If you’re a cyclist by profession or someone who enjoys cycling on a routine basis, you know how much strain this activity puts on your body parts, specifically your knees. This repetitive stress can cause your kneecaps to sustain permanent and irreversible damage. It can also cause you to develop problems like kneecap malalignment, which would render you incapable of practicing or pursuing physical activity or cycling.
Fortunately, there’s a very easy and effective method to solve knee problems; a knee brace for your kneecap. A brace supports or protects your kneecaps from aching joints, relieves the surrounding muscles from strain, and helps keep them warm. The brace can also be used to reduce chronic knee pain or any diseases that affect the knee. Some of the best knee braces are covered in this article.
Stay with us and read on ahead to find out about the best knee brace for cycling that you can invest in, all the health benefits therein, as well as any cons related to the product use. Use this article to help you find a product for the perfect solution to your knee pain and injuries.
Knee braces are specially designed supports that you wear for problems related to or pertaining to knee caps and joints. They’re more commonly used by cyclists to prevent patellar tendonitis, and other knee-related pains or problems.
Many people use them while doing strenuous exercises such as knee bends or hamstrings, and activities such as cycling. They can also be used to prevent injuries while playing sports, and as such, they have a variety of uses.
The brace itself is made from materials such as metals, elastics, straps, foam, and plastic. The braces come in different sizes, designs, and colors, allowing for users and wearers to choose a product best suited to their preferences and needs.
Before we tell you what this brace is for, you should know what a knee brace can do. It is commonly used to recover from a knee injury, to alleviate pain, for muscle fatigue surrounding knee joints, to improve blood circulation, for heat retention, and to help with the healing process in case of chronic pain or injury.
A knee brace is commonly prescribed by a physical therapist to patients with a knee injury, diseases, or pain, to provide support to the kneecap during recovery. This brace also helps with ACL tears, Knee Osteoarthritis, Chondromalacia Patella, Jumper’s knee, and Runner’s knee.
Other than patients, the brace is also used by many cyclists to help relieve pressure and pain while cycling. The brace can be worn by people of all ages and sizes, for all conditions related to the knees.
There are several types of knee braces suited for biking, some of which are mentioned below with descriptions:
Stabilizes and supports the knee joint while cycling, especially for those people who have already suffered from a severe knee injury.
Designed to alleviate pain in the knee joint and support the kneecap while cycling.
Helps weak or arthritic knees and improves their circulation for better healing.
As suggested by the name, this brace is made of neoprene, designed to provide warmth, increase circulation, reduce knee pain, and lessen the risk of an injury.
Provides support along with compression to the joint while cycling, helping reduce pain and discomfort.
Compression sleeves for the knees are slip-on sleeves that cover the entire kneecap and provide more compression to keep your muscles warm, increase blood flow, and make joints strong. They’re used by athletes or fitness lovers to prevent swelling and inflammation around the knee joint.
Even though both terms are used interchangeably for each other mistakenly, there are some significant differences between a knee brace and a compression knee sleeve. Both the products are very different in their manufacturing, materials, and use, and should not be mistaken for one another.
To help you in finding out which one’s which, here are the differences between the two listed in detail:
Before we get to listing the best knee brace for cycling, you should know what injuries are caused by the sport, and what braces help with which injury.
Here are the most common cycling knee injuries:
Inflammation in the patellar tendon, which connects the knee cap to the shin bone and is known to weaken your tendon unless treated.
Pain at the inside of the knee, caused by overuse of the bursa and constant stress related to it.
Damage sustained to the cartilage located under the knee cap due to misalignment of the knee joint.
Also known as Band Friction Syndrome, is commonly found in cyclists who have flat feet or excessive pronation, usually caused due to overuse.
Known as the tearing of the cartilage in the knee joint best known for its great feature of shock-absorbing.
A sprain or tear to the ACL which is a major ligament in the knee, frequently caused by sharp changes in direction or strong impact.
Caused by overuse and resulting in chronic pain followed by lessened flexibility, this is the most common problem cyclists encounter.
Choosing the right knee brace is extremely important for the recovery of your kneecap and joint. As such, there are a lot of products you can choose from with different sizes, designs, and colors. Making the right choice for knee braces is absolutely crucial to the health of your knee, so you must put a lot of thought into it.
Here is a list of the 7 best knee braces for cycling recommended by us, putting the very best at the top. Use this guide to determine which brace you will buy for your knee ailment. It is important to note that before making a purchase, you should consult your doctors and physicians and get their approval on whether the brace will actually help your ailment.
Considered the best in the market, CopperJoint Knee braces provide knee compression and are best used for workouts. The brace is also known to provide pain relief from knee pains, and can be used while doing activities such as cycling, running, and other sports. This product especially appeals to those who have arthritis pain, meniscus tears, patellar tendinitis, or those who are frequently experiencing knee pain or swelling.
The product prides itself on its technologically advanced breathable materials and maximum support to the wearer. The copper-infused fabric provides comfortable support by utilizing copper ions. The product can only be used by adults and comes in 2 sizes: small and large, spandex material, with the color black.
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If you’re looking for a type of knee brace with hinges, this is the right choice. The high-recovery nature of this product makes it great for people with knee problems related to their ligaments, along with arthritis, hypertension, and sprains. The breathable material makes it perfect for highly active cyclists who do a lot of sweat-inducing movements.
