my pain.
Price
The posture shirt normally costs £99.95.
Being expensive is the only downside for me. Many chronic pain sufferers can’t work which means that the price is possibly too high for some people. It’s also difficult to make that outlay when they don’t know whether or not the product could help. A point worth noting is that ActivePosture® offers a 30 day money back guarantee, so it gives people enough time to know whether or not it would be helpful. If it’s not, customers can return it. (Activeposture have included a prepaid label to return it if necessary.)
Discount code
ActivePosture® is kindly giving a 10% discount to any of my readers who make a purchase. Just add the discount code DP10 when requested.
(This is not an affiliate sales post. I do not profit from sales in any way. I have simply trialled the Activeposture shirt in return for the review.)
Overall, I believe this is a quality product which hopefully could help some people. However, if you have a health issue, it’s always advisable to seek medical advice before using any medical product to ensure that it is safe for you.
Interesting. I’ve seen these and wondered how they help as I too suffer with my back.
I wonder if it has a distinctive odour. My friend bought an expensive tight fitting lightweight
jacket made from polyester, elastine and nylon. I have CFS/ME and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity,
and we can’t have it in the house. Anyone know?
Hi Billie, there’s no odour from mine at all. I’ve read other reviews and never seen anyone mention that.
But if you’re extremely sensitive, you might notice something that others don’t. ActivePosture have a 30 day return policy, so you’d be able to return it if that were the case.
Thanks for your prompt reply; yes, it is hard to know if no one else has noticed.
Multiple Chemical Sensitivity puts you in another world. Practical advice as
money back guarantee. Sincerely Billie
I’ve seen one other blogger review this & it made me quite interested in it, so it’s good to read your experiences of it. I’d also find that kind of price-tag rather off-putting, so the discount code is great! It sounds like something that would take some getting used to. I have a stoma ‘girdle’ that goes around my middle and also these support vest tops, which are incredibly, ridiculously tight; if they had shoulders I think it would have a similar effect to this! Even with those I feel I’m more upright and aware of my posture, so I can see how these could be helpful. Fab review!
Caz xx
Great review of the shirt. I did one a while back too. Really found it beneficial and much easier to use than my physio tape. In fact, you’ve reminded me to wear my shirt again – I gave it a break for a while.
Definitely so much easier than physio tape.
I had no idea posture clothing was even a thing! I’ve certainly learned something today. I am glad it is working for you because any relief from pain is exciting. I’ll save the info about the US company for a couple friends with chronic pain.
This is pretty cool, I didn’t know they had shirts that helped with this! I will have to look into this a bit more.
It’s interesting that you posted this because I had just been speaking to someone about lower back pain and they mentioned this clothing and how helpful it was for them. This must be fabulous for chronic pain but I can also see it being useful for every now and then sufferers as well. Thank you for sharing the link.
This is really interesting. My back bothers me a lot, and because of it, I know my posture is not good. I do appreciate that there is a 30 day money back guarantee because the ActivePosture shirts are so expensive. I’ll definitely be checking this link out.
Thorough and detailed review of the posture shirt – very useful. It does sound like it would be worth spending the money on it
It was good to get a bit of history around the product and your back problems. The shirt looks like it does help but like you said it is an expensive outlay. I am glad you have found something slightly more comfortable than those orthopaedic back braces xx
Wow… this sounds very effective! My aunt has some posture problems and back aches. Will suggest her to check out activeposture. 🙂
thanks for bringing this to my attention. A very good friend of mine struggles with back issues and i did not realize that they made this. A great and honest review of everything that they have to offer.
fourcolumnsofabalancedlife.com
My husband needs to try it because his posture is horrid, I tend to (futilely) fight it all the time. Thank for showing and reviewing the product, I really want to thank you because I am ordering it now
I never knew such a product even existed. Though the price is a lot in the higher side it looks as though that the benefits may be giving enough reason for one to consider buying. The money back guarantee is a great feature to offer which would make people get the confidence to give serious thoughts and influence their decision.
This is totally new to me. Very interesting and I hope a lot of people can get the much need relief after using this.
Posture clothing is something I was not aware existed. From your description, it sounds as if this product can really help people to improve their posture. After the transition phase, it sounds as though it acts as a reminder for self-correction which can lead to improved long term habits.
Yes, I think that’s it. It’s to remind us to improve those habits.
I’ve never heard of posture shirts before! The 30 day guarantee sounds like a great way to make sure that the shirt is a worthwhile purchase
I will be using this active posture discount code. I have been wanting to try for some time.
What a great review! I’ve never heard of anything like this and my husband and I both suffer from back pain. I’m wondering if I might be able to wear one of these when running or cycling?
I’m sure they’re often used for sport. Might be worth looking at the American site (AlignMed).
Very interesting product, how are you generally feeling now? I hope it’s not restricting your breathing!
Thank you. No, it’s not tight enough to restrict breathing.