You’ve probably seen them on The Golf Channel, on your local golf course, at your local sporting goods store, and now here at Qwowi.com.  The Trion:Z Minus Ion bracelets (and necklaces) are just about everywhere these days.  They’ve been endorsed by the likes of Butch Harmon, David Leadbetter (who endorses nearly as many things as Payton Manning), and if you look carefully, you’ll see them on the wrists of several PGA, LPGA, and Nationwide Tour players.  Thousands of everyday people swear by them.  All of this begs the question; just what the heck are they?  More importantly, do they actually work?

Testing the technology for myself seemed like as worthy a pursuit as anything else we do here at Qwowi.com, so I reached out to Trion:Z CEO, Jim Uno, and asked him if he’d be willing to send a couple of samples for review.  About a week later I received those samples.  I’ve worn them night and day since (going on a month now).  I’ve played half a dozen rounds of golf with Trion:Z as part of my equipment arsenal.

Background

Before we get into the actual review, let’s briefly cover what the Trion:Z bracelet actually is, and what the supposed benefits are.  The quick version reads like this; the technology that powers today’s modern world (cell phones, computers, and pretty much anything with electrical wiring) gives off an abundance of positive ions which are then absorbed by the human body.  Now you could say, “so what”, and move on, however; the contention is that an excess of these nasty little positive ions that are shooting out of my computer as I’m typing this, can cause muscle fatigue, lack of concentration, and other “detrimental symptoms” (which no doubt include playing some fairly crappy golf).

The Trion:Z lineup, which includes, necklaces, bracelets, and now wristbands, are comprised of therapeutic magnets (not a new idea), and what the company calls Stayers™, a unique textile with minus-ion producing minerals woven into the fabric of the Trion:Z bracelets and necklaces.  These Stayers™ give off minus ions which counteract the affect of the positive ions we’re taking in on a daily basis.  The results of all this re-balancing can be increased energy levels, higher concentration levels, and a decrease in general aches and pains.

Admittedly, Trion:Z isn’t the only way you can surround yourself with minus ions.  They’re also given off naturally by plants, thunderstorms, and waterfalls, but since it’s a heck of a lot easier to wear a bracelet than live your entire life under a thunder cloud, or next to a waterfall, Trion:Z is probably the way to go.

You can read all the specifics on the Trion:Z website.

Research

While waiting for my Trion:Z gear to arrive I conducted some research into the whole notion of minus ions and to a lesser extent, Trion:Z itself.  The overwhelming majority of people fit into 1 of 3 categories:

1. Firm detractors – Minus ions, positive ions, Trion:Z, and pretty much anything associated with it is junk science.  There’s nothing to it.  These products don’t do anything.
2. Firm believers – Trion:Z has changed their lives.  They swear by the product and would sooner give up the arm they wear the bracelet on than give up the bracelet itself.
3. The Japanese – Either they’re way ahead of us, or they’ve bought into what group 1 will have you believe is one of the biggest scams every perpetuated on the public.  What I can tell you is that, in Japan, companies can’t sell something as basic as a toaster if it doesn’t give off minus ions.

Me, I didn’t know what to expect.

The Trion:Z Experience

Let’s be clear from the get go, Trion:Z is not a cure for all that ails you.  Here’s a quick list of what hasn’t happened since I started wearing Trion:Z products.

• Women do not find me irresistible.  In fact, not even my wife finds me so
• I have not become scratch golfer, in fact I haven’t made so much as a single hole in one
• I have not qualified for the Olympics in any event; including fencing
• I am not able to bench press large mammals
• I have not eliminated the need for sleep, in fact I still have to waste at least 7.5 hours on it
• I cannot levitate objects with my thoughts

Granted, Trion:Z makes no claim to any of the above, but it would have been nice.

That’s not to say that I haven’t seen some noticeable changes since I first slipped on the Trion:Z bracelet.  I can’t swear that the Trion:Z is solely responsible for these positive changes, in almost every case there are other plausible explanations, but at the same time, I can’t honestly say that there may not just be something to this minus ion thing.

For Golf

As far as my golf game goes; starting with the first round after I first put on the Trion:Z my game has improved.  I’m not lights out or anything, but my ball striking has improved dramatically, and I’m posting lower scores.  I’m also finding that I’m generally more relaxed on the course, and react more positively to bad shots.  I don’t obsess over them, which means one bad hole isn’t spilling over to the next.  Of course, I have put in some time at the range as well, and fundamentally changed my swing.  Those sorts of things, however, usually take time to pay dividends.  I’m seeing results practically overnight.

