If you are in a hurry and just want to find out what the best knee stabilizer for injured knees is, then I’d recommend the Bodyprox Knee Brace with Side Stabilizers and Patella Gel Pads as the best one.
Knee injuries can easily ruin an otherwise solid workout routine.
If you’re in need of some support, consider finding the best knee stabilizer to help you feel more secure and reduce pain.
Our buying guide and top five reviews will help you find the right one so you can return to your exercises with confidence.
Here are the top knee stabilizers we’ll be reviewing:
- Mueller Sports Medicine Open Patella Knee Stabilizer
- Bodyprox Knee Brace with Side Stabilizers and Patella Gel Pads
- TechWare Pro Knee Compression Sleeve
- Mueller Sports Medicine Self-Adjusting Knee Stabilizer
- Futuro Active Knit Knee Stabilizer
Knee Stabilizer for Injured Knees – Buyer’s Guide
Not all knee braces work the same, so when you’re looking for the best knee stabilizer, there are some key features to consider.
These may all go into making it easier to find the best knee stabilizer to get the right support for the right type of knee pain.
Brace Design
Knee braces intended to provide stabilization come in different sizes and designs.
Each provides different types of protection, so before you decide on any one brace, you should consider where your problem areas are to know where you’ll need help at.
Below are only the type we included are the two that primarily feature in the top five products we reviewed:
Wraparound
A common design you’ll see is the wraparound brace. These feature a Velcro closure system, and there is usually a hole in the front over the kneecap known as the patella hole.
As such, there is stability found above and below the knee, but hardly any support to the sides of the knee.
That’s why these are usually seen as patella control braces as they focus on holding the patella in place.
However, some wraparound braces specifically indicate they feature additional side support.
So, if you’re in need of stabilization in various areas, it may benefit you to find one that has multiple points of contact.
Sleeve
Sleeve knee braces are amongst the easiest to wear with a basic design. You simply slip it on and go.
Some have a knee hole while others offer complete coverage.
If you are in need of support and compression around your entire knee, then a complete coverage type may be more beneficial.
Proper Fit
Stabilization is nothing without the right fit. When it comes to sleeve braces especially, they should feature a non-slip design so that they don’t slip.
This can make your exercises far more comfortable as you don’t have to worry about pulling the brace up every few minutes.
Also, the fit should be snug without being constricting. Anything too tight may inadvertently cause more pain and worsen your knee injury.
When it comes to wraparound braces, many offer various adjustability options. This way, you can tighten or loosen according to personal preference and needs.
Adjustability can come more in handy on the days when you’re experiencing swelling since you can relax it enough to be supportive and comfortable.
Freedom of Movement
As you’ll be exercising with your knee stabilizing brace, it’s near vital that you have good freedom of movement.
Of course, the brace is in use to ensure that what you need stabilized and supported remains secure.
Nonetheless, there are quality braces that allow you to retain your usual amount of movement or at least something close to that.
This way, you can still get in a good workout without your injured knee hindering you too much.
Level of Support
Knee brace stabilizers offer various levels of support. Some are intended for basic injuries, so they may offer moderate stabilization.
Others are for more serious cases, so they may be more rigid and provide heavy-duty support.
Understand your own condition, and perhaps consider checking in with a doctor, to decide just how much support you actually need.
Comfort Features
Working out gets sweaty as it is, and when you wear a knee brace, there’s always a chance that you can start to feel uncomfortable.
Thankfully, you can find knee stabilizers that offer various comfort features.
For one thing, some are designed with good breathability to provide long-term comfort.
In the same sense, some might feature moisture-wicking qualities that further help keep moisture away.
This is useful in combination with braces that retain heat as you can reap the benefit of increased circulation without overheating.
The type of material can play into how comfortable the knee stabilizer is as well.
You may want to look out for products made from high-quality fabric that doesn’t irritate the skin, more so when you spend hours in the brace.
Best Knee Stabilizer – Top 5 Reviewed
Mueller Sports Medicine Open Patella Knee Stabilizer
The Mueller Sports Medicine Open Patella Knee Stabilizer is designed in a wraparound style that features Velcro closures.
They appear well-made and can adjust enough to offer good security in a sense that the brace may not slip up and down.
The brace is also simple and quick to pull on and take off. It’s a one-size-fit-all case, but it may run small for some of you.
This features flexible, pre-bent steel springs constructed in for support. This offers protection to both sides of the knee.
With its flexibility, you can still get a good amount of movement to perform your laid out exercises.
Meanwhile, the double buttress is there to support and protect the kneecap. The blend of soft neoprene helps you retain more body heat to help relieve pain.
Although the perforated fabric is there to increase breathability, this knee stabilizer may not be the most ideal brace worn for extended workout times.
There’s a chance it can begin to get uncomfortable.
