The Strong knee sleeves come in at $80 and are the first attempt at seamless knee sleeves from Mark Bell. They are stiffer than regular sleeves but not as stiff as the Xtreme X Sleeve.

 

 

 

The strong sleeves are the entry-level knee sleeves from Mark Bell designed for comfort and stability. With 7MM in thickness and level 3 neoprene, they are comparable to the sturdy upper range knee sleeves of other vendors like Rehband. This is based on Mark Bell's target group of powerlifters who usually need everything one step stiffer and thicker than other athletes as they give up mobility in a trade-off for strength. The main specification of the Strong Sleeve are:

 

 

This is a solid option for a beginning powerlifter who feels like Rehbandis not stiff enough for them. Especially when you weigh more than 200 pounds and want to powerlift you might want to consider entering the market with Mark Bell rather than with Rehband. 

 

 

The Strong knee sleeve comes in different sizes. These are measured from the circumference of your knee when standing. The options are:

 

These are the numbers for the comfort fit. Add 1" if you use the competition fit. 

 

 

The pros of the strong sleeves are:

 

 

The main idea with the Strong sleeves was to take the design of other 7mm knee sleeves in the market from SBD and Rehbandand improve it. The main difference is that the Strong sleeves have fewer seams and are therefore less error-prone. The design is still pretty heavy-handed and aimed at powerlifters. Maybe not the best solution for smaller individuals who want to move around as fast as possible while wearing sleeves. Here you may look for 3mm or 5mm options depending on whether you want to be active or you want to use the knee sleeve for rehabilitation after surgery/injury. 

 

 

The cons of the strong sleeves are

 

 

As Mark Bell aims at a smaller target group and the production of a seamless sleeve compared to one with seams as a bit more complex, the price is higher. If you want to pay the extra dollars for a 7mm knee sleeve aimed at powerlifters that is great. Otherwise, you might opt for Rehband. 

 

The stiffness and thickness might work against the strong sleeves based on your use case. If you want to wear sleeves and still run and jump or just support your knee after injury 7mm thickness plus an emphasis on a tight git might be overkill. You do not want to get your knee out of place again after surgery, because the sleeve you bought to support it was too hard to get into. That is the very definition of overshooting the target. 

 

For a 7mm sleeve, you will usually pay less with Rehband. Their designs have more seams and are inspired across disciplines rather than specifically for powerlifting.

 

 

Alternatives to the Strong sleeve are

 

 

The Xtreme sleeve would be the option if you want to take it to the maximum for your one-repetition maximum attempts on the squat. This is the stiffest and thickest IPF approved knee sleeve currently on the market. If you are big, heavy, strong and do not care that much about mobility, the X is for you.

 

If you want to buy a 7mm knee sleeve but save a little money you can also go for the Rehbandoptions. One is in direct cooperation with Rich Froning in case you want to support him directly as an athlete or feel inspired by his logo on your sleeves. 

 

Smaller and lighter athletes might find that a 7mm knee sleeve is an overkill for them.

 

 

The strong sleeves from Mark bell are a good entry choice for anyone focused on powerlifting. Other athletes might want to go for 5mm versions from Rehband, depending on how much mobility they want.