Knee Sleeves – TC – Knee Sleeve – Alternate V1

Best Knee Sleeve


RiptGear
Best Overall
Check Price


BOTTOM LINE
This RiptGear knee sleeve supports the entire knee and holds it in place with comfortable flexible compression. This is our top pick because of the knee support, no-slip design, high quality materials, and comfort.


PROS
The high qulaity materials it was fabricated from has given it a lasting quality that is rare in compression knee sleeves. This knee sleeve does not disappoint and holds compression after dozens of washings.


CONS
While this knee sleeve retains compression and relieves knee pain, it will not keep your patella completely stable. For patella support, please read about our other choices.



Nordic
Best for Weightlifting
Check Price


BOTTOM LINE
Great for powerlifting, weighttraining, and cross training. We found this knee sleeve to provide knee support and kneee compression during weight training and Nordic is known for this quality.


PROS
These are designed to increase performance and reduce thei risk of injury for heavy lifters. Nordic has been in the power lifting and weight training support business and are great and reputable company.


CONS
They are bit more stiff than we prefer and seem to be specifically designed for going extremely heavy. For comfort and compression choose a different option.



RiptGear
Best for Patella Support
Check Price


BOTTOM LINE
The RiptGear open patella stabilizer knee sleeve brace is perfect if you need support after a patella knee injury. This is a great choice that provides pain relief, injury recovery, and injury prevention.


PROS
Testing found this knee brace sturdy and supportive, yet allowing adjustable compression to alleviate discomfort. This patella support brace helps alleviate pain while still allowing for comfort and flexibility.


CONS
These are specifically designed for patella support after a knee injury. We think this is great for patella support after an injury, but not as an all around knee sleeve.



McDavid
Best for Basketball
Check Price


BOTTOM LINE
McDavid’s Hex knee sleeve has etra padding making it great for contact sports. They fit well and are great at wicking moisture. The extended length of these knee sleeves protects leg from scrapes and cuts.


PROS
These are great for basketball and offer light protection during knee to knee contact while playing. They are very long and cover the upper part of the calf to keep your’s from getting injured during contact sports.


CONS
They did not last as long as other knee sleeves, but were great while they lasted. The coverage is a bit too long on the lower part of the leg and seems unnecessary for knee pain.


Knee Sleeve

compression knee sleeves

Knee Compression Sleeve

There are several different kinds of knee sleeves and braces on the market. Determining which one you need depends on several factors including whether there is a current injury, how long you need to wear the brace if you are still experiencing knee pain, and other factors.

knee compression sleeve tests

Compression Knee Sleeves

With Compression Knee Sleeves you have many different choices available, you will need to do a bit of research to match the right knee sleeve to your specific needs. We have listed the common types of knee sleeves that are available below so you can understand the differences between them.

Best Knee Sleeves

Prophylactic Knee sleeve– This type of knee sleeve is designed to protect the ACL, PCL and LCL. If you’ve ever gotten injured playing sports, this is the brace that can help you support your knee the way it needs to be. This brace is not designed to be worn during games because the limited movement will reduce your performance. They are often worn during practices and then taken off when it is game time. Many athletes wear this type of brace when they are working out and conditioning. The majority of prophylactic knee braces utilize unilateral and bilateral bars and hinges to provide that support.

  • Functional Knee Sleeve – Functional knee braces are popular for helping to stabilize the knee while it is in the healing and recovery process. The type of functional knee sleeve will depend on the degree of injury the person has sustained. In general, if the injury is mild to moderate you could use a brace that is constructed from neoprene with hinges on the side for extra support. If the injury is more serious, you might need a brace that has a metal frame and hinges. The purpose of a functional knee brace is to provide firm support and stability when the user is twisting, pivoting, running or jumping.

Rehabilitative Knee Sleeve – If you’re in rehabilitation for a sports injury or you are recovering from surgery, a rehabilitative knee brace is a good choice for you. This type of knee sleeve will limit your knee’s movement so it can heal and recover properly. This type of brace, when combined with therapy is believed to be a good foundation for healing and recovery. In general, one can expect to wear this brace for 6-8 weeks following surgery. For additional comfort, they have liners that are around the thigh, calf, and knee that are made of foam. The stiff, adjustable bars on the sides hold the knee in place and are secured with straps. It is easily taken off to check the progress of the knee.

Neoprene Knee Sleeves

knee sleeve
Even though there are typically four categories of knee sleeves, there are many different models within those categories. It is beneficial to you to understand the differences and how they work so you can match your particular needs to the brace that best fits it. We’ve listed them below.

Knee Sleeves for Men and Women

  • ACL Sleeve – This is a good brace for those who have had ACL surgery or something similar. They keep the knee/leg from engaging in excessive rotation. They need to be custom made to fit each individual person.

Strong Knee Sleeves for Women and Men

compression knee sleeve

  • Patellofemoral Sleeve – Injuring the leg at the knee joint is a common injury for people to suffer from. A patellofemoral brace has a hole at the kneecap that pushes the kneecap outward. The patellar remains on track during extending and flexing.
  • Neoprene Sleeves – This is the easiest of all the knee braces and is actually the type that offers the least amount of support to users’ knees. This slip-on sleeve is made of breathable and moisture-wicking neoprene. It keeps heat surrounding the knee which is great for reducing inflammation and swelling of the knee.
  • Knee Immobilizer – If you have had surgery or an injury that involves the ligaments. This brace goes from the calf to the upper thigh. There is a plate that is located behind the knee that also runs from thigh to calf. Each side is stabilized with plates that protect the ligaments.

Knee Sleeve Conclusion

There are many different reasons you may need a knee brace; from preventing injuries to an already weak knee to reducing pain. More than likely you will need a specific type of knee brace for your particular needs. Once you have determined exactly what those needs are, you can begin to search through the different choices available.

Knowing how to narrow the selection field will help make the choice that much easier. The right information provides you with the tools you need to eliminate the braces that won’t work for your specific injuries/needs. With the right tools, you can be confident that the choice you make will be the right one.



Recommended Knee Sleeve
RiptGear

  • Highest Quality Materials
  • Excellent for Sports
  • Doesn’t Slip
  • Increases Blood Flow
  • Reduces Pain
  • Full Knee Support
Check Price
ConsumerAdvise.org is not a government agency. Companies displayed may pay us to be when you click a link or call a number on our website that results in a lead submit or a product purchase. Our content is intended to be used for general information purposes only. It is very important to do your own analysis before making any investment based on your own personal circumstances.

ADVERTISING DISCLOSURE: We may earn money from certain businesses when you interact with them through our website (such as clicking a link on our website or calling a number on our website to connect with them) and/or when you make a purchase in connection with such interaction.

DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: The owner of this website has a financial interest in RiptGear. RiptGear is a paid sponsor of some of the pages on this website. Links to sponsors are clearly labeled with the word SPONSOR in the upper right corner of the advertisement.