Shock Doctor Knee Brace, Compression Knee Brace for Men & Women, Hinged Knee Brace with Side Stabilizers, Maximum Support, Adjustable Dual Hinges, Knee Braces and Knee Support

My wife tore her ACL completely playing soccer and sprained her MCL as well. The clinic that diagnosed this tried to sell her a $375 DonJoy knee brace that sold for $180 or something on Amazon. I told her not to buy it and that we'd find something that was cheaper but didn't sacrifice on quality or comfort. Before you know it I'm 20 tabs deep in knee braces, ACL tear stories, etc. and I have 30 choices with 30 different people telling me different things. I narrowed it down between this one (Shock Doctor), the Mueller Hg80, and some McDavid braces. The expensive one at the clinic had been long and gone up the thigh a good ways and down the calf a good ways - the stability this lent was key to my wife. In the end I chose the Shock Doctor because I looked like it was really stability-focused and myself and more importantly my wife have been very pleased with the purchase.The brace has some size but I wouldn't call it especially bulky, I'll try and get some pictures up. It goes a good way up the thigh and a good way down the calf and has metal hinges running the full length on each side of the knee. My wife has athletic (read: large) calves and thighs from playing sports all her life - so sizing and good, strong straps were a big concern. We measured her knee 2 inches below mid-knee like the pic shows and I think it was 14.6 inches, right in-between Large and X-Large. Follow the advice in the chart, if you're near the top range and within the bottom range of the larger size, just go with the larger size. The X-Large ended up being a solid choice and has worked well for 3 weeks now even as her swelling has gone down and her knee has gone closer to the large size.For your sake, ignore the names "X-Large", "Large", etc. and just stick to the measurements. My wife is not a big person, but the X-Large sizing was right, so we went with it. It might feel weird ordering an XL for a tiny girl, but just listen to the measurements, not the labels.Materials are very sturdy and durable. The straps haven't loosened or come undone a single time. The rest of it has a solid feel. The metal doesn't squeak. Overall the materials work well to really stabilize the knee and help give the feeling of some extra stability to a potentially wobbly knee.Comfort is great. Like most braces you want to take it off occasionally but if you have to wear it all day, it's very doable. No sore spots from rubbing, etc.Overall a very good brace that is very good quality for a solid price. If you're like me and reviewing a million reviews on a million different products, I can say this one has performed well and if you get the size right, I don't think it'll let you down.

I purchased the Shock Doctor Ultra Knee Supporter in hopes that it would alleviate some of the pain I have felt with the LCL of my left knee and the pain associated with it and have thus far been impressed by the quality of the brace. The support it gives my knee during physical exercise and wearing throughout the day has brought much needed relief for my ailment and will hopefully continue to do so until I can have my medical personnel take a look at it.For instance, prior to purchasing this product I would go for an extended run of about 4 to 6 miles and would almost immediately regret running that distance as the pain would be quite distracting throughout the day. Same with the average bike ride I would go on.After receiving the product only a couple of days ago I almost immediately noticed an improvement each time I wear it in regards to the support and motion of my knee. I have yet to take it out with me on a longer run but plan to do so once I have built up to running that kind of distance with it.Pros:Extremely cheap compared to other braces out thereNatural feel even after hours of wearHigh quality materials (for the most part)Cons:The finger holds are the only cheap feeling area of the brace but I don't use them or need to use them that much when putting the brace onThe bottom strap tends to ride my hamstring a little too much causing some soreness but I think after wearing it and breaking it in a little it should fit better.I am thoroughly happy with the purchase and should get some good use out of this.

