Knee injuries are implausibly common in strength sports, endurance, and even simple active lifestyles. The knees are weird joint with a great deal going on, however, an injury here can mean a serious day out and that we all apprehend that nothing is worse for your progress than an injury. CrossFit places the knee injury as the third most typical within the sport once backs and shoulders.
9 Top Knee Sleeves For CrossFit
| Product Name | Picture | Price |
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| 1. Rehband 7051 Original Blue Knee Sleeve |  |
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| 2. Iron Bull Strength Knee Sleeves |  |
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| 3. Bear KompleX Knee Sleeves |  |
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| 4. Exo Knee Sleeve 5 mm |  |
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| 5. ROGUE 7 mm Knee Sleeve |  |
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| 6. Rehband RX Knee Sleeve |  |
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| 7. RockTape Knee Sleeve |  |
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| 8. Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeve |  |
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| 9. Fitnessery Knee Sleeves |  |
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How do CrossFit knee sleeves Differ From Others’ knee Sleeves?
They build CrossFit Knee Sleeves to support and stabilize, just like sleeves for heavy lifting. The difference is that lifting sleeves are often harder and stiffer, made specifically for support while lifting.
Weightlifting knee sleeves will be very hard to get on. If a sleeve is too easy to get on, it will not have the support needed for serious lifting and is designed for functional fitness or CrossFit.
In fact, many weightlifters use knee wraps instead of sleeves because they can get the wraps tighter than a sleeve. CrossFit knee sleeves are not as intense. It’s design to support and stabilize, but they offer more movement and can be worn for agility movements plus you can wear them for the entire workout.
The point of a knee sleeve or any other compressive gear is to keep the joint warm and counter-act compressive forces caused by weight, landing, or other forces during training.
When you load a joint, the weight isn’t just expressed downwards to the floor. But radiates outwards through soft tissues, tendons, and cartilage. By compressing the joint with a sleeve, you can reduce this outward force and stabilize the joint.
This is the general idea for wearing a knee sleeve, and it is crucial in CrossFit because of the number of different compressive exercises are performed. This is the concern for huge amounts of repetitions and in a fatigued state both of which increase the risk of injury.
With exercises from Olympic weightlifting to the powerlifting to CrossFit-specific movements applying compressive and shear forces to the knee, support is important. It will be important to provide that stability without compromising the movement of the knee crucial for health and performance.
9 Best Knee Sleeves For CrossFit
Now, we point out that a lot of branding companies offer not only knee braces but also knee sleeves, which we advise you to take the time and figure out precisely what you desire before making a purchase.
1. Rehband 7051 Original Blue Knee Sleeve
The Rehband 7051 was the first real knee sleeve to achieve the popularity that we see with a variety of have overtaken the Rehband in other sports. With a combination of support and free movement, it’s easy to understand why they have been popular. The Rehband performs all the crucial functions that you’d buy to effective in good compression, warming, and support of the knee joint.
The durability of a pair of Rehband sleeves is great when you get the right sizing & take care of them. They will slowly loosen over time, especially if you’re a larger human or at the top of your size on the sizing chart. But you can get past this with regular washing. They won’t experience the same quality or benefit for the heavy weightlifting that you’d experience from an SBD sleeve or similar. But it can wear them for every aspect of CrossFit.
The greatest problem we seem to find with the Rehband is a distinction in quality between the 5mm & 7mm model. The 5mm is objectively more well-constructed and has greater durability, while they commonly report the construction on the 7mm as being worse and the level of compression may well be too much for CrossFit.
2. Iron Bull Strength Knee Sleeves
With only one size available on the 7mm sleeve. While these sleeves may be well built and have a much lower price than the Rehband, the thicker, high-compression sleeve will be controversial for CrossFit.
The design is heavy-duty in a sport that requires versatility and flexibility. There are many reasons to like the Iron Bull sleeve for squatting and other lifting movements, but the bunching of the 7mm sleeve behind the knee can be a real problem for repeated movements through the full range of motion.
This product also runs into occasional problems with build-quality, especially along the seams. With a neoprene standard that is very high, tears on the seams are common as they take most of the strain. This is compounded because, according to a variety of reviews, the sizing guide doesn’t correspond to the actual product. This product has a lot of potential once they fix these problems; It might be a great product.
