You know what sucks? Knee pain.
Knee injuries are incredibly common in strength sports, endurance sports, and even just active lifestyles. The knee is a weird joint where a lot happens, but an injury can mean serious downtime and we all know that nothing is worse for your progress than an injury.
CrossFit ranks knee injuries as the third most common injury in the sport, after back and shoulders (as you might expect). So, we're going to take you through the best CrossFit knee braces : how to find them, how to choose yours, and some of the most popular options on the market.
Read this article if you want to keep your knees healthy, improve your performance and get the best value for your money in the process!
Why Use Knee Sleeves for CrossFit?
The purpose of a knee brace - or any other compression device - is to keep the joint warm and decrease the intensity of compression caused by weight, landing, or other forces during training.
When you load a joint, the weight is not only expressed downward, but it radiates outward through the soft tissues and connective tissues (such as 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 behind using a knee sleeve and it is crucial in CrossFit because of the number of different compression exercises that are performed. This is especially concerning because they are often repeated over and over again and are performed in a state of fatigue, increasing the risk of injury.

With exercises ranging from Olympic weightlifting to powerlifting to CrossFit-specific movements (like wall balls) applying compressive and shear forces to the knee, support is important. At the same time, it will be important to provide this stability without compromising knee motion – crucial for health and performance.
What Makes a Good CrossFit Knee Sleeve?
The variety of movements in CrossFit means that it requires a different type of knee brace than pure strength sports like weightlifting or powerlifting. The inclusion of exercises like running, rowing, and other cardio movements means that you can't use a "heavy" knee brace, as this inhibits movement.

This means that the CrossFit knee sleeve will need to be thinner and more maneuverable. It is not just designed for squats, but must allow for a full range of motion - performance in running and other movements is a key aspect of a good knee sleeve for CrossFit.
The design and fit also need to be more flexible and less ergonomic than heavy duty knee sleeves. While SBD knee sleeves are superior for their high compression and tightness in powerlifting and weightlifting, they would only obstruct the knee and the force-specific (often incorrect) movement during other types of exercises.
This is one of the many reasons why CrossFitters don't use knee sleeves. They offer too much elastic resistance and would be incredibly difficult to put on, or even walk in, if properly strapped. Clearly, the CrossFit knee sleeve must trade stability and compression for mobility and versatility.
- Durability is always a key factor. Sleeves should last you years, not months. Build quality for a product that is going to be used daily and is meant to maintain the health of your joints. A poorly made knee brace will be impractical and expensive when you factor in replacement costs!
- Design and fit are important – they need to be loose yet adaptable enough to perform the basic function of a knee brace, without compromising movement. This means a more comfortable fit for running, wall balls and beyond.
- The material will be predictable (neoprene is the standard choice), but the quality and feel of the material can vary greatly. A durable neoprene is a very different material than a flimsy, poorly made version.
- Thickness is also a factor to consider. This often comes down to personal preference and size, but a range that includes 5mm and 7mm options will provide a serious advantage. A product with options is a product that can provide value to many different athletes.
If you want to compete in CrossFit , you'll need a knee brace that's legal for both training and competition - or you'll need to purchase two separate pairs.
Top Rated Knee Sleeves for CrossFit
1. Rehband 7051 Original

The Rehband 7051 was the first true knee sleeve to achieve the kind of popularity seen today with a variety of knee sleeves.
But was the original the best? That's unclear, as other types of knee braces have overtaken the Rehband in other sports.
With a combination of support and freedom of movement, it's not hard to see why they've been popular since their release. The Rehband performs all the crucial functions you'd buy a knee brace for - from good compression to effective warming and support for the knee joint.
The durability of a pair of Rehband sleeves is excellent when you get the right size and take care of them. They will slowly loosen over time, especially if you are a tall guy or at the top of your size according to the size chart, but you can fix this by washing them regularly.
They don't have the same quality or benefits for heavy lifting as an SBD sleeve or something, but they can be worn for all aspects of CrossFit. That's the kind of compromise and versatile approach we want to see in a CrossFit knee sleeve!
The biggest issue we seem to find with the Rehband is a disparity in quality between the 5mm and 7mm model. The 5mm is objectively more well constructed and has greater durability, while the 7mm is generally considered to be worse in construction and the compression level may well be too high for CrossFit.
Hilariously, the rest of the negative reports are the result of customers not realizing that the sleeves are sold individually. Be sure to check whether you are purchasing a single sleeve or a pair of sleeves!
For
- Brand reputation
- Good balance between compression, support and freedom of movement
- Choice of sizes
- High quality and relatively durable
Against
- The quality of 7mm sleeve is lower than 5mm
- Sleeves sold individually
2. Iron Bull Strength

