Copper Clothing Review : Antimicrobial & Good For Achy Joints

1.8K

I love checking out new product developments, especially when health, clothing or lifestyle creations are given an innovative twist. I was thrilled when Copper Clothing got in touch to ask me to check them out, and they’ve kindly gifted me a few products so that I can bring you an honest review. I’m pleased to report that it’s been a predominantly thumbs up experience, with this friendly brand providing good quality products designed to make a positive difference in our lives. You’ll also find a special discount code at the end of this post.

About The Copper Clothing Brand

Copper Clothing is at the forefront of developing copper-infused products that can bring users a variety of potential benefits. Rory Donnelly is the Director & Co-Founder of Copper Clothing, and in my communications with him I get the feeling that this is a company that wants to do good and wants to ensure their customers are happy.

The copper-infusion idea was born in 2012 and the journey took off from there, with their first product, copper pyjamas, getting nation-wide media attention.

Copper Clothing has a few impressive brands on their homepage of the various universities and institutions they’ve conducted research with and collaborated with in their drive for innovation, including the NHS Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, the University Of Bath, Gov.UK, and the University of Southampton. The work Copper Clothing do is driven by the desire to innovate, to shape the future of healthcare products and to connect industries so that such eco-friendly, effective products can be adapted on a wider scale, transforming and improving lives. 

★

From the Copper Clothing website : 

“Copper Clothing is pioneering the research and development behind copper-infused technology to revolutionise the way we tackle antibiotic resistance and prevent future pandemics. Our goal is to reduce the spread of infectious diseases through commercialising a range of safe to use, high quality, durable, non-drug, non-invasive and affordable anti-microbial solutions.”

★

The company has an appealing sense of ethics and morals from what I can tell, which is important in a brand: They prioritise integrity in their research and development; put the core principles of transparency, respect and honesty at the heart of their relationships; work in collaboration with medical professionals, manufacturing professions, consultants and scientists; value their duty of care by vetting their partners and ensuring products are totally safe for use; they encourage feedback and continual learning; they’re passionate about what they do; they take a responsible, proactive approach to customer-service, environmental concerns and sustainability. 

While the company, like many others, has taken a considerable hit during the pandemic along with facing challenges with shipping that are beyond their control, they have invested in company operations and sought to ship products from the warehouse as quickly as possible, doing all in their power to ensure a smooth customer experience. 

Copper Clothing are continually investing in R&D and coming up with new product ideas, so they’re hoping to expand the product range with some exciting new additions this year. Each product is given ample attention to detail by favouring quality over quantity, and they value consumer feedback, both of which I find admirable in making them a consumer-oriented company.

What Makes Copper Special?

Copper is a natural essential trace element that’s needed for all living organisms to function. It’s thought that copper can be used in products for anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory properties. 

In what’s called the Oligodynamic Effect, copper ions can destroy pathogenic microbes regardless of whatever material the copper is part of, such as cotton fabric or nylon. They do this thanks to electrostatic forces that penetrate the viral coat, allowing the copper irons in to destroy the RNA and DNA inside that cell. This prevents the pathogenic microbe from replicating, which is thought to then help with preventing the spread of various infections. 

In particular, Copper Clothing refer to research on how copper achieves a 99.99% reduction and destruction of the Bovine Coronavirus within just 10 minutes. 

On the issue of Covid, Copper Clothing have said to me personally: “…we hope people can see we can really make a difference and even help prevent the spread of a future pandemic. We have multiple tests against various strains of coronavirus, even COVID-19, highlighting the resilience of copper in fighting the spread of infections.”

A few key takeaways about copper:

• Copper is 100% pure and natural. It’s a non-drug, non-invasive solution. 

• Copper is preferable to silver, outperforming it by being safe, not poisonous and effective across all temperatures. 

• It’s thought that copper promotes blood vessel development and angiogenesis, rejuvenating the skin by synthesising elastin and collagen. 

• Studies suggest copper can destroy 99.9% of different fungi, bacteria and viruses within mere minutes of contact. 

• Copper is long-lasting and durable through wears and washes as the ions are bonded at a deep molecular level. 

• Copper has anti-odour properties as it destroys the fungi and bacteria that can often result in bad smells. 

The Range & Prices

Copper Clothing sell a select range of copper-infused products in the categories of clothing, household, accessories and pets. Products include the likes of: Blankets, bed sheets, pet beds, gloves, face masks, insoles, eye masks, underwear and socks. It’s perhaps unsurprising that the range is a little more limited as these are specialist products using innovative technology, but I would love to see the range expand and I’d be excited to keep up with their developments as a brand.

