Mark Bell Xtreme X Sleeve vs clang and bang knee sleeves

This is a comparison between the Xtreme x sleeve and the clang and bang knee sleeves including pros, cons and alternatives. Follow the links for more details.

Overview and review of the Dan Bailey clang and bang

The Dan bailey clang and bang comes in at $52 for a pair. If you want a Crossfit athlete sponsored 5mm knee sleeve this is your best bet.

Overview of the Dan Bailey clang and bang

The Clang and bang Knee sleeves from Dan Bailey come in 5 different sizes and are 5mm thick. They bear Dan Bailey's clang and bang logo and have been built by a team of Florida CrossFitters in cooperation with scientists and therapists. If you like some design and support Dan Bailey when buying a knee sleeve this one is for you. The features are:

Sold in Pairs
Exclusive Dan Bailey “Clang-N-Bang” logo design
5MM thick Neoprene
Color: Gray & Black
Sizes: XS, S, M, L, XL

If you have enough things from Froning or just like Dan Bailey this might be the sleeve for you. If you want to go for a stiffer, thicker sleeve, this might not be the right option.

Sizing for the Dan Bailey clang and bang

The Dan Bailey clang and bang knee sleeve is available in five sizes. The sizes are measured from the circumference of the knee while standing. The available sizes are:

XS 30 - 32cm
S 32cm - 34cm
M 34cm- 36cm
L 36cm - 38cm
XL 38cm - 40cm

Especially in the smaller ranges, you might find The Dan Bailey knee sleeves to be more practical than other knee sleeves.

Pros of the Dan and bailey clang and bang

The pros of the Dan Bailey knee sleeves:

Unique design
Flexibility

The Dan Bailey clang and bang knee sleeves provide flexibility and comfort while still supporting your knees. The Clang and bang design is also unique to this line of knee sleeves.

Cons of the Dan and Bailey knee sleeves

The cons of the Dan Bailey knee sleeves are:

Price
Stiffness

For a 5mm knee sleeve, the Dan Bailey clang and bang sleeves are situated at the higher, rather than the lower end of the spectrum. For this get a unique design and comfort, but you might as well go for other brands at 5mm which will cost you less.

These will not be the stiffest sleeves in the sortiment. If you are getting sleeves to improve your one-repetition maximum, rather than protecting your knees generally, go for the X treme sleeves from Mark Bell.

Alternatives to the Dan Bailey clang and bang knee sleeves

The alternatives to the clang and bang knee sleeves from Dan Bailey are:

The X Treme sleeve is probably the best sleeve in the market at the time of writing for improving your one-repetition maximum on the squat. At the same time, it is also one of the most expensive. If you want to improve your 1RM with a very stiff design this is the right sleeve for you. For general protection on fast movements, it might be too stiff.

If you prefer Rich Froning over Dan Bailey as ana athlete or want to spend your money on a brand that has been established longer you can opt for the Rich Froning Rehband sleeves. The Rich Froning sleeves are available in 3mm, 5mm, and 7mm.

The Rock tape Assassins sleeves cost a little less for getting a 7mm instead of a 5mm and have a different design. If you prefer thicker neoprene and black and red rather than grey colors, this might be the option for you.

Summary for the Dan Bailey clang and bang sleeves

The Dan Bailey clang and bang sleeves are a good mid-range option with extra comfort features and unique design. If you want to support Florida, Dan Bailey, and comfort, this is the sleeve to go for.

Overiew and review of the Xtreme X Sleeves

The x treme X Sleeves are the follow up of the Grippy X Sleeves which are IPF approved. This is the stiffest you can get in knee sleeves and still use in an IPF competition for $85.

Overview of the Xtreme X Sleeves

The extreme x sleeves are the evolution of the grippy x sleeves from Mark Bell. While the grippy x sleeve used some material that was not approved by the IPF, the extreme x sleeve has been made thicker to compensate for the removal of that material. The extreme x sleeve now bears the IPF approval. The features of the extreme x sleeves are:

IPF Approved
Sold In Pairs
7mm thick
Length: 29cm
Sizes: S to 4XL
Color: Black

The idea of the x treme x sleeve is to get as close to the effects of a knee wrap in a knee sleeve. This makes this knee sleeve one of the stiffest on the market and ideal for 1 repetition maximum efforts. They are tighter than the strong knee sleeves and thicker than the grippy x.

Sizing for the Xtreme X Sleeves

The extreme x sleeve is available in seven different sizes. These sleeves run very tight so take your measurements seriously before purchasing. Measure your knee circumference when the leg is straight to make your decision

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

Pros of the Xtreme X Sleeve

The Xtreme X sleeve has the following pros in my view:

Stiffness
IPF Approval

The main point for the X Treme X Sleeve is that it is stiff. Its design will help you to squat more on a one-repetition maximum attempt. Therefore it does what it says on the tin and is worth the money for someone who is interested in this.

Compared to the Grippy X Sleeve of Mark Bell the X Ttreme X has the IPF approval as the components in question have been removed. There it is thicker and got the IPF approval. This sleeve can be used on an international stage without your attempts being voided.

Cons of the x treme x sleeve

The biggest cons of the Xtreme x sleeve are:

Stiffness
Price

The stiffness of the X treme X Sleeve can work against it if your goal is something else than a maximum one repetition squat. Olympic lifters might prefer a little more flexibility to get into the hole fast. For this application, the x treme x sleeve might be too stiff. The same goes for Crossfit athletes who want to run and move around while they still have the sleeves on. For these scenarios, you might be better off getting a Rehband sleeve.

The Xtreme X Sleeve is high quality and designed for the purpose of one repetition maximums and therefore comes with one of the highest price tags amongst knee sleeves. If you are in the game for personal records you probably are willing to pay 90 bucks for a knee sleeve. If you are more casual and just want to protect your ligaments you can do it cheaper with some of the less stiff no-name brands.

Alternatives to the Xtreme X Sleeve

The alternatives to the Extreme X Sleeve are:

The grippy knee sleeves are the original design of the X treme X Sleeves which was got approved by the IPF and then rejected based on the use of material which was not allowed. The Extreme X Sleeves were the follow up to be in line with the IPF standards. If you want the "Cheater" sleeves from Mark Bell go for these as they have the same effect as the Xtreme while being thinner. This is achieved by using different materials.

The strong knee sleeves would be the all-purpose alternative to the X Treme X Sleeves. These knee sleeves are also provided by Mark Bell but are less stiff. This makes them a little more versatile than the stiff sleeves out of the Mark Bell range.

The Rehband knee sleeves are around for a long time across all sports. While Mark Bell's focus is more towards powerlifting, the Rehband knee sleeves are designed with the entire sporting community in mind. The Strong knee sleeves and Rehband knee sleeves will be very close in the type of sleeve you will get. Here it is a choice between personal taste and budget, rather than functionality of the sleeve.

Summary for the Xtreme X sleeve

The Xtreme X SLeeve is probably the best knee sleeve in the market when you want to increase your one-repetition maximum on the squat. Keep in mind that it has been designed for that purpose. High repetition work or running around in them might not be the best idea and other sleeves will do this job better. Between the grippy and the X Sleeve, I would go for the X Sleeves it is IPF approved unless you like to own some pieces of powerlifting history.