With only one size available – the 7mm sleeve – Iron Bull has already run into issues. While these sleeves are well-built and have a much lower price point than the Rehband, the thicker, higher-compression sleeve is going to be controversial for CrossFit.
The design is robust in a sport that demands versatility and flexibility. There are plenty of reasons to love the Iron Bull Sleeve for squats and other lifting movements, but the fact that the 7mm sleeve sits behind the knee can be a real problem for repeated movements throughout the full range of motion.
This product also has occasional manufacturing quality issues, especially with the seams. With a very high neoprene standard, tears on the seams are common because they take most of the stress. Added to this is the fact that according to various studies, the size guide does not match the actual product!
This product has a lot of potential once these issues are addressed it could be a great product. However, it still won't be suitable for CrossFit - specialized sleeves simply won't work very well for the variety of movements required.
For
- High quality neoprene
- Excellent design for support and stability
Against
- Quality issues and occasional tears
- May be too tight/compressive for regular CrossFit movements
3. Fitnessery Knee Brace

This is another 7mm sleeve that is more maneuverable and allows you to move more freely than the Iron Bull. It is also designed with CrossFit in mind, but is still specialized for movements like squats and weightlifting movements.
The size guide itself states that a smaller size will be more appropriate for heavy lifting, while a larger size will be better suited for mixed CrossFit workouts.
The size and "general purpose" design are exactly what will make this a better design for CrossFit.
The negative reviews for this product are almost entirely the result of human error: customers who purchased a size larger than their actual measurements and received no support. Fortunately, this can be easily corrected by relying on the size guide!
Occasional reports of mismatched sleeves can be an issue, so be sure to check your sizes immediately if you order. Overall, a great product that seems to fit CrossFit's needs!
For
- Well designed for CrossFit training and a variety of movements
- Promising reviews on build quality and usability
Against
- Sleeves sometimes mismatched in packaging
- The size guide is helpful, but check individually to be sure
4. Nordic Lifting

The Nordic Knee Brace is a standard product: it's unremarkable and unimpressive.
It's a carbon copy of the Rehband model, with very little to draw attention - a trend we'll see a lot in this market.
This is an example of a standard sleeve - a 7mm diameter model, of poor build quality and relatively unimpressive design and features.
Many reviews report repeated tearing on the products, despite the one-year warranty (which you should be able to take for granted on a product like this). A warranty is a good thing, but one year is very short and the return/replacement process is a pain.
This finding is combined with many other reviews that report these sleeves breaking on first use or within the first month of use.
The product's unnecessary seams are vulnerable to rupture, while the sleeve itself offers a bit more compression and restriction than we'd like to see in a CrossFit knee sleeve.
This is the kind of problem you're likely to encounter with private label products: a product manufactured cheaply and branded by a sales company like Nordic Fitness.
For
- The one year warranty is better than many other competitors
Against
- Poor build quality and frequent breakage
- Poor quality seams often open during exercise
- The design and joint support are uninspiring
5. Mava Sports – 7mm

This knee brace from Mava is another example of a middling private label Rehband clone. This is evident from the all too familiar complaints about the incredibly poor build quality.
These 7mm sleeves are likely to have exactly the same seam tearing issues as the Nordic Lifting Sleeve.
These problems are common within the first 30 uses. Mava also faces frequent defective products and a cursory approach to quality control.
Combined with the increased thickness that prevents seals and the poor sizing guide, these knee sleeves are another example of how private label products are simply inadequate in some areas.
You want to buy a knee brace from a company that handles its own manufacturing and design. Fitness is not an area to be neglected and cut corners, especially when your joints are under stress, so avoid this product.
This product isn't even covered by Nordic Fitness' one-year warranty: a standard 30-day warranty is nowhere near enough for a product that should last for years.
For
- There aren't any...
Against
- Incredibly poorly built
- Defective products, poor quality control and poor performance
- Doesn't even come with a warranty

Final choice
The problem with the knee brace market is how much it has grown in recent years and how that has affected manufacturing. While companies like Rehband and SBD provide a high quality product, specifically designed to be a market leader, many others have tried to capitalize on the growing CrossFit trends.
The use of private label products is a real problem, with poor manufacturing quality being a common occurrence across a range of brands. This involves outsourcing the design and construction of the product itself, using cheap labour and poor build standards to keep costs down – the exact opposite of what we need in a knee sleeve!
Invest your money wisely: buy a product from Rehband (the 7051 in particular) or even the Fitnessery sleeve. Both of these products are at the forefront of quality and design effectiveness, with far fewer reports of poor construction. These companies offer a stronger brand identity and you will only have to buy once every couple of years.
Poor quality products may be cheap or come with a one-year warranty, but a good pair of sleeves simply won't break in a year. It's cheaper in the long run to spend more now and not have to replace your knee sleeves repeatedly!