DonJoy Drytex Economy Hinged Knee Brace Review

 

  • Installation / Setup
  • Durability
  • Maintenance
  • Breathability

PROS
– Great alternative for people who are allergic to neoprene (uses a different material)
– Hinges can be removed for easy cleaning
– Wraparound design makes it easy to adjust for days when your knees are swollen

CONS
– Takes time to adjust and get it to fit just right
– Not recommended for contact sports

Sending

Donjoy came up with an alternative to the neoprene knee sleeve, which is the Donjoy Drytex Hinged Knee Brace (“Economy” version). This brace is rated Level II, which provides additional protection and support features. Instead of going with the standard neoprene material, Donjoy decided to change the game and go with a mix of nylon and polyester lycra, which is great for those who have allergies to neoprene. This brace is designed to provide a bit more medial/lateral protection than a regular knee sleeve, because of the built-in aluminum hinged uprights.

One of the great features of this brace is the wraparound design. If you are like me and your knee swells up from time to time, it’s great to have the ability to adjust the brace and make it tighter on some days versus others. Another is that the uprights are removable which is great if (knock on wood), the pain decides to go down and you just want to wear the brace for the compression benefits.

As far as the material is concerned, a lot of people have commented that it is more breathable that neoprene. I can’t personally vouch for that since I’ve tried both alternatives and find them both similar. What I do like about the material is that it is extremely durable and because the hinges are removable, it is very easy to clean.

What are the downsides to this brace? First, it may take you a few tries before you get used to wearing it. Because it is a wraparound brace, you have to play around with it a bit when you first get it in order to find the right adjustment that works for you. Although I didn’t have this issue myself, some people complain that it is bulky and that one size lower on the recommendation chart would have been better.

 

Conclusion

In my opinion, this is a great option if you are looking for a cheap brace to provide some extra support. If you are interested in this type of brace, please keep in mind that Donjoy has two other similar braces, the Donjoy Performance Webtech Knee Brace and the Donjoy Drytex Sport Hinged Knee Brace. The Deluxe and Playmaker models have visible hinges and are Level III braces which provide “ADVANCED” support (i.e.: designed for mild to moderate pain which often involve the ACL, MCL, PCL and/or LCL instabilities). The focus of this article is the Economy version of the Drytex brace which is a Level II brace, for milder pain symptoms.

What Others Are Saying

“This brace does a great job for me and has helped my knee pain so much. The only problem I had at first was keeping it in place but after I figured it out it works great. (Brace Shop)

“Excellent fit! Best brace I have had so far out of six other braces. DonJoy was recommended by my orthopedics office by their equipment manager. (Other)

“This brace is great! It is supportive and let’s you move actively in a game situation. Love it! (Brace Shop)

Still Not Sure? Read other user reviews here!

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Louis

July 4, 2015

I agree with you, I have tried drytex and neoprene and don’t find much of a difference. Good brace though… Did the trick for me.

TheKneeBraceGuy

July 4, 2015

Txs for the feedback Louis. Glad it worked for you.