If you want to warm up more effectively and prevent yourself from future knee injuries, you'll likely want to invest in a good pair of knee sleeves.
They're a great accessory to have for those who squat heavy, whether that's done under a barbell or on a hack squat machine.
You'll commonly see both amateur and elite powerlifters wearing them on their squats, and unless you have a specific reason not to, they're a great investment for most people.
Our research team has created a list of the best knee sleeves and wraps available on the market in 2022, so that you can simply read the benefits of each one and make a smart decision!
Disclaimer: We may earn a small commission through some of these links (at no additional cost to you) should you use them to make a purchase. However, this does not affect our choices as our team does conduct thorough research around these products to ensure they provide real benefits to our readers.
First of all: what's the difference between a knee sleeve and a knee wrap?
A knee sleeve is meant to apply compression onto the knees, as well as help keep them warm and ultimately prevent injury from squatting.
They're designed to keep you lifting for longer, but not necessarily lifting more weight. The main purpose of a knee sleeve is to provide protection.
A knee wrap, however, is designed to increase the weight that you lift by allowing you to store more energy on the downward phase of a squat, and then providing you with more elasticity to quickly explode back up from the bottom of a squat.
Plus, they'll reduce some of the pressure off of your quads, which will in turn prevent injury to some degree.
Knee sleeves are geared for safety and protection, whereas knee wraps are geared for heavier lifting potentially towards a more competitive purpose.
However if we were to pick just one of the two, we would pick a pair of knee sleeves over wraps.
This is simply due to the element of safety that sleeves are so good at providing, and the reduced chance of injury is much more important to most lifters than the ability to train with a little more weight.
With that cleared up, here are the 7 best knee sleeves and wraps available on the market.
We've Selected...
SBD Knee Sleeves (Best for powerlifting)
Element 26 6mm Knee Sleeves (Best overall sleeve)
Titan Signature Gold Knee Wraps (Best knee wrap)
Mava Sports Knee Wraps (Best budget wrap)
SBD Knee Sleeves
Image credit: SBD Apparel
SBD Apparel has become widely popular among the powerlifting community for producing some of the best workout equipment out there.
And their knee sleeves are no different. These are approved by both the IWF and the IPF, allowing you to wear them with full confidence during your heavy squatting, knowing that they provide you with some of the best support and safety any knee sleeves can offer.
SDB has designed these straps to be strong, comfortable and durable, as they're used to help protect your knee joints during heavy squats.
You might've seen videos of horrifying knee injuries and accidents when squatting heavy, and it's a great idea to wear knee sleeves if you're planning to squat heavy yourself.
The 7mm neoprene construction helps these sleeves provide great durability and longevity, meaning they'll be able to make it through your hardest workouts without breaking on you.
They also wrap and fit very well, and are therefore very popular choices by many elite and serious powerlifters out there.
Plus, the several powerlifting federation approvals of these sleeves further help solidify them as our top pick of powerlifting knee wraps.
However you should always read through the rules carefully, just to be sure!
For what you're getting, these are priced reasonably at $82.50 USD.
Element 26 6mm Knee Sleeves
Element 26 has once again impressed us with their incredible manufacturing of lifting equipment.
First, we saw their self-locking belt, and now we see their incredibyl versatile knee sleeves, which are suitable for practically any lifting (CrossFit, powerlifting, Olympic weightlifting, etc.).
They possibly provide the least irritation out of any knee sleeves of straps on this list, and that's thanks to the high-quality neoprene used to create them.
They also feature reinforced stitching and are flexible enough for explosive purposes such as CrossFit WODs and Olympic lifting, but are also strong enough to withstand heavy squatting for serious powerlifters.
Like we said, they're insanely versatile. They're 6mm thick, and are approved by several powerlifting federations and for competition.
So if you're searching in the market for a versatile pair of knee wraps that will allow you to lift with a wide range of purposes, look no further than Element 26's 6mm Knee Sleeves.
The button below leads to the Element 26 online store, but you can click here to shop on Amazon instead if you prefer.
