LWP-02 TRIPOD LEG WARMERS
Materials
The LWP-02 tripod leg warmers are made from a combination of velcro loop material and rubber, with a velcro hook strip down one length of the rubber side for securing around your tripod legs. The velcro loop material also doubles as the surface with which your hand comes into contact, and has a soft, comfortable feel. There's a nice touch with the small Sunwayfoto tags on each one too.
Usability
They are a very simple accessory, and come in packs of 3 to allow you to use one on each leg if so desired. I use 2 at the moment, but remove them completely during the warmer months. They make a noticeable difference during cold weather, and make it more enjoyable to adjust your tripod as you don't need to touch and hold as many cold, hard surfaces.
As the velcro loop material makes up the entire outside of the product, they are hugely adjustable, and would fit any tripod leg with a circumference shorter than the shortest edge of the warmer. Some tripods have leg warmers built into their design, but these tend to be the cheaper aluminium models, with carbon fibre tripods being left exposed (presumably so the tripod company can show off as much of the carbon fibre as possible, as they charge more for them than aluminium ones).
I don't know if you can exactly call it a downside, but the velcro on these warmers is so strong, they are more difficult to remove than you would expect. This aids their security when installed, but makes it a bit tricky to remove them when the warmer weather comes around.
One overlooked benefit of them too is the fact they increase the thickness of the tripod when grabbing hold of it - either when carrying or adjusting. This is great for people with larger hands, as gripping onto something smaller for long periods can cause unnecessary strain on your muscles and cause your hand to ache after a long walk.
The only slight downside really is that despite the rubber sides having a gripped texture to them, they don't always stay still on your tripod legs. The entire warmer can twist round as you manoeuvre your tripod into place, and they can slide up and down ever so slightly. The velcro is super strong as mentioned though, so they can't actually go anywhere. And in any case, it might just be that I need to wrap them around the tripod legs a bit tighter to stop this from happening. This issue doesn't stop me from using them very effectively though, and I'm glad I have them!
Summary
This product does exactly what it says on the tin. They are simple but highly effective, and come in packs of 3 in this longer length, and a shorter length too if needed. a definite must-have accessory if you have bare tripod legs like I do.
Pros:
- Simple but very effective
- Manufacture quality
- Sold in packs of 3
- 2 sizes available
Cons:
- Super strong velcro can be tricky to remove
- They need wrapping tightly to prevent them moving
