A number of team physicians and athletic trainers use Elite-Kold products on the sideline and in their training rooms. It is one of the most popular and best priced shoulder ice wraps. It stores easily in your freezer and you can just pull it out and wrap your shoulder.

Who uses it?

This is a popular and effective shoulder ice wrap used by both youth pitchers and adult pitchers as a preventive for repetitive motion throwing injuries. Those who have shoulder pain like tendonitis also use it as do patients who are treating for postoperative swelling from shoulder surgery. The polar care cuff might be best suited for post op, however. Make note that this product does not offer heat therapy.

Adjustable for male and female athletes. Youth available.

It adjusts and comes in sizes that suit a number of different shoulder sizes making it a good choice for female athletes who often have difficulty trying to use other shoulder ice packs made for male athletes.

It’s a good one for youth sports and coaches often have these on hand because they adjust to different sized youth pitchers.

The difference between the budget version and the pro version

In this review, we are focusing on the pro model but wanted to point out how the budget version is different. The budget version of this shoulder ice pack sells for under $30 for both youth and adults. The trade off is that it’s not cold for as long since it has one layer of large cell ice as opposed to 2.

But for athletes that don’t need as much cold for as long, it’s a good choice. It weighs 1.5 pounds which is half what the pro model weighs due to fewer ice cell packs.

Putting it on

While it takes a few minutes to figure it out right at first, putting it on is a cinch and can be done in seconds once you know how it goes on and you have it adjusted.

Comfort

Most people commented that they could not use this on a bare arm and needed at least a t-shirt while one person mentioned she had to use a thicker shirt because it was too cold for her bare skin. But the flip side is that it does really get cold and stay cold for 2 hours unlike similar products, which are good for only 30 minutes or so.

The flexible ice packs allow for a comfortable fit and conform to your body to deliver cold therapy to your muscles.

Product benefits in a nutshell

• This brand comes in both adult and youth sizes.
• Reusable right out of the freezer
• The straps are adjustable
• The pack stays cold for 2 hours as opposed to minutes.
• It does deliver cold to the parts of the shoulder it needs to, particularly for pitching athletes.
• Reversible-- meaning it works on either right or left arm.
• Nice, sturdy Velcro.
• Transports in a cooler well
• Because it’s adjustable, this works for two athletes that are distinctly different in size
• Economy version of this ice wrap is effective and fits tight budgets.
• Ice pillows are flexible for a comfortable fit
• Adjustable straps allow for some compression if needed
• Pro model, the one listed here, weighs 3 pounds. The budget model weights 1.5 pounds due to their being one layer as opposed to two layers of ice.