Pros
- Easy to put on and take off
- Reliable Velcro straps prevent slippage
- Good amount of flexibility
Cons
- Might not be comfortable for extended wearing
- Sizing runs small
Bodyprox Knee Brace with Side Stabilizers and Patella Gel Pads
The Bodyprox Knee Brace features flexible stabilizers with the springs on both sides and the silicone pad at the kneecap.
This may help cut down on stress while still going along with your natural movement so you don’t have to limit yourself in your exercise activities.
The patella gel pads also allow for the knee to bend easier and with more comfort.
This is seen by many as the best knee stabilizer that offers ideal breathability with inner sweat absorption features.
You have a better chance of staying dry throughout your workouts. Moreover, the neoprene material is designed to be gentle against the skin.
It’s designed in universal fit with one-size-fits-most, but it can run large, particularly for those with smaller legs.
To keep it in place, the brace uses a Velcro strap system. It generally keeps the stabilizer where you need it to be, but the Velcro may feel not as long-lasting as the rest of the brace.
Pros
- Helps you maintain range of motion
- Breathable, moisture-absorbing material
- Comfortable padding
Cons
- Seems to run large
- Back Velcro can feel flimsy
TechWare Pro Knee Compression Sleeve
TechWare Pro Knee Compression Sleeve offers three sizes to choose from.
As long as you measure correctly, the sleeve should fit well.
However, during extensive stints of exercise, the brace may start to constrict circulation. It might be better worn for short periods of time.
Even so, this does provide a good deal of compression to help reduce pain and heal swelling. The material itself has a soft feel so that your skin doesn’t get irritated.
Also, there’s a quality 4-way stretch design to allow you to pull it on easier.
Paired with the flexible sides, and the brace can keep up with your workout routine, letting you bend and move in various directions.
It’s all ergonomically designed too so that you experience more proper movement to prevent injuring yourself further.
The patella gel pad helps to keep your knee centered throughout. There is a chance that this gel pad may begin to peel over time though.
Pros
- Material feels soft and comfortable
- Flexible sides to help with proper bending
- Patella gel pad centers the kneecap well
Cons
- Chance for it to feel constricted over time
- Gel material may begin to peel
Mueller Sports Medicine Self-Adjusting Knee Stabilizer
With the Mueller Sports Medicine Self-Adjusting Knee Stabilizer, you get a brace that’s designed slim compared to others.
This may help you wear it under your clothes if you want to wear sweatpants or jogging pants on those colder exercise days.
There are quality, flexible steel springs on the side to help increase lateral support and greater movement.
For adjusting, there’s a criss-cross strap system so that it’s faster and easier to make the brace fit according to your needs.
This Velcro may not hold up that well, however.
Also, considering that there’s a chance for the elasticity in the brace to wear down and force you to make it tighter over time, the brace may need to be replaced more often.
It’s still easy to put on and manage.
There’s a sense of snugness without being constricted, and the neoprene blend is soft and retains heat to promote better circulation.
At the same time, the perforated fabric improves breathability.
Pros
- Can offer snugness without feeling too tight
- Easy to put on
- Slim design to better fit under clothing
Cons
- Velcro doesn’t seem to stay together well
- Elasticity may break down over time
Futuro Active Knit Knee Stabilizer
The Futuro Active Knit Knee Stabilizer may be the best knee stabilizer if you want to wear something that isn’t noticeable.
While it is thin, the overall design and material feels comfortable enough that you can not only wear it underneath your pants, but you just might forget you’re wearing it.
Do keep in mind that the fabric might bunch up behind the knee. Even so, the material is soft to reduce the chance of causing irritation.
There are also breathable properties designed into the fabric so that sweat is wicked away.
The sizing does seem off as a medium may fit too small, while a large may be overly big.
When it does fit correctly, the silicone beading on the side stabilizers helps keep the brace firmly in place so you don’t have to worry about slippage.
The 4-way stretch fabric is comfortable too and makes it easier to slip the brace on. For greater support, there’s a gel ring surrounding the kneecap.
Pros
- Material features breathable properties
- Made thin for discreet wearing
- Supportive design that stays in place well
Cons
- Might not fit true to size
- Fabric behind the knee may bunch up
Final Thoughts
With the right knee brace, you no longer have to let knee pain get in the way of your workout experience.
From the ones we reviewed, we feel the Bodyprox Knee Brace with Side Stabilizers and Patella Gel Pads is the best knee stabilizer to support and heal your injured knee.
The wraparound design is simple to use while helping the brace stay in place.
The sides are made flexible so that you get support while still experience freedom of movement so you can perform your exercise routines with next to no limitations.
Even the patella gel pads keep the knee bending, but in the right way.
This brace from Bodyprox also features breathable material that has inner sweat absorption to help keep you dry under any condition.
Its neoprene fabric is also soft and gentle so you can wear it directly against the skin.
