An ankle sprain is one of the major injuries that affect mostly the athletes or sportsmen thereby making the best ankle brace after sprain to be very important.
However, it isn’t peculiar to sportsmen alone; it is one of the inevitable injuries anybody can sustain either while walking, jogging, running, jumping and so on.
The injury typically happens when you accidentally twist or turn your ankle in an awkward way. When this unavoidable injury happens, one of the things you need, to get back on track is the best ankle brace after sprain which is very important to the healing process of the leg.
An ankle brace holds the ankle in position, preventing it from moving or twisting to allow it heals up and prevent further injury.
An ankle brace is not worn to heal a sprained ankle alone; it is also used to serve as a safety measure against sustaining such injury.
Therefore, you might not need to wait till you twist your bone before getting an ankle brace; you can also get it to serve as a safety/prevention measure against ankle sprain or every other nagging injury that the ankle is liable to sustain
Selecting the right brace can be daunting and challenging. That is why I have taken my time to review 10 best ankle supports in the market.
Our Top 10 Ankle Brace and Support
I have taken my time to come up with the following 10 ankle brace which I am very sure will be a good buy no matter which you decide to go for at the end of the day.
PowerLix Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve (Overall best)
Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve (best cheap)
Mcdavid Ankle Brace, Ankle Support, Ankle Support
Ankle Support Brace – Compression Sleeve with Adjustable Strap
The Orthopedic Guys Low Top Non-Air Walker Fracture Boot
TechWare Pro Ankle Brace Compression Sleeve
How to choose the best ankle brace
To select the best ankle brace, there are lots of criteria to consider while choosing an ankle brace. I have selected the most important factors to look into before making a decision on the brace to select for your sprained ankle:
- Comfort
- Compression
- Support and protection
- Fitness
- Price
Comfort
Comfort is one of the important factors to consider in choosing ankle support. You don’t want to wear something you are not comfortable with together with your sprained ankle. It is imperative to wear something you can easily wear your shoe with and can be easily adjusted without having to remove your footwear.
Compression
A good ankle brace must have a good compressibility factor. This factor helps in pressing the strained bone into the right place for recovery from injury. Furthermore, ankle brace also protects from injury which is possible when the compression is on point to hold the ankle bone in the right position.
Support and protection
Along with compression, you have to think about support when deciding about an ankle brace. This helps prevent twisting or sprain by holding the bone firmly into its right position thereby affording protection against injury or fast recovery from the already sustained injury.
Fitting
This is an important factor; a good ankle brace must be fit for it to achieve its aim effectively. This is where the right size comes into play. The ankle brace always comes in different sizes and choosing the right one is handy to achieving its purpose.
Price
Ankle brace comes in different varieties with a reasonable price range. Before an ankle brace can be decided on, the price must be considered as well to know if the buyer can afford it. There are ankle braces with a very cheap price that still does their job perfectly.
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#1 PowerLix Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve (Overall best)
On our number one spot and also our overall best is PowerLix Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve.
With thousands of reviews by customers and a rating of 4.7/5.0. PowerLix Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve has really established itself as the best in the market.
It applies even pressure across the ankle joint which affords relieves from varieties of ailments like sprain, strain, swelling, muscle fatigues, tendonitis, and other ankle injuries.
The ankle brace is perfect for every type of sport which keeps you free from an ankle injury and it is also manufactured to provide ultimate comfort, relief, support and helps improve blood circulation.
Pros
- 4-way compression sleeve designed for full protection.
- High sweat and odor absorption capacity
- Improves blood circulation for fast recovery.
- Anti-slip system
#2 Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve (best cheap)
This ankle brace is highly recommended for sprain and other ankle injuries, it is one of the best in the market. It can be worn independently or together with socks and shoes with optimum comfort.
Furthermore, it improves circulation for ultra-fast recovery and provides optimal support for muscle endurance.
Also, it offers great support for your sprained ankles, with no stress of putting on, light in weight and easily adjustable.
The compression ankle sleeve can be used for running, weightlifting, working out and other sports you wish to engage in.
Pros
- Adjustable thereby allowing you to have support where you need it most.
- It is made of special compression fabrics which are capable of eliminating the build-up of perspiration.
