Koo-Care Flexible Gel Ice Pack & Wrap with Elastic Strap for Hot Cold Therapy - Great for Migraine Relief, Sprains, Muscle Pain, Bruises, Injuries (Head, Neck, Arm, Elbow, Knee, Ankle)

I love this ice pack because I don't have to worry about holding it in place, I just wrap it around my arm and go about my business. I have tendonitis in my shoulder so I wrap my upper arm several times a day. So glad I bought this. It remains flexible even after freezing so it is easy to wrap around. I haven't tried using it heated yet.

Not large enough and a bit awkward to use

This review is for the small-size Koo-Care Hot/Cold Pack with Wrap. It is as described, but I am disappointed with its effect and effectiveness for cold applications. I have used mine for a swollen area on my lower calf and ankle. The gel pack went straight into a freezer at 2 degree F. After several hours I pulled it out, inserted it into the wrap, and applied it. The gel pack was very pliable, so the wrap made tight contact and stayed put once I stretched the strap a lot so it was fairly tight. I had been using crushed ice in a ziploc bag before the wrap came, which began and remained much colder than the gel pack, for much longer, and was much more effective at reducing both pain and swelling. However, I had to remain in a fixed position (in bed) while using ice this way. Two cycles with gel were both pretty ineffective. Though the box suggests wetting the wrap for greater cold penetration with "severe injuries", I didn't bother to try that because I'm sure it wouldn't make much difference. The temperature of the contents reaches the target just fine with a dry wrap. I am now using ice in a standard size freezer zip-lock bag, rolled up and inserted in the wrap. Ice feels very cold at first, but I get used to it quickly and it stays colder for much longer. The gel pack seems to perform like others I had 40 years ago, which were fine for allergy shot sites, but for me, the wrap itself is more valuable than the gel pack when it comes to real injuries, because I can use it with either cooling medium and remain mobile. If you are sensitive to cold, using gel would probably suit you better than ice. Again, I did not use it for heating. Anyway, the product is of good quality and works.

I have plantar fasciitis from playing tennis which has moved to and affected my knee. This is a great product for applying hands free cooling to my knee. I suggest letting the ice pack sit for around 20 minutes after taking it out of the freezer overnight. Otherwise too cold. I’m 165 lbs and size small works well for knee. The extra strap helps keep it in place. I use it first thing in the morning while reading the news, etc. I also use a relatively soft foot splint overnight. I can see using it for other joint injuries, such as shoulder, neck and foot. Well made and designed, and I’m very particular about such things.

Awesome product! The gel is very flexible when frozen and still stays cold for a good 30 min. I recommend wetting it the first time you freeze it to get better cold temperature transfer (no pads transfer well enough for me when dry). I use ice for chronic plantar fasciopathy and found I can wrap this perfectly lengthways from the inside of my heel along the underside of my foot to my big toe and it puts the cold exactly where I need it. Much better than bigger bulkier packs I've used before. I've also used it to wrap my knee and found the strap effective and comfortable enough to move around with the pad in place. I can't imagine needing a different pad and have ordered another of these.