We all know that exercising, working out, and playing sports strengthen our bodies.
But what we don’t know is that intensive training puts massive pressure on our joints. That is, if not treated properly, our joints can experience injuries or soreness.
The particular joint we’re gonna talk about here is the elbow. Conditions related to the elbow vary and are known by many names.
We have the tennis elbow, golfer’s elbow, tendonitis, and so on. If you’re experiencing pain on the inside of the elbow, that’s probably golfer’s elbow. Similarly, the strain on the outside may indicate a tennis elbow.
This article is meant for those who want to alleviate or prevent such pain. Our solution is simple: Get a pair of elbow compression sleeves.
As easy as it sounds, however, there are tons of brands out there, which makes it hard to decide. That is why we’re also gonna give you the top 5 best elbow compression sleeves on the market.
So, if you’re looking to buy one of these “elbow painkillers,” keep reading, and we promise you’ll find our info helpful.
Elbow Compression Sleeves: Buying Guide
What Is An Elbow Compression Sleeve?
As the name suggests, the compression sleeve to give support for elbow.
What they do is they provide uniform compression to the whole area they cover. These help your elbow with the pressure and reduce swelling.
What Is It For?
Now, it doesn’t matter if the pain is in the inside or outside. If you feel any elbow pain in general, an elbow compression sleeve should help you with the following:
- Keep warm: The cold can lead to stiffness and dry skin, which translates to soreness and itchiness. By keeping your joints warm, you’ll also warm up your tissue more effectively.
- Increase circulation: Swinging your arms actually affects the blood flow back to the heart. As it failed to do so, blood concentrates in the elbow area and causes swelling and aches. Fortunately, compressions can improve venous blood flow and get rid of this problem. Fun fact: They were first used as treatments for blood vessel disorders around 60 years ago.
- Prevent soreness: The mechanism behind this process is the reduction of lactic acid. As the muscles work, lactic acid is built up and will cause exhaustion and muscle pain. Compression can also prevent tendon inflammation.
- Boost healing: Compression can help your body ignore what it doesn’t need in the blood and transfer more of what it needs to your tissues. This process, in turn, results in quicker recoveries.
What To Look For in an Elbow Compression Sleeve?
The following are 10 core factors you should take into consideration when buying the best compression sleeve for your elbow.- Material: Nylon, Neoprene, rubber, and elastic are the typical ingredients of elbow sleeves. What sets a brand apart from the others is how they mix these components. Based on the recipe, if the sleeve is made from breathable, odor-free, and moisture-wicking, that’s what we’re looking for.
- Odor-resistance: Sleeves are worn during exercises, the most sweating period of the day. If the sleeves absorb sweat and, in some cases, dirt, they will be not only smelly but also full of bacteria. Anti-odor and antibacterial properties are, thus, recommended.
- Comfort: The main idea is to get rid of pain, so why sacrifice comfort? You’d want smooth material to prevent skin irritation. Proper ventilation also helps with overheating.
- Size: Over-sizing is not much of a concern due to their stretchy nature. However, sleeves that are too tight will backfire as they hinder blood flow and leave marks on your skin.
- Ability to stay in place: In other words, you’d want your sleeves not to slip off your arms. This is common with low-quality products that lose their stretchiness over time.
- Durability: To be fair, everything we own must be durable. I mean, that’s how we make the most of it while saving money from buying a new one, right? Notably, we’re looking for fabrics that don’t wear off or stretch out after wash.
- Elbow Support or Flexibility: This depends on your own preference. However, note that healthier elbow should opt for more flexible sleeves to guarantee a full range of motion. Of course, thicker and sturdier elbow support sleeves help to relieve pain faster.
- Unique features: Some brands offer compression strap, bamboo-charcoal, or Copper-infused fiber. Each has its own pros and cons, so make sure you evaluate them carefully.
- Packaging: Unlike shoes and socks, some brands offer one sleeve per product. The price, therefore, can be misleading sometimes.
- Guarantee, warranty, and return policy: The product you receive doesn’t always resemble its advertisement. Luckily, some brands offer a full refund and/or free exchange. This should also cover manufacturing defects and shipping damages.
5 Best Elbow Compression Sleeves
#1 Nordic Lifting – Elbow Compression Sleeves
The Nordic Lifting Elbow Compression Sleeves is said to be “handcrafted from premium Nylon yarn.” At the same time, its compression properties utilize Spandex and Latex yarn.
The sleeve aims toward a more ergonomic design for optimum fit and comfort.
Key features
- Warming effect minimizes muscle pain
- Comfortable with a good grip on the arm
- A unisex design
- Wide range of use: The ergonomics design retains the range of motion for any type of fitness activity.
