Buying Guide: How to choose the best knee sleeves & braces for Crossfit? List 2024 (UK)

Keeping one's health in good condition and one's body toned and exercised are important for many people. As with all those who decide to practice crossfit, such as the exercise by which they choose to achieve these goals.

Of course, this practice is linked to possible injuries, with compression sports knee braces being one of the best solutions, which we will be talking about in this article, as well as the most common traumas, the appropriate clothing for this, their characteristics and more.

What are the most common knee injuries when we train Crossfit?

Crossfit is a discipline that requires the complete physical effort of the body, leading it to reach its maximum strength and body resistance in order to tone it up, strengthen it, give it firmness and exercise the mental capacity adapted to the demands of the exercise. In spite of this, there is a high probability of suffering an injury, whether due to bad movement or other reasons.

The knees are usually the areas most affected, especially by ligaments and by all the weight and responsibility that falls on them in having to support their own body weight, and all the pressure that comes from the outside. So, in this section, we will be mentioning and explaining each of the most common knee injuries, and that it is likely that at some point you will suffer, if you are one of those who practice crossfit as a sport and/or discipline.

Physical stress

Although it sounds very basic, it is more normal than it seems that people who practice crossfit can suffer from physical stress in the whole knee area, including the elements that make up this part of the body. To explain it a little better, when we refer to the term "physical stress" we are talking about the overuse and overload that is exerted at the level of the knees at the moment that some exercise or exercises are being practiced.

What happens is that the person who is training begins to feel confident about his or her physical capacity and body, as well as his or her stamina. They begin to demand more and more from their body until they push it to the limit, to the point of generating physical stress in the ligaments, joints and muscles of the knees. This is a totally unnecessary and highly avoidable event.

Pain in the knees

This injury is also common in people who train in this sport, and should not be taken lightly, quite the contrary. And why do we say this? Because pain in the knees is a silent and gradual injury, which gradually appears in the mentioned area until, if it is not treated in time, it becomes unbearable.

This is because the body has the natural capacity to heal itself, those muscle fibres of the knees that have suffered some micro rupture, or also due to the wear and tear on the trabeculae. This situation is caused by the overuse and wear of the knees during training.

Rupture of the meniscus

As such, the menisci are basically two fibrocartilaginous structures found in the lower part of the knees. They are responsible for improving the natural joint function of the knees, acting as shock absorbers or pads for the weights and pressures placed on them by the body, providing stability and correct joint movement.

A broken meniscus is another frequent and common injury suffered by those who do crossfit. It occurs when the person performs a deeper flexion than recommended while carrying out an exercise where it is worth squatting, while using kettlebells, or using leg presses that are too deep in another activity.

What happens at knee level is that the knee will tend to push in the direction of the meniscus, which will culminate in a tear at its junction close to the bone, and could become worse and more worrisome if it is not attended to quickly, and could turn into osteoarthritis.

Breaks and trauma

This is another type of trauma where the meniscus is involved, and it is precisely because a break occurs at the level of what are the linings of the knee joints. This refers to the so-called "synovial tissue" which is responsible for covering the joints while constantly producing a fluid that keeps them lubricated, reducing and avoiding friction or wear in this area of the knees. The situation occurs when the meniscus is crushed forward when a flexion is too deep for the knee, and consequently there is separation of what is the lining of the joint.

It is a very common condition in the crossfit, where people who train find themselves constantly doing jumps and flexions which are too deep and demanding for the knees, so that the lining, due to wear, friction and possibly wear, does not manage to lubricate the joints correctly and consequently breakage occurs in this area.

Anterior cruciate ligament tears

ACL (Anterior Cruciate Ligament) tears are those that occur when doing box-jumping crossfit exercises, forward or backward, or also when the person is carrying excessive weight on the shoulder area and spinning. So, they are tears that occur more than anything else, when the individual doing this practice demands more from his body than it can bear, or what he is used to doing.

The consequence of this is that the knee becomes very unstable, resulting in a problematic injury. In cases where the knee remains unstable for a long time, what will happen is that knee arthritis will form and often the person will be suffering from meniscus tears.

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What type of knee braces and patellar straps are best for strength-sport injuries?

Knee braces and patellar straps are indispensable elements when training and performing crossfit exercises. They are not only used by people who have suffered a previous injury, or who are recovering from knee damage, but they serve as support to help this part of the body increase its blood flow and circulation, while focusing on reducing pain and/or swelling of the knee joints, while training and after the activity has been performed.

