After you injure your knee, you will be faced with a daunting decision, which knee brace should you buy? There are tons of different types, sizes, shapes, and support levels, and depending on your specific injury, it can be hard to determine which is the best knee brace for you.

Whether you are looking for the best knee braces for running or others that are the best knee braces for arthritis, you will find a lot of options to choose from, so it is important to do your homework and find out a little about the products you are looking at.

Once you do a little research, you should be able to see how different brands and types will work for your particular injury. Here are a few tips for helping to find the best knee brace for you, and a few reviews to help you start your search.

Products Summary

The Ultra Flex Athletics Knee Compression Sleeve has four-way stretch capabilities giving you total protection, and it is the best knee brace for squats and weight lifting. It has top grade compression that helps to increase your muscle endurance and lessens inflammation and swelling.

The Ipow 2 Pack Knee Pain Relief & Patella Stabilizer Knee Strap Brace is great if you have issues with your patella. It regulates patella tracking, and it can lessen too much or unwanted patella movement.

The Winzone Knee Brace is a really durable brace that lessens pain, and it is comfortable enough that you can wear it for hours. It is made of 100% neoprene, so it will not slip a lot, and it is a great knee brace for a variety of injuries, and it is the best knee brace for torn meniscus and ACL.

The Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeves are also made with thick neoprene, plus reinforced stitching. They are ergonomically designed to give you extra comfort and to fit perfectly to the pattern of your knees making it the best knee brace for hiking.

The EX-701 Performance has built-in stabilizers that protect your knees while playing sports, and it helps to stop your knees from giving out. They are built with a four-way compression system that wraps your knee from all angles.

Neo G Medical Grade VCS Stabilized Open Knee with Patella Support has an open patella design that helps with patellar tracking. It also gives you added support while reducing twisting and gliding at the knee giving you more overall stability.

How to Find Your Ideal Knee Brace?

Injured Or Just Aching?

If you haven’t been to the doctor yet, now is a good time to go. It is vital to know exactly how you have injured your knee to make sure that you have the correct brace for your specific injury.

If you get a knee brace that is not designed for your specific issue, it can cause a lot of problems by furthering complications, and it can even be dangerous if it does more harm than good. After you seek medical advice, you can then begin your search knowing what to type of brace to look for.

There are many knee braces on the market that will help a particular injury like arthritis, ACL, or post-surgery braces. Each of these has specific features and connections that will relieve pressure and add support to specific places in the knee.

The Search for Support

As you search for your knee brace, you will see that certain braces give you more support than others. A post-surgery brace will help to keep your knee stable while another brace for patella tendonitis will give you lower support without a lot of restriction.

You also need to consider the type of activity you do, so if you want to continue with the sport you are playing, and only have a mild knee injury, then you want a knee brace that doesn’t restrict your movement a lot, but will still give you pressure and pain relief from the injury.

How Active Are You?

If you had to have a phase of rest and were not allowed to move your knee a lot, you will then need a higher supporting brace to keep the injury immobilized. You may also need a series of different braces as your injury improves.

You can start with the maximum support that you can find and then, as you become more mobile, decrease the support as you return to your normal exercise routine.

Does Size Matter?

There should be a sizing guide for the majority of knee braces on the market. It is important to measure your knee and leg, plus any other area where the knee brace will sit.

Guessing can cause you to wear a poor fitting brace that can do even more damage, and a knee brace that is too tight can restrict the area, placing too much pressure on the injury and causing more damage. It helps to read reviews of the products and see how others found the sizing in case some people found they were too tight and suggest you go a size up.

So Does Fitting

Knee Braces Reviews

Ultra Flex Athletics Knee Compression Sleeve

Who would think of using 3D technology when they were creating a knee brace? Ultra-Flex Athletics did just that with their Knee Compression Sleeve Support.

Ultra-Flex knee braces are made with high-quality materials that are also stylish and supportive. The Knee Compression Sleeve includes a four-way stretch capability that gives you the ultimate amount of protection, which makes it a really good choice is you are a weightlifter, runner, or professional athlete.

It can also help you increase your muscle endurance with its top grade compression, plus it can lessen swelling and inflammation while protecting your knees. You’ll also have faster muscle recovery as the brace stimulate your blood flow and keeps your blood from pooling.

If you are injured, the Ultra-Flex Athletics is the best knee brace for torn ACL or meniscus, plus it will give you a moderate amount of support and pain relief if you have minor knee injuries. However, keep in mind that it will not treat injuries above the knee.

If you get tired of making constant adjustments, you will love the Ultra-Flex with its double silicone anti-slip wave giving you a great grip, so the brace won’t fall down your leg. It is also super lightweight, and it is made with a professional grade blend of nylon and lycra that is designed to be flexible, durable, and comfortable all day long.

Things we liked:

• Numbs your joint pain and allows you to move around and exercise pain-free.
• Has a reinforced upper seam and an additional non-slip surface that keeps the sleeve from slipping.
• Not at all bulky and gives a great amount of support.

Things we didn’t like:

• sizes run small.
• Some people found it uncomfortable after wearing it for a long period of time.

Ipow 2 Pack Knee Pain Relief & Patella Stabilizer

The Ipow Patella Brace is made specifically to help with a patella injury. A flexible, high-quality slim insert was created that is worn right below your patella or just above the patella tendon that acts as a shield over your tendon.