3. Bear KompleX Knee Sleeves
This is another example of a company providing a choice between the 5mm and 7mm sleeves. But with the addition of a variety of designs and sizes. That will provide the best in support and compression while performing a variety of exercises including Power Cleans, Squats, Snatches, Lunges, Box Jumps, Running, and more.
Sadly, the reviews for the Bear KompleX sleeves are poor durability, with common reports of unusable products after only 2-4 weeks. Combined with a customer-pays-returns policy and poor warranty, it’s a real risk to order these sleeves.
4. Exo Knee Sleeve 5 mm
A team of CrossFit athletes developed the Exo compression knee sleeve design in Florida, combining their own experience with observations from competitive weightlifters, fitness coaches, physical therapists, orthopedic specialists, professional gym holders, and more. The result is a particularly flexible, breathable, and naturally contoured knee sleeve.
Sold in pairs, Exosleeves made from an anti-microbial, 5 mm thick neoprene material. A closed-cell, natural rubber interior, durable nylon exterior, and flat-lock stitching give users 360 degrees of warming compression with a free range of motion. Neoprene knee sleeves not only help lessen stress on fatigued, aching, or arthritic knees, they can likewise support to prevent some of that wear and tear from occurring.
5. ROGUE 7 mm Knee Sleeve
Rogue is the American-made knee sleeves on the market, available in a 7MM thick SBR / Neoprene manufacture for a firm but healthy support. The contoured seams and flexible compression substance used in this design can facilitate athletes to reduce knee strain and discomfort during and following a workout, without inhibiting their range of motion as they train.
They sell rogue Knee Sleeves in pairs and are available here in black with Rogue branding in white. The range of sizes from XS to XL.
6. Rehband RX Knee Sleeve
With a 5mm and 7mm option, the Rehband RX is specially designed to support the knee during CrossFit movements. This is a great change, with a focus on improved movement quality and freedom in many movements, even in the 7mm model.
These are longer and more maneuverable than other types of sleeves, with specific design changes to accommodate running, squatting, rowing, and more. This is a great change though they do not design this product to compete with heavy-duty movements alone, as some reviewers seem to complain about. As before, check through the description as these sleeves are sold singularly. This is another common source of a negative review with riband. So will double-check and make sure you’ve ordered them for a sleeve.
7. RockTape Knee Sleeve
The RockTape knee sleeves are a great design for CrossFit athletes, with a great balance of compression for lifting and movement-freedom during CrossFit movements like wall balls and other forms of cardio. This is a big deal, since most of the sleeves we’ve seen on this list are awfully built or too thick, restricting movement.
The stitching on the RockTape knee sleeve is still not great having common tears and damage, but at a lower rate than similar products on the market. The rest of the complaints about this product actually center on poor customer service & poor sizing or wrong size delivered.
8. Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeve
The Nordic lifting knee sleeve is a standard product. They’re a precise copy of the Rehband design with very little to gain much attention a trend we will see a lot in this market.
This is an example of a standard knee sleeve a 7mm design with poor construction and a relatively unimpressive approach to design and features. Many reviews note repeated tears on products, despite having a one-year warranty. A warranty is considerable, but the replacement process is a pain.
9. Fitnessery Knee Sleeves
These are another 7mm sleeve that comes with a more maneuverable design, allowing you to move more freely than other products in the market. This also comes with a design that takes CrossFit into consideration, but still specializes towards movements like squats and Olympic lifts.
The sizing guide itself notes that a smaller size will be more appropriate for heavy lifting, while a larger size is more appropriate for CrossFit mixed workouts. The “general use” sizing and design are exactly what will make this a better design for CrossFit. So will check your sizes straight away if you order. Overall, a considerable brand seems to take the needs of CrossFit.
Final Thoughts
The problem with the knee sleeve market is how much it has grown in recent years & how has affected manufacturing. While some companies are specifically designed as leaders in the market. And many others have tried to cash in on the growing CrossFit trends. Invest your money buying from a reputed brand, concentrating on customer reviews by using the sizing chart to determine which size is best for you.