DonJoy Performance Bionic Knee Brace – Hinged, Adjustable Patella Support, Lateral/Medial Ligament (ACL, MCL, LCL), Meniscus, Knee Sprains

Excellent brace to stabilize the knee. Used it for skiing being a 10 month post op total knee replacement. It's the best brace I've ever used for the money.

Whomever sized these things should be fired, but once you find the size that actually fits you’ll be amazed. I can walk, climb stairs, and stand behind my easel for hours knee pain free. A miracle of engineering! Once you get the Velcro lined up to where it’s not making that Schlick-schlick-schlick sound every time you step you’ll be walking everywhere, but on water

I compared this to my Shock Doctor 875. They are extremely similar products. I am a Large in SD but a Medium in DonJoy Bionic. The most noticeable difference is that this DJ is inexplicably over twice the price of the SD ($85 vs $40). That will probably be the deciding point for most. With that said, I liked how the DJ had a lower profile where the gear housings are - they are smaller than in the SD and they are covered with smooth neoprene on the outside as well. Of note, the hinges are NOT removable on the DJ - they are sewn in - so the SD has the benefit of you being able to remove the hinges and continue to use the neoprene knee sleeve (e.g. when you are healing and need less support). The SD hinges, specifically in the gear housing, are slightly bulkier - but probably more significant is that they are exposed and subject to snagging on stuff. I'm a hockey goalie and the smooth external service of the DJ interested me because I needed to wear equipment over it. The DJ's bonus is that the back neoprene is Velcro'ed together too at the top and bottom, so you have that additional layer of adjust-ability and you can open it up and lay it completely flat for easier cleaning and drying. The SD does not open up. For better or for worse, the DJ is just a much simpler design (which makes the price difference that much more confusing). It is straight neoprene throughout and it has 2 simple horizontal straps. Whereas the SD is a fancier design with different tech materials for breathability and X-strapping (neither of which convinced me they made much of a difference). I don't see binding in the back knee pit to be a problem on either brace. The DJ has a larger patella hole, which seemed to work better for my anatomical build because my knee cap would poke through it and ensure the brace stays perfectly aligned, where the SD's tighter hole just laid over my knee cap and would shift off-center from my knee cap. This could have just been a visible thing, the actual function and alignment of the hinges were not affected. Conclusion: Again, these 2 braces are very similar, they are both great and you cant go wrong with either one. The differences are nit-picking and are neither objectively good or bad, but more fine tuned to preference. I preferred the DJ mostly because of the smoother and lower profile exterior surface and the fact I was going to wear it under goalie equipment. The larger patella hole worked better for me anatomically. The fact it opened up to be flat was a bonus too since I like to wash and hang dry my braces regularly. With that said, the extreme price difference didn't justify these small design preferences, so I'm returning the DJ and sticking with my SD.

I got this for my grandson that plays high school football. I got him several other types, but then tried this one, and he likes this the best. It's also the one his doctor recommended, since he got a dislocated kneecap during play. He's back in action, and uses this brace each time he plays (I got him 2, for both knees). It's more expensive, but worth it, especially if you are buying multiple types trying to find a good one, you'd end up spending this amount anyway.

Excellent product, for what it is and purports to be. I have a torn medial meniscus, patellar malalignment and osteoarthritis in my left knee. Before I got this brace, climbing and descending stairs was very painful and my knee felt very unstable just when I walked on flat ground. After about three weeks of wearing this brace at all times except when I sleep and shower, I can now walk and climb and descend stairs pain-free, so long as I’m wearing the brace. In fact, I’ve done a couple of 10-mile moderately difficult hikes wearing it, with no pain. And I can now ride a bike. It’s not a $500 Unloader Brace, so I don’t know that continuing to wear it is going to enable any of my conditions to heal. But it does provide some vertical support, and regular use of it for 3 weeks enabled me to return to my usual low impact activities. While I’m wearing it I no longer have pain or instability. I’m 67 and don’t do high impact activities anymore, so I don’t know whether it would enable me to do them. Sizing: Based on the size guide on Amazon, I bought a Medium. On my bare leg it fits perfectly, and comfortably. But it’s too small to enable me to put it on over jeans or any but the thinnest pants. So you may want to order up a size.

If you are on the upper end of the size chart for XL, DO NOT BUY. I measured as instructed, with my thigh measurement just at the upper end of the range. The calf Velcro & strap fit fine. However, I couldn’t get the thigh Velcro to meet. The strap can’t make up for the lost compression. Sending it back. Unrelated to the product, I knocked an extra star off because the packaging was dirty and torn near the opening. I’m guessing this was not its first time getting shipped…

30 years of using a metal brace, tried this to see if it would be as good and stop some of the muscle discomfort. Makes you feel like Steve Austin!

Great fit - snug without being constrictive. Provides good support, handles perspiration well (doesn’t get loose). A tad expensive but I’d say it’s money well spent.