The 10 Best Arm Supports
This wiki has been updated 26 times since it was first published in October of 2016. Whether you are recovering from an injury or trying to ensure you don't get one when exercising or playing sports, one of these arm slings and supports can offer the protection you need. They are available in a variety of designs built to provide, warmth and compression, and varying levels of mobility. Always consult a doctor before using any medical device. When users buy our independently chosen editorial choices, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
1. DonJoy Performance Bionic Brace
2. Kunto Fitness
3. Shock Doctor Knit Compression
Editor's Notes
August 27, 2019:
In a category that could be very broadly applied, it was important to us to define arm supports as anything that could be used to improve the performance or recovery of the arm, with a focus on minor strains to the elbow joint and its surrounding tissue. This is mainly because elbow hyperextensions — commonly referred to as tennis elbow — are a regular occurrence in a litany of sports. They often require little more than RICE therapy, the C of which (compression) is our primary concern on this list. More significant injuries to the elbow or bones of the arm, and injuries to the more complicated joints in the shoulder and wrists, should be very carefully handled by a professional physician.
That said, when we reevaluated our previous ranking, we found that a redundancy in basic compression sleeves posed a problem to the wide varieties of arm and elbow injuries that these supports can help with, specifically taking into account something like golf elbow, which is essentially an injury to the opposing muscle and tendon groups that are commonly strained in a game of tennis. These slightly different injuries require pressure and stabilization at different points of the joint, especially if the patient is planning to continue with their athletic endeavors despite any pain.
With that an other reasons in mind, we got rid of a couple compression sleeves that were struggling with availability issues as it was, and replaced them with more comprehensive supports like the Bionic Brace at number one and the Shock Doctor strap at number three. Speaking specifically to the Shock Doctor option, that strap can be reversed to support both golf and tennis elbow injuries, and after a minor strain in a hockey game last year, I used it to great success in getting back on the ice in a hurry.
4. DashSport Copper Brace
5. BeVisible Sports Sleeve
6. Mueller Adjustable
7. UFlex Athletics
8. CopperJoint CJ-ES-L
9. CC Copper Compression
10. Yosoo Adjustable
Daniel Imperiale holds a bachelor’s degree in writing, and proudly fled his graduate program in poetry to pursue a quiet life at a remote Alaskan fishery. After returning to the contiguous states, he took up a position as an editor and photographer of the prestigious geek culture magazine “Unwinnable” before turning his attention to the field of health and wellness. In recent years, he has worked extensively in film and music production, making him something of a know-it-all when it comes to camera equipment, musical instruments, recording devices, and other audio-visual hardware. Daniel’s recent obsessions include horology (making him a pro when it comes to all things timekeeping) and Uranium mining and enrichment (which hasn’t proven useful just yet).