4 Best Knee Sleeves for Women

Whether you want the extra support at the bottom of your squat, or want to build up your confidence ahead of a powerlifting meet, knee sleeves are an excellent way to shore up your stability in your lifting routine. To get the strongest, most stable performance, take a look at our top picks for the 4 best knee sleeves for women. 

Our team have tried and tested some of the best apparel on the market, to assess which products are the most reliable, and will give you the best support in your squat.

Whether it’s part of a CrossFit WOD, or you’re prepping for your powerlifting competition, you need something strong, durable and supportive that won’t slip under the pressure. And, depending on your sport, you’ll have different requirements for your knee sleeves. 

As such, we’ve searched the industry for the best knee sleeves for lifting in a range of sports, including Squats, CrossFit, Powerlifting and Weightlifting. 

Take a look at our favorite picks for the best knee sleeves for women. 

Best Knee Sleeves for Women

• Best Knee Sleeves for Squats – EXO Sleeve 5mm Knee Sleeve
• Best Knee Sleeves for Crossfit – Rogue 5mm Knee Sleeve
• Best Knee Sleeves for Powerlifting – Strength Shop 7mm Knee Sleeves
• Best Knee Sleeves for Weightlifting – EXO Sleeve 7mm Knee Sleeve

Please note: Here at GymGirlFit, we use our own criteria to judge and assess these knee sleeves and, while we’ve picked our favorite for each discipline, you may find that another product would suit you better. Despite that, we hope you find this article informative and helpful in finding the knee sleeves that are right for you. 

Disclaimer: The content here at GymGirlFit is meant to be used in an informative nature and does not substitute medical advice, diagnosis, prevention or treatment of health problems. Please get in touch with a doctor if you need any of the above. 

Best Knee Sleeves for Squats

The very best knee sleeves for squats have to offer a good level of support that will help you through heavy sessions. If you’re into your squats and do them regularly, then the EXO Sleeve 5mm has the durability and comfort that will allow you to work through both high reps and high weights. We found them to be some of the best 5mm knee sleeves around. 

The choice of neoprene offers a strong compression fit that provides some really impressive support. While there is a light and 7mm option available too, we opted for 5mm for our top pick for best knee sleeves for squats, as it has the range to support any set, without limiting mobility. 

When we tried out the Exo Sleeve, out team really enjoyed the experience. We felt the sleeves offered great support and a sturdy fit, but the flexibility of the material meant there was very little bunching or pinching. On our squats, we definitely felt that our knees were strong and supported, however a couple of us said they’d prefer the 7mm option for that additional support.

We’re confident the EXO Sleeve 5mm has the range of support you need to perform heavy squats, across a range of set rep patterns. Whether it’s training in the gym, or in a competition, it can help build your confidence in heavy sets. 

Pros of EXO Sleeve 5mm

Cons of EXO Sleeve 5mm

Find out more at the EXO Sleeve Website

Best Knee Sleeves for CrossFit

The best knee sleeves for CrossFit are going to be completely different to other sleeves on this list. Within the sport, you need to lift heavy, you need to lift fast and you could go from squats to sprints in a matter of seconds. As such, you need something durable and comfortable that won’t slip through many reps, and something that gives you a full range of movement. 

Not a lot to ask, right?

For us, our top pick for best knee sleeves for CrossFit is the Rogue 5mm. With 5mm of SBR/Neoprene blend offers strong compression that shouldn’t slip, and maintain great support, without restricting mobility during those long, grueling WODs! 

When we were testing knee sleeves for our top CrossFit pick, we created workouts that would replicate the variety you might expect in a CrossFit Wod. And, when it comes to staying in place, comfort and performance. we were pretty much unanimous that the Rogue 5mm came out on top.

What’s more, the contoured seam allows for a comfortable fit, and we didn’t feel any pinching around the back of the knee. We really appreciated this as there’s pretty much no limit to what movements you might be doing next in CrossFit, and the last thing we wanted was to be thinking about our skin being pinched as we worked out!

No wonder it’s our best knee sleeves for CrossFit! 

[Related Article: 5 Best CrossFit Grips in 2022]

Pros of the Rogue 5mm Knee Sleeve

Cons of Rogue 5mm Knee Sleeve

Find out more at the official Rogue site

[Related Article: Julie Foucher – Girls Who Lift]

Best Knee Sleeves for Powerlifting

This sport is all about maxing out with the highest possible weight. So with that in mind, you’ll need a very strong knee sleeve for powerlifting, that offers maximum compression and thickness at the bottom of your squat. 

What’s more, if you’re looking to head to competition, you’ll also need something that’s approved by the IPF, USAPL and USPA. 

With that in mind, our top pick for the best knee sleeves for powerlifting is the Strength Shop 7mm Inferno Knee Sleeves. They comply with IPF, USAPL and USPA regulations and are IPF approved too, so that’s one less thing to worry about. 

The 30cm length and the thicker 7mm Neoprene material provide extra knee support in the heaviest lifts, giving you peace of mind and a strong hold at the bottom of your squat. 

When our team trialled these, we were all impressed with the stability the sleeves offered. The thicker material did bunch up between lifts, but we didn’t mind too much as you can roll them down between sets while you’re resting. Overall, that additional thickness and tightness over the knee was really beneficial to the majority of our team in those bigger lifts.

Pros of Strength Shop 7mm Knee Sleeves

Cons of Strength Shop 7mm Knee Sleeves

Find out more at the Strength Shop website

Best Knee Sleeves for Weightlifting

Whether it’s squats, deadlift or clean and jerk, the best knee sleeve for weightlifting will provide additional support to help ensure a stable physique and a stronger performance. As olympic weightlifting is pretty varied, but still requires the support around some very heavy lifts, we’ve gone for a familiar face on this list, with the EXO Sleeve 7mm Knee Sleeve.

