Best Basketball Knee Sleeves, Braces & Pads: NBA-Quality Compression Picks For Support Reviewed

Best Knee Sleeves & Pads For Basketball

Playing basketball is fun, but as is the case with any sport, the most important thing is staying safe and free of injuries…

Here’s how:

The best way to protect your knees from injuries and ensure they can withstand the pressure of running and jumping is to wear knee sleeves.

The best knee sleeves for basketball compress your knees and improve blood flow, thus keeping you pain-free and keeping your joints securely in place.

Plus:

These models can aid in circulation to relieve existing joint pain and also prevent future injuries from occurring.

Our go-to knee sleeve is the B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeve, which are lightweight, breathable, and come with built-in knee pads for extra protection.

Best Knee Sleeves for Basketball (2019)

Product Details
#1 B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeves

Excellent Quality

  • Padding: High Performing & Lightweight
  • Additional Feature: Comes with Moisture Wicking Technology
  • Price: $$$
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#2 UFlex Athletics Knee Compression Sleeve

Ergonomic Design

  • Padding: All-Round Superior Protection
  • Additional Feature: Double Silicone Anti-Slip Wave
  • Price: $$
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#3 Sable Knee Brace Support Compression Sleeves

Good for Reducing Stress & Swelling

  • Padding: Breathable Fabric | FDA Registered
  • Additional Feature: Tight Compression
  • Price: $
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#4 Pure Support Knee Brace Sleeve

More Elastic

  • Padding: Advanced Knitting Technology & Made With Highly Breathable Material
  • Additional Feature: Graduated & Optimum Compression Technology
  • Price: $$
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#5 CoolOMG EVA Pads Knee Sleeve

Most Expensive

  • Padding: EVA Pads
  • Additional Feature: Superior Sun Protection (Over 98%)
  • Price $$$
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1. Best Overall: B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeves

The B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeves are our top choice because they are breathable, elastic, and offer the best protection from injury out of all the products we researched.

Whether you’re playing basketball or volleyball—both sports where landing on your knees is not unheard of—these sleeves are your best bet for preventing possible knee injuries…

Here’s why:

They’ll make you’ll feel much freer and agile on the court, as you’ll know that you are safe and supported! You can buy these for both adults and kids.

Pros:

These sleeves are a much more ergonomic alternative to independent knee pads. Unlike independent knee pads, which tend to slide down, these sleeves will stay safely in place and keep the padding where it’s needed. The featured padding offers good protection against knee injuries.

The B-Driven Sports sleeves also offer excellent breathability and ensure that your knees stay dry. The featured moisture-wicking technology will keep your knees sweat-free, and the small pores on the fabric will allow airflow to your skin.

Plus:

Another great thing about these sleeves is that they don’t restrict movement. They are comprised of 80% Polyester and 20% Lycra which combines elasticity with comfort. They are also quite lightweight, which will allow you to run and jump around with ease. 

The B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeves come in a variety of sizes and colors. There are options suitable for both children and adults with various leg measurements. There are about 20 color options available so that you can choose whatever color pattern you like best!

Cons:

Some customers have found the sizing chart to be misleading, especially for the kids’ models. Fortunately, if the size is wrong, you can return the product and ask for a replacement or a refund within 30 days of purchase.

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2. Best Value-for-the-Money: UFlex Athletics Knee Compression Sleeve

The UFlex Athletics Knee Compression Sleeve offers great value for your money since it’s comfortable and therapeutic.

If you don’t like wearing entire leg sleeves to protect your knee while playing basketball, you will like the UFlex, as it only covers the knee and a small area around it.

Pros:

The UFlex is a great sleeve for relieving pain and speeding up recovery. This is thanks to the excellent compression, which heats up your knee and increases blood flow. Increased blood flow reduces inflammation and swelling, and gives the joints and muscles the necessary environment for a swift recovery.

