Indications are narrower than the marketing suggests: peer-reviewed evidence is strongest for post-exercise recovery and lymphatic drainage, weaker for general circulation claims. Hill et al. (2014) and a 2020 meta-analysis by Cranston & Brown both found measurable reductions in delayed-onset muscle soreness when applied within two hours post-training.
What to ask: which device, pressure range (mmHg), how many chambers and what protocols (sequential vs simultaneous compression). Lower-end consumer-grade boots compress at 70–100 mmHg sequentially; medical-grade lymphatic devices go up to 250 mmHg. They're for different indications — make sure the center matches your need.
