Hyperice Utility vs Knee sleeve

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

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

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.

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.