Knee Sleeve Size Guide: How to Measure, Fit and Look After Your Sleeves

Ordering knee sleeves online is easy; ordering the right size takes two minutes and a tape measure. Get it wrong and your sleeves will either slide down mid-squat or feel impossible to get on. Here's how to measure properly, how a good fit should feel, and how to look after neoprene sleeves through a UAE summer.

What you need

• A soft tape measure (a piece of string and a ruler works too)
• A chair to sit on
• The size chart from the product page, which you'll find in the product images

How to measure for knee sleeves

1. Sit on the edge of a chair and slide your foot forward so your knee is slightly bent, at roughly 30 degrees. This is the position our sizing is based on.
2. Find the middle of the kneecap and wrap the tape around your knee at that height.
3. Keep the tape flat and snug against bare skin, without pulling it tight enough to dig in.
4. Write down the number, then repeat on the other knee. If they differ, go with the larger one.
5. Compare with the size chart on the product you're buying, as charts can vary between models.

Between sizes? Decide how tight you want them

For a tight, contoured fit, most of our 7mm sleeves recommend picking one size smaller than the chart suggests. That gives maximum compression for heavy squats, but they'll take more effort to get on. If you'd rather slip them on quickly and wear them for a whole session, stick with your measured size. Lifters with very muscular calves sometimes find the smaller size just won't pass over the calf, so they stay with their measured size too.

How a good fit feels

• Firm all the way round, like a strong squeeze rather than a gentle hug
• Stays in place through squats, lunges and jumps without slipping down
• Sits evenly over the knee, with the kneecap roughly in the centre
• No pins and needles, numbness or throbbing in your lower leg

Tight sleeves leaving a mark on your skin afterwards is normal. Pain, numbness or a cold, tingling foot isn't, so take them off and consider the next size up.

Try them at home first

Before you take new sleeves to the gym, try them on at home on clean, dry skin and keep the packaging and tags. We offer exchanges within 10 days of delivery, but only on unused, unwashed items in their original packaging, so a quick fitting at home protects your exchange if the size isn't right. Full details are in our exchange policy.

The easy way to put on tight knee sleeves

Snug 7mm sleeves can feel like a workout in themselves. The inside-out method makes it much easier:

1. Turn the sleeve inside out.
2. Sit down and pull the sleeve over your foot until about half of it is on your shin.
3. Grip the half that's still hanging loose and flip it up and over your knee, so the sleeve turns the right way out as it goes.
4. Line it up so your kneecap sits in the middle, and smooth out any creases behind the knee.

Make sure your skin is dry first, as damp or moisturised skin makes neoprene grip. Always pull on the neoprene itself rather than the seams, which protects the stitching. To take them off, peel them down from the top rather than dragging them by the edge.

Caring for knee sleeves in the UAE heat

Neoprene soaks up sweat, and in UAE temperatures that quickly turns into a smell if sleeves stay damp. A few simple habits keep them fresh:

• Air them out after every session. Take them out of your gym bag as soon as you get home and turn them inside out.
• Hand wash regularly. Use cool water and a little mild detergent, rinse well and press the water out gently. Don't wring or twist them.
• Never machine wash or tumble dry. Heat and agitation weaken neoprene and stitching.
• Dry indoors. Let them air-dry in a cool room rather than on a sunny balcony, where strong sun can dry out the neoprene.
• Keep them out of the car. A parked car in summer gets extremely hot, which isn't good for neoprene.
• Rotate pairs if you train daily. Neoprene takes a while to dry, so a second pair means you're never pulling on damp sleeves.

For more on what to keep in your bag, see our gym bag essentials for UAE gym-goers.

Size guide FAQs

Should knee sleeves be hard to put on?

If you've sized down on 7mm sleeves, a little effort is normal. If you can't get them over your calf at all, they're too small.

Will my sleeves stretch over time?

Neoprene relaxes slightly with use, so sleeves may feel a touch easier after a few weeks, but they shouldn't become loose.

Are men's and women's sizes different?

No. Our knee sleeves are unisex and sized purely by knee measurement.

What thickness should I buy?

See 5mm vs 7mm knee sleeves for a full comparison, or browse our knee sleeves collection. New to sleeves? Start with our complete knee sleeve guide.