- Thick and durable
- Great price
- Simple and stylish packaging
- Easy to put on
- Stay still
- Provide excellent fit
- Soft materials
- Well made
- Super comfortable design.
- Extra reinforcement in critical areas
- Sold in pair
- Does not affect the elbow’s range of motion
- Sizing and length issues for extra meaty arms
- Sleeves snag easily
#2 Copper Compression Recovery Elbow Sleeve
Copper Compression Recovery Elbow Sleeve, also available on Amazon.
As the name suggests, Copper Elbow Sleeve is guaranteed to have the highest copper content, and the copper-infused garment is exceptionally useful in killing microbes.
This sleeve is one of those that you can wear to bed.
Key features
- Copper is woven into the fabric
- Anti-microbial as Copper is scientifically proven to kill bacterias, viruses, and fungi
- Flexible structure with 4-way stretch construction
- Moisture-wicking material
- Anti-odor
- The length provides support for a more substantial area
- Can be used when sleeping at night
- The mix of the polyester, spandex, nylon gives a great feeling
- Retain the elbow’s range of motion
- 30-Day Unconditional Money-Back Guarantee
- Highest copper infusion
- Easy pull-on and no-slip design
- Low profile design
- Versatile and unisex
- Sizing based on specific measurements
- Less expensive than similar garments
- Polyester and nylon can cause allergies
- The sleeve is thin
- Maybe too long for some people
#3 Mava Sports Elbow Sleeve Recovery Compression
For the Mava Sports Elbow Sleeve, the one place you should keep sway from is eBay.
The Mava Sports homepage offers a better deal. You may also get it from Amazon with many special offers and promotions.
The Mava Sports Elbow Sleeve is actually one of those bamboo-charcoal products. This makes it lightweight, compact, breathable, and comfortable.
Amazon even offers 6 months of manufacturing warranty.
Key features
- Sold in pairs
- 30% Bamboo Charcoal, 30% Spandex, and 40% Latex
- Bamboo charcoal fiber is suitable for sensitive skin while having superior durability.
- Color: Black, Gray
- Instant pain reliever
- Perfect for everyday wear
- Compact design
- 30-day money-back guarantee.
- Free exchange within 30 days for wrong sizes or wrong colors
- Come as a pair
- Low price
- Look good
- Very easy to put on with no straps
- Performance booster
- Quality materials
- Lightweight and breathable
- Efficient and comfortable
- Not suitable for heavy weightlifting due to insufficient support
- Size chart needs improvement
- Extra-flexible
- Material is thicker which may cause sweating
#4 Kunto Fitness Elbow Brace and Compression Sleeve
The Kunto Fitness Elbow Brace and Compression Sleeve got a sale on their homepage. However, You may also get it from Amazon.
The fabric is claimed by Kunto Fitness to be “a specialized fabric blend with 4 way stretch capability.”
Key features
- Four-way stretch material provides mobility
- 70% nylon, 15% rubber, and 15% spandex to provide breathability
- Fits over 14” circumference
- Moisture-wicking
- Non-slip fitting without constricting mobility
- Well ventilated
- Breathable material
- The non-neoprene fabric prevents itch and irritation
- Elastic knitted 4-way stretchable fabrics
- Functions as a tennis elbow brace and tennis elbow strap
- Comes as one sleeve
- No copper contents
- Insufficiently alleviate tennis elbow pain
- Slightly pricey
- Limited sizes
#5 Elbow Sleeve by Rip Toned
The Rip Toned Elbow Sleeve got sale off on their homepage. It is also available on Amazon with many special offers and promotions.
The Rip Toned is the only product in this list that was trusted and endorsed by the 2014 World Powerlifting Champion Kevin Weiss.
Key features
- Top-quality Neoprene with durable stitching
- Comes in a reusable zipper pouch
- Black with red striping
- Machine/hand wash – air dry
- The product comes with:
- “Kevin Weiss Rockin’ Abs Guide”
- “Kevin Weiss Low Carb Diet Guide”
- The only elbow sleeve with lifetime free replacement
Which One Should You Buy?
So there you have it, our picks on the top 5 elbow compression sleeve. While the Mava Sports is the best-priced, the Copper’s strikes as the most comfortable.
If you like this article, check out our other reviews on gym equipment, like our latest one on cheap dumbbells. You can also check out our blogs for more information on improving your work out if you’re into fitness and bodybuilding.
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Article by:
Daniel DeMoss
I’m a personal trainer based in Denver (Matrix Gym) and a true fitness nerd. If I’m not training clients or working out at my home gym, I’m probably skiing, cycling or hiking with my dog Rufus.
Get in touch: daniel@dumbbellsreview.com