Cho-Pat Dual Action Double-Layer Adjustable Knee Strap, Full Mobility and Knee Pain Relief for Chondromalacia, Osgood Schlatter’s, Tendonitis, and Meniscus Tears, Medium

I have been using this Cho-Pat Dual Action Knee strap for about 9 years or so. I just now replaced the one I first purchased 9 years ago because one, I lost weight; and two, the velcro finally wore down and no longer provided the compression I needed!In 2003, I had a hiking accident in the mountains - I lost my footing on a trail (after a heavy rain!) and my left knee came down on a flat rock. Needless to say, my knee swelled up like a softball and I couldn't walk for 3 months. Unfortunately, I would have some subsequent accidents (blunt force trauma) to that same knee, which led to the development of chondromalacia. Generally stated, this is the breakdown of cartilage, and I will just say it is very painful. After so much trauma, the cartilage in my left knee was in pieces, and basically ended up being close to being bone on bone. Any type of prolonged walking or exercise was too painful - but not with this dual action strap by Cho-Pat!!You couldn't keep me off the racquetball court, but my knee pain managed to do that. I just refused to give in. I found this product and use it when I practice kickboxing, play racquetball, go for extended walks or a run - I literally cannot exercise without it. If I do, I will have uncontrolled knee pain for days. There is something about the compression and alignment it provides that reduces the pain, and actually prevents further knee pain and inflammation.As I said, this product was a godsend for me, and when it came time to replace it, I kind of scoffed at the price. The thing is that I could "risk" it and order something else and end up with an inferior product and inferior durability. I KNOW firsthand what this product does, how it works, that it works for me and how long it can last. There was NO point in ordering from a different company, so I ordered in a medium (my previous one was an extra-large). It fits perfectly, and provides excellent compression and alignment for my left knee. I wish I had ordered a replacement sooner because my other one slipped a lot (the top part of the band) and the velco was worn out. I just didn't realize how important it was to have it work properly again. The new one doesn't slip at all, which probably means I always wore a size smaller than I was using. Now, I have lost 95lbs, and while the weight loss definitely helps with the pain, it is still there and always will be. However, the Cho-Pat knee strap makes exercise possible for me, and not just any exercise - kickboxing, weight lifting and racquetball!!

Did not cause blisters like some other knee braces I tried.

The Velcro is nice but if some hangs over if you tighten it, it rubs on the other leg when running. It is comfortable to wear but not sure I would use it to runWalking and lifting weights is no issue

Bought my first pair many years ago and wore them out. Great knee support and terrific product makes walking so much easier!

I normally don't write reviews but use them so thought I would in this case. Most of the reviews I've seen are written by runners and that is not what I use braces for. I use this brace for dancing workouts and for workouts with a lot of squats. I tore my medial meniscus about a year and a half ago. It did not require surgery but did take a while to heal and it is still not as strong as it was before the injury. While it was healing, I used a hinged brace but now I need extra support for the knee but did not want as bulky a brace and to be as limited in range of motion as the hinged one. This brace gives my knee the support I was looking for without limiting my movement. I had also developed quadriceps tendonitis (pain just above the knee cap) from all the squats and this is excellent for reducing the pain the tendonitis. My only negative comment is that it is not comfortable to me on bare skin but I almost always use a sleeve brace under braces any way. It does not slip during my workout but I do tighten it a good bit to take the pressure off the tendon. My knee was exactly 14 inches which the manufacturer recommends going down a size if right in the middle. This makes mine a small. I ordered the small and it would work but the Velcro closure only overlapped half way. I sent it back and exchanged for the medium which closes completely without significant overlap. I would recommend going up a size if your knee falls right in the middle of the sizes. This brace is excellent for its intended purpose but does not replace the support from a hinged brace for an acute injury. I am actually ordering another for my "good" knee since wearing this brace makes my injured knee stronger than the other and the extra support feels good.

This seems very well made but it didn’t work for me at all. Maybe it only helps certain conditions but I found that the hard plastic in it just gave me more knee pain.

I owned and used a pair of these for a long time now. Helps A LOT when snowboarding; skateboarding; surfing; bicycling and working out.I started surfskating recently and started wearing one of them again. Couldn't find the other one so I ordered new. Got the size up from my old pair, which fits me much better. (Now medium size.) I will order another one in medium soon.I have suffered from chondromalacia of the patella since high school, and these are the best braces I have ever used for that particular problem.

I like that it’s not real bulky. Very easy to put on too. I wore it on a recent walk and my knee didn’t hurt even going up an incline. I’m happy with it.