Finding the right hinged brace can be a pain in the patella; pardon my French.
With most of the products on the market, you simply don't get what you're promised. And I don't say that highly, trust me.
I've been dealing with knee issues since I was 12 years old, going from doctor to doctor, from brace to brace.
It's unhinged (pun intended)!
That's what made me start this site in the first place. The available information on knee braces is lacking at best and downright wrong at worst.
That's especially true for the hinged braces.
Why?
Because there are many more moving parts, speaking both metaphorically and literally.
They either break away, or they don't allow enough movement. They either offer too little lateral support, or they feel like your knee might collapse any second. The materials are either too stifling or too flimsy. The metal bracing pierces through. The whole thing slips around.
I could go on and on...
I feel you. I've been there...for longer than I care to remember. The only difference is that, since I started this site, I learned everything there is to know about knee braces.
If you feel like that's a good enough reason to listen to what I have to say, let's choose a well-made hinged brace for your particular "case" - be it arthritis, ligament/cartilage problems, post-operation recovery, meniscus, or general stability problems.
PROS
CONS
The HG80 is the proverbial king of the hill. If you ask me, no other hinged brace comes close if you need serious, reliable support.
It ticks all the boxes.
So much so that I actually took the time to send a letter to their headquarters in Prairie du Sac (Wisconsin), thanking them for what their brace did for me.
And, in case you're wondering, I did not receive anything free in exchange for what I'm saying here. If you didn't wonder, you should've, because I've seen it happen in this space.
But I digress...
My experience aside, this is the quantifiable data I gathered when researching for this guide:
If you're thinking about the satisfaction percentages and wondering if 4 out of 5 people is too low, it's not.
With any other product, you might look for a satisfaction percentage in the high 90s. Not going to happen with a knee brace. Because knee problems are so unique that there will always be people for whom a product simply doesn't work.
That's why I make a point out of recommending brace with solid warranties and from brands with good customer support.
Back to the Hg80 - four out of five is way above the industry median. In my experience and, more importantly, according to the data I accrued over the years, it's as good as it gets.
It all comes to three things - the unique aluminum hinge (triaxial), superior anti-slip materials (Patented Antimicrobial HydraCinn), and a design that allows the two to work in harmony.
By "design," I'm primarily referring to the secondary shell and the stabilizing buttress for the patella.
It's fully adjustable, seamless, and pretty light (for a hinged brace), coming in under 0.9 lbs.
If you recognize your problem in the list below, there's little to think about - this is probably where your search ends.
PROS
CONS
My choice for the second best hinged knee brace comes from a family-owned brand with a storied history. For over 25 years now, Bioskin has been leading the way in premium orthopedic knee braces.
If this is the first time you're hearing of them, the reason probably lies in the word I used above - premium. This brace is a perfect illustration of that. It's a well-crafted top-of-the-line product with a price tag to match.
Most importantly, it's at the sweet spot between support and freedom of movement.
If there's any swelling involved, this is the brace for you. The compression is just right to help with the pain without causing further irritation.
It covers Meniscus, MCL, ACL, and general knee pain.
According to my data, this Bioskin is in the top 3% in terms of customer satisfaction.
The trade-off - it costs more than most knee braces.
PROS
CONS
If this is not your first rodeo and you already did some research on the best hinged knee braces, you've probably already heard about Vive.
It's one of the best-known products in the industry with thousands of satisfied customers. It's also a budget-friendly option, which is a big plus if you'll be wearing it for a limited time.
It's an industry classic that's been withstanding wave after wave of new arrivals to the market. It's the 300 Spartans of the knee brace market.
What I tried to say in the clumsy metaphor above is this - there's value in long-term reliability. I've seen braces come and go. Heck, I've seen brands come and go.
Vive has been steadily finding its way to the top for years now.
If one of the best hinged knee braces for a torn meniscus.
Why?
Because of the second-to-none patellar support.
There's nothing fancy about it, but it does the job, and it has an excellent price/performance ratio.
In contrast to other joints, the knee is structurally inherently unstable. Surrounding the inner structures are ligaments, muscles, patella, and tendons that provide (or should provide) stability.
When they become damaged, and the knee goes into trauma mode, it can affect other structures in your leg and back and potentially cause further damage.
That's why ignoring the problem is not an option.
This one is pretty obvious and expected. Of course, the materials have to be "good."
But what does that mean exactly in the context of a knee brace?
It means five things:
Another obvious quality aspect. It should be easy to put on/off and provide support without "cooking" your knee - the more granular the sizing chart, the better.
Well-placed straps play a crucial role here.
This is a question for your physician. I tried to cover a few most common scenarios in my picks, but ultimately, the patellar design choice is too individual for me to offer any meaningful advice.
For milder injuries in acute phases, your physician will likely recommend a compressive brace. Compression is not going to help much if you need rigidity, though...if you need to exert more control over the joint.
This is less a quality aspect and more something to bear in mind.
Design, materials, and placement of the hinges will make or break a brace of this type. I know products that excel in most major categories but will never find their place into my top 3 because the hinges don't do their job well.
Many of the braces I looked into don't have the warranty listed, so I had to contact each manufacturer. Ultimately, the warranty terms depend on the price range, which is only natural.
There are custom hinged braces with lifetime warranties. We're not interested in those today. I'm just making a point.
For the mid-price range, I'd say that anything over 6 months or a year is solid.
Ideally, there should also be a guarantee - 30 or 60 days will be enough to decide if it's right for you.
Choosing a good hinged knee brace is no small feat. Some things go beyond the scope of this guide and into the per-case territory.
There are, however, some common points that all the best hinged braces share. I did my best to offer a comprehensive analysis of these key factors.
I hope I played some small part in making the lives of fellow feeble-kneed souls easier.
