DonJoy Knee Brace Undersleeve, Closed Patella, Medium

5’9, 160lb, F. Purchased the day after I had a partial meniscectomy, my acl graft removed and a bone graft transplanted into my tibial tunnel. Needless to say I was swollen and miserable and the hospital wrap and dressing already driving me up the wall. This sleeve runs warmer, but I’m perfectly fine with that, it gives a perfect compression and comfort and thickness to protect the incisions and skin from ice and from the pressure of the knee brace. It slides on super nice and easy and wasn’t painful pulling it on post surgery. I’ve now been living in it for 6 days and it makes showering and putting the brace back on after a shower much simpler and I feel much more comfortable. This hasn’t stretched or begun to sag yet, even after 6 days with fluctuating knee/leg swelling: I highly recommend to have for post op when you’re able to change dressings, so much more manageable than an ace bandage (I don’t claim this is a replacement for compression needs that an ace wrap can give) but certainly much better in a sense that it’s not unwrapping.

I have thoroughly tested both Donjoy hinged knee brace under-sleeves available on amazon (hereafter "CP," this product, for closed patella, "RC" for reaction compression). For both sleeves, make sure you're not squeezing your leg as you measure and go with the tighter of the two sizes if you're stuck in between. The major difference between the two is that the CP sleeve is made out of soft camisole/long-john material whereas the RC sleeve is made out of thin legging material with rubberized grips on the inside seams. I can't say either sleeve is perfect, but they're a million times better than wearing the bare-bones brace. While I think both sleeves are solid, if I had to pick here are the categories I've found important and which sleeve I think is BETTER for each: - Holding up the brace securely: RC sleeve - Minimizing adjustments throughout the day: RC sleeve - Overall comfort: CP sleeve - Minimizing skin/scar irritation: CP sleeve - Sweat practicality: RC sleeve, it allows sweat to transfer thru brace faster but overall dries faster and feels cleaner. If you sweat a decent amount- both sleeves will ultimately transfer sweat to the brace anyways. - For use during PT/gym: RC sleeve Overall: RC sleeve BOTTOM LINE/TLDR: If you have the misfortune of clickity-clacking around in one of these damn hinged knee braced, GET A SLEEVE. Of the Donjoy sleeves, the RC sleeve is more functional and practical for me, particularly as someone who sweats a lot and wears my brace to the gym. The CP sleeve (this product) is overall much more comfortable and sustainable to wear throughout a long day. My two cents- get yourself one of each. Wear the CP for relaxed days or office-work kinda days and the RC for exercise or any particularly daunting or sweaty outings for the day. If you feel either of these is vastly better for you, I'd still recommend you get two for laundering and quick switcheroos on the go.

I tried this knee sleeve brand for the first time and bought the same size I have used for other brands (according to their measurement chart Medium was the size for me - same measurement used by other brands that have fit for me). The material is smooth and feels good against the skin, but as soon as you put it on and begin to walk around it starts slipping down your thigh and bunches up against the top of the knee brace. Needs to have more elasticity to snuggly fit and stay in place. Don't buy this brand as they will not allow you to return the item.

I've been using it for a few weeks now and it is holding up as expected. I bought it because I was getting awful chafing burns from my brace, and it works perfectly to prevent that. The only problem is that instead of my skin absorbing the friction with my brace, the material is (as it is meant to), so it's starting to wear on the points of contact. This might cause me to retire it sooner then I'd hope. It's very soft, comfortable, and breathable. It fits pretty snugly at the moment, but it might loosen over time; I will have to wait and see. Overall I am happy with it, and I recommend it if you are buying it for the same or similar reasons I bought it: to prevent chafing from a knee brace.

This sleeve is a bit thicker, which is okay, than the sleeve that came with my brace. The only minor problem I have is that it could be a bit longer. I roll the top of the sleeve over the top of my brace to keep the sleeve in place while I'm using it, but then the sleeve doesn't cover the bottom of the brace. If that's all I have to worry about, I'm in great shape.