March 16, 2021/Riley Draper Table of Contents
The human body is famously finicky. You can pull something out of place simply by exercising it too much. There are parts of our body that are machined so precisely that they’re just bound to fail based on sheer probability. Your knees are often one of those points of failure built into your body.
Because your knees are made up of several bones floating around each other and suspended in place, you’re bound to experience some knee pain when you’re living and naturally aging. A great way to support your knees when you’re wanting to get out on the trail without incurring or exacerbating knee injury. Here are some of the best knee braces for hiking that are out on the market right now.
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Here are the top 5 picks (keep scrolling for more details and picks 6-7).
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This knee brace has it all. It’s comfortable, adjustable, and functional without getting in the way of your daily life. When you’re wearing a knee brace, it can often become an irritating burden, blocking your range of motion or bunching up your pants uncomfortably. This is a simple and unobtrusive knee brace that does exactly what you want a knee brace to do without inflating itself with unnecessary features or unintuitive design.
A good knee brace applies the right amount of pressure to your delicate joints without making the issues worse. An overly tight knee brace is going to do just as much harm as no knee brace at all. You want something comfortable that’s adjustable to your needs, and that’s exactly what Winzone’s knee brace does.
This is a knee brace with an open patella design. That just means that the brace leaves a little window for the actual patella of your knee. That part of your knee needs room to continue moving freely while the brace applies pressure to keep it from overextending and causing you pain. Think about how uncomfortable it is when you apply pressure directly on top of your patella and try to move your knees around, it’s horrible.
This knee brace goes out of its way to avoid that sensation, allowing it to give you the time to heal damage to your knees and reduce the impacts of your exercise on your body. The adjustable nature of this knee brace is also a huge win for this one, putting it at the top of our list. It’s hard to find a single brace that’s going to safely and effectively fit every single person’s body.
This adjustable knee brace circumvents that problem by giving you a high degree of freedom. No matter what your needs are, this is going to fit your body type. It fits on either side of your body, so you’re not going to have to carefully select the right brace and risk finding out you got the wrong one.
It’s incredibly comfortable, which is a huge part of the struggle of finding a good knee brace. The fabric is soft without negating the abilities of the brace. If you’re wearing a knee brace that you can’t stand, you’re probably just going to end up taking it off halfway through the day. You need to be able to keep these braces on throughout the day to get any sort of real benefit from them.
This is the knee brace you want, it’s comfortable, adjustable, and reliable. It’s the knee brace that will get you through the day and keep your knees set while you make your way through the trail and return you home without incurring more injury.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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This knee brace is much less complicated than a lot of other knee braces. You’re just slipping your leg into the sleeve, situating it around your knee, and leaving it to get to work. This brace works by comfortably compressing your entire joint rather than trying to create a perfect scaffolding around your patella. If you hate the way it feels to have your knees cupped by open patella braces, then you might want to consider this compression sleeve over other more clinical seeming braces.
These braces are made with athleticism in mind. They’re made from a slip-resistant silicone that will remain firm around your leg while you’re making the repeated sweeping motions you make during exercise and cardio-intensive sports. This makes them one of the better braces for hiking and backpacking. The last thing you want is to be constantly stopping and readjusting your brace while you’re trying to walk for several hours a day. You want a brace that will sit on your leg and leave you alone to continue with your business on the trail.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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Let’s face it, those full bulky-looking knee braces are a little embarrassing to don. They’re going to be obvious underneath your pants no matter how hard you try, and nobody likes looking like they need to rely on a knee brace. Of course, knee braces don’t hold any sway over your personality, but if you’re trying to get out of your head about them then you might want to opt for something much sleeker than other knee braces you see on the market
This strap takes the functionality of a knee brace and minimizes it down into a simple piece of athleticwear that’s easy to disguise and hard to notice. These knee straps are a great way to keep your knees in place without having to go for a huge bulky brace. These straps sit comfortably underneath your kneecap and apply just enough pressure to relieve the strain on your knees. They’re lightweight and allow for an amazing amount of airflow, solving the itchy sweaty knee problem.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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This brace emphasizes mobility. If you’re a long-distance hiker, or you’re accustomed to difficult trails, you might like this brace for its range of motion and the degree of comfort you’ll enjoy when you’re making big moves to make difficult steps.
This brace doesn’t sacrifice support for mobility. It’s clearly been carefully designed after studying the facets of knee braces and eliminating parts of the brace that aren’t totally necessary. By trimming down the base brace and getting rid of excess, you get a brace that’s comfortable and more than willing to facilitate movement and activity.