For the Mind

As far as concentration levels go…both on and of the course, I feel like I’m a bit more focused.  At work I feel more “locked in” to the task at hand.  Again, this could all be related to the fact that for the most part, I’m sleeping better and waking up fresher than I have in quite some time.  This of course spills overly nicely into the notion that the Trion:Z can alleviate fatigue.

Before my Trion:Z arrived getting out of bed for work (at 5:40 AM) was a bit of a struggle.  Since I’ve been wearing the Trion:Z to bed, I’ve had absolutely no trouble getting out of that bed in the morning.  I wake up feeling more refreshed, and haven’t come remotely close to falling asleep during my 45 minute drive to work.  Once again, however, there are other, equally as plausible explanations.  The arrival of the Trion:Z coincides nicely with the arrival of warmer temperatures, and earlier sunrises.  I’ve always been less of a summer sleeper, meaning I rise and shine with the sun.  It’s certainly possible, indeed even likely, that my willingness to get out of bed in the morning is more directly related to seasonal changes, but again, the change happened, quite literally, overnight.

For the Body

Finally, there’s the notion that the Trion:Z can somehow relieve muscle fatigue.  Here’s my story.  I’ve had intermittent back problems since junior high.  For the past several years I’ve been mostly okay, but when we redid the floors in our house, I tweaked things a bit.  My back hasn’t been 100% right since.  Earlier this spring I aggravated things further while cleaning up a partially flooded basement, and have been dealing with daily pain since.

For the first 3 weeks of wearing the Trion:Z my back was pretty much the same.  No better, no worse, with daily pain and tightness, particularly in the morning.  Monday morning, however; (3 days before writing this), I woke up absolutely pain free for the first time in months.  Is the Trion:Z responsible?  Again, the best I can say is maybe.  In addition to wearing the Trion:Z, I’ve also been making sure to thoroughly stretch out my back each and every morning.  Warmer weather could also be a factor.  Truthfully, the last couple of mornings temperatures have been relatively cool, and I have felt some aches and pains, although nowhere near as bad as before.

The Verdict

Here’s the thing…I’m not about to say that Trion:Z  is absolutely everything it claims to be.  Yes, without a doubt, since I got the Trion:Z necklace and bracelet I’ve seen improvement in every area where the company claims their product could provide benefit.  In each and every case, however; there are other equally plausible explanations.  At heart I remain a bit of a skeptic.

Every coin has its flipside though.  So with all of the above said, am I willing to take the chance, whatever the odds may be, that the Trion:Z hasn’t played a role in the improvement of my golf game, the increase in my focus, and most importantly the alleviation of my back pain?  Oh hell no.

I suppose that’s the beauty of my situation.  I don’t have to be 100% convinced that the Trion:Z works.  I’ll just keep wearing it until such time as I can prove it doesn’t.  Of course for that to happen I’d have to stop wearing it, and that’s not going to happen either.  As much as I’m unconvinced that it works, I’m equally as unconvinced that it doesn’t.  How’s that for a tasty bit of circular logic and self-delusion?

Recommendations

At a minimum I would suggest you actually try the Trion:Z for yourself.  As I said, many, many people absolutely swear by them.  Let’s assume for a second that those who do are on to something.  $19.95 isn’t all that much to pay for a life change experience, right?  It’s also not that much to spend even if you’re approaching it from more of a “let’s see if this actually works” position.

As a bit of an aside, I saw one forum post where a user actually replaced his dog’s color with a Trion:Z necklace, and claims the results were remarkable.  I tried the same with my dog.  She wore the Trion:Z for 4 days straight, and I can’t say she was noticeably calmer.  Of course, if you’ve met my dog you know that she’s a particular kind of crazy, and 4 days probably isn’t enough time for anything to change her.

You can pick up Trion:Z products at the company website, as well through retailers like The Golf Warehouse – Golf’s #1 Online Superstore.

In addition to the necklaces and bracelets I tried, Trion:Z technology is available in custom log design bracelets (featuring many popular college teams), Palette Mag-Titan (a more traditional-looking platinum bracelet), and the new sweatband style Broadband model.

Have you tried Trion:Z?  Please share your thoughts with our readers.