Over the years, I have used arm sleeves many times, especially in alpine zones. Start off cold? Add arm sleeves before you start hiking. Once the sun comes up, take them off. There is no need to change from a long sleeve to a short sleeve top.
My first pairs were made by a small hiking company, and then I’ve used Farmers Defense brand most recently. (See here for a review)
This time around, it was an affordable pair on Amazon, sold under a couple of brand names. While it doesn’t say it, these are sized for thin women and teens. Or smaller stature men.
They weighed in at 34 grams or 1.2 ounces, so are very lightweight.
Unlike the heavier Farmers’ defense sleeves, these have a small elastic band at the top. It is pretty narrow.
I found I could only pull them up about 85% of the way. So that left material below my elbow just hanging out, sagging.
Why? I’ll be honest: I’ve never had skinny upper arms. If your body is like me, these won’t fit well. If you have thin arms, they will work well. I felt like these sleeves would be great for teenage girls. I’ll stick with my Farmer’s Defense for now, but keep these around as a loaner to hiking partners.
~Sarah
Thanks for this review Sarah. I wear sleeves, but mostly for covering up my tattoos so they don’t fade in the sun. I now use them for warmth on chilly mornings and find them so much easier than taking long sleeve shirts on and off.