This brace is adjustable, but you’re going to have to find the right size for you. It’s not quite fully adjustable, but that’s one of the sacrifices you make for a lightweight active brace like this one. That’s not a huge issue, though. You get much more flexibility and support because of the sizes. If you’re willing to take the extra step and find the right sized brace, then you’re going to enjoy a comfortable fit that gives your knee the perfect amount of support without becoming something that blocks your leg from its full range of motion.
You can think of this as a variation of the open patella design for knee braces. Your knee is going to be able to move freely while still being supported from above and below by the brace. This gives your knee the opportunity to absorb shock more readily, allowing you to heal any damage to your knee and keeping your legs ready to take you across the country for as long as you’ve got the gumption to make your way through the trails.
This is a great knee brace for hiking. It’s basically invisible when you’re wearing it, it’s easy to forget that it’s there once you get going, and it’s designed specifically to allow you to stay active for long periods of time. It packs well if you feel like you’re not going to need to wear your brace for the entire time of your trek, and it’s the perfect tool for keeping your legs set while you go out and tackle the world.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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This is an incredibly comfortable compression brace. It’s a beautiful midpoint between a compression sleeve and a patellar knee brace. This brace is flexible and firm enough to apply comfortable pressure to your legs and it’s designed to perfectly cup your patella so it has room to comfortably move around without drifting around enough to cause your legs discomfort. It alleviates knee pain by supplementing your anatomy while using ergonomics to give your knees a comfortable fit.
This knee brace is fully adjustable. You’re not going to have to fuss with brace sizes or which leg you’re using the brace on. If you’re getting in a lot of exercise and your legs are changing, whether it’s to become bulkier or to shed some weight, you’re not going to have to continuously change out your knee braces once you own this one.
They’re comfortable and incredibly breathable, which is something you’re going to want if you’re hiking. Your legs are going to be working hard, and if you’re on a harder hike or it’s warm outside, you’re going to be sweating. Having a breathable brace will drastically improve your quality of life while you’re out on the trail. You don’t want to be taking off your brace at the end of a trip to find it full of sweat getting ready to create a rash on your legs.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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If you’re suffering from severe knee strain, you’re going to enjoy the stability and support you’re getting from this knee brace by Exous. Your legs are responsible for bearing a lot of weight, so sometimes you’re going to need some serious backup. This brace is much more sturdy than a lot of other braces out there, so it’ll give you some serious support when you need it most.
This is a brace that’s designed to be a little more rigid than other knee braces. It assumes you really need a knee brace, so it’s not as freeing as some of the other knee braces on this list. You’re going to get a lot of support, so if you’re trying to recover from some serious knee pain this is a great option for you. This isn’t quite the right brace for everyone, but if you’re determined to get back out there, then you’re going to need something a little more robust than the competition.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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Hinged knee braces are designed to limit your opportunities for hyperextension. Once your legs are injured they’re more prone to continue the offending behavior. This hinged brace will keep your legs in line without limiting your range of motion. At first glance, this looks like it would be restrictive, while it’s true that you’re going to be losing out on a little bit of mobility, the movement that you’re losing out on is the range of motion your bad knee is partial to, so it’s a great trade-off.
You’re going to have to measure your leg before you hit the order button, but this brace is well worth the slightly limited mobility and the tighter sizing restrictions. This is a brace you can truly rely on. If you’ve been burned by braces that are a little too lenient on your legs, allowing you to hyperextend your legs and worsening the issue, then it’s hard to argue against the Shock Doctor.
Read more buyer reviews at Amazon.com.
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This knee brace is going to be the best option for most people. It’s perfectly flexible without being too flimsy. It’s sturdy without becoming entirely rigid. It’s one of the best knee braces for the money, and it’s perfect for hiking, biking, or just living your regular life with a little bit of knee strain. The open patella makes this a knee brace that’s comfortable and functional without becoming a burden.
This brace, all around, is one of the best braces you can grab for the price. The breathability and support this brace gives you make it great for hiking. You’re going to feel the support of this brace the entire time you’re hiking, and the secure adjustable design allows it to stay in place all day. Once you’ve found the right position for your knee brace, you’re going to be able to set it and forget it.
If you think you’re going to need a knee brace, you’re probably right about it. Get one early and make sure it’s as reliable as this one. You’re going to get the support your knees need before they become a problem, and you’re going to allow your body to heal any sort of strain your knees have shouldered over the years.
Bonus tip: Picking out a knee brace takes more than just reading some words on a page, if you need some help picking out the right knee brace for you, this video is an amazing tool.
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Riley Draper is a writer and entrepreneur from Chattanooga, Tennessee. As a world traveler, he has been to more than fifty countries and hiked some of the most elusive trails in the world. He is the co-founder of WeCounsel Solutions and has published work in both national and global outlets, including the Times Free Press, Patch, and Healthcare Global. When he’s not writing, he’s probably on a hiking trip or climbing in the mountains.
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