These Knee Braces — From Tape to Hinges — Provide Crucial Stability and Support for Runner’s Knee (2024)

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If you’ve found yourself suffering from runner’s knee (also known as patellofemoral pain syndrome), you might need a knee brace. Before searching for the best knee brace for you, it’s important that you understand what runner’s knee is and how it typically presents.

Runner’s knee is an overuse injury that can happen from over-training or incorrect mechanics. It may occur due to poor alignment or varying strengths in your legs, or even due to problems with the runners’ feet or footwear. It’s causes the kneecap to wiggle around and feel displaced during movement.

“Patients usually present with anterior knee pain or pain in the front of their knee,” explains Jay Kimmel, MD, who’s an orthopedic surgeon and the co-founder of Upswing Health, a tele-health service that connects patients with orthopedic physicians. According to Kimmel, typical symptoms include that pain in the front of the knee, usually worsened by going up and down stairs and, of course, running.

We spoke with several medical professionals to determine which knee braces are the best for support, pain relief, and runner’s knee.

The Best Knee Braces

• Best for Patellar Stabilization: DonJoy Lateral J Patella Knee Support Brace Without Hinge
• Best for Large Legs: Shock Doctor Compression Knee Brace
• Best Tape: Kinesio Elastic Therapeutic Athletic Tape
• Best Knee Strap: Cho-Pat Original Knee Strap
• Best Knee Sleeve: CopperJoint Compression Knee Sleeve

What to Consider

Do I Need a Brace for Runner’s Knee?

Wearing a knee brace is usually only recommended under the guidance of professionals who can pinpoint the root of your knee issues, and in conjunction with physical therapy. For most runners, these braces can relieve acute symptoms of runner’s knee. However, knee braces are not recommended for long-term treatment.

“Each brace offers a different level of constraint, and too much constraint causes your body to rely on the brace and not your natural muscles and soft tissue, which is why bracing is not used long-term,” explains Matthew Harb, MD, an orthopedic surgeon and hip and knee specialist. “The goal for treatment is physical therapy to improve the current condition and protect the knee from future injury.”

It’s important to recognize when it may be time to seek medical attention, especially if your pain does not lessen after wearing a brace. “Runners should seek medical attention when simple treatments such as RICE (rest, ice, compression, and elevation) do not relieve the symptoms,” says Kimmel. “Your physician will perform a physical exam and X-rays to see if there is any evidence of malalignment of the kneecap or muscle imbalance.”

Types of Knee Braces

“Taping the knee is the least invasive and can be helpful for people who are still very active and involved in sports,” explains Harb. “It also is the least constraining, so it will only mildly adjust how your kneecap moves.” Knee tape is best for those with minor strains who need a bit of extra support on their next run. This is also the cheapest option, though it takes a bit of practice to wrap kinesiology tape correctly.

If you need even more support, consider a sleeve. “It’s slightly more restrictive,” says Harb, and “the benefit is that taking it on and off can be very simple, and you can still use it while being more active.”

On the other hand, a patella-stabilizing brace may help keep the kneecap in place. “This is more constraining, which allows for a range of motion of the knee, but has straps to help with patella tracking and how the kneecap moves,” says Harb. If you plan on remaining very active while you treat your runner’s knee, he adds that you might find this kind of knee brace to be limiting during more intensive workouts. As such, knee sleeves are best used during recovery and mild physical activity.

However, if your doctor determines that a fully restrictive brace is required for your recovery, you may need a hinge knee brace. “The most restrictive, this prevents side-to-side motion of the knee as well as guides the kneecap,” says Harb. He adds that, thankfully, this brace is typically not needed unless you’re suffering from a severe knee injury like a torn meniscus or ligament, osteoarthritis, or severe rheumatoid arthritis.

Materials

When it comes to materials, look for one made of neoprene—a tough, rubber-like synthetic that retains heat, which, in turn, can accelerate the healing process. Aloiya Kremer, MD, a sports medicine doctor at St. Elizabeth Physicians in the Midwest, says the material is supportive, compressive, and comfortable. It’s also slip-resistant so you don’t find yourself pulling up your knee brace throughout your run or workout.

Although Harb notes that most braces are allergy- and latex-free, it’s best practice to check the description of your brace or inform your doctor of any allergies you may have before purchasing one.

How We Selected

To find the best braces for runner’s knee, we spoke with three experts: two orthopedic doctors and one sports medicine physician. We asked them what runners should look for when shopping for knee braces and they gave us both general guidelines and specific product recommendations.

Harb, MD, recommends grabbing generic kinesiology tape for those seeking an unobtrusive knee brace; we chose Kinesio due to its popularity and highly rated user reviews. Kimmel, MD, recommends two knee braces for recovery and pain relief: the Cho-Pat Orignal Knee Strap, which “sits under the kneecap and takes some of the pressure off the patella tendon,” and the CopperJoint Compression Knee Sleeve, which provides simple, no-frills relief readily available on Amazon. Kremer, MD, recommends Don Jon braces for her patients, recognizing it as a reputable brand. Our experts have no affiliation or sponsorships with these brands.

For all other picks, we used guidance from our expert interviews and retailer user reviews to determine the best in category for each brace type (tape, sleeve, and strap), and purpose-made options, such as patellar stabilization braces or those with inclusive sizing.