So, the types of knee braces and patellar straps for those who train crossfit, are divided according to the different kinds of materials with which they are made. The most recommended are:

Knee compression sleeves

This garment is basically responsible for giving extra support to the knee area, which is the area that tends to be most frequently injured, especially in crossfit, where very demanding exercises and pressure are performed on this area of the body. They also provide the ability to control the compression exerted on this joint and its mobility, while acting to improve blood circulation throughout this area, also keeping the knee muscles relaxed and active for the exercises.

These knee braces are mainly recommended for people who, while practising crossfit, are suffering from knee injuries or pain in this area, including meniscus, tendonitis, arthritis or even osteoarthritis, thus helping the knees to improve their condition and allowing the conditions to heal further.

Orthopaedic knee supports

Compression sports knee supports for orthopaedic purposes have some essential features that allow a correct support of the knee, for any person who has gone through a very strong injury while doing crossfit, or if you are recovering from a major one. Such characteristics are:

• It prevents you from slipping off your knees.
• They have rehabilitative purposes, so they treat deep problems and injuries in the internal lateral ligaments, the anterior cruciate and the posterior cruciate.
• They are completely ergonomic and comfortable.
• They are also easy to put on and take off so as not to have a negative impact on existing knee injuries.
• Protection of the ligaments.
• Reduction of knee inflammations and pain.

Knee brace for the meniscus

They exert a much more compact compression on the knee, directly reducing the chances of suffering from a meniscus injury. So their main contribution to crossfit athletes is that when they are doing demanding knee flexions, these garments will give physical security and more support and tightness to the ligaments that are associated with the menisci as such.

Meniscus patellar straps

This type of tape works by focusing on centering the kneecap and also stabilizing it. It works by exerting an extra force on the patellar tendon, which allows it to release the tension contained as a result of any injury from a crossfit rotation exercise. This contribution of stress relief to the kneecap is something that this part could not do on its own.

The treadmill is located below the kneecap, just where the menisci are located, so that the support of the kneecap is completely effective and allows the person to perform their usual crossfit exercises normally, preventing the injury from getting worse.

Sports knee braces for ligaments

The ligaments of the knees are those that allow the knee to flex and stretch properly, so an injury to these, product of an incorrect performance of one or another exercise, causing trauma to the ligaments.

When that happens, the best thing to do is to opt for these special knee braces, which are in charge of giving compression to the affected area and also keeping it compacted, while providing enough heat to keep the ligaments healthy and give a key point of security to the joint so that it can continue to improve.

It is important not to forget that these are used to avoid and prevent any type of injury to the knees. Their use for aesthetic purposes is not at all related to crossfit as a requirement.

What characteristics should you take into account before choosing the best sports knee brace for Crossfit?

It is important that we are aware of the risks and knee injuries that we are exposed to when we do crossfit, not only to prevent them, but also to know how to act and what decision to make in case we suffer one.

Therefore, when we really know what we want with the garment, we can know other aspects such as: the function we want to obtain, the material they are made of, the type of support, the size, what design we like best, are some of the important characteristics to make the right decision.

Depending on the function

• Knee braces to relieve pain: Knee discomfort is very common in the crossfit, having a garment that considerably reduces pain is one of the most important purchases you can make, besides it is very important to use knee braces that reduce and relieve. In this way you will be attending to a problem that could get worse, and at the same time you will be giving this area of the body the support it could not otherwise get.
• Knee braces to reduce inflammation: If you've had an injury to the knee and are recovering, or if you've just injured your knee, but it's a minor trauma that only caused your knee to swell, wearing these anti-inflammatory garments will effectively help you to improve the problem. Sports knee braces work by exerting extra heat on the affected area, so that the size of the inflammation and the impact of the injury is progressively reduced.
• Protective knee supports: Remember that the main and original mission of the knee supports is to provide that extra support to the knees that they could not obtain otherwise. By providing this quality to your body, what they are doing is also preventing you from suffering or sustaining any kind of mild or serious injury during this practice that could have negative consequences on your health. So these garments are highly recommended to protect and avoid any type of injury, and especially in this discipline that are so recurrent.
• Knee ads to improve the functioning of the kneecap: The kneecap is one of the components of the knee where part of the weight to be carried falls and, also works so that it does not lean backwards and remains firm. The importance of using knee braces to help with this, lies in the fact that in crossfit, many exercises are carried out where you have to do high jumps with a lot of impulse, carry a lot of weight, run constantly and much more, where the kneecap can be damaged. The use of the sports knee brace will keep the joint in place, give extra support and compression so that it does not move or bend backwards.
• Knee braces to allow flexibility and freedom of movement: Compression knee braces used by crossfitters help keep your knees healthy, in good condition, and to prevent possible injury in this area. This garment is one of the most recommended as it allows you to move freely, and is flexible enough to allow your knees to perform optimally in more demanding exercises, such as powerlifting.

