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Introduction
Hello everyone, and thank you for reading Rabbit Rapid Braces and Supports! My name is Jake, and I couldn’t be happier that you’re here.
If you are a new reader, welcome! And if you are an old hat, welcome back!
I only review braces and supports that I have personally worn, OR a friend or teammate of mine has personally worn and I’ve questioned them thoroughly- so please rest assured you are getting the truth.
I got to thinking- it’s been too long since I’ve done a straight up review of a good old fashioned knee brace.
So today I dug into my closet to look at one of the best knee braces I’ve ever worn, a true old faithful, the Bauerfeind Genutrain.
If you’ve spent any time on my blog, you know that I love Bauerfeind. It’s just one of those brands you can trust because of it’s high level workmanship (everything is made in Germany) and great quality fabric and materials.
The Bauerfeind Genutrain is great if you need something a little *extra* beyond the classic Bauerfeind sports knee support, which is great on its own.
While this brace has all the great benefits of the sports knee support in regards to the contouring gel support for your patella and is great for jumpers knee, the real highlight (in my opinion), and thing that sets the genutrain apart are the flexible stabilizing stays on both sides of the brace that go along the entire length of it that help SO MUCH with instability.
Also- this brace pairs extremely well with the Bracelayer knee stabilizing pants- read on to find out why!
Highlights
Like I just mentioned, the best part of the Bauerfeind Genutrain are the extremely flexible and sturdy stays on each side of the brace.
These are tremendous for instability, and is really the only reason why I bought the Genutrain about 5 years ago, and it’s been a staple for me ever since.
Unlike extremely “rugged” knee braces with huge hinges on the side that lock your knee in and are very intense, the Genutrain is a bit more understated.
While you certainly feel the support and the stays do a lot to reduce pain and keep your wobbly knee in line, they are hardly even noticeable when you have the brace on! Because they are so light and flexible, you get to reap the benefits of the support without the rigidness of some knee braces.
Of course, the rigid stays of braces like the Shock Doctor Knee Brace with hinges, certainly still have their place for extreme ligament issues.
***VERY IMPORTANT- When you are putting the Genutrain on, make sure you pull it on by putting your thumbs in the tabs provided within the stabilizers (pictured, at the top of the stabilizer you can see the tab) and don’t pull on the stabilizers themselves. This will make them pull up within the brace itself and its difficult to get them back in correctly. So don’t pull on the stabilizers themselves :)
Also, when you are taking it off I’ve found it works best to roll the brace down without tugging or pulling on it.
Heard everything you need to hear? Check it out directly on Amazon!
Highlights- Continued
Like the Bauerfeind knee support, the Genutrain also features the amazing gel knee pad that encircles the patella to keep everything locked in place.
This “Omega+ pad” also massages the Hoffa fat pad and has nubs that work on massaging and activating the meniscus. This is quite large, as you can see from the first picture.
These features are all great for overall knee health and support of common problem areas.
Sizing, Fit, and Comfort
The Bauerfeind Genutrain is extremely comfortable. It’s the classic Bauerfeind knit compression material that is durable, wicks sweat well, and is just great in this regard- so no issues there.
***Another important note!
If you have inverted cone shaped legs like me (you have very large quads but relatively small calves) you might have some issues of slippage. This is also called having a conical-shaped leg- there’s nothing wrong with it, but you might need a little help for your knee brace :)
If you have large or normal calves and normal sized calves, you won’t have any issues of slippage here as the compression is solid and there are rubber nubs around the cuffs that keep the brace in place.
BUT if you do have slippage, which is a huge problem as it makes the brace far less effective, I would STRONGLY recommend you pair this knee support (or any other knee brace) with Bracelayer knee stabilizing compression pants- preferably the KXVs as they are the thinnest and work best for stopping slippage.
What I recommend you do here is to simply slide the Bauerfeind Genutrain on over top of the Bracelayer pants. Bracelayer uses neoprene knee sleeves built directly into the pants that are great for fighting instability, but are also textured. This texture, which your leg obviously doesn’t have, keeps braces like the Bauerfeind from sliding down.
The KXV is the thinnest Bracelayer product which is why I recommend it for this.
The bonus is that with the Bracelayer and the Genutrain, you are getting double the protection and stability for your knee! I’ve used this combo countless times for my most intense workout and sport sessions and I’ve never been disappointed, so I highly recommend you give it a try!
Final Word
The Bauerfeind Genutrain is an absolutely incredibly product if you have any issues with knee instability, pain, or issues with your meniscus.
Because of the high quality winged gel pads, your meniscus will thank you.
And because of the absolutely incredible and lightweight stays on either side of the brace, your entire knee will thank you because of the surprising amount of stability it gives you, all with comfort!
Seriously, this thing can be worn all day. It’s not too tight, it doesn’t cut off the circulation, and it fits to your skin like a glove.
Remember, if you are having any issues keeping this knee brace in place, make sure to give Bracelayer a try as well!
If you’re interested in it, make sure to check it out directly on Amazon!
Again, thank you so much for reading my review of the Bauerfeind Genutrain, one of my favorite products ever for all around knee protection and support.
Until next time!