The ergonomic design of the UFlex adds to its value, as it provides excellent comfort for an affordable price. The anti-slip silicone will keep the sleeve from sliding down while you play basketball, allowing you to run and jump comfortably, without constantly stopping to pull the sleeve up.

Plus, since this sleeve only covers the knee and a small area around it, it increases proprioception (feeling the position of the knee joint with greater awareness).

Lastly, UFlex offers great customer service. Customers report that the company was quick to rectify any quality issues with appropriate replacements.

Cons:

The stitching on this product can come apart after several uses, but if this happens, you can ask for a replacement.

Additionally, some customers have found the sizing chart to be misleading. If you choose this product, you may need to order a model which is a size smaller to get better compression.

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3. Best on a Budget: Sable Knee Brace Support Compression Sleeves

The Sable Knee Brace Support Compression Sleeves combine a cheap price with decent quality. These sleeves will provide the necessary elasticity, breathability, and support for playing basketball or any other sport.

If you’re looking for something low budget, go for the Sable.

Pros:

The Sable sleeves offer great value for your money. At a price of about $10, you get a product that has decent knee support and can provide you with plenty of breathability and flexibility.

These sleeves are a good choice for reducing stress and swelling in the knees. The compression they provide helps reduce inflammation and speed up recovery from previous aches or injuries.

It gets better:

The Sable sleeves are supported by a lifetime warranty and a 30-day unconditional money-back guarantee. The lifetime warranty ensures you’ll get a new replacement if there’s a problem with the quality or size of the model.

Cons:

The main issue with this product is that the anti-slip gel adhesive has been reported to cause allergic reactions in a number of customers. If you choose this product, make sure to try it out within the first 30 days, so that if this happens to you, you can return the sleeves for a full refund.

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4. Pure Support Knee Brace Sleeve

The Pure Support Knee Brace Sleeves are another great choice for basketball players, as they compress the knee joint without limiting your movement. They also provide improved blood circulation without additional sweating. While the B-Driven’s provide more elasticity for movement, the increased circulation makes the Pure Support’s better for recovery from injuries.

Pros:

If you love playing basketball, you will love the Pure Support knee sleeves. They are designed with 3D knitting technology, which uses elastic yarn, and which results in a product that adjusts to the contours of your knee and compresses it without restricting any movement.

This is a great feature for playing basketball because the game requires a lot of lateral movement and shuffling, and a stiffer, more restrictive fabric can be quite frustrating.

This sleeve is also quite comfortable. The featured non-slip grip silicone gel dots prevent the sleeve from sliding down. Additionally, the fabric allows for breathability and releases sweat, so that you won’t feel like your knees are getting cooked up.

The Pure Support sleeves are good for recovering from injuries. As they provide the necessary amount of warmth for improved blood circulation, they can aid in faster muscle recovery and relieve joint pain.

These sleeves come in three sizes. The detailed measuring chart available on the Amazon site for the product can help you choose the perfect size for your legs.

Cons:

Some customers have found the top part of the sleeve to feel a bit tight, so this product may not be a good choice for people with thicker thighs. Make sure you measure your leg size carefully before purchasing this product.

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5. Best for Outdoor Sports: CoolOMG EVA Pads Knee Sleeve

The CoolOMG EVA Pads Knee Sleeves are our top pick for outdoor sports, as they feature excellent UV protection.

These sleeves are also one of our most stylish recommendations. If you enjoy playing basketball outside, we’re pretty sure that you’ll love these sleeves! The CoolOMG sleeves are available for both kids and adults.

Pros:

These knee sleeves are the best choice for playing basketball outdoors, as well as other outdoor sports and activities. This is because they will keep your skin safe from the sun. The design ensures up to 98% of protection from UV rays.

The CoolOMG knee sleeves also offer great protection for your knees, thanks to the featured padding on the front. As the blacktop or concrete floors of outdoor basketball courts are harder than the wooden floors of indoor courts, the reinforced protection is very useful.

