Whether you're pro or like to hit the hoops in the schoolyard, we're all prone to the same wrist injuries. The basketball wrist brace is the best and most reliable solution for protecting your wrist. What follows is a list of the best basketball wrist braces that'll minimize the possibility of pain and injury as you engage in your favorite sport.
- Best Comfort Brace
- Breathable base sleeve is soft to the touch
- Contains reflective materials
- Best Worst-Case Scenario Solution
- Flexible and strong
- Fits both hands
- Best Medicinal Brace
- Moisture-wicking and breathable
- Silicone inserts reduce swelling and pain
- Best Thumb Trainer
- Soft, seamless, lightweight, breathable, latex free material
- Made in Germany
- Best Exerciser
- Designed with wraparound neoprene that provides compression and support
- Durable construction withstands wear-and-tear during exercise, sporting activities
- Best Adjustable
- Neoprene fabric gives Warm Therapeutic Feel
- Ideal for weak or sore wrists
Best Basketball Wrist Brace 2021
The Mueller Sports brace is compact and extremely stable. It starts at the hand, wraps the thumb, and stops at the wrist just before the forearm. The forearm remains exposed for maximized flexibility.
As a sports medicine device, the Mueller brace is cleared for a broad range of physical activity, especially basketball. It's both adjustable and comes in specific sizes, thus avoiding one-size-fits-all dilemmas. This is excellent when you're b-balling as you need both security and freedom of movement. Soft to the touch, it's durable and breathable, meaning less sweating and discomfort on the court.
We loved that the Mueller Sports Medicine Premium Wrist Brace came in different sizes … until we discovered those options are limited. They may not have a size suitable for you. Hopefully, over time, the manufacturer will expand its size category.
Though not necessarily manufactured for sport, I can personally attest the ComfyBrace Adjustable Wrist Brace makes for an excellent basketball solution. It covers not only the wrist but a large portion of the hand and a part of the forearm.
This wrist brace will make sure your ligaments stay in place as you dribble, catch hard passes and just about any other move you execute on the court. It's the worst-case scenario basketball wrist brace, where sprains are sudden and painful.
This is primarily a good choice if your wrist is already feeling pain. The brace is flexible enough to allow critical movement throughout play, but strong enough to ensure you don't aggravate any injury through exaggerated, dangerous activity.
It has a metal brace that keeps the wrist in place at all times. Beads in the brace provide a soft cushioning and makes wearing it for long game periods easier to manage. It's designed of breathable material, reducing the build-up of odor and sweat typical of even the finest wrist brace.
Though I know many a baller who wears the ComfyBrace Adjustable, it's not a sports brace. It's more for injury management and therapy, including arthritis, carpal tunnel, and tendons. Still, it's a sound recourse on the toughest court.
Manutrain develops braces that support comfort and stability in painful wrists. This one combines medical engineering and compression to treat and minimize pain and inflammation.
The design creates a comfort zone between the index finger and thumb and strengthens gripping. Its airkit tech makes the brace material moisture-wicking and breathable. By adjusting the Velcro strap, you control the level of relief.
Silicone inserts reduce swelling and pain. It's a go-to should you suffer discomfort during a game. During and after gameplay, the ManuTrain relieves wrist strain. This is accomplished via visco-elastic pads incorporated in the knitted fabric. The pads alleviate pressure from your blood vessels and nerves. A removable inner stay of thermoplastic plus an elastic strap stabilizes the wrist during rigorous movement.
So no matter if you're gliding through the air to catch the ball with your fingertips or whipping your wrist to steal, the ManuTrain reduces irritation.
I found the only issue was the flexible strap doesn’t seem as versatile as I'd personally like. Getting a secure fit may be better since a larger size could end up being too loose. Stability is crucial, so size carefully!
Jabbed or sprained thumbs are common among basketball injuries. The Rhizoloc Thumb Stabliser is a thumb saddle to help digit recovery. Affected ligaments are held in place with the Rhizoloc using an individually adaptable aluminum stay.
