The Best Knee Sleeves - Not SBD or STrong! 

"Which is great for someone with small calves and small quads" Oh......

Thanks For the video Brandon! You help a lot with those gear reviews and comparisons.

Brandon made it through that whole "length, width and thickness..." sentence without a single innuendo. A little disappointing.

Just did my first session with the SBD sleeves and I absolutely love them. Damn what a big difference compared to those old cheap sleeves I got of amazon and been using for probably 3-4 years. I struggled with 160kg squat 3x5 in training which I did with ease with the SBD sleeves. Damn great support, looks good and seems to be good quality. Recommend buying them I got mine for around 70€.

I completely agree with you about the strong knee sleeves ... I’m going to trust your judgment on the stoic sleeves let’s see how it plays out

Very thorough and constructive review, thanks for the info as always.

Great video and very helpful, as always! The "Make It Rain" part had me dying! 😂😂

I've had SBD sleeves, and titan yellow jackets, personally I find the yellow jackets much easier to get on because of the lack of taper and the different material they use, they're slightly cheaper too but it isn't much. I like the sublimated pairs they release, and when it comes to actual performance in the lifts they're identical

I agree on mark bells gear. Own a lot of his stuff and it's all worn out. Pioneer, titan, sbd have all held up well over time

I've had my blue 7mm Rehbands for years. Great warmth and ok compression (if I needed max compression I could use wraps). No rips or tears. Love them.

Man I was literally just talking about knee sleeves in the gym to a buddy 5 minutes ago about which ones I should go with and this video pops up on my feed as 1st video that is wicked scary as always love you man keep the great work going

Damn! That knee sleeve shower was straight *gangsta!!!*

Geez- that is some good squatting- impressive. Nice range of motion, smooth lift.

I’m a recreational lifter and I’ve been satisfied with my Rehbands.

I'm with you on the Strong Sleeves. My first pair was amazing. Second pair fit like a sock, lol.

I hate how much I agree with you old man! Haha! Every point you made is spot on except for the A& sleeves cause I don't have any personal experience with those so I can't put my two cents in. My Stoics are def my favorite and I wish I bought more pairs initially when they came out and weren't popular cause it was like $40!

I think at the end of the day, longevity is all that matters and paying a premium is worth it with SBD sleeves. Trying not to regret my purchase, because Stoic ones look pretty cool haha

Make it rain clip should be in RU-vid rewind 2019.

I agree with you brandon. I own a couple of slingshot prodcuts ( hip circle,wrist wraps, knee sleeves). All ive owned for maybe a little more than 1 year and put them to good use. Unforutantely they are all falling apart. On the other hand ive owned my SBD knee sleeves since 2014 with no issues, I also own their elbow sleeves bought those last year and still look brand new( i use them alot).

I've only ever owned the SBD ones, but theyre going in to their fourth year (3-6x per week) now with no ripping, no seams coming undone, and no real proof of age other than the ungodly stench that won't go away no matter how much I wash them.

I'm a big fan of the LiftingLarge "Crusher" sleeves, I have them for both knees and elbows. They're very comfortable and I like the increased support they give. I used to wear the classic Rehbands but as my legs grew they wouldn't stay in place.

The original Strong sleeves were super good except for the stitching on them. The V2 has better stitching but it definitely seems like they're using a way cheaper neoprene now that doesn't last as long. In fact, I've noticed the drop in quality on a lot of Mark Bells products. The Gangsta sleeves(although not meet legal) are really really good though!

I have the slingshot x sleeves and they are insanely supportive. The whole sleeve is like a jean material that has like no stretch so putting them on is harder but the support is unreal

I have genetic issues with my knees. To give you an idea, I wear SBD knee sleeves to get through a shift at my warehouse job. The best knee sleeves I have found for support during training are the Inzer XT sleeves. I can train legs heavy because of them.

I own SBD's, Elitefts Heavy Duty's and Stoic's. Stoic is by far my favorite. They are kindly stretchy so I can size down considerably. My SBD's are XL, but I can wear Medium Stoic's for competition for (train in Large).

Thanks youtube for super retro recommendations hahah! Happy birthday to basement Brandon’s sons!!

Omg "I make it rain" was hilarious 😆

I’ve only had Rehband prior to buying Stoic, i really like Stoic and will probably buy them again when the time comes. Their holding up well afte two years.

Thanks Brandon & martyjanderson for your feedback. Going to use my Iron Rebels in this weekend's comp.

Loved the opening. Very cool.

Thanks for saving me money yet again!