- Comes in different sizes from small to extra-large
- It’s advance compression stimulates blood circulation to prevent swelling.
#3 BioSkin Trilok Ankle Brace
One of the best ankle brace after a sprain is BioSkin Trilok Ankle Brace and one you should look out for in market while trying to get yourself an ankle brace either for quick recovery from tibial tendon dysfunction or posterior tibial tendon dysfunction (PTTD).
Its compression base sleeve gives you a head start in your recovery process, with its patented ‘footlok’ strap which acts as external ligament, protects the weak or vulnerable ligament around the ankle.
The level of support can be adjusted by pulling up the footlok strap.
Pros
- Easily adjustable to suit the level of support needed.
- It comes with external footlok strap which acts as external ligament for more protection.
- It also has Trilok which alleviate fasciitis pain
#4 Mcdavid Ankle Brace, Ankle Support, Ankle Support
With a rating of 4.3/5.0 from buyers on Amazon(over 70% giving 5.0 rating), McDavid ankle brace has established itself as one of the best ankles you can get in the market and it is highly recommended for your sprained ankle or protection against it.
The design is made to stimulate athletic tapes with a figure-6 strapping pattern. Furthermore, the top strap enables comfort and compression for a custom fit while it can also be adjusted without having to remove the shoe or the shoelace.
With this ankle brace, you can completely take off your mind from an ankle injury while going about your day to day activities. It even gets better for the sports guys as you can completely focus on your sport without any fear of injury as it provides maximum protection for your ankle.
Pros
- Great compression and support
- Easily adjustable
- Durable to major instabilities
- Front lace with a strap for easy wear and access.
See also: Best Crutches for Broken Ankle
#5 Ankle Support Brace – Compression Sleeve with Adjustable Strap
One of the best ankle brace after sprain for the sports guys, this ankle brace comes with a compression sleeve and adjustable strap which makes it easy to protect against chronic strain, sprains fatigue.
It does not only protect the ankle but also helps you recover fast should you have accidentally sprained your ankle.
Pros
- Adjustable tightness; it’s easy to use crisscross strapping attach firmly anywhere along the entire sleeve
- Made from a high-quality elastic nylon material which makes it fit any size of the foot and can easily be used with either leg (left or right)
- Also made from a quality breathable material which enhances blood circulation and provides soothing warmth. This helps reduce the recovery time of the injury.
- Its new design comes with silicone inside which provide enough friction and prevents slipping.
#6 The Orthopedic Guys Low Top Non-Air Walker Fracture Boot
The Orthopedic Guys Low Top Non-Air Walker Fracture Boot has gained high popularity among other ankle braces due to high customer review and high recommendations from previous users due to high recovery, comfort and protection against injuries it offers to the user.
The design makes it versatile; therefore it can be worn to either left or right foot. Also, it comes in different sizes from small to medium and large. It is light in weight and cushioned heel for maximum comfort and energy absorption.
Pros
- Cushioned heel for patient’s comfort.
- Normal walking is stimulated by a roller gate.
- Versatility as it can be worn on both legs
#7 TechWare Pro Ankle Brace Compression Sleeve
An ankle injury can be so nagging and annoying and can keep you down when you should be up and doing, with TechWare Pro Ankle Brace Compression Sleeve, you can be assured of being active and staying active.
This product is easy to use when you select the right size which ushers comfort and compression to keep the ankle in shape. With its breathable and moist wicking fabrics which keeps your feet dry and a slim design that is durable and lightweight.
TechWare Pro Ankle Brace Compression Sleeve is very versatile (can be worn on both foot) and can be used along with socks without causing any discomfort.
Pros
- A slim-fit design which affords comfort and proper compression
- Made with Nylon and Spandex for superior foot and ankle support.
- Easy to use and fit well into any footwear
#8 Zensah Ankle Support
With its innovative design which provides an optimum level of support for the ankle, Zensah ankle support is also among the highly recommended ankle brace on our list.
With a customer rating of 4.4/5.0 on Amazon, this product has established itself among the best and also gains much popularity within the customer due to its effectiveness in the recovery of sprained or strained ankle and protection from injury. It is made with 75% nylon and 25% spanker, breathable, light and moist wicking.