These sleeves are a great choice for kids. The print technology of the sleeves uses environmental ink, which is safe for the skin of children. Plus, they come in numerous fun color patterns, which will make your kids love them!

These knee sleeves are also quite durable. The high-quality polyester fabric features mixed resin, which makes the sleeves resilient to tearing. Plus, this product comes with a lifetime warranty, so that you can get your model refunded or replaced if you face any quality issues. Additionally, the color doesn’t fade after washing.

Cons:

There are some issues with the quality control on this product. In several cases, the knee pad was reported to rip within months of purchase.

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Conclusion

Our top recommendation for the best basketball sleeves is the B-Driven Sports Padded Knee Sleeves, thanks to the quality, breathability, flexibility, and protection they offer. These sleeves have the benefits of both sleeves and knee pads, meaning that they stay in place, compress your knee, and increase blood flow, and at the same time, they protect your knee from injuries.

Our runner-up is the Pure Support Knee Brace Sleeve, which is great because it compresses the knee joint without restricting movement. This means that you will be able to make those lateral cuts on the basketball court with comfort and security!

The main difference between the Pure sleeve and the B-Driven sleeve is the padding. If you’re looking for a good-quality option without knee padding, go for the Pure Support sleeve!

If you want a sleeve that only compresses the knee, and not a larger portion of the leg, the UFlex Athletics Sleeve is a great choice. This model focuses the compression on the knee. It also comes without padding, so it’s a good choice for recovering from injury, but not ideal for preventing future injury.

If you enjoy playing basketball outside and are looking for something to prevent possible injury, you should seriously consider the CoolOMG EVA Pads Knee Sleeves. The added padding will protect your knees, and the UV protection will keep your skin safe from sunlight.

Lastly, if you’re looking for a cheap pair of sleeves that offer decent compression and reduce swelling, go for the Sable Knee Brace Support Compression Sleeves. This option doesn’t offer padding but is quite helpful in recovering from injuries.

Buying Guide

We scoured the market from top to bottom to compile a list of the best knee sleeves for basketball so that you can find the perfect fit for your unique needs (and knees).

Our selected recommendations offer flexibility, breathability, and durability. At the same time, they vary in price, size (full-leg and knee-only) and design (with padding and without), so that you can find the best model for your next basketball game. Make sure to read our buying guide below to get our essential advice on how to choose the ideal option for your individual needs and habits.

Padding

Some sleeves come with added padding, and some don’t. The added padding is useful for protecting your knees from future injuries, while sleeves without it are simply useful for compression and relief from pain or recovery from past injuries to the ACL and other muscles (1). Think over what option is better suited for your playing style and the needs of your body.

Material

Make sure that the option you choose is sufficiently elastic so that it doesn’t compromise movement. 3D knitting technology in the design or added lycra to the material improve flexibility. Additions such as resin make the sleeves more resilient to tearing.

Application

Do you play basketball indoors or outdoors? If you play outdoors, padding is a feature you want your new sleeves to have, because it can protect your knees from hard concrete floors. Plus, if you need sunlight protection, you may prefer a sleeve which is longer (covers a larger area of your leg) or features UV protection.

Budget

While all of our products are in the $10-$25 range, some come in singles, others come in pairs. Follow the title links to learn what you’d be getting for your money. Consider how much you are willing to spend, and keep in mind that sometimes spending the extra buck is worth the greater quality of the product.

What’s Next?

Hopefully, you found our review and buying guide for the best knee sleeves for basketball useful in finding the perfect fit for your knees. To get more information about each of our recommended products, follow the title links to learn their price, in-depth specifications, and customer reviews.

In the meantime, don’t miss our guide to the best sportswear and safety apparel, to find links to our latest buying guides, featured reviews, and fun blog posts. You can also swing by our contact page to drop us a line if you have questions, comments, or any other feedback for us.