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Skiing (or snowboarding!) are absolutely epic sports to enjoy in the wintertime. However, if you’ve spent a lot of time on the slopes you know that your knees can take an absolute beating after a full day and you’re a hurting unit on the painful walk through the parking lot afterwards.
Skiing is also known for causing twisting knee injuries, as well as causing general soreness.
If you have been injured before and have pain and/or general instability, you know how much of a struggle this can be for skiing. Much of the sport is about confidence- if you don’t feel braced and supported, you won’t enjoy yourself as much AND you risk injuring yourself further- not great.
So without further ado, lets get right into the 5 best skiing knee braces! While this list is in no particular order, certain braces that are special in certain ways will be noted.
5) Stoko K1 Summit
Stoko is relatively new on the knee bracing market, but wow- they are amazing.
Utilizing almost 100 feet of VERY durable cables that are interwoven throughout the pants, from lower back to hips to knees to ankle, they offer customizable and personalized support and compression. This is achieved by tightening the cables using the easy-to-use knobs on the back of the pants.
That’s right- the Stoko K1 summit isn’t your typical “knee brace,” although it performs just as well (or better? than one. I’ve been using this product for a few months now and it really is a revelation- while it does take some getting used to (your legs are being “hugged”) you really do feel incredibly braced and supported when they are tightened up- and this isn’t just limited to your knees. This product also gives support to the hips and entire leg- and this support is adjustable on each leg individually.
As opposed to other Stoko products, the K1 summit is excellent as it is warmer than the other iterations- perfect for cold winter sports.
Take a look at the link below!
4) Bauerfeind Sports Knee Support
The Bauerfeind sports knee support is one of the most “low-key” supports in Bauerfeind’s lineup- which makes it perfect for skiing and snowboarding.
A few words to describe this product- Lightweight, well-constructed, perfect for swollen knees, and excellent for injuries around the kneecap like patellar tendonitis and instability.
The reason for this is the amazing gel pad that contours and fits perfectly around the kneecap. This contoured pad, which is a staple of Bauerfeind products (and is a huge part of the reason why I like them so much) is very effective and comfortable for skiing as it is low profile, but disperses impact and pressure very well.
Check them out below!
3) McDavid Maximum Support Knee Brace with Hinges (429X)
This brace by McDavid is perfect for skiing for those who need something a little bit extra and more “rugged” compared to the other braces on this list, and gives the strongest and most complete bracing on the slopes out of any of the others that will be reviewed here.
The only drawback of this extra support would be the added bulk, although this is to be expected- you can’t get all that extra bracing for nothing J Don’t be too stressed about the bulkiness though- while it’s the biggest on this list, I still don’t even really notice it while I’m skiing and it doesn’t negatively impact me at all.
The hinged aspect of the McDavid Maximum Support Knee brace is the highlight for me, as beyond just protecting against general instability of wobbliness, the hinges keep you truly locked in and stop any unwanted lateral movement- if you are recovering from any sort of major knee injury, I would recommend this product from McDavid for this reason.(Even though I’m not a doctor or medical professional!)
Confidence is key when skiing. If you can’t really lean into it, it won’t be much fun. That’s why I strongly recommend this brace from McDavid.
Check it out below!
2) Zamst EK-3 Knee Brace
The EK-3 brace by Zamst is really a nice little brace and one that I find is seriously underrated. One cool thing about it that is AWESOME for skiing is that it has an “open panel” design to put it on- meaning that instead of pulling it on over your foot (impossible with shoes or boots on) you wrap it from behind your knee and fold it over in the front using the velcro.
This is excellent for skiing or snowboarding as you can take it on and off as you please, without needing to remove your entire boot.
The Zamst EK-3 is, in many ways, a toned-down version of the McDavid brace above. While it also offers the side support of the MCL and LCL, it does so in a way that is lighter, and more breathable than the McDavid.
Of course, with this less bulk comes less protection- while I would classify the protection the Zamst gives as “moderate”, the McDavid would be “high.”
So, it all depends on how much support you need while skiing. If you’re wearing a brace for prevention or minor pain, the Zamst EK-3 is the brace for you.
Check them out at the link below!
1) Bracelayer KX2 Alpine
Ah, Bracelayer- you never cease to amaze me.
Just when I thought Bracelayer couldn’t get any better, they released the KX2 Alpine. I’ve used Bracelayer for winter sports for years- whether it be skiing, snowboarding, or even snowmobiling! Believe it or not- these are absolutely awesome for snowmobiling, which is surprisingly hard on your knees as you’re often in a semi-squat for most of the day.
On a quick note for how Bracelayer works: (see my other reviews on the site for a more in-depth look) these are compression pants that have rugged neoprene knee sleeves built directly into them- this means that you never have to worry about slippage movement of your knee support.
Bracelayer also incorporates neoprene support up the IT bands and into the lower back and hips- ensuring most of your lower half is braced.
The ALPINE version of these are thermal- so better and warmer for those winter days on the mountains than traditional Bracelayer.
I can’t say enough about these- they are comfortable, and as soon as you put them on you feel the support and stability. But don’t take my word for it- check them out here directly on the Bracelayer website!
And take 15% off using code RRB15!
Until next time!