This is also a great choice for patella tendon inflammation and irritation. It will regulate patella tracking, and it can reduce excessive or unwanted patella movement.

The double knot design makes it completely adjustable up to 18 inches. The breathable high-quality fabric is nice and soft giving you a nice comfortable fit, plus it has good absorption and permeability qualities, and it is easy to wash.

You can also customize the compression and fit with the adjustable strap, and it has a segmented fix design that lets you make adjustments based on how your knee’s curves, which helps to better protect your patella. If you play a lot of sports, remember this is best knee brace for basketball.

Things we liked:

• Velcro makes it easy to put on and adjust.
• Great product for the money, gives you lasting relief.
• Properly shaped and well-made with good materials.

Things we didn’t like:

• Depending on your leg size, you may have to fold the Velcro over to fit.
• Some modifications may have to be made for it to fit well.

Winzone Knee Brace

If you need to minimize pain and need something that is comfortable enough to wear for hours, the Winzone Knee Brace gives you that extra support you need. It is a very durable brace that is made with 100% neoprene, so it will not slip or restrict your leg too much.

When you want to get back to your normal activities, or just help to relieve your pain, the Winzone Knee Brace will help you get there. It’s great for those that have an active lifestyle and need to relieve arthritis pain, but it doesn’t restrict your movement making it the best knee brace for various activities such as skiing.

The brace is also great if you have issues with your ACL or meniscus with its dual side stabilizers that give you maximum protection, plus it is completely adjustable giving you’re the perfect fit. And, it is easy to slip on and off, and it is machine washable.

Things we liked:

• Gives great support whether you are sitting or walking.
• Completely adjustable if you have a larger than normal knee.
• Easy to use with very strong Velcro on both tabs.

Things we didn’t like:

• Can be too narrow for some people.
• Can bunch up with a lot of movement if you aren’t careful.

Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeves

If you are looking for a nice thick knee sleeve, the Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeves are a great option. They are a good choice if you are cross fit training, weightlifting, powerlifting, or actively doing other heavy fitness workouts.

Made with high-quality 7mm neoprene with reinforced stitching that is pretty thick, the Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeves will definitely keep your legs warm. Neoprene is a great material if you are also running or cycling; and nicely warm sleeves when training on cold days.

The Nordic Lifting Knee Sleeves come with an ergonomically designed sleeve that will give you extra comfort and has a perfect fit by conforming to the pattern of your knee. These knee sleeves work well for either men or women.

Things we liked:

• Very good product for the price.
• Well-made and thicker than other braces.

Things we didn’t like:

• Can get a little stretched out after a many use.
• Will sometimes work it way down your leg.

EX-701 Performance

Built-in stabilizers help the EX-701 Performance Knee Brace keep your knees from giving out, plus the stabilizers protect your knees when you are playing sports. It has two double flexible metal coil stabilizers that give you great lateral and side stability for the LCL and MCL ligaments, and they help to stabilize your knee when you are playing multi-directional sports.

One key feature of the EX-701 is the really strong Velcro and attachments. They have strong enough adhesion that they can hold over 35 pounds and still never lose function or curl up over time.

Like the Ultra-Flex Athletic Knee Brace, the Ex-701 has a unique four-way compression system wraps your knee from all angles giving you medial and lateral support that is perfect for injured ligaments and weak knees.

Two small cross-over straps wrap below and above the knee adding compression to the patella tendon. The EX-701 also has an anti-slip design that is great when participating in sports and gives you less irritation and more comfort for great all day support.

Things we liked:

• Helps to completely eliminate the pain
• Very effective and not bulky
• Acts like a heating pad at night

Things we didn’t like:

• Be careful when you wash it so it doesn’t bunch up
• Velcro can lose its grip

Neo G Medical Grade VCS

The only knee brace with an open patella design is the Neo G Stabilized Open Knee Support. The open patella design has a stitched buttress that helps you with patellar tracking and gives you additional support by eliminating twisting and gliding at the knee to help with the overall stability.

Your knee complex is supported with metal spiral stays that allow flexible movement. Arthritis and meniscus pain is lessened with weight bearing pressure that is evenly dispersed over the joint.

It is made of a durable neoprene that uses heat therapy to help with stiffness, chronic aches, and arthritis. This is the perfect knee brace for occupational use as it has dynamic support, especially when you are playing sports making it the best knee brace for soccer.

Things we liked:

• Sturdy, strong, and comfortable
• Very supportive and easy to adjust
• Gives you way more support than a neoprene sleeve

Things we didn’t like:

• Velcro sometimes curls up too much
• Some people found it a little too light

Our Best Pick

The winner of the best knee brace roundup is the Winzone Knee Brace Support. The Winzone gives you added support to reduce pain, so you can get back to your normal activities as fast as possible.

It is made of 100% neoprene, so it will not restrict or slip too much. It is a great brace if you have issues with your meniscus or ACL with its dual side stabilizers.

The Winzone gives support for all kind of issues making it one of the best knee brace for arthritis as well as for running, basketball, squat, hiking, skiing and soccer. It is also adjustable, so you can make sure you have the perfect fit.