I sprained my left MCL after falling down in a funny way, requiring crutches, a few trips to the doctors office, and weeks of heat and cold packs to control the swelling.Initially I used a fairly good neoprene type velcro wrap knee support (for twice the price of the Shock Doctor), which worked very well to keep my knee compressed, but the neoprene got very hot very fast, and my knee wound up being wet from sweat all day. The wrap was also too tight to allow any normal walking, and wearing it to the office became more of a hassle than it was worth.I ordered the Shock Doctor Ultra Knee Support with Bilateral Hinges to see if it would be any better for wearing all day.It was better in almost every possible way.Comfort:Not only is this knee support much more comfortable than the neoprene wrap type support, but it feels so good when you first start wearing it the other knee gets jealous. I will probably continue to wear this every so often now that my MCL is mostly healed, because it just feels great to have such great knee support.Heat Retention:There is really almost no sweating issue at all with the Shock Doctor, due to the meshed cushion design. Airflow is very good. Except for the hottest of days, my knee stayed relatively dry while wearing this support.Compression:While not as firm as the neoprene type, the padding is thick and soft, giving quite a lot of support. My knee always feels great with this on. The neoprene is just too tight to wear every day if you plan on walking around.Odor:While the neoprene supports obviously come with the somewhat gross neoprene/wetsuit smell, they also get stinky from the constant sweat they are in contact with, which just makes the neoprene stink even grosser. The Shock Doctor support has very little detectable odor at all, and it mostly stays that way even after extended use.Effectiveness:The first two weeks after my MCL sprain required a very tight support, which the neoprene does better. If you just hurt your knee and need a very tight fit, maybe go with the neoprene first, but keep in mind it is more difficult to walk in. Of course, if you just hurt your knee, you probably aren't in the mood for a lot of walking so it may not be a problem. Once you start going back into the real world and need to be mobile, the Shock Doctor is the way to go for sure. I do not think I would have recovered from my injury had I not worn this product for a few months after getting hurt. Sometimes my knee starts to hurt again after a few days or weeks of not wearing the Shock Doctor, but that goes away the minute I put it back on.Size:While very bulky looking, I can still wear this under a pair of Levi 501 jeans without any noticeable bulges. Not as low profile as the neoprene supports, but not too big to fit under a pant leg. I actually prefer the extra bulk on this item, as my knee is safer from external impact, something you really don't want while your knee is healing.Sizing:As you read the reviews for the Shock Doctor knee supports, you will see a lot of people confused about what size they should get. I ordered the X-Large, even though I would not consider my legs larger in diameter than 'average'. I am 5'10' with a heavy build, but again my knee does not seem to me to be "large" and certainly not "extra large", but the X-Large fits perfect. If in doubt, and you really need knee support right away, I would recommend ordering two sizes, and returning one you don't want to keep back to Amazon. When your knee is injured you want to support it as soon as possible, so messing around with measuring your leg and calf and using a sizing calculator may not be at the top of your worry list.Construction:Construction and design of the Shock Doctor is amazing when compared to its competition. It looks and feels like something a professional athlete or soldier would wear when they needed knee support to keep moving. However, there is one design flaw, and to me it's sort of a big one, which is why I could not give this product the five stars I really wanted to give it.The buckles that the velcro straps go through, which take a lot of pressure while you are tightening the straps, are made of plastic.This was not a problem at the beginning, but after a few weeks of every day use, the top buckle cracked and broke while I was adjusting a strap, rendering the entire knee support useless.Amazon cross shipped me a replacement right away (thanks again, Amazon) and I was back in business in two days, but now I am very careful about not pulling the straps too hard. Of course, a tight fit is what you want from this product, so this is a pretty big design flaw. However, it is not bad enough to avoid this product, as it excels in so many other areas.If Shock Doctor started using metal buckles instead of plastic, this item would easily be five stars.All things considered, this is one of the best products I have ordered on Amazon.

I have to wear a brace of this type all the time for daily activities as my knee cartilage in both knees is destroyed from all the activity I used to engage in; knee replacement is not an option for me. This model works so well that I have ordered three sets over the last several years.The first set was ordered several years ago in a size that became too large when I lost fifteen pounds -- I was borderline between the two sizes when they were originally ordered. Losing the weight meant the straps became too long for my thigh measurements in that the velcro halves no longer lined up very well. Trying to fix that problem with add on adhesive velcro sections did not work well at all. I wore those for well over a year, and they show minimal wear -- very durable, they just don't fit me now.Sets 2 & 3 are being alternated, and fit perfectly.One really nice feature in this design is the ability to slide out the steel hinges that prevent hyper-extension so the brace can be run through washer & dryer cycles. After they are cleaned, you just move the straps out of the way and slide the hinges back in their pockets. Those hinges work quite well.

This is my 3rd set. Highest in price comparing the similar in other brands. Good quality although it has areas repeatedly go bad. I feel significantly helpful from a pair that are already slightly broken. The blades were popping out from thr top because of the stitches worn out. Time to replace so really need a new pair to be helpful.

I have been struggling to finish the Spring softball season here in Florida due to a slight meniscus tear, but this brace has made it possible for me to continue playing. Granted, I am not running at full speed, but with a decent hit, I can make it to 1st base and get a pinch runner. The support from this brace is fantastic as it keeps my knee stable while hitting and prevents twisting at the time of impact. Very satisfied with this brace.

I sprained my knee (I thought it was broken, but it wasn't), so I tried a few braces out.This one is the bulkiest, the hardest to get on and off without hurting my knee more, and has very pronounced stitching on the inside that irritates my skin after long periods.It does work, but not necessarily any better that the others.It was very slightly too loose in the middle around my knee, and too tight around my thigh and calf, but that might just be my legs. I recommend getting a size or two larger than you think you'll need.The other braces I tried open and close with velcro, but this one slips on and off. And I had to really tug sometimes to get it off, which wasn't great for my knee.Also this one didn't immobilize my knee quite as well as one of the others I tried, but it also has decent compression. So it's a mediocre mix of everything you might need, which may or may not be what you ACTUALLY need.

