Review – Zaggora HotPants

When I was first asked to review some ‘hot pants’, I initially laughed out loud because Kylie I most certainly am not.  I would never subject my lovely readers to a picture of me in hot pants and I would not traumatise my husband and children in such a cruel and heartless way either.  When I stopped laughing (and crying a little over my lost youth when I may have got away with wearing such an item), I realised I was being asked to review Zaggora HotPants, a new type of sportswear that claims to help the wearer lose weight, reduce cellulite and drop inches from their waist, hips and thighs.

Zaggora claim that their products ‘heat you up when you’re active, burning calories for you’ by using patented Celu-Lite Technology, a multi-layered fabric that traps body heat to help the wearer burn more calories and reduce cellulite.

I’ve been exercising a lot lately anyway so I thought, ‘Why not?’…once I’d established my arse and wobbly bits wouldn’t be on display and that the HotPants Zaggora proposed to send me to try out actually look like innocuous black leggings (although a variety of bright, funky colours and styles are available).

I received the Fold-over HotPants (pictured above) which feel very similar to the material used to make wetsuits with a soft, stretchy waistband that can be folded over until it feels comfortable.  I tried them on and after only a few moments I started to notice my legs growing warm and tingly.  Only slightly alarmed, I set off for a twenty minute run and then on my return participated in some impromptu dancing with the kids (just what you feel like doing when you’re about to burst a blood vessel and your legs feel like jelly).

When I eventually extracted myself to have a shower, I stripped off to reveal legs covered in something resembling a heat rash, although it was tingling rather than itchy.  It faded after a few minutes but was enough to make me think that the HotPants must at least be doing something.

The leaflet I’d received stated that the best results would come from wearing them whilst exercising for thirty minutes each day for two weeks; not an unreasonable expectation.  I also liked that the leaflet provides ideas for activities around the house such as housework than can constitute your thirty minutes.  My husband HILARIOUSLY asked how I would manage when I didn’t do any housework…Zaggora HotPants, it turns out, also work as a very effective gag 😉

The biggest result I noticed was when I went to Body Pump.  For anyone who doesn’t know what Body Pump is, it’s an all-over body workout set to music using weights.  It’s very intensive and I’m usually sweating a bit by the end but this was something else.  For anyone with a weak constitution turn away…NOW.  OK? Right, for everyone else *whispers* the sweat was DRIPPING OUT OF THE BOTTOM OF THE HOTPANTS AND RUNNING INTO MY TRAINERS.  Afterwards I could literally wring out my knickers.  I know, gross, eh?  But yet more proof that the HotPants are more than just some fancy looking leggings.

As far as washing goes, the care instructions tell you to rinse them in cold water so I just put them in the shower with me following exercise and then let them drip dry over the shower curtain rail overnight.  They dry pretty quickly for thick material and because they’re being rinsed straight away, they feel clean and ready for wear again.

You can see loads of positive testimonials on the website http://www.zaggora.com/ and read the statistics, but studies show that wearers of the HotPants increased energy expenditure by 11% and burned 9.7% more calories than standard exercise clothing during thirty minutes of exercise.

I’ll be honest; after two weeks I haven’t lost weight or inches but I’m definitely more toned.  Obviously that could just be the exercise; I’m not convinced two weeks is long enough to see just what the HotPants can do.  Other factors such as a healthy diet (and not drinking too much wine ;)) need to be taken into account but let’s put it this way; I’ve been impressed enough to continue to use them.