Manufacturing material

The material from which the compression knee supports are made is a very important aspect to take into account when purchasing them, and we say this because it is partly in the material that an assessment can be made of the durability of the sportswear. At the same time, the level of compression of the knee brace will depend on it.

Some of the most common and used materials to manufacture these pieces are neoprene, those of fabric or also the newest ones that are a patellar straps. Therefore, it would be necessary to evaluate the level at which the person is located, in terms of their ability to exercise in the crossfit, the decision would be made about which compression knee brace is the best. For example, if it is for people who have just started and are a couple of months old, the one indicated is the one made with fabric, because of its low level of compression but equally, it provides heat.

If, on the contrary, it is someone who is more advanced and makes more physical effort, then you should opt for the neoprene one, as the pressure is at a medium level and it will effectively help in training without worrying about injuries. However, if you are one of those who lift weights and are much more experienced in the field of crossfit, then you should go for the sports compression knee sleeves which are the most advanced, because their level of compression is extreme, ideal for competitions. As indicated by experts in the field.

Type of support

The aspect of support is very important as it is what will guarantee the person that the knee brace they are wearing can be kept secure and firm, which will also serve to give them security when they are doing any crossfit exercise.

There are many different types of support, of which we can name the following:

• Knee braces with Velcro: This is a fastening system that is frequently used on the garment to provide greater compression, as the person can adjust it to their convenience and how compressed they need their knee to be, also depending on what they anatomically deserve and what the crossfit exercise requires of them.
• Knee braces with straps: There are also these types of straps in the knee braces, which are very useful and versatile because they fit perfectly and are well compressed to the knee. They have a much more mechanical device than the Velcro ones, which makes them a very difficult type that can open by itself in the middle of any training. It is perfect for crossfit exercises where there is a lot of movement such as running, jumping, sliding, and so on.
• Hinged knee braces: Hinged knee supports on the sides are very good for giving stability and freedom of movement to the knee. They adjust very well to the shape of this area of the body while acting as lateral compressors and serve as walls that limit and keep in place certain internal parts of the knees.

Size

Knowing the size is one of the first aspects you have to take into account when buying a compression knee brace, and it is very important because this sportswear cannot be too loose or too tight, otherwise it could not perform its functions properly and effectively, and you would also be putting your physical health at risk.

Therefore, the first things you should do before making the purchase, is to measure the diameter of your knee. To do this, what you have to do is take a flexible tape measure, surround the joint with it, and mark it to the extent that it is adjusted to the diameter of the same.

Here we also recommend you to keep in mind, with prior attention, the type of material and thickness of the knee brace you want to buy, because if it is a round cloth and a pronounced thickness, you can not take the measure of your knee too tight. So you must take into account these details that we tell you.

Design

Compression knee brace designs are too many to mention them all in this article. The black ones are the best allies so that they do not let the dirt easily glimpse, although you will always have to remember to wash them once you have used them. The sports knee sleeves that you will find here are easy to wash and care for, this being a plus for their acquisition.

Also, you will be able to realize that in the market there are infinities of designs, even of colours, of camouflage, unicolors, of everything what you can imagine. The breathable ones are very comfortable and very useful because they fit the body, are soft and elastic, especially in the back of the knee and around it. It will allow your skin to breathe easily and calmly, helping your blood circulation.

Price

Crossfit is a physical discipline with modern exercise methods, therefore, for their correct and healthy execution, they must have the best protective equipment on their knees, due to the constant mobility they perform on their knees.

Compression sports knee sleeves provide all the characteristics required to develop the crossfit such as: good support, joint stability, compression, flexible and breathable materials, and more. They serve both to prevent and to recover from injuries, benefits that very few garments can offer, as well as guaranteeing the efficiency and durability of the same.

So, buying compressive knee sleeves that have all the aspects mentioned above, will have a much higher cost, than the average found in any online shop or pharmacy, these can affect even more the joint if you feel discomfort and does not perform the functions for which it was purchased.

Do the compression knee braces for Crossfit really work?

Compression knee sleeves are manufactured and designed for people who practice sports such as crossfit. Their main advantage is that they fit naturally into the shape of the knee and provide extra support for the ligaments, joints and muscles that make up the inner part of this important area of the body for such practice.

So, not only do they provide the greatest protection for the knee to prevent you from suffering any unwanted injury, but they also promote blood circulation on the inside of the knee. In such a way, that it is not only a support to this area, but it is also doing a work at an internal level by keeping each of the components of this part of the body in its place, completely protected and healthy.

It has been proven that the compression knee braces are very good allies for people who practice crossfit, serving even for people who lift heavy weights, for those who carry out demanding activities and exercises, but that with the use of these garments they maintain their physical health and body in good condition and completely safe.