I’ve owned Nordic sleeves, and I got the Stoic sleeves now. And to be honest they’re kinda the same, the Nordic are great for an entry level and best bang for you buck

Mark Bell Extreme X Sleeve is my current sleeve. They are stiff but add a lot of support. If you go that way they don't stretch so don't try to size down. Just FYI. I wear them through my entire squat routine due to multiple surgeries on both knees and I don't really feel any extra "spring" from the sleeve until about 245 lbs on the bar. After that they do give me a little extra bounce out of the hole. Nothing spectacular but every little bit helps.

I use the Strength shop sleeves, and I really like them. They have held together really well for 5 months so far. I feel like I got a size bigger than I needed (using L) cause they’re easy to put on just by folding the top, but regardless I feel them tight enough and still give good support. Good option imo and not pricey at all

Can you make a video on the best wrist wraps as well? Thanks! :)

I had the same results with the Strong sleeves. I blew out two pairs in a little over two years. I'm done with them. The Slingshot is a great product, and the Gangster Wraps I have are still going strong after about two years. Now I will try the Stoic sleeves thanks to this review.

Hey Brandon been a fan since day one and you’ve driven me to peruse strength and competing so thank you for that! Would love to know your thoughts on slingshot want to invest in one but I’m from uk looking at mark bells and the strengthshop versions would like some advice thank you.

That sleeve shower scene was a gift from the gods

Cool informative video. Thanks!

I wear a pair of Tuff Wraps knee sleeves, love them. Ever tried out their gear?

Hey Brandon, have you had any experience with Stoic belts? Their lever belt looks promising.

That was an epic sleeve shower hahahaha

I have had the Stoic ones for 2 years and love them. Only issue I see is the price has gone way up. I paid $35 after a coupon I got from Stoic.

Thank you for another excellent video! Do you have an opinion about Rogue knee sleeves?

Hey Brandon I got some Cerberus gear. High quality stuff, might be worth the review on your end.

With the knee sleeves, do you ever find that they start to wear down after a certain amount of time (in terms of the neoprene stretches out and it's not providing the support as much)? Like do you find that every couple years (just as an example) you kinda need to buy a new pair just due to the nature of the use of them. I understand the point that some last longer than others but my question is more just when do you usually see the neoprene wearing down and when you buy a new pair. Maybe that doesn't make any sense! haha

I have some of the original 7mm blue Rehband. I've had mine for 10-12 years. If you can find them (Jackal's Gym) buy them. Rehband was always a trusted brand of the World's Strongest Man competitors for years. Just my opinion.

"If you're in the SPF..." can't believe you didn't bust out laughing

Are you familiar with the EVOLUTIONIZE knee sleeves ? I got a pair and it’s the first generation stoic sleeves. I was wondering if it’s an exact copy as the stoic sleeves since I was planning on getting them to compete in. Though I wasn’t so happy with them since I didn’t really feel much support.

I like SBD because they never smell bad. I also have Strong Sleeves and Strength Shop sleeves but after a while they start to smell bad after a workout.

I had strong sleeves and I accidentally ruined them by washing them in a sink with hot water and detergent. The neoprene got destroyed. I’ve since ordered stoic, pumped to try them

I use stoic XXS for comps love them

60 dollars for the Stoic? I remember them being around 35 or so.... shame there is no European reseller still. So still SBD for me.

Great video brandon, your last video about them strengthened my decision in buying them. Stoics on the way as we speak :)

Okay B.B. time to take the plunge and review those Inzer Ergo Pros!

I love my Spud Inc sleeves.

Yea.. I recently bought the SBD sleeves, 6 months ago, and the right knee sleeve already has a small hole.......... but they are better than the rehbands for knee support. In your experience, do the Stoic offer better support and rebound than the SBD sleeves?

So they don't come apart inside like the ST do? I've owned a ST pair for about a year and they're "bubbly" inside.

I own a couple pairs of strong sleeves. The thing I don't like is they get wrinkly or creases. So all the material is not in contact with my skin. I've held a pair of stoics in my hand and they feel thicker and more foamy. So I'm thinking maybe I wouldn't have the same problem. With that said, I'm hesitant to buy another pair of sleeves because I never felt like I got anything out of them so it's rare that I'll put them on outside of a competition.

Mine are aeolos brand I like them and the company is great to work with.

How to wash knee sleeve(including wrist wrap)? Can I put them in a washing machine or I have to wash it by hand?

Stoic knee sleeves are for real great

I currently own a pair of mava sleeves and they seem to do the trick, but are the stoic sleeves versatile? Can you do dumbbell lunges with them?

Hey Brandon, if you were picking a sleeve just for competition day would it still be stoic?

I thought the idea of the SBD sleeves being lower in quality now was overblown until I actually bought new SBDs to replace my old ones. Within 5 months they were torn on the inside and showed more wear and tear than my 5 year old pair.