Likewise you might consider the prices a little higher, but when I’ve looked at other products claiming to have health or hygiene benefits like that of copper, the prices have actually been higher elsewhere. My experience with the products I’ve tested has been predominantly positive and I feel they’re good quality, so I’d have to say the value for money here is pretty decent. 

During my research of the brand, I discovered that Which? have included the Copper Clothing face masks in their round-up of coronavirus face coverings, finding that they fit well and that the brand has lab results and independent certification to back up their antimicrobial claims.

The Website 

The website is fairly straightforward to use, and I like the extra information on how copper works along with customer reviews and blog posts. However, I do think the ability to browse could be improved a little and there’s no keyword search function. I also think some products could do with a little extra information, especially around sizing. 

Customer Service

Rory has been a pleasure to deal with. When the wrong pair of gloves were sent out in error, he apologised and got the right ones sent out the next day. I get the feeling the company is very responsive and willing to help, which is always reassuring to know. 

You can get in touch with the friendly customer service team via the website on an online chat, by telephone or by email. They’re also on several social media channels.

They accept all major payment methods, including credit cards, debit cards and Paypal, with “100% secure and private” transactions. 

Delivery & Returns

Copper Clothing deliver worldwide, with dispatch usually within 2 days of ordering. 

For UK orders, prices start from £4.99 but can vary depending on the total weight of the order. It’s a shame no free delivery option is available for orders over a certain amount, but it is fast and via a signed for service. From the point where the warehouse got notification to ship my products, I received them two days later, which was much faster than I’d expected. Products were well-packaged and the delivery process was fuss-free.

For international orders, those less than 2kg are dispatched via the Royal Mail International Signed For service. Costs are calculated at the checkout. 

Copper Clothing have their full returns policy details on the website. While returns aren’t free if you change your mind, it is possible to decide you don’t want something or simply want to cancel your order for a full refund. Obviously in the unlikely event you have a problem with your order, just contact customer services who will endeavour to rectify it for you. My own experience here suggests they’d be responsive and helpful in doing what they can to make it right for you. 

★ ★ ★

My Products

I was kindly gifted some products to test and review.

Compression Gloves

The Copper Clothing compression gloves come in size small, medium, large and extra large. I have very small paws, so I was pleasantly surprised when I tried these on and they actually fitted quite well! There are slight gaps at the top of my fingertips but it’s nothing like what I’ve had with typical winter gloves in the past and it doesn’t affect my ability to use them. My mother found this a bit too tight, so they’re probably true to size in being called ‘small’. I love the material, which is nicely silky and smooth. 

Compression gloves, as you’d expect, do need to be tight. These feel snug but not uncomfortably so, and I actually really like the feel of them. They’re soft and supportive, and dexterity isn’t much reduced at all so my hands can still move well. I didn’t expect them to be quite as supple and flexible as they are, which is brilliant. I also really like the rubberised grip on the underside to make them more practical and versatile.

These are designed to be washable and eco-friendly. They can go in the washing machine for a cold wash with delicates and they can be tumble dried at a low temperature. They’re not to be ironed or used with bleach.

These gloves come in a clear plastic bag with an insert to tell you a bit more about copper. They have a few potential purposes and benefits, such as reducing the spread of germs, keeping hands warm, aiding circulation, reducing inflammation, keeping skin soft, and supporting painful joints in the hands. 

I have Raynaud’s, erythromelalgia, and painful hands, especially when doing a lot of repetitive tasks like typing. I’ve found these gloves to be very comfortable and more practical when going about day to day things than I’d imagined. If you want to do more fiddly things that require greater  dexterity or to use a touch-screen then obviously you’ll have to take them off, and that’s the only issue really. They fit remarkably well and I like to hope they’ll support my aching, difficult joints and my poor circulation. They appear to be top quality and well made, so I anticipate them wearing well.

I can see these being particularly good with writing, which is when my hands can be very painful and problematic. Very pleased with these and I’d absolutely recommend them. 

Copper Pet Blanket / Throw

The Copper Clothing pet blanket/throw is described as a ‘self-cleaning’ blanket. I can’t say I’d ever come across self-sterilising blankets before so this was quite novel. I do think blankets typically need to be washed regularly, so it’s interesting that this one could perhaps be cleaned less frequently. 

There’s no size listed on the website. The label stitched onto the blanket does, however, indicate the size : 150cm x 100cm.