The open patella design helps relieve pressure on the knees, providing additional support to cyclists and avoiding further damage in case of severe malalignments. The bilateral hinges allow for full mobility for the wearer. This product is for adult use and comes in 6 sizes: small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large, and 3X-large.
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This type of knee brace is a medical-grade brace that also acts as a sleeve, providing stabilizing support to the purchaser. You can also wear it after knee surgery to help with surgery recovery and blood flow. It specifically helps with recovering from joint pain, ACL tears, meniscus tears, and inflammation.
The product can be used by people aged 8-100 and comes in a total of 11 colors with 6 size choices: small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large, and 3X-large. The range of choices it provides to the customer makes it a user-friendly product. Additionally, the spring knee support technology paired with the gel and stabilizers makes for a great knee support.
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This brace provides you with a natural way to relieve your pain, with the copper-infused nylon helping that aim. The sleeve/brace is ergonomically designed, meaning it allows for optimal mobility while also providing knee support. The material is non-slip, making for a convenient brace choice.
The product comes in one black color only, like most knee braces. It is manufactured for adults’ use and comes in 5 sizes: small, medium, large, X-large, and XX-large. The best thing about this product is that it comes with a lifetime warranty and in three different designs, one simple, one copper-infused, and the last one with a knee strap.
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If you’re recovering from an injury, this is the brace for you. It has a curved design with springs and a gel pad, which support the joint and relieve muscle pressure from the knee. The metal spiral strips on either side are soft and do not irritate the skin, making for comfortable wear. Furthermore, the brace is adjustable, meaning you can tighten or loosen it according to your comfort.
The product is manufactured for adults’ use and comes in 4 sizes: small, medium, large, and X-large. The best thing about this product is that it comes with a return guarantee and the company provides you with the best customer care service as a part of their manufacturer’s commitment. The brace provides two different color choices to the customers: black and blue.
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A good choice for people looking for a brace that stabilizes their knee, Bodyprox comes with side stabilizers and Patella gel pads for added dexterity while also reducing stress on the kneecaps. Mostly worn during heavy lifting or exercise, this brace is adequate for people who do a lot of manual labor or those who go to the gym a lot.
The material is breathable and absorbent, meaning you will not get uncomfortable with your sweat while wearing it.
The brace is made of nylon and spandex, and comes in one single color: traditionally black. The product is for adult use and comes in 2 sizes: 1 count and X-large. The brace has an adjustable Velcro strap attached, so the user can adjust it according to their own preferences for tightness.
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If you’re looking for a hinged design, look no further. This brace not only has bilateral hinges, but its breathable material also makes the user very comfortable throughout the wear. The brace was designed keeping in mind the people who suffer from meniscus injuries, sprains, and osteoarthritis. This brace is also ideal for those who want to avoid friction burns and people who have allergies, since its material is sweat-absorbent.
The brace is made of polyester, spandex, nylon, and neoprene, and comes in one color: black. The size choices for this product are 7 in total, a stark contrast to other products on this list, with this product offering: X-small, small, medium, large, X-large, XX-large, and 3X-large. This is a great choice for plus-sized people who struggle to find their sizes for braces while shopping online.
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Wearing a brace can minimize your chances of getting hurt while cycling since it provides an added layer of protection in case of a fall. This saves you from impact and the pressure that gets put on the knees with repeated peddling movements.
Wearing a brace while cycling or any other strenuous activity for the knees stabilizes the knee and gives it better protection, while also providing comfort and strengthening the quadriceps to prevent your joints getting weakened enough to induce a fall.
Braces are naturally designed to not only help you after you get an injury but to also relieve you of the pain associated with that injury, making for a good medical support. Wearing a brace while cycling also helps you make sharper turns and ride on the rocky slopes if need be.
The main aim of a brace, how it is designed, and how it is manufactured is to provide your knee with the perfect environment to heal and recover from the injury. It also helps you recover from surgical treatments, being an added benefit to investing in a good knee brace.
The stabilizing effect of the brace will allow you to stay on the bicycle for longer periods of time, allowing you to build up your stamina and endurance. This will help you push your limits and train your body to last longer in cycling than it did before. Some braces also have an adjustable design so you can change the pressure on your knee while you’re on a cycling run.
For people who are very prone to getting injured, especially in the knees while cycling, we have a few tips and tricks you can use to avoid getting hurt:
Lastly, before you make that purchase, here are a few features you need to keep in mind so that you don’t end up making the wrong purchase and regret your decisions later on (we’ve all been there). Here’s some noticeable features to look out for in braces:
Consider the type of support the brace provides (stabilizing, hinged, compression) before you make the decision to buy it, as your needs might differ.
A good brace should be durable while also being good quality. Look for the build and what material the brace is made of, to get an idea of how robust and sturdy it is.
The wearer should feel comfortable while using the brace, so look for an added feature of comfortability and stability, so that your knees can be secure and comfortable.
Even though the higher-priced braces might be better quality, you can just as easily get one with a reasonable price that performs just as better. So choose between cost or value while making your decision.
A knee brace is absolutely necessary for cyclists who routinely put their knees under immense pressure with no support. A knee brace also helps recover from cycling-related injuries and helps you get back into shape in no time. However, you have to take care to buy one well-suited to your needs and comfort.
An opened patella has a cut-out, while a closed one does not. If you want added protection, go for closed patella, if not, then opt for the open patella for added mobility.
One very simple and easy way you can do that is by wearing a compression brace or sleeve on your knees while cycling, as it will help your blood flow and relieve your pain.