Love my stoic knee and elbow sleeves but TBH I have never tried any other brand I like the price point and the durability

EliteFTS and Strong House worth exploring.

What is your suggested method for washing and drying neoprene knee sleeves?

My knee measures out at 37 cm, which would make me a medium. Would you still recommend sizing down if I'm just going for an everyday fit?

Good review bro

I use Stoic and love them. They run tight and I had to get extra large and I am really not that big.

Love my strong sleeves. Have held up great.

Owned the all black SBD sleeves from last years winter release and the fabric is tearing apart from the stitching on the inside after about 9 months of using them 3 times per week. Definitely love the sleeves but sucks to know that they used to be made much better and that you can’t even buy the all black version anymore

I’ve owned the SBDs for a while but feel like their seam design puts a little unwanted pressure on the back of my knees. Not terrible, more so just annoying to me from a sensory perspective. Would the Stoics be worth the purchase given their single seam design?

How do you judge sizing of the sleeves? What’s too tight/loose?

basic questions, when do you need sleeves? is it when just maxing out or lifting 80% of max?

If I wear a small in sbd Should I get extra small in stoics or XX small? I see a lot of people say you can down size a bit with them and give them the og Sbd feel!

Have you tried bear komplex? If so, you’re thoughts?

How long do you find your stoic knee sleeves last? The past years I’ve used mark bell’s gangsta sleeves and love them but they don’t seem to last any longer then a year. Love the way the gangsta sleeves feel but buying a new pair every year is getting old

Where can I buy the stoic knee sleeves in EU from?

I measure at 14 inches for my knee cap. 35 cm. I would fit a small. I’ve heard they run larger than other brands but this would be my first pair and I’m not sure. Would a XS be too small for me?

I have been using Iron Rebel sleeves and wrist wraps lately. How do you think they compare with the ones you reviewed ? Personally I'm like you, I don't want to use SBD's just because EVERYONE seems to be using them. Also, SBD's are a PITA to get on. ( in my opinion ).

I'm still using cheap Nordic Lifting knee sleeves from Amazon I bought in 2016. They used to be difficult to put on but have stretched out and provide very little support or compression. I'm looking for a sleeve made with denser and longer neoprene and am leaning towards the Stoics for the price, length, and because Alan Thrall recommends them as well. What's the measurement of your knee? One thing that gives me pause about SBDs is how long the seam is and if it causes irritable and leaves a mark on the skin. I had the Strong elbow sleeves but returned them because the seam irritated my skin and left ugly marks on my skin and the surface of the material scratched easily.

How many pounds do you feel sleeves really add to your squat? If you had to give up either sleeves, shoes or a belt, I assume you’d give up sleeves first.

Would u say the elbow and wrist wraps r same quality?

You probably won’t reply to this since this video is 2 years old, after watching your video I would like to know where the Titan Yellow Jackets fit into the picture? Stoic sadly aren’t available in AUS and the shipping to get it from USA costs and arm and a leg 😅

You helped me pick the Stoic sleeves in the past and they are great. I turn them a little so the seam is just to the outside of the back part of my leg. I found it bunches on the seam a bit and bugs me. Still very happy with them. I'm looking for a new pair of elbow sleeves tho. My STrong ones are breaking down like you mentioned with the knees. And, you have finally talked me into getting an A7 shirt. Thanks again dude.

My knee sleeves lasted me 4 months... i did throw them in the washing machine, and that may have had something to do with it but either way i got very little use out of mine

I don’t know how you’d try to rock a small in SBD I’m exploding out of my mediums right now lol

Hi. I do muay thai and need a knee support. Can you please tell me if a sleeve is what I'm looking for, or if there's a product that is more flexible but still supportive.

The blue rehbands are still the best sleeve for training. You can do many sets, get warm, them put wraps on

you mention you wear a size small Stoic- is that one or two sizes down from what you measure for?

Purchased using your coupon code. I'll report in and let you know how they were. Just retired my four year old Rehbands

you said you weren’t a fan of the rehbands. any reason why?

Have you ever tried Metal knee sleeves?

I still have the og sbd the first gen per se. accumulated all the stankkkkkk. The 2nd gen was garbage- the cloth was falling off. The 3rd gen titans are almost like strong sleeves.

Hows that white powder coat on your rack (not that rack) ?

Which is better fo lifting more weight, or wich is more rigid, sbd or stoic ??

You mainly use knee sleeves for getting warm imo. A solid belt is far more important in raw lifting:)

SBD have been great for me. 5 years on my first pair, powerlifting focus with almost no time off. No issues. Personally I think they look great. The STrong logo is goofy as hell.