Titan Signature Gold Knee Wraps
These are slightly more expensive, but come from one of the leading suppliers in powerlifting equipment, and are guaranteed to provide you true value for your money. They're incredibly durable and effective, probably the best sleeves that Titan Support has ever produced.
They're made in the USA, and are designed to ensure great durability, and serve you well for years and years on end.
They also feature anti-slip material, helping create the best kind of support and safety for your knees. They're also very comfortable, and come in various lengths of 2m, 2.5m and 3m.
These knee sleeves are also incredibly popular among professional powerlifters, due to their high level of quality and their competition approval.
So if you're a powerlifter looking for a belt that will be sure to withstand your intense workouts and you don't mind spending a little more for some of the best quality in the market, we'd highly recommend you these wraps by Titan. Buy yours today!
Mava Sports Knee Wraps
These are our best choice for lifters on a budget, seeing as these straps cost only approximately $20.
However they are no competition approved, so if you're a serious powerlifter, you most likely will have to end up shelling out a little bit more to get those approved brands. These sleeves are just ideal for training, perhaps for casual powerlifters who don't have plans to step on the stage any time in the near future.
However, while these knee sleeves are much cheaper than others on this list, they do not compromise much quality or durability.
They're made of elastic polyester fabric, which allows you to stretch them easily for a stiffer fit, which will help you comfortably lift more weight.
These straps can also be adjusted to be used as knee braces, which will allow you to easily apply compression onto your knee joints, should you feel the need to.
Available in 6 different colors.
You'll find these great knee sleeves at incredibly affordable prices on Amazon!
Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps
These innovative wraps remove the hassle of needing to tug so tightly on the straps in order to create the feeling of tightness and compression.
These straps are incredibly impressive, and are designed to grip onto themselves, reducing your hassle when you're setting up for those big squat PRs.
You'll also spare your hands some pain, and you'll be able to save time in the gym with Inzer's knee wraps. These knee wraps are also quite stiff and supportive, which will help you stay tighter and lift more weight, smashing your personal bests.
Like many others on this list, these Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps are also competition approved, and therefore are a great choice for those who are looking to step on the stage sometime soon and want to really make a good impression.
However we will say, one drawback of this product is that it's not as easy to stretch and adjust as some others you might be used to, and therefore these will either take some time for you to get used to, or not be the right choice as a whole.
Overall, if you're in the market searching for a pair of knee wraps that will help save you time, energy and frustration, then you should look no further than the Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps.
Iron Bull Knee Wraps
These strong, secure wraps come with a handy Velcro system to help you out when you're taking them on and off. It also removes the hassle and frustration that sometimes comes with wearing more traditional knee sleeves.
You won't have to waste as much time struggling to put them on, and you can focus more of your energy towards smashing your sets and PRs.
These wraps are also made of premium, heavy duty nylon, and are designed to last you a very long time, even if you take them through your most intense workouts.
Each one is 80" in length, meaning it's easy for you to choose and adjust how tightly you want them to wrap around the knees.
Overall the Iron Bull Knee Straps offer great support for the knees during your squats, and will help you boost both your numbers and safety when you're aiming to lift heavy. Also available in 7 different colors, meaning you'll likely be able to match any sort of color scheme you're already running with your other training gear.
Sling Shot Knee Wraps
These are more geared towards safety for the knees than they are geared towards boosting athletic performance. With a heavy focus on increasing stability and reducing the pressure on the knees, for the most protection possible.
They're very sturdily built and provide you with plenty of flexibility during your squats, allowing for free and natural movement, reducing the stress on your joints and chances of injury.
You'll be able to squat with more confidence knowing that they're there to support you, and push through those grinder reps more easily.
They're a little more pricey, but definitely worth the cost if you're looking to increase safety and boost your overall lifting capacity as effectively as possible.
Plus, they're suitable for Olympic weightlifting, CrossFit, powerlifting and more. For almost any lifting purpose, these wraps will provide huge benefits to the knees, and keep you moving as efficiently and safely as you can.
Conclusion
There you have it! A list of the top 7 knee sleeves and knee wraps to squat with in 2022.
Which one was your favorite? Do let us know in the comments section below.
Now let's go crush some squat PRs!
-min.png)