First off, i initially ordered a XXL based on some of the reviews here. after trying them on, it was pretty apparent i needed a XL instead. i went ahead and returned the XXL and got a XL right away. so i would recommend ordering true-to-size first. FYI: i have another knee brace, Futuro Active Knee Stablizer, in a LARGE.Anyways, i have this brace for about 4 months now and i think it is great. i play basketball regularly (2 to 3 times a week) and injured my knee several months ago. it was pretty sore so i thought i support it with a brace and found this one. again, i had the other knee stablizer but it really wasnt supportive enough for my knee (it was more like a compression sleeve). well, this knee brace certainly has the support that i was looking for and really has my knee stablized. it has both top and bottom velcro straps to tighten the brace and the fit is pretty snug. I wouldnt recommend going up a size because the material will stretch a bit with usage. when i got the XXL, it wasnt snug at all and i didnt feel it would have that fit i was looking for.during baksetball, you certainly notice it's there when you start out playing. it can seem a bit bulky at first, especially for someone like me who never had a big brace before. but after running up and down for a bit, you get used to it and not notice its size. i find myself adjusting the straps a couple of times when i'm running about 2 hours of basketball. i think that's pretty reasonable since you are constantly moving and the brace does give a little. it's usually to tighten the strap more than anything else, thus not recommending you go bigger on the size.all in all, i would definitely recommend the brace to anyone. i would purchase again if i had to. great product.

très bon maintien de l'articulation, agréable a porter, facile a régler, légère, je m'en sert pour jouer au hockey sur glace suite a une rupture du ligament antérieur du genou. Je conseille très bon rapport qualité prix.

I feel really compelled to write this review because I don't like how so many reviewers say the sizing chart that Shock Doctor provides is incorrect. You can benefit from a mistake I made; I bought 2 but neglected to measure my left leg, assuming both my legs are the same size; I bought 2 XLs, but should have got an L for my left leg.If you are near to being one size or another-- GO DOWN, not up! I mean, assuming you aren't just buying them for aesthetics.First off, there is certainly a break-in period with these, as with anything that fits snug on our bodies-- forget the myth that only leather goods break-in. I have been wearing these everyday, for 10 days, for 8 to 10 hours everyday. They absolutely become more comfortable, and do need to be tightened up a bit more, as time goes on. So just because they feel too tight right out of the package, doesn't mean they will after a week.Second, you should realize that if you have big meaty calves (I envy you,) yes they will be tough to pull over your lower leg, but once you do, the lower straps on the braces are meant to tighten just above the muscle so that they *sit* in place. Hard to explain, but I hope you catch my drift. I have skinny little chicken legs, so I do have to pull them up now and then and re-tighten the straps, much more so with my left leg, again, because I got a size just slightly too big on that side.If you end up tightening the straps too far, you run out of velcro to connect with, and at that point you'll really regret getting a size too big. I found a work around for this, but it's not good to use them in a way they aren't designed to be used-- honestly, just by looking at these things and handling them, you can tell Shock Doctor put a lot of care into the design.ANYHOW, in terms of how they actually work.... like a charm. I have a genetic defect that makes my joints basically like rubber, so the danger of hyper-extending and spraining my knees is ever present. I noticed the difference in stability and support as soon as I put these on, they instantly made a very noticeable difference. I saw a reviewer on youtube saying it's like suddenly adding an extra layer of muscle.. yeah, sort of. More like adding integrity to connective tissue I'd say, but whatever. Awesome either way you look at it.The 3rd day I had them, I went walking around town for a good 3-4 hours-- amazed that my knees didn't feel utterly destroyed that night, as they usually would.My orthopedic specialist said I shouldn't have to wear them forever-- I didn't understand this until I tried them; you can indeed tell that they are training your proprioception via "bio feedback" or whatever. In the mornings now, I wake up with less knee pain, and actually feel more stable for an hour or so before I feel the need to put them on. I hope that stability period keeps growing to the point where I indeed won't need them-- though I will probably always wear them when I have to walk on ice or if I go on a technical hike (one day soon, god willing), just as a safety precaution to stop a sprains or a catastrophic hyper-extension.Oh, and having to wear them everyday, I finally washed them yesterday... hinges came out easily enough, hand washed in the sink, dried over night... just a necessary chore to keep in mind. I read you should really wash these sorts of things twice a week if you wear every day (which is kind of paradoxical when you think about it) even if you aren't getting sweaty. I have gotten in the habit of spritzing them inside with some isopropyl, before bed, hopefully that will keep them cleaner... otherwise, you do get itchy. Well, anyone who wears pads and such for sports knows what I am talking about... "athlete's foot" can happen anywhere on your body, so be careful of that.So, my only regret is buying one a size too big (and that would be only just an inch off maybe)-- so DO obey the manufacture's sizing guidelines, and DO measure both legs if needed, lol.

Size issue tricky otherwise its a very good knee stabiliser even for very demanding sports especially for people with acl injuries.It does what it says... But the size issue is very tricky. It was just about apt the frst two days i used it but now its loose and slides down my knee.My knee measured 14.5" that would mean a L-size and according to the size instructions if u were in the border it was advised to go for the next size. So i went for xl size. But alas it seems now that i may not be able to use it to fullest extent. Hope i could return this and get a l size

Funciona bien pero lleva 2 meses y ya está roto el material....Me han enviado el dinero completo, buen servicio,

The build quality was good, but the sizing was not.Having measured as stated, it was clear that this item would not address the need it was purchased for.