What’s the Difference Between All the SBD Knee Sleeves?

Oh 2013, it was a simpler time. SBD had just come onto the market with a groundbreaking new knee sleeve. It was very different from most of the other lifting knee sleeves on the market. It was 7mm of pretty stiff neoprene, and I remember trying to put a pair on in my living room and thinking these things are insane. Beyond being 7mm thick they were also a full 30cm tall, the max allowance by the IPF for knee sleeves. They were specifically designed to be the best powerlifting knee sleeve on the market and they took the market by storm. Fast forward 10 years and we now have three different versions of SBD Knee Sleeves and all these different names: Momentum, Endure, Phoenix…what the heck is all this? Let's break it down.

First we’ll start with the names, Endure, Phoenix, Momentum, Reflect, etc. These are all names of limited colourway releases. SBD historically has done one or two limited colourway releases every year, and since 2019 they have been giving a unique name (Eclipse rolls off the tongue better than Limited Edition Winter 2019). However, besides the colour, these products offer the same materials and performance as the original black and red versions. So if you see a colour you like, great, don't worry about if it’ll perform better or worse than a different colour as long as you stay in the same knee sleeve version. 

Okay now that we are done with the names let’s talk knee sleeve versions. There are now three different versions, in chronological order of release they are: SBD Knee Sleeves, SBD Weightlifting Knee Sleeves, and SBD Powerlifting Knee Sleeves. 

SBD Knee Sleeves

The SBD Knee Sleeves are the original knee sleeves they introduced in 2013 without many changes since then. They are 7mm of high grade, high quality, moderately stiff neoprene. They offer great compression and knee support for a wide range of uses. You don’t need to be a competitive powerlifter to use these, we’ve had plenty of people buy these to use with leg press, hack squats, olympic weightlifting, etc. Once you get used to them, and assuming you don’t size down super aggressively, they go on and off pretty easily and still provide great support. 

I’ll mention that in 2024, SBD did update them slightly. This change was mostly around the outer covering material and an antimicrobial treatment to the inner liner to help with odor. Performance wise, the 2024 update doesn’t change them, and they’re still our best selling knee sleeve. 

SBD Weightlifting Knee Sleeves

The SBD Weightlifting Knee Sleeves were first introduced back in 2020. They were designed, as the name suggests, for olympic weightlifting and other dynamic movements. They are made with a 5mm high grade, high quality, but less stiff neoprene. The length of them is different for each size, with the 3XS being the shortest sleeves at 26cm, and scaling up to 5XL being 30cm tall. They allow more flexibility for movements where you need a fuller range of motion, like full depth catching a clean, or snatch. They are also aimed at those doing more athletic style workouts, like Crossfit. These are perfect for when you want a sleeve on but don’t want them to be too tight for all the movements, or where they are easier to pull down when you aren’t doing a movement they are needed in. 

That said, myself and others, find them to be a great sleeve to use during lighter training periods or lighter training days. They are quicker to get on and still provide plenty of support for weights up to around 85-90%. 

SBD Powerlifting Knee Sleeves

The newest version of the sleeves are the SBD Powerlifting Knee Sleeves which were introduced in 2023. They are designed for those looking for maximal compression on the knee during heavy movements. Made with a 7mm (the max thickness allowed in the IPF) higher density, stiffer neoprene. These probably shouldn’t be your first knee sleeves, but if they are, we definitely don’t recommend sizing down from the recommended size. The sleeves are designed to still move with you, and provide high compression on the knee joint and quads during the full range of motion, ensuring you aren’t left with no support in the bottom position of a squat. 

Personally I use these for the heaviest training days and competition. While they are a challenge to get on (and off), the support and compression you feel in the bottom of a squat is amazing. 

So what knee sleeves are right for me?

Hopefully we provided some clarity in the above paragraphs that should give you a good starting point on what you are looking for. For most first time knee sleeve buyers I would recommend the original SBD Knee Sleeves. They offer a very good mix of compression and flexibility and can be used in a wide range of movements and situations. If you are planning to do mostly Crossfit style workouts then you should consider the SBD Weightlifting Knee Sleeves, they will provide great support but be easier to pull up and down between movements. Finally if you know you are planning on training heavy and competing in powerlifting or strongman then go with the SBD Powerlifting Knee Sleeves. They will provide you with maximal compression and support for your heaviest lifts. 

Why do you wear knee sleeves?

Back in my day no one wore knee sleeves! Sorry my age was showing a bit there… It’s true though, when I started lifting we would squat with bare knees until it got heavy enough then we would put knee wraps on. However, I remember a lot of training blocks with higher volume that left me with some dang sore and achy knees. I just went through a high volume training block on squats (5 weeks of 3x10 squat and 4x10 bulgarian split squats) and not once did I have any knee pain. My knees are a lot older with more miles than they were almost 20 years ago. 

The compression and warmth provided by the knee sleeves has allowed many to train without pain. I no longer have achy knees after squatting and to me that’s worth any amount of effort to get the sleeves on and off.
People are always looking for ways to put more weight on the bar and many lifters claim being able to lift more with knee sleeves, whether that’s a function of the compression, the material behind the knee joint, or even just psychological. They generally allow you to train harder, heavier, and safer. So that’s why I wear knee sleeves.

As always, if you have any questions, reach out to us!