Review: DonJoy Performance Knee Brace

So I don't usually do product reviews but I thought I would give it a shot this time.  I was recently gifted a DonJoy Performance Knee Brace by my aunt who is one of my biggest supporters of my running.  A friend had suggested the brand to me and I was curious to see if I had finally found a knee brace that offered the kind of support that I needed while still allowing for good range of motion.

So to start with, you can only purchase this brand of braces at www.betterbraces.com.  My aunt placed the initial order after getting some measurements of my leg from me and the brace was delivered within 3 days.  Pretty good turn around for the shipping.  The brace retails at $100 but we got it with a promo code for $80.  Based on my measurements, she ordered me a large.  My initial instinct was to go with the XL but according to the chart the large should fit.

The brace comes in 3 parts.  The front Webbing, the back and the sleeve.

The large ended up being too small.  The sleeve fit a bit snug on my thigh and the back barely had enough material for me to fasten the brace.  The front webbing has small hinges on the sides that feel as though they should sit on the side of the knee and flex with the knee but on me the hinges did not flex properly.

So after a short trial on the treadmill and talking with my aunt, we decided to exchange it for the XL.

Unfortunately, despite what it says on their website, there are no exchanges.  You have to return the original order and create a new order.  You can expect a refund from the first order within 2-3 weeks and you have to pay to ship it back.


So my aunt orders the new one and it all so arrives within 3 days.  I had kept the Large so that I could compare it to the XL.  After trying on the XL I noticed no difference in the way that it fir on my leg.  I compared the two sizes and found that the only noticeable difference was in the size of the sleeve.  The webbing was the exact same size and the backing was only a few centimeters larger.  According to the Size chart on the package the large is supposed to accommodate a leg with a knee circumference of 15-17 inches.  The XL is supposed to accommodate a knee circumference of 17-19 inches.  My knee is 17 inches and so the Large should fit snug but the XL should have fit a bit loose if nothing else.  But I found that both of them fit very tight, especially in the thigh and did not allow for good range of motion.  I could not bend my knee all the way and that would preclude me from wearing this on anything other than easy runs on a treadmill or pavement.  Trails would be out of the question.  After trying both, I have decided to return them and possibly try a different model but will have to wait until the refund processes.

Grades:

Support: B+
Sizing: C
Quality: A
Cost: B

In Conclusion, I would say that if you have a slender leg and require sturdy support because of a knee injury, this brace would work well for you.  For someone like my that has thicker, more muscular thighs, it's likely not going to fit.  I would love to hear from others that have purchased from this brand in the past.