It’s a reasonable size so as to be pretty multi-purpose; even though it’s described as a ‘pet blanket’ I think it could just as easily be used at home on your bed, as a chair cover, for travelling, picnics or camping. It’s just particularly useful for pets because of the anti-odour properties and the potential reduction in bacteria, while still being soft and snug for your fur baby. 

Any downsides? I noticed a smell to this blanket when first getting it out of the bag. A smell of newness that’s fairly strong and lingered a few days, so it might be an idea to air it out for a while first.

I also noticed, when going to dispose of the outer plastic bag it came in, parts of the plastic and zipper had a rust-coloured dusty hue about them. It wasn’t fluff to just dust off, it was more a discolouration. I thought this was copper coming off and worried it might stain upholstery so I got in touch with the company. They promptly got back to me and advised: “this is simply a fluff from the fleece material inside the packaging. It is not copper, the copper in the blanket will never cause staining as the copper is infused within the blanket and not a copper powder or dust.” 

I’ve had this blanket on a dining chair in the garage (long story) where my cat likes to chillax at night after his hard day at work. The seat cover is ivory so it was a great way to test this out, and I’ve thankfully not noticed any colour transfer or copper discolouration. Neither has my cat’s arse developed a copper-coloured tint. Phew! You can safely use this and not worry about any copper being breathed in or staining anything. The same goes for all the products, and I’ve certainly not noticed anything with either of the gloves.

Really pleased with this blankie and Virgil gives it a his seal of feline approval.

Fingerless Gloves

These Copper Clothing fingerless gloves come in one size designed to ‘fit most’. They’re designed to be less compressive than the compression gloves I’ve already mentioned, and obviously the fingerless design makes them more practical for various activities, whether you’re typing, reading, doing a jigsaw puzzle or doing the gardening. They’re a good mid-way point to get the benefits of copper while carrying on with your day. 

Like the other pair, these are designed to be washable and eco-friendly, useful for circulation, and potentially beneficial for inflammation and joint pain like that experienced with rheumatoid arthritis. In addition of course are the possible benefits of copper, like being anti-microbial, anti-odour and durable. 

Unfortunately these are a little big for my small paws. However, they fit my mum’s hands and also my dad’s. The problem is, I now can’t get my dad to take them off! They fit him perfectly. I’d say these would fit most people aside from those with particularly small mitts.

These are soft and flexible, far more like fingerless winter knit gloves in comparison to the compression gloves. The style makes them great during winter, light enough for the warmer months, and very versatile. They’re very comfortable to wear and very practical, so much so that my dad has barely taken them off over the week plus of wearing them.

He has rheumatoid arthritis and struggles with his hands at times in terms of their mobility and dexterity. He’d previously wanted to try a copper bracelet, so I’d bought him two of different types and my scepticism over them was warranted as they did nothing for him. These gloves are a different matter as you’re getting the warmth and support of the gloves themselves, plus direct contact with the copper infused in the fibres.

He says these are warm, snug, comfortable and supportive, where you can put them on and forget you’re wearing them because they just feel ‘right’. He feels his joints do actually seem a bit less painful and achy after wearing them, and to me that’s a huge win as I’ve not been able to find anything that really makes much difference for him. I was still pretty sceptical about copper-infused gloves, but even for comfort and a little extra support they’ve been great. Don’t expect miracles, but every little helps when dealing with something like RA. Even a little less achy-ness for his hands is great success so I can see him getting a lot of wear out of these. 

★ ★ ★

Copper Clothing In A Nutshell

I’m really pleased to have been introduced to this company and their cutting-edge copper-infused technology. 

All in all, Copper Clothing seems like a friendly, innovative brand with some very decent products on offer. I think the website could benefit from some improvements and I obviously can’t comment about claims against Covid19 other than what the company has suggested on their website. What I will say is that my experience with the brand and their products has been positive; the blanket is very practical and I think both pairs of gloves are absolutely fantastic, well-worth considering if you want to look after your paws and sore joints. 

I think Copper Clothing has an exciting future ahead, full of new products and innovations on the horizon that can make a real-world difference to their customers. 

Find Copper Clothing

You can also get 15% off your order (not including pet products) with the code CAZ15. Code is available for the foreseeable future; it’ll be removed one it’s no longer active.

The Copper Clothing Website  ||  Copper Clothing Facebook || Copper Clothing Twitter || Copper Clothing Instagram

Have you ever tried copper products or are they something you’d like to give a go?

Caz  ♥

Facebook   ||   Twitter  ||  Instagram

[ Ad – These products have been gifted in return for an honest review, which I have provided here ]