From pajamas to panty liners, companies are infusing everything with bioceramic particles.
What if you could get all the benefits of heat therapy, but without the heat? That's the idea behind far-infrared (FIR) radiation therapy, which uses far-infrared light to penetrate deeper into our skin than heat can.
FIR light isn't visible to the human eye, but we feel it as a radiant warmth (don't get it confused with red light therapy, which is visible to the human eye). FIR therapy has been around for ages, especially in medical settings, to help soothe achy muscles and joints but it's recently picked up steam in the realm of fitness and athletics, due in part to Tom Brady's sleepwear line with Under Armour.
If you're interested in trying out this high-tech recovery technique for yourself, you've got plenty of options -- here are 11.
Bioceramic clothing
Sleep has always been -- and will always be -- the best way for humans to recover from exercise and daily life stressors, no matter how many high-tech recovery products exist. Some brands started capitalizing on that fact, creating bioceramic pajamas that emit far-infrared light into your body as you sleep for even more healing.
To create these pajamas, manufacturers embed bioceramics, usually in the form of powder, into the fabric fibers. A review of far-infrared clinical trials explains that energy (heat) from your body is transferred to the ceramic particles, which absorb the heat and then re-emit it as far-infrared light back to your body.
Under Armour
Under Armour's bioceramic sleepwear line started out with the TB12 Tom Brady Sleepwear Recovery line and has since expanded to include the entire UA Recoversuite of products. The product line has expanded into outerwear, such as fleece jackets and track pants.
There's a men's line and a women's line, and both include similar items: t-shirts, henleys, pajama pants, shorts and jackets. The TB12 products cost a little more than the UA Recover products. For example, the TB12 pajama henley costs $100, while the UA Recover pajama henley costs $65.
Under Armour's UA Recovery sleepwear line.
Under ArmourInvel USA
Invel offers more options for bioceramic clothing than any other company I've seen. There are entire suites of products for men and women, including socks, undershirts, men's boxers, leggings, tank tops, t-shirts, long sleeve shirts, cardigans, gloves and even shoe insoles.
Invel also separates its products into four main collections: Relieve Faster, Recover Stronger, Recharge Faster and Cellulite Treatment. These collections are based on the major supposed benefits of FIR therapy, which include pain relief, muscle recovery, relaxation and weight loss, though there's only limited evidence for the weight loss claim.
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Lunya
Lunya, as of yet, only makes women's clothes -- with the exception of its limited-edition unisex collaboration. The company makes high-end pajamas in a variety of luxurious fabrics, but the one you need to know about (if you're into recovery sleepwear) is the Restore Pima line.
Like Under Armour and Invel, Lunya manufactures these pajamas with bioceramic fabric -- specifically 56% pima and 44% Celliant, according to the website. Lunya is already known for pricey silk sleepwear, and the pima collection stacks up: $98 for FIR-emitting leggings and $68 for the t-shirt.
A muscle t-shirt from Lunya's pima Restore collection.
LunyaBioceramic bedsheets
FIR bedding utilizes the same concept as FIR clothing: Interwoven bioceramic particles that re-emit heat as FIR light into your body. Here are a few places to find bioceramic bedding.
Celliant
Celliant is actually a wholesale textile company, and you can find Celliant products at several retailers, including Sleepletics, Bear Mattress, PureCare, and Amazon. Celliant is a patented mix of 13 minerals that, when combined and embedded into polyester fibers, absorb heat and re-emit it as FIR light.
A Celliant duvet from Sleepletics.
SleepleticsSamina
Samina uses a blend of 60% organic cotton and 40% bioceramic yarn to create duvets, mattresses, mattress pads and pillows with the therapeutic effects of FIR light. You can buy Samina products individually or purchase the entire Healthy Sleep System.
Under Armour
For double the far-infrared power, you could deck out yourself and your bed in UA Recover products. In addition to pajamas and outerwear, Under Armour also makes bioceramic bedsheets, starting at $175 for a twin-XL set. If you have a king-sized bed, prepare to pay $250.
Far infrared personal care products
Surprise! FIR-emitting products don't stop at PJs and bed sheets. There's so much more, including panty liners, foot massagers, eye masks and yoga mats. Here's where to get your hands on FIR personal care products.
NannoCare
NannoCare is a subscription-based women's health company that makes bioceramic pads and panty liners. The aptly named NannoPad claims to relieve menstrual discomfort via the therapeutic effects of FIR radiation. You can buy them online.
Keep in mind that though this manufacturer has FDA approval, per NannoCare's website, the products themselves haven't been FDA-approved (learn the difference between FDA-approved and FDA-cleared).
Infrared foot massager
This foot massager actually directly emits FIR light, rather than using bioceramics. I'm a little skeptical of other products on this list, but this one might actually be worth a shot -- the worst that can happen is you get a regular foot massage.
Infrared yoga mat
I have my (big) doubts about the whole healing crystal trend, but if you're into that, this $1,500 yoga mat claims to use heat, far-infrared and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy (PEMF) to balance your chakras.
Infrared eye mask
Another bioceramic product, Invel's sleep mask claims to help you "sleep healthy" by increasing blood circulation and nitric oxide production. Nitric oxide is a vasodilator, which means it relaxes and widens your blood vessels, allowing for easier circulation.
Infrared saunas
If nothing else, you could just soak in an infrared sauna. Most gyms, health clubs, day spas and even some hotels provide infrared saunas for members and guests. Head to Google to see if there's a place you can use an infrared sauna around you.
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as health or medical advice. Always consult a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any questions you may have about a medical condition or health objectives.