Hyperice Utility vs Grippy x sleeves

This is a comparison between the Hyperice Utility sleeve and the Grippy x sleeves including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Grippy X Sleeve

Grippy x sleeves are one of the stiffest and thinnest knee sleeves on the market and comes in at $85. This is the one to go for to optimize your one repetition maximum.

Overview of the Grippy x sleeve

The Grippy x sleeves come out of the range of Mark bell’s wraps and sleeves. His channel supertraining06 is probably one of the biggest, if not the biggest, powerlifting channel on YouTube. They are designed to emulate wraps and be as stiff as possible for heavy squats. The specifications are:

Sold in Pairs
Thickness: 6.5mm
Length: 29cm
Approved by USPA

To provide a good, right support to place another squat personal record.

Sizing for the Grippy x sleeve

I take no responsibility for any size information as it usually lands me in trouble with at least one person. What I will say is that the design of the Grippy x sleeve is unforgiving. Take the measurements seriously and spent some time thinking about size or you might be in a world of pain to get these on. This is intended for the support the x sleeves provide. Rehband models are more forgiving in this regard. The sizes are

S - knee circumference 13-14”
M - 14.25” - 15”
L - 15.25” - 16”
Xl - 16.25” - 17”
2xl - 17.25” - 18”
3xl - 18.25” - 19”
4xl - 19.25” - 20”

If you have very big calves which are potentially thicker circumference then your knee, go a size up.

Pros of the grippy x sleeve

The pros of the grippy x sleeves are:

USAPF approved
Stiffness
Experienced vendor

The grippy x sleeves are USAPF approved. This means that you can use them in competitions in this federation. It is always good to simulate competition conditions as close as you can in training. With these sleeves, you at least compete on a national level. IPF approval is a different topic.

The stiffness of the x sleeve is its main selling point. The grippy x sleeves are probably the closest you can get with sleeves to simulate a wrap. A good knee wrap will be tighter and provide more bounce, but it is also hard to do it yourself.

Mark Bell has been around for a long time and was a powerlifter for a long time. Whether you actually need all of the sleeves he puts out can be debated, but his products do what they say on the tin, based on my experience.

Cons of the Grippy x sleeve

The cons of the grippy x sleeve

IPF controversy
Price
Stiffness

One con for international powerlifters is that there is a debate about whether they should be IPF approved. There is a controversy for how they function and a complaint was filed (probably by SBD).The IPF is the international rather than national federation for powerlifting and considered the gold standard of raw lifting. If you read this check the current status as it might have changed.

The price is a little steep but you pay for the quality. This was so good that it was ruled out, so it will probably protect your knees and improve your PR.

The stiffness can work against you. Of you want to use these sleeves for CrossFit WODs or Olympic lifts they might limit your range of motion too much.

Alternatives to the grippy x sleeve

Alternatives to the grippy x sleeves are:

Knee wraps are the ultimate stability tool for your knees. While they are harder to put on correctly they provide the most amount of bounce. Depending on the lifting federation they might be allowed or not. Lifting with wraps is not considered raw lifting.

The Rehband knee sleeve is the long-held general standard for knee sleeves. You will find Rehband products across all different sports. The use is versatile and they are not as stiff as the Mark bell grippy sleeves.

The x knee sleeves from Mark bell are the upgraded version after the IPF pulled their approval for the grippy sleeves. This is the updated version with thicker neoprene that covers USAPF and IPF approvals.

Summary for the grippy X Sleeve

The grippy x sleeves are the “cheater” sleeves which will provide you with great support for raw lifting and were so effective that the IPF banned them. Definitely worth having if it just for the story around them. Of you want sleeves with similar attributes to go for the extreme x sleeves.

Overview and review of the Hyperice utility

The hyperice utility comes in at $75 and can be used on your legs and arms to cool them. The main advantage is that you get an ice bag which holds itself in place.

Overview of the Hyperice Utility

The Hyperice Utility sleeve is designed to go anywhere except your back, shoulder, and knees for cooling. Hyperice has specialized products for this areas of your body. The hyperice Utility sleeve is designed to go anywhere on your limbs to ice the area. This is achieved by a bag which can be filled with ice cubes or crushed ice from your fridge. Hyperice is a good tool to blitz ice swellings at the side of a pitch without having to hold the ice bag in place. If you like cooling with ice bags and have problems with your elbows and ankles, the hyperice Utility is the right choice. The specifications are:

3MM Premium grade compression neoprene with plush finish
A separate bag which can be filled with ice
Machine Washable

The hyperice line is designed for rehabilitation not support during exercise. Keep that in mind when you are shopping. If you want to wrap your knees like into the product line of Mark Bell and Rehband

Pros of the Hyperice utility

The pros of the hyperice utility are:

Ice bag
Compression
Big area covered

The hyperice utility will enable you to ice a big area fast without having to hold on to the ice bag. This is practical when you have to recover at the side of the pitch or want to rehab and still be able to move around the house. If you are prone to elbow and ankle swellings and big you will like the hyperice utility.

Cons of the Hyperice utility

The cons of the hyperice utility are:

Ice bag
Setup

The ice bag itself is great. but of it rips or breaks in any other way you can not sue the hyperice anymore. As the bag is removable and needs to be filled with ice it is likely that you will damage the nozzle or the bag itself at some stage. This is the trade-off for being able to adjust how much ice you use and how you compress it.

Compared to other sleeves for the arms and legs, the hyperice utility might be a lot more hassle depending on your setup. If you play in the NFL or NBA there is usually some ice cubes around which you can quickly put into the hyperice. For people who use it at home, the setup can be messy and leave the kitchen dirty after filling the bag with ice cubes.

Alternatives to the hyperice Utility

The alternatives to the Hyperice utility are:

The freeze sleeve is a neoprene sleeve with an 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.

Summary for the hyperice Utility

The hyperice utility is a nice piece of equipment if you want to ice a big area fast on your legs or arms. Especially when the swelling is fast and you can not go to a doctor directly. Generally, I think that the freeze sleeve is the more convenient option to apply to arms and legs. If I was to buy hyperice I would go for the back option as I struggle with lower back pain from deadlifts and it is awkward to hold a pea bag in place.