FirstIce Cold Therapy

FirstIce is one of the best cold therapy packs I've tried. FirstIce mimics both peas and crushed ice, with none of the mess, and stays cold for hours. It's perfect to take along in a cooler to ice sore muscles after a workout. Be sure to bring along a cover to wrap it in so it is not next to the skin.

Rest, ice, compression, elevation. That's the RICE recipe for injuries. But the ice part can be messy or expensive. I've used the instant cold packs, I've used a baggie or neckerchief packed with crushed ice and melting all over me.

FirstIce looks and acts like crushed ice or peas. The gel is formed into microgel beads, and like ice it "melts" as it warms up. This reaction keeps it colder longer - 5 times as long as the common cold gel packs.

For me, this means I can ice my knee and then ice my hip with the same gel pack, then back to the knee again, and the pack is still colder than most of the gel packs I've used. It means that if I freeze it the night before, I can put it in a cooler and take it along with me when I go to a walk, and it will be plenty cold for me to use after I'm done.

As with any cold pack, it is best to wrap it in a light towel or other cloth so it is not right on the skin. That will help prevent freezing your skin.

If you need regular cold therapy for a chronic problem, or if you just want to keep an ice pack handy in case of sprains or strains, FirstIce is a great solution.

Full disclosure: the reviewer received a free sample of this product to try for the review.

Disclosure: Review samples were provided by the manufacturer. For more information, please see our Ethics Policy.