It combines all the comfort, durability and compression of the 5mm, but with the added thickness, you’ll feel confident it can support you through the heaviest squats. What’s more, the fabric and adapted stitching means it’s likely to be a more comfortable fit through those long training sessions.

With the adapted stitching and the higher thickness/resistance, our team overall found them comfortable to use in higher mobility weightlifting movements like the clean and snatch. Only one of us felt any pinching or rubbing, but that was quickly resolved with a little adjusting. Overall, a great shout for general weightlifting for women.

Pros of EXO Sleeve 7mm Knee Sleeves:

Cons of EXO Sleeve 7mm Knee Sleeves

Find out more at the EXO Sleeve Website

How we chose our top picks for best knee sleeves for Women

There  are a whole host of things that contribute towards an excellent quality knee sleeve. We reviewed these key criteria when testing and reviewing the knee sleeves on this list: 

• Material and thickness
• Range of mobility
• Comfort
• Durability

By looking at these key elements, we can understand whether a knee sleeve is worthy of making into our list of the best knee sleeves for women, and what sport it might suit best. 

Let’s take a closer look at each of these criteria so you know what to look for in women’s weightlifting knee sleeves. 

Material and thickness

The material used to develop a knee sleeve can tell you a lot about how much stability and support it can realistically offer. 

Currently, the most popular material used on knee sleeves is neoprene, which is made up of synthetic rubbers which give it a touch, yet flexible feel. Neoprene is particularly well known for it’s compression abilities, which is key in supporting the knee joint. 

As we’ve discussed in the reviews above, the thickness of the neoprene used can also impact the amount of stability it can give the knee. The majority of knee sleeves in neoprene range from 3-5-7mm. The higher levels (5-7mm) are most popular in strength athletes as it provides additional support on heavier weights. 

Range of Mobility

Depending on your sport, you’re going to need different levels of mobility. If you’re a powerlifter, you need to make it through your lift and any thickness of neoprene will allow you to do that. 

However, if you’re a CrossFit athlete and you need to head to sprints or jumps right after you’ve finished lifting, then you need to consider your mobility options with your knee sleeves a little more carefully. 

There are two things we take into consideration in this instance. The obvious one is the material thickness in women’s weightlifting knee sleeves. The thicker the material, the less mobility you’re likely to have. But, if you’re also lifting heavy you want to balance the two, so 5mm usually seems to do the job. 

On top of that, we need to consider the design of the sleeve too. The sleeve should adapt with your movement and mold to the body at the bottom of a lift. As such, we analyzed the position of seams throughout lifts to ensure it wasn’t limiting mobility with too much stiffness or pinching in certain areas. 

Comfort

Talking about pinching and stiffness, comfort is a key consideration in our review of the best knee sleeves for lifting. 

For many of us, training session can last in the realm of hours and if we’re spending money on a pair of knee sleeves you want them to be comfortable at all times, not just in your lift. 

As such, we’ve tried and tested these knee sleeves to ensure the material is comfortable and doesn’t rub, the seams are in the right place so they don’t irritate the skin, and no uncomfortable pinching areas were identified. 

Durability

Again, if we’re spending money on a pair of women’s weightlifting knee sleeves, you also want your investment to last. A lot of this comes down to the material and, as we mentioned above, neoprene is a great option as it’s pretty sturdy and flexible, so should be better at retaining its shape through many uses. 

On top of that, we need to ensure the stitching is strong too. As soon as a stitch drops, the integrity of the knee sleeve is pretty much gone. So we’ve looked for extra sturdy reinforced stitching wherever possible, with hooked or quadruple stitching preferably. 

What’s more, the placement of the stitching is important too. We don’t want the stitches to be in consistent contact with a bar throughout your workout, as you’ll see fraying prettying quickly. So we kept that in mind too. 

And, if you’re paying for a nice design, we want that to last too. So we kept an eye on how well the designs held up under regular gym use. 

[Related Article: 7 Best Hip Thrust Pads]

Do you need a knee sleeve for Women? 

Before you decide to invest it’s probably best to make sure you definitely need some knee sleeves. Below, we’ve outlined the key reasons athletes use knee sleeves so you can decide whether you need some too. 

1. Stability in squats. A rigid sleeve with a good thickness will help to take the strain from your knee joint, give your body the support it needs for a more stable squat. This is most commonly seen in powerlifting where the weights are very high. 
2. Confidence. A knee sleeve can also help build confidence in those heavier weights and as the compression stabilizes the knee and allows you to lift with more support. 
3. Warmth. During competitions there can be a lot of waiting around for the next lift, so knee sleeves that are approved by key federations can be used during lifts, but also in between to keep the joints warm and ready for the next lift.

So, if you find you’re struggling with stability from the waist down in your squat, you’re looking for a confidence boost to work towards your next PB, or your joints need the warmth between sets, then a knee sleeve might be a great option for you. 

Knee Sleeve FAQs

What makes a great knee sleeve?

A whole host of elements go in to making great women’s weightlifting knee sleeves. Ideally, you want neoprene material for flexibility and support, thoughtful construction for comfort and reinforced stitching for increased durability. And, a range of material thicknesses is always great, so you can choose the one to suit you. 

Are knee sleeves worth it?

This answer to this completely depends on your goals. If you’ve been lifting a while and are planning to lift  big, then it might be a good idea to invest and boost your confidence! However, if you’re new to lifting, get the experience in first, because you may not have any goals in mind.

What are the benefits of using knee sleeves?

The main benefit of a knee sleeve is providing increased support around the knee joint during heavy lifts. On top of that, you also have improved confidence with bigger weights on the bar and a warmer knee, which can help during long workouts or competitions.