Knee sleeves are worth it if you train consistently and heavily. As Weightlifting requires constant squatting movements, knee sleeves can provide the extra warmth, stability, and support that can reduce knee pain. However, if you have healthy knees, there is no need to wear them.
What Makes a Great Knee Sleeve?
To answer this question, we had to first break down exactly what a knee sleeve does. A knee sleeve provides warmth, compression, and tactile feedback to the athlete during various movements. The amount of each aspect that is desirable depends on the type of training you are conducting, Are you a powerlifter where the most important aspect is sleeve stiffness and compression to help you “bounce” out of the bottom? Or are you a long distance runner that prioritizes knee mobility and overall distance?
Starting with a balanced 100% pure neoprene at 6mm’s in thickness, we were able to achieve excellent warmth, compression, and tactile feedback without the extreme range of motion restriction and bulkiness that traditional 7mm thick powerlifting knee sleeves have. At the same time, offering more benefit to a wide range of movements over a thin 5mm or 3mm runners style knee sleeve.
After determined the perfect material, next was the shape. The shape of a knee sleeve needs to be optimized for the natural bending of the knee to reduce bunching while still offering a good amount of “spring” feel. Achieved this with a 25 degree offset which our testing resulted in the best balance of tension and contour.
Finally, the durability. One of the biggest challenges of knee sleeves is ensuring they last for many years given the amount of repetition and stress that they will endure.
Do knee sleeves weaken knees?
Improper use of or overreliance on a knee brace can cause the affected knee to weaken. Wearing a poor-fitting brace can also result in discomfort and stiffness. However, all these are preventable, so a knee brace shouldn’t weaken the knee if worn the right way.
Post time: May-17-2022
