Mark Bell Xtreme X Sleeve vs freeze sleeve

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

Overview and review of the Freeze sleeve

The freeze sleeve is one of the best options for cooling your arms or legs when going about your day.

Overview of the freeze sleeve

The freeze sleeve is a compression sleeve for the legs and arms with an inbuilt cooling system. It works with a gel to combine comfort with icing therapy. This way you can target the areas of most discomfort after training while still going about your day. The main features of this sleeve are:

Made in the USA
Compression Fabric Sleeve with Specially Formulated Anti-Microbial Gel
Flexible Up to -20 Degrees F
Store in the freezer a minimum of 2 hours before use
Color: Black
Important: Do not let the Freeze Sleeve get wet! The gel will absorb water and swell. If your sleeve becomes damp, place it on a flat, dry surface and allow to fully air dry. Do not use wet towels under your FREEZE SLEEVE.

This is a great comfortable and fast solution to cool down any area on your leg or arm.

Size of the freeze sleeve

The freeze sleeve is available in six different sizes ranging from S to 3XL. Measure the circumference just below your knee or elbow for the best results. The size chart is as follows:

S 8" -10" / 20-26cm
M 10" -13" / 26-33cm
L 13"-16" / 33-41cm
XL 16"-20" / 41-51cm
XXL 20"-24" / 51-61cm
3XL 25"-30" / 63-65cm

Take your measurements seriously and maybe go a little down from what you measure as sleeves tend to widen over time with extensive use.

Pros of the Freeze sleeve

The pros of the freeze sleeve:

Fast application
No moving parts
Price

The freeze sleeve is fast to use as long as it has been in the freezer. You easily slip it on and off after raining and is, therefore, a great solution for rehab post-workout.

There are no moving parts in the freeze sleeve that can break or get lost. Other solutions have nozzles to fill in ice or liquid while the freeze sleeve is one piece of equipment.

The price for the freeze sleeve is relatively low compared to other icing solutions with a similar impact.

Cons of the freeze sleeve

The cons of the freeze sleeve are:

Does not use ice
No choice in freeze effect
No choice on compression
Small areas only

Compared to ice packs that are filled with ice cubes the freeze sleeve provides less cooling and compression. If you want to shock freeze certain areas immediately after injury, the freeze sleeve is not the right tool. Here the hyperice range of products does a better job. The same goes for larger areas like the shoulder or back.

Alternatives to the freeze sleeve

Good alternatives to the freeze sleeve are:

The hyperice range can cover bigger areas and freeze them quicker. If you are a big athlete you are probably better off with these. The main disadvantage of the freeze sleeve is that you need to fill the bag with ice cubes to make it work. This requires setup and leaves the product with more moving parts that can break or get lost.

Summary for the freeze sleeve

One of the best solutions for post-workout cooling of niggling areas over time. Not the best solution for immediate icing of severe strain injuries at the side of a pitch.

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.