Concept2 Forum

In looking for reccomendations on a compression style knee brace for comfort, support and protection during sports. Snowboarding, rowing, bike riding etc. what I’ve found online is braces ranging from 8$ to over 100$. I wouldn’t mind paying for an expensive brace if it is actually worth the money comparatively.

If you need a brace, there's something going on with your knee. I think your best bet is an orthopedist or sports certified physical therapist who can examine your knee and recommend the correct brace to give you proper support, and perhaps even suggest exercises to strengthen the knee.

There are all kinds of reasons for being interested in having a knee brace, One could be because you do have some sort of injury and want to protect it. Another is that while your knee may feel perfectly okay, you just want the extra support to prevent an injury from happening.

You didn't mention why you wanted a knee brace. But whatever the reason may be, I agree that before you buy one, you should see a physical therapist or an orthopedic surgeon for advice. That's the wisest thing to do. If you do need a brace, they will give you info about the proper ones to consider. And it's possible they will say that you won't need one at all.

It sounds like you're looking for neoprene sleeves. The compression with these are not too extreme but will keep your knees nice and warm and provide a little support. You can get some relatively cheap ones from a local sporting goods store or you can go for the high end brand like Rehbands. I have a pair of 7mm Rehband sleeves that I wear when I do light squats, power cleans, box jumps and sprint rows. There are new brands coming out lately to compete with Rehbands. Check out www.roguefitness.com for a good selection. For the Rehbands at least, I would recommend buying a size smaller than what the fitting chart might suggest.