The Thumb Stabliser sets the hand and wrist in an anatomically comfortable, albeit correct, position to ensure effective hand therapy. It eases pain not just on the thumb but the metacarpophalangeal joint, promoting optimal healing of collateral ligaments.
The adjustable Velcro tab limits the metacarpophalangeal joint movement, immobilizing it while treatment and rest do their magic.
But as you must know by now, I have issues with wrist braces that don't accommodate unique hand sizes. This thumb stabilizer only comes in two sizes.
Excellent for gameplay, the Donjoy Universal manages heavy activity and pressure on the wrist. The wraparound has a contact closure that ensures a proper fit every time. The wrist brace is universally sized for the fitting of most wrists.
A contoured, removable aluminum stay offers maximized comfort and support. Whether you're playing HORSE or practicing defense, this wrist support protects ligaments and eases existing pain so that you don't aggravate wrist injury further while ensuring your wrist is good to go. Use this brace during exercise and play.
Keep an eye out for manufacturing problems, though; this particular brace has a reputation for slipping up on the court. A secure fit and double-checking during play are smart preventative steps.
The Rehabz Neoprene was engineered to support and minimize the possibility of a wrist injury. While testing has cleared this solution for CrossFit, tennis, weight lifting, it gets high marks for its fit on the court.
As a smaller brace, it's less likely to obstruct hand and wrist movement on the court. Flexible and agile, the Rehabz Neoprene can be adjusted to fit personal taste. The waterproof engineering means you can sweat without wondering if the wrist will shift in the brace.
The only issue we had is the wrist brace's one-size-fits-all design. While understanding the general sizing leaves room for optimized adjustment, I'd have liked specific sizing with the adjustment. This would have truly made the Rehabz Neoprene a unique wrist band.
Off-Court Solutions for Wrist Problems
A basketball wrist brace is an excellent preventive and therapeutic measure for the gamer. But neither is it the only pain-relieving therapy you can implement. A good example is hot and cold therapy, which is an excellent method for encouraging blood flow and quickening healing. It also reduces swelling and relieves pain.
You can apply kinesiology tape to the hand and wrist for up to three days. This quickens recovery and promotes pain relief.
The most sound therapy would be regular hand exercises. Done properly, exercise strengthens the wrist. This strengthens performance and decreases the possibility of injury.
Perform the following exercises at least twice a day. It's also a good idea to regularly stretch shoulders and the neck. The ligaments and muscles are all linked to the wrists and hands.
Bending Hands
Place an arm out with the palm open. Turn palm down until fingertips reach towards the ground. Use your hand to pull fingertips and then stretch palm and bottom of the wrist. Hold for a three count, then reverse.
Wrist Stretch
Line knees underneath hips. Place palms on the ground underneath your shoulders. Turn one hand until fingers point towards your knees and wrist faces forward. Lean back until you feel a stretch at the back of the wrist. Hold for a three count. Switch hands.
Fan to Fist
Make a tight fist. Open it as wide as you can, spreading fingers. Repeat 10 times with each hand.
Thumb Touches
Touch a thumb to a pinky finger. Release. Touch thumb to ring finger. Release. Repeat step with all fingers. Perform the same with the other hand. Repeat 10 times, each time exaggerating the touch and release.
Prayer Stretch
Tightly press palms and fingers together at center of chest with elbows out to sides. Bring pressed fingers as high as lips and then move them down body center to the belly button. Release hands, shake, repeat. Do this 10 times.
Final Thoughts: Wrist Brace for Basketball
If you plan to hit the hoops, you should consider a good wrist brace even if you've never suffered an injury or experienced pain. An injury can happen unexpectedly and pain can come gradually over time.
The best basketball wrist brace is as much a tool for correcting your wrist as it is a safeguard for injury prevention.
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