Knee wraps are strips of stiff, elastic material that you tightly wind around your knees before lower body exercises like squats.
As you descend in the squat, the material stores elastic energy, which it releases as you ascend, helping you lift more weight.
This expert guide will help you choose the best squat knee wraps for you. In it, you’ll discover the best knee wraps for squats, the most versatile wraps, the best knee wraps for pain, how knee sleeves and knee wraps differ, and more.
(Affiliate Disclosure: All products we review reflect the research and opinion of our editors. We sometimes receive the products we review for free, and when you make a purchase using the links in this article, we may earn an affiliate commission at no extra cost to you.)
Table of Contents
+
The Best Knee Wraps for Squats and More
- Best Squat Knee Wraps Overall: Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps
- Most Versatile Knee Wraps: EliteFTS Jupiter Knee Wraps
- Best Knee Wraps for Heavy Squats: Titan Signature Gold Knee Wraps
- Best Knee Wraps for Light Support and Stability: Sling Shot Knee Wraps
- Best Knee Wraps for Knee Pain: Cerberus Performance Knee Wraps V2
- Best Budget Knee Wraps: Gymreapers Knee Wraps
Best Squat Knee Wraps Overall: Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps
The Inzer Gripper knee squat wraps are our favorite overall because they’re made from high-quality materials, offer fantastic support and stability, and provide excellent rebound through the entire range of motion.
They’re also easier to put on than the other wraps we tested. Similarly to Inzer’s Grippier wrist wraps, they’re made of a unique fabric that clings to your skin and itself, ensuring they stay put while winding them around your leg or wearing the knee wrap.
Keep in mind, however, that these wraps are stiff. That’s great for helping you lift more weight, but it means they’re less comfortable than softer wraps and might not be suitable for higher-rep training.
Nevertheless, the Inzer Grippier wraps are ideal for anyone who enjoys heavy lifting and wants wraps that support their knee joints and reduce the risk of knee injury.
Specs
- Length: 2, 2.5, and 3 meters
- Closure: No Velcro
- Price: $34.95-to-$49.95
Pros
- Top-notch support and stability
- Excellent rebound
- Solid construction
Cons
- Slightly uncomfortable
- Only suitable for heavy squatting
Most Versatile Knee Wraps: EliteFTS Jupiter Knee Wraps
The EliteFTS Jupiter knee wraps strike an excellent balance between comfort and support. They’re less restrictive than the Inzer wraps but still stabilize your knees and give you powerful rebound, making them more versatile for different types of training.
Like the Inzer wraps, the Jupiter wraps are great for squatting heavy weights and will help you hit new PRs while preventing injuries.
But unlike the Inzer wraps, the Jupiters aren’t just for low-rep squats or one-rep max attempts. Thanks to their flexibility, you can also use them for bodybuilding workouts, Olympic weightlifting, and strongman training.
If you’re looking for a versatile pair of knee squat wraps that boost performance, lower injury risk, and help you feel comfortable and confident during different types of strength training, these wraps are ideal.
Specs
- Length: 2.5 and 3 meters
- Closure: No Velcro
- Price: $32.99
Pros
- Supportive without being restrictive
- Suitable for several types of training
Cons
- Offer slightly less rebound than stiffer wraps
Best Knee Wraps for Heavy Squats: Titan Signature Gold Knee Wraps
The Titan Signature Gold knee wraps for squats are your best wraps for squatting heavy weights.
Their rigid yet elastic material provides a huge boost in power, especially at the bottom of a squat. Moreover, their exceptional stiffness creates a “casting effect,” almost like having your knee in a knee brace, greatly increasing stopping power and stability as you descend.
The trade off for this increase in performance is that they’re very uncomfortable. Unless you plan on squatting seriously heavy weights, choose something else.
Specs
- Length: 2, 2.5, and 3 meters
- Closure: No Velcro
- Price: $49.95-to-$73.99
Pros
- Boost squat strength
- Extremely supportive
Cons
- Uncomfortable
- Only suitable for heavy squats
Best Knee Wraps for Light Support and Stability: Sling Shot Knee Wraps
These Sling Shot wraps are ideal for those who prioritize support and stability over performance.
