Human Octane’s Women’s Elite Sports Bra and Compression Shorts definitely make you look and feel like a superhero. Immediately after trying on the sports bra and shorts, I snapped a photo to see if I indeed looked like I would be fighting crime or running like a bad ass but alas I looked a little more like a character from Kill Bill. The quality of the material made this brand stick out to me, unlike other shorts or bras that I have tried. The material felt durable and thick, but breathable. While they held up really well, I wasn’t ecstatic about the look. What they lacks in appearance, they more than make up for in durability, yet Human Octane still has work to do with regard to fit and features for women.
Human Octane Elite Sports Bra & Compression Shorts Features
Storage
The shorts provided a large rear pocket which was large and sturdy enough to hold my iPhone 8 plus with little bounce. If you run with a belt or vest, the pocket is just enough to store a little extra. If you run with a handheld, without a vest, or use these in a race, you will be limited to one compartment, but it was plenty large enough to store a phone and a small gel pack. There is no storage in the sports bra.
Dry Wick
On my quest for the holy grail of dry wicking shorts or pants, these shorts came up short. The website boasts moisture wicking as well as anti-chaffing. Well, I got the chaffing and the moisture wicking didn’t exactly pan out either. In fact, it sort of soaked it up. To Human Octane’s credit, the material is high quality and the compression is great, but the material did not wick away sweat or water and was super slow to dry. As a female with a mom bladder, I have talked to countless female runners and now OCR athletes who also have mom bladders, and trust me- dry wicking for females who have had kids is a HUGE deal. As embarrassing as it is for us moms to admit, there will be those of you out there reading this nodding your head or even virtually high fiving because you know exactly what I am talking about whether or not you admit it out loud. I was disappointed in the dry wicking ability on these because I was sweaty and wet well after an hour and a half after my run was over. The sports bra was made of the exact same material, so again, it didn’t dry quickly or wick away sweat.
Fit
The best part of the fit on the Human Octane Elite Compression Shorts is the mid-rise three inch waistband. It was super comfortable and didn’t feel too compressed at the top. The legs of the shorts fit well but unfortunately did not stay in place during any of the activities I did in them despite claims that the silicone gripper stops legs from riding up. They did indeed ride up, and a lot of riding up at that. The compression felt comfortable but the fact that the legs continued to ride up left me frustrated. I wore a size medium in the shorts and they fit true to size, even in the legs but they just didn’t fit comfortably and I hate to be the bearer of more bad news for the females out there, but these things give you a wicked camel toe! Just trying to keep it real. I was either pulling the legs down or trying to keep the material from embarrassing the hell out of me in public. The good news is that the sports bra fits better than the shorts as it’s nice and snug but stays put. I wore a small in the sports bra because I like my sports bra to fit tight which is particularly important to me when climbing over a wall in an OCR.
Human Octane Elite Sports Bra & Compression Shorts Usage
I wore the shorts and sports bra on multiple runs and climbs and on everything from trails to road, with different climates and altitude. One thing I noticed about both pieces is that they are ultra durable because of the material. After a lot of wear and wash over the past couple of months, they still look brand new. The material is definitely high quality but doesn’t provide much dry wicking as previously indicated. Additionally, the type of material used has a much more stiff feel that other brands. I still had plenty of movement but wonder if this contributed to them riding up so much.
The sports bra provides and opening in the back that looks super cool but was bothersome for me when wearing a chest strap for my heart rate monitor. The sports bra fits well on its own but wearing the chest strap under it made it feel extremely snug and I had some trouble taking deep breaths on my runs.
I kept wearing the compression shorts because I wanted to like them, yet each time I wore them the legs kept riding up and it was really frustrating. I spent a lot of time adjusting the shorts on runs and climbs and eventually ended up bringing an extra pair of shorts to change into to.
Each time I wore the shorts and got sweaty or got them wet, they stayed wet far longer than I anticipated from a dry wicking short. Ultimately the feature that makes this short remotely practical is the pocket in the back, which is big enough to hold my large iPhone 8 Plus.
Human Octane Elite Sports Bra & Compression Shorts Durability
As I alluded to, human octane has it down when it comes to durability. My watch face got dinged up pretty bad during some of the activity that I did wearing the compression shorts and bra and they still look new with zero scrapes and held up through the wash. However, the material just isn’t comfortable.
Human Octane Elite Sports Bra & Compression Shorts Pros and Cons
Pros
- High quality material
- Huge phone pocket in the back
- Extremely durable
Cons
- The design isn’t as appealing as other brands
- The Elite Compression Shorts ride up during runs and climbs
- It takes a long time for both the shorts and sports bra to dry
Human Octane Elite Sports Bra & Compression Shorts Conclusion
I really wanted to love this gear but the lack of ample dry wicking coupled with the fact that the legs rode up during each activity had me dreading putting them back on. If you’re concerned with durability and need some pocket storage, these may work out better for you. Comfort is a huge deal for me and having to constantly adjust my legs and crotch is a deal breaker.
Jennifer Wade
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