7 mm is the thickness powerlifters choose. It is stiff enough that you feel the sleeve push back out of the hole in a squat, and warm enough that the knee is ready before your first working set instead of three sets in.
7 mm or 5 mm?
7 mm — maximum support and rebound. Built for heavy squats, powerlifting and bodybuilding leg days.
5 mm — more flexible, better for high-rep and mixed training where you are moving between movements.
Why it works
Warmth. Neoprene traps heat around the joint, which is most of why squats feel better in sleeves.
Compression that steadies the knee under load without restricting depth.
Double stitching along both seams — where sleeves split after a few months of heavy use.
Sizing
Measure around the leg 10 cm above the middle of the kneecap, standing, leg straight. Knee sleeves are meant to be a hard pull to get on. If they slide on easily, they are too big to do anything.
