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Recovering from Fatigue for 1,900 Yen—The Ability of Workman’s "Mediheal Room Pile Long-Sleeve Crew Neck"
Fatigue recovery wear has been booming in recent years. You’re now likely to see it advertised on television commercials, but did you know that even Workman has been developing their own fatigue recovery wear—and that sales are rapidly expanding?
This time, "Workman official ambassador" Koji Yamada sat down with Shunya Handa, Manager of Product Development Division 2 at Workman Co., Ltd., who was involved in developing the Mediheal Room Pile Long-Sleeve Crew Neck.
Recover from Fatigue by Reflecting Far-infrared Rays Emitted from the Body with the Power of Ceramics
Koji Yamada (hereafter, Yamada)When did the "Mediheal" series first launch?
Shunya Handa (hereafter, Handa)We started in 2021. Initially, we only released compression wear aimed at workers. It was promoted as a sort of “wearable energy drink” that aimed to recover fatigue while on the job, and perhaps because of the uniqueness, it was surprisingly well received by a wide range of people.
YamadaWere there any similar products from other companies at that time?
HandaThere were very few. Maybe some major mass retailers had started dabbling, but it was almost unheard of.
YamadaCan you explain again what effects "Mediheal" offers?
HandaThe four main effects are “fatigue recovery,” “blood circulation promotion,” “relief of muscle stiffness and tension,” and “muscle fatigue reduction.”
YamadaWhat’s the mechanism behind these effects?
HandaThe ceramics blended into the fibers reflect the far-infrared rays your body emits, thereby promoting blood circulation. Think of it like a hot spring, which improves circulation by warming your body—the difference is that “Mediheal” uses far-infrared rays instead of hot water.
YamadaWhat consumers are most curious about is whether "Mediheal" really works. Do you actually wear it yourself?
HandaI wear it every day. This is just my personal opinion, but I honestly feel like it helps me recover from fatigue. In fact, I wear it so much that I feel uneasy without it (laughs). Some Workman employees actually claim they can feel the effects pretty clearly.
YamadaHow have your customers responded?
HandaBefore launching, I was bracing myself for complaints, but we haven’t received any feedback like “it didn’t work at all.” Generally, the feedback has been very positive.
YamadaTell us more about the "Mediheal Room Pile Long-Sleeve Crew Neck."
HandaSince it’s mainly designed as loungewear, we’ve prioritized comfort. In particular, we’ve focused a lot on the fabric’s stretchiness.
At Workman, we have internal standards that products must meet to be marketed as "stretch" items, but the “Mediheal Room Pile Long-Sleeve Crew Neck” far exceeds those numbers.
We’ve also worked hard on the pile fabric’s texture. With its towel-like feel, I think it’s even comfy enough to use your arm as a pillow for a good night’s sleep (laughs).
YamadaThe design is very minimalist now. In the old days, Workman used to have large logos and sometimes even neon yellow stitching (laughs).
HandaThe color selection is basic: black, navy, and gray. The lineup is unisex, and women can also wear the M size.
HandaWe’ll be releasing a zip-up blouson for the autumn and winter season of 2025 as well.
Why Workman Is Able to Offer Prices 1/5 That of Competitors
YamadaThe "Mediheal" series has pretty unique features compared to other Workman products, but have there been any challenges in the production stage?
HandaTo promote benefits like fatigue recovery as a general medical device, the product actually has to pass clinical trials. At Workman, we outsource that process to external companies, but unlike our other products, this additional cost does get reflected in the retail price, so that’s a challenge for us.
YamadaThe "Mediheal Room Pile Long-Sleeve Crew Neck" is priced at 1,900 yen, the long pants are also 1,900 yen, and the leggings are 1,500 yen, making them as affordable as other Workman products. However, similar products from other companies claiming the same effects can be more than five times as expensive. How does this price difference come about?
HandaThe costs related to clinical trials probably aren’t much different from those of other companies. One of the main reasons we’re able to keep the price low is, just like with other Workman items, cost reduction through mass production.
Also, the percentage of ceramics with far-infrared effects blended into the yarn affects the price. Workman products use blends in the 30% range, whereas I’ve heard other companies use more than 40%.
On top of that, another major factor is that we hardly do any advertising for "Mediheal." Running large-scale TV commercials—like other companies do—costs an enormous amount of money.
That said, the commercials from other companies have brought considerable attention to recovery wear like this lately. Sales of "Mediheal" have been steadily increasing every year, but they really skyrocketed from the autumn/winter season of 2024.
YamadaWhat kind of products will the "Mediheal" series offer in the future?
HandaFor the autumn/winter season of 2025, we’ll be introducing bedding and socks. Beyond that, though it’s still in the planning stages, we’d love to create items for a premium line with new functions added. For example, we’re looking into making the ultimate recovery wear, possibly by incorporating magnets to help loosen muscle stiffness. We want to try a variety of new things.
YamadaI’m looking forward to it.
PROFILE
Shunya Handa
Manager, Product Development Division 2, Workman Co., Ltd.
PROFILE
Koji Yamada
Fashion Analyst / Official Workman Ambassador
Freelancer, mainly active through self-run fashion blog "Tokyo Fashion Dig." Author of "結局、男の服は普通がいい 世界一かんたん、一生使えるオシャレの方程式" (KADOKAWA).
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