Hyperice knee sleeve vs Rehband 7790

This is a comparison between the Hyperice knee sleeve and the Rehband 7790 including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Rehband 7790 strong man

The 7790 Rehband strongman comes in it $69.99. It has extra straps to fixate the knee for very heavy carries.

Overview of the Rehband 7790

The Rehband 7790 strongman sleeve is a sleeve which is based on the 7mm Rehband series with the addition of two straps for each sleeve. The straps fixate the knee above and below while standing. It is especially useful for strongman competing in:

Yoke carries
Farmers walks
Heavy lifts from raised platforms
Car walks
Car deadlifts

Basically any lift that is very heavy and does not need too much bending of the knee. The Rehband 7790 will be less practical for:

Atlas stone lifts
Heavy Squats
Fast circuits

Whenever a strongman has to move fast or have full flexibility in the knee it might be better to opt for a sleeve without any extra straps. The specifications of the Rehband 7790 are:

SBR / Neoprene
7mm
Gray

Sizing for the Rehband 7790

The size for the Rehband 7790 Strongman is measured at the upper calf and is available in five different sizes. These are:

S 13"- 14"
M 14" - 14.5"
L 14.5" - 16"
XL 16" - 17"
XXL 17" - 18"

Measured while standing.Rehband sleeves are known to be more forgiving than Mark Bell products on sizes as they are designed for more freedom of movement and less stiffness in general.

Pros of the Rehband 7790 Strongman

The pros of the Strongman 7790:

Extra support with straps
Freedom of movement
strong brand

The extra straps are the main advantage of these sleeves. They will help you with very heavy carries of any sort. With this, you will have a better experience and protect yourself as a strongman.

For a sleeve which provides stability around the knee, the construction still leaves you some room to move freely and perform. You will not sprint or break a new high jump record in the 7790 Strongman, but you also won't waddle and be barely able to walk.

Apart from this, you are buying a Rehband sleeve. Rehbandhas been around for years in the business of sleeves and supports for athletes and rehabilitation. This is across several sports and through the decades. You are putting your money on a safe bet.

Cons of the Rehband 7790

The cons of the Rehband 7790 are:

Limited movement
Extra straps

Depending on your goals the 7790 is most likely overkill for you. Unless the carry yokes of several 100 kilos in weight you might as well go with sleeves without straps and which are less thin.

The extra straps will also bear a risk of ripping. Whenever you have additional flaps and straps on a product like this you can fairly sure that they will be ripped or at least loose after a year, if you use the sleeves regularly.

Alternatives to the 7790

Alternatives to the 7790 are:

The x Treme sleeve from Mark bell would be the weapon of choice to maximize your one repetition squat. While they are too tight for walking long distances, they have more flexibility around the knee and help you out of the hole for 1 repetition maximum attempts.

The Rogue 7mm sleeve is an alternative for the ambitioned CrossFitter or lifter who wants to incorporate heavy farmers walks and squats into their repertoire. Less stiff than the X Treme sleeve they provide more flexibility while still being supportive for heavy loads for average joes. Rogue also has a wide range of designs, specially tailored to the US market, which might be more appealing to you than the reds, grays, blues, and blacks of the Rehband series.

If you want a 7mm knee sleeve from Rehband without the straps the Froning series might be the right call for you. You will nod to the fittest man on earth while still having one of the most classic brands in sleeves touching your knees.

Summary for the 7790 Strongman

The Rehband 7790 Strongman sleeves are a great option for someone who does very, very heavy farmers walks and yoke carries on a regular basis and does not want to use straps. Most simple humans will be fine with a 7mm or even 5mm sleeve for their regular training.

Overview and review of the hyperice knee sleeve

The hyperice knee sleeve is quite pricey at $90 and a sleeve with inbuilt gel might be faster better cheaper. Only exception is if you are massive. The back and shoulder range of hyperice makes more sense.

Overview of the Hyperice knee sleeve

The hyperice knee sleeve is one of the products of hyperice that help you recover faster. There are also variations for the shoulder, elbow, and knees. The principle of the hyperice is to provide you with an ice bag that you can easily strap to your body.

The hyperice comes with the following features:

3mm neoprene
Machine washable
Air release valve to adjust compression
Loadable bag

With this, you can work several areas of your body with an ice bag that you can strap to your body to stay mobile. Great for big athletes who want maximum icing effect and are used to it for recovery.

Pros of the hyperice knee sleeve

The pros of the hyperice are:

Uses ice cubes or any other liquid
Highly adjustable
Comfortable
Easy to set up

A big advantage of the hyperice is that it uses ice cubes or any other cold liquid to get the desired recovery effect. This makes it a good utility at sports events or in your gym bag as you will always find something cold to put in. Compared to a towel makeshift solution it is superior. Your ice packs might not always be cool on the road if you forgot to put them in the fridge. Especially on an away game or when you are traveling.

The combination of ice and air compression makes it an adjustable solution for any sized athlete. Especially the huge ones where the liquid packs are not covering the area or do not cool the deep tissue.

The neoprene is easy on the skin, absorbs sweat and can, therefore, be worn by anyone who sets eyes on it easily. There is no complicated setup or wrapping.

The big nozzle makes sit easy to laid the hyperice with coolant. This makes it a fast solution to cool any area as long as you have ice within reach.

Cons of the hyperice knee sleeve

The cons of the hyperice are:

Can not be worn during exercise
Bag and nozzle prone to error
Price

The big bag makes it almost impossible to exercise and keep the ice in place. It is great to do chores like cleaning and shopping while you are recovering, but hyperice is not suitable for some of the training methods which involve being cooled. The Titan vest might be a better option for this.

The normal use and abuse of a strap or knee sleeve in a gym bag is prone to break the screw top or the ice bag of the hyperice. I wouldn’t put that on the manufacturer as I don’t see a better solution without making the membrane too thick so it does not cool anymore. Most average joes will just throw this into their gym bag and that begs to break the mechanism.

The price is very high for a knee sleeve or ice pack. You pay for your comfort.

Alternatives to the hyperice knee sleeve

Alternatives to the hyperice knee sleeve are:

The freeze sleeve is a neoprene sleeve with in build cooling gel. This makes it a very convenient solution unless you object to the chemicals used to make the cooling gel. Compared to the hyperice knee sleeve it is the better solution in my opinion for recovery at home for average-sized athletes. There is no extra set up required and you can use it on elbows and knees. For away games, it might not be better as it is easier to ask a stranger for some ice than putting your gross sleeve in their fridge.

If I was to spend money on hyperice I would spend it on the back solution. I have regular back pains from squatting and deadlifting. The usual icing solutions like a bag of peas or ice or hard to keep in place in the lower back. The hyperice back is ideal for that.

The hyperice shoulder would the equivalent of the back version for the shoulder. I personally have no problems with my rotator cuff, but if you do this can be a good solution.

The hyperice utility is a little different in design from the knee sleeve to go anywhere on your arms or legs. For the knee, you will have a harder time to keep it in place as the straps are arranged differently.

Summary for the hyperice knee sleeve

For cooling your arms or legs I think that the freeze sleeve is the better option unless you are a massive human being. If you have arms like thighs you might have problems to find a fitting sleeve. Out of the hyperice line up the back and shoulder version are great options if you have problems in these areas and need faster recovery. Try icing with peas first. The usefulness of icing for recovery is highly debated among professionals and it usually comes down to personal preference