Keela ESP polo shirt

A few weeks ago I received a polo shirt from the nice people at KEELA which I was more than happy to test, now before you ask how I can review a polo shirt I’d better tell you that it has been made using KEELA’s ESP (Energise Stabilise Perform) technology. I could have a go at describing how ESP technology works but I think the boffins at KEELA do a much better job of it so here is what they have to say about it :-

'In trials users have found that the natural rejuvenating and healing properties of the ESP system have contributed to an improved performance and sense of well-being, as well as a reduction in recovery time. ESP is already being used for various sporting applications as well as for occupational health.

From athletes who want to improve their performance and decrease recovery time, to people with various physical ailments that will benefit from improved healing time and sense of well-being.

The research surrounding this science is well established. Keela uses this technology and incorporates it as a unique structure within a new garment collection. Tests have proven that ESP textiles actively help blood circulation, provide relief from muscle spasms and improve sense of balance.

Current studies show that the ESP system may help to:

• Improve blood circulation
• Strengthen the cardiovascular system
• Increase energy levels
• Ease joint pain and stiffness
• Relax muscles and increase flexibility
• Relieve pain
• Reduce stress and fatigue
• Reduce swelling and pain
• Promote regeneration and fast healing

In layman’s terms the material used in KEELA’s ESP products works in conjunction with the body to relieve some of the burden from the muscles and to ease the stress on the wearer, you may be thinking that this is a load of toss and that it could never work....but you’d be wrong. I first saw the ESP Technology products at the Counter Terror Expo earlier this year and I was I amazed when I saw the demo of how it could aid you. A mate I was with was asked to stand up straight with his arms down in front of his body and his hands cupped together (as if to help someone over a wall), then the VERY small framed chap who was explaining it to us pushed down hard on my mates hands forcing him to stagger forwards. My now very bemused mate was asked to put on one of the same polo shirts I am testing and wear it for a couple of minutes, he was then asked to adopt the initial test position and again the small chap pushed down on his hands. However this time nothing happened and even with him jumping and putting his full weight on my mate he didn’t budge, queue even more bemusement from both me and my friend. Somehow wearing the ESP technology polo shirt for a couple of minutes had helped support the muscles and give more stability.

Now the polo shirt itself comes in black and has more of a sporty look about it rather than a smart look, across the shoulders and along the small of the back are slightly padded areas which I’m guessing are the bits where the ESP technology material is built in to provide support. The material is quite lightweight and is quite breathable although and is fine to chuck in the washing machine on a normal wash without fear of trashing it. The sizes do come up quite big so when buying one I would go for a size down from what you normally have, the large size I have is quite baggy around the midriff but because I’m quite tall I had to have a large size to fit my lanky body! I have worn this polo shirt on a number of occasions and have washed it a couple of times to and it still looks as good as new and from what I can see there is no damage or signs of the stitching coming loose yet, it has been made to the same high standards that KEELA make their other products to which is good to see.

This would be a very handy item of clothing to be worn by anyone whose job involves a lot of humping and dumping or manual labour, so it would be useful in both a military and civilian environment. The friend who took part in the demo is a fire-fighter and he has brought one to use in his job and he has told me that a number of others he works with are now interested in them. For the military user they would be useful in any sort of physical training (maybe not in polo top form) as a t-shirt. KEELA are also trialling the ESP technology in a UBACS top which hopefully I’ll be testing in the months to come and should be very interesting to see since the weight the average soldier is carrying is rising at an alarming rate.

Overall this is a very functional item of clothing that could be worn pretty much anywhere and for anything, at £37 RRP the price is very comparable to what you’d find in the high street for a bog standard polo shirt.

Thanks to Keela for supplying the item for testing.