Pro
- Stinking free experience
- Comes in different sizes ranging from small to large
- Provides high recovery rate
- Can be worn on both foot (versatile)
#9. Med Spec ASO Ankle Stabilizer
This ankle brace for a complete figure-eight to protect and support the ankle. Made of ballistic nylon boot provides superior durability and high strength.
Being one of the most recommended ankles supports by the athletic trainers, surgeon and physical therapists, Med Spec ASO Ankle Stabilizer has established itself as one of the strongest force in the market with over two thousand customers review on amazon and about 4.2/5.0 rating.
Its contoured tongue provides exceptional fit, finger loop at the end of the brace assists in securing straps for optimum support.
#10 Liomor Ankle Support
Liomor Ankle Support is one of the cheapest in the market and still does the job perfectly. It offers great reliable support for the ankle and we strongly recommend as one of the best ankle brace after sprain with its crisscrossing strap.
It is moisture-wicking and also eliminated odor keeping the foot very fresh.
Pros
- Made from elastic and durable materials which offer the best compression for the ankle.
- Fits perfectly into the shoe or any other footwear.
- Very cheap and affordable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Are ankle braces good for sprained ankles?
When you get your ankle injured such as the case of a sprained ankle, one of the best and most important therapies your doctor will offer you is getting the best ankle brace for a sprain.
Therefore, since ankle brace holds your ankle joints in place to prevent unnecessary movement, then it is good to get ankle brace after you have unfortunately sprained your ankle.
They serve as support that holds your ankle in position will you recover and thereby preventing any further damage to the ankle.
Should I sleep with my ankle brace on?
There are a lot of schools of thought on this and the answer to this question might not be straight forward. When you injure your ankle like the sprained ankle, one of the most important therapies is rest.
You might want to keep the ankle free of any load to allow a quick and proper healing process. In this case, wearing an ankle brace might not be the best in this respect since your ankle is resting when you sleep and putting a brace on might be an unnecessary load again.
But there are some cases where the pain is so severe and your comfort is only gotten from right compression of the affected region, you might want to think about getting an elastic bandage to give you the compression needed.
When should you wear an ankle brace?
There are lots of situations that can warrant wearing an ankle brace. Though it is not advisable to always rely on ankle brace because over-reliance on it tends to weaken the ankle.
Most time, when you want to partake in strenuous activities or sports/exercise that requires much of the ankle being strained, you might want to think about wearing an ankle brace for protection against injury.
Furthermore, when the ankle is injured severely and there is a great need to prevent movement that can, in turn, worsen the situation, we might want to also think about getting an ankle brace to serve as support in such cases.
How long should you wrap a sprained ankle?
For a sprained ankle, it must not be more than 5weeks before you are completely healed. It can be less than that but in a situation, you are not noticing any good improvement after five weeks, it is advisable to contact your doctor so that further examinations can be done on the ankle.
For another type of injury, it may be more than that time frame. You may need to even seek medical advice before going ahead to wrapping your injured ankle.
How tight should an ankle brace be?
Most ankle brace comes with an adjustable strap and removable pads to give you that control over compression and fitness.
This is because, the amount of compression you might need per time may differ, and so you get to customize the tightness to what you feel like.
On how tight an ankle brace should be, it will depend on the severity of the injury. If it is so severe and you need great support to stabilize the ankle, you might want to increase how tight it is to the maximum.
Also, the tightness should be controlled to our comfort. It should not be so tight that you feel inconvenient wearing the ankle brace.
Should I keep my ankle wrapped overnight?
Wrapping of the ankle or any injury should only be done when there is swelling. The wrapping should be with an elastic bandage.
Also, wrapping the ankle can give compression needed for the pain to subside. But if there is no swelling, there might not be a need to wrap your ankle overnight.
You can always do well by elevating the affected leg. Putting a pillow under and placing the ankle on it might be very okay in this regards. It helps your ankle recover really fast.
Is it okay to massage a sprained ankle?
Yes! It is very okay to massage a sprained ankle but should never be done immediately. You can give it time; let’s say after 3 days of the injury.
Also, the message should not be done directly from the strain point. It should be started from a healthy point and massaged down to the sprained area. You can always get someone to