Strong sleeves vs freeze sleeve

This is a comparison between the Strong sleeves 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.

Overview and review of the Strong Knee sleeves

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.

Overview of the Strong knee sleeves

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:

7mm Thick
Level 3 Neoprene
Sold in pairs
Seamless design

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.

Sizing for the Strong knee sleeves

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

XS - 11" - 12"
S - 12" - 13"
M - 13" - 14"
L - 14" - 15"
XL - 15" - 16"
2XL - 16" - 17"
3XL - 17" - 18"
4XL - 18" - 19"

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

Pros of the Strong sleeves

The pros of the strong sleeves are:

7mm Thickness
Level 3 Neoprene
Seamless design

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.

Cons of the Strong sleeves

The cons of the strong sleeves are

Price
Stiffness
Thickness

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

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.

Summary for the Strong sleeves

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.