Mark Bell Xtreme X Sleeve vs Rehband 7790

This is a comparison between the Xtreme x sleeve sleeve and the Rehabnd 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.

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.