A selection of Maxibillion premium activewear and loungewear had been sent for me to put to the test during Quarantine. The packaging looked very slick, oozing class, style and… wait a minute all 100% recycled? But it didn’t look ‘Eco’ and typically ‘Green’! So it is possible to have classy design without screaming ‘Eco-Warrior’. Like a child at Christmas I unwrapped the premium packaging to discover some groundbreaking garments. Amongst the collection was a crew neck T-shirt, boxer briefs and technical compression tights and shorts. On initial inspection the designs looked to be classic in cut and shape, what first hit me was the feel of the T-shirt and boxer briefs… They felt like nothing I had felt before!The Cannes Boxer Brief and the Max Crew Neck T-shirt seemed to be softer than any other material, even silk. I could not quite believe my finger tips, so I had to delve deeper and find out more about this fabric. Both are made from 93% of Maxibillion’s signature Modal Micro Air fabric combined with a little Elastane for optimal stretch; it turns out that the Modal Micro Air fabric is produced from TENCEL™ beechwood fibres, from sustainably managed European Beechwood trees. A minimum amount of trees are required to be planted to replace the harvested trees, of which there is an annual limit to each harvest. These methods have been awarded an EU Eco-label for the entire process from the forest all the way through its entire life to the point of disposal. I had to try these on. The T-shirt was so stretchy as I pulled it over my head, but it immediately returned back to shape once on my torso thanks to the 4-way stretch technology. Once I donned the T-shirt and boxer briefs, I realised that they felt like a second skin, so soft and lightweight that it felt almost as If I was not wearing them. Both had extra-fine seams and stitching with the briefs having a smooth covered waistband for ultimate comfort and are apparently anti-allergenic to boot. One of my bugbears with t-shirts is that they can very quickly lose their style looking tired and shapeless, however the anti-pilling construction increases the garment’s lifespan so this should have a much longer life, especially with its alleged colour fastness too.Next up were the active sports compression London ¾ compression tights & London compression shorts, made from Olympic-grade ‘Technical Mesh’, they have been developed to enhance performance. Constructed from strategically placed compression panels which are designed to support muscle groups,decrease muscle vibration and increase blood flow to the muscles which in turn is intended to improve stamina and shorten recovery time. So on with my Batman tights and off to my gym. They certainly are snug, like a second skin and they feel like they are holding everything in place, once again these garments are extremely flexible and do not seem to restrict my movement with their 4-way stretch. Putting them through their paces with some deep squats, deadlifts and some heat inducing Tabata, they certainly seem to do the job. Whilst doing some of these compound lifts I like to tighten various muscles- quads, glutes, pull in and tighten the Transverse Abdominis muscles and fill the lungs with air, whilst screwing the feet into the floor creating strength and tension throughout the body; having these London compression tights on seems to accentuate and encourage this feeling of strength and power; so this is obviously the reason why all superheroes wear tights. If squatting and pushing your legs through their full range of motion the fabric can go a little transparent over the knee joints and around the Glutes, so perhaps wear them as base layers if appearing in public. The Shorts worked particularly well in the heat of the midday sun, and the ¾ tights were great for the early morning starts when the sun was just getting warmed up. Whilst the compression tights may not be constructed from Beechwood fibre, Maxibillion are looking to launch a range made from recycled polyester material. Altogether a great start for a new activewear and loungewear brand, I am looking forward to see what is next in their evolution.
For more information on the brand and to buy see Maxibillion.