They’re similar to heavy-duty neoprene knee sleeves in their function and feel. Their soft, elastic material molds around your knee cap, offering support without significantly boosting performance.
The supple fabric also allows you to move freely, making them perfect for Olympic weightlifting and CrossFit routines or while using machines, such as the leg press or hack squat machine.
The key difference is these wraps fit more tightly around the knee, offering slightly better support and a marginal performance boost.
Specs
- Length: 2 and 2.5 meters
- Closure: No Velcro
- Price: $47
Pros
- Comfortable
- Supportive
- Don’t artificially inflate your strength
Cons
- Not suitable for heavy squats
Best Knee Wraps for Pain: Cerberus Performance Knee Wraps
The Cerberus Performance wraps are a standout option for those looking for support for achy knees.
Their highly elastic material offers top-tier knee support and comfort without being restrictive or uncomfortable, making them ideal for a wide range of lower-body exercises, including squats and machine-based leg exercises.
While these wraps won’t meaningfully increase your squat numbers, they’ll give you more confidence and help you perform squats without pain.
Specs
- Length: 2 and 2.5 meters
- Closure: No Velcro
- Price: $30.99-to-$36.99
Pros
- Comfortable
- Supportive
- Allow for freedom of movement
Cons
- Don’t increase your strength
- Not suitable for heavy squats
Best Budget Knee Wraps: Gymreapers Knee Wraps
Gymreapers’ wraps offer an outstanding balance of affordability, quality, comfort, and support.
They’re cheaper than other options because they’re slightly shorter, which means they provide marginally less support and don’t give you as much bounce “out of the hole.”
They also feature a Velcro strap to make fastening the wraps easier.
While this will suit some, it means the wraps have a fixed length, so you can’t tighten or loosen them quite as easily as other wraps.
Much like Sling Shot’s wraps, these wraps are more similar to wearing 7mm knee sleeves than stiff wraps. That is, they won’t make a night-and-day difference to your squat numbers, but they’ll support your knees, making them feel more stable and secure while training your lower body.
Specs
- Length: 72 inches (~1.8 meters)
- Closure: Velcro
- Price: $29.99
Pros
- Affordable
- Comfortable
- Supportive
Cons
- Don’t significantly improve lower-body strength
- Not as easy to tighten or loosen as wraps without a Velcro fastening
Knee Wraps vs. Sleeves
While many people compare knee wraps vs. sleeves, they’re quite different from each other and improve your training in unique ways.
The main benefits of knee sleeves are that they increase blood flow around your knees and keep your knees warm, improving joint comfort and stability. Because of these advantages, wearing knee sleeves enhances coordination and boosts squat strength to a small degree.
On the other hand, wraps typically don’t enhance comfort but do help you squat more weight.
In other words, knee sleeves are like the suspension system in a car. Just as a good suspension system makes the ride smoother and more comfortable, allowing you to drive more confidently, knee sleeves offer comfort and stability during squats, which can help you perform better.
In contrast, knee wraps for squatting are like a supercharger in a car.
Just as a supercharger significantly increases a car’s power and speed, wraps substantially increase squat strength, enabling you to lift heavier weights, irrespective of comfort.
Scientific References +
- Mazzuca, Steven A., et al. “Pilot Study of the Effects of a Heat-Retaining Knee Sleeve on Joint Pain, Stiffness, and Function in Patients with Knee Osteoarthritis.” Arthritis & Rheumatism, vol. 51, no. 5, 11 Oct. 2004, pp. 716–721, https://doi.org/10.1002/art.20683. Accessed 19 Mar. 2021.
- Herrington, Lee, et al. “The Effect of a Neoprene Sleeve on Knee Joint Position Sense.” Research in Sports Medicine, vol. 13, no. 1, 9 Mar. 2005, pp. 37–46, https://doi.org/10.1080/15438620590922077. Accessed 24 May 2019.
- Machek, Steven B., et al. “Neoprene Knee Sleeves of Varying Tightness Augment Barbell Squat One Repetition Maximum Performance without Improving Other Indices of Muscular Strength, Power, or Endurance.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. Publish Ahead of Print, 16 Nov. 2020, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0000000000003869. Accessed 24 Nov. 2020.
