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)

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.

This gel ice pack (size small) has been a perfect remedy for an injured knee. Adhering to an icing schedule has always been difficult for me, as the ice packs we previously had were large and ungainly for a knee. This pack is the perfect size and easy to put on the knee. The strap is quite flexible and holds firmly with the gel pack holder's velcro. The extra strap is a bonus in case my husband chose to use it also. The cold can last nearly an hour, and it recovers quickly when placed in the freezer. I would not hesitate to purchase additional gel pack sets; its a wonderfully effective product.

Works ok. Feels cold enough coming out of the freezer but doesn't hold coolness as long as other gel products I have used but serves its purpose if you don't need to use it for more than 15 minutes. Be careful putting it the microwave though. Hard to tell how long to put it in for. One of mine actually burst wide open inside the microwave.

Great for icing or heat therapy. I have to ice my right knee as much as possible because it's almost always slightly swollen and sometimes even warm from friction due to the cartilage behind my kneecap being rigid caused by a small kneecap fracture a few years ago. Point here is I got the medium one and I use it about every day and I can say that this gel pack does exactly what you need it to and has no issues. I always hated using Ziploc bags with ice because that wastes plastic and gets everything wet from condensation. The other option was one of those hard ice packs used for keeping lunches cold, but that is just annoying to try to keep balanced on your knee, and it condensates too. I've also heated this up in the microwave for my back muscles sometimes, and I very much appreciate that it can be nuked directly from being frozen because I always keep this in my freezer. I honestly think everyone needs one of these because you never know what body part you may need iced or warmed up one day and the Velcro strap and extender strap are extremely helpful.

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.

Have issues with pain in both knees and shoulder/neck. These are the best cool packs I have found so far. I put them in a Ziploc in their own pouch and leave in the freezer so I can ice 3 times a day. The Ziplock protects the bag part as I leave the ice pouch in the bag in the freezer. The extra strap is good to reach places like the shoulder and hold the ice pack in place. People mention they are not cold enough or stay cold long enough. I have been through extensive PT and they are equivalent in temperature out of the freezer to what they use at PT and ice packs are usually left on for no more then 10 minutes in one place. I bought two packs so I can ice the front and back of both knees at the same time and them do the shoulder or neck. Would highly recommend them. Look like they will last for a long time if handled correctly. I do not need heat but they also can be used for heat so I cannot address that part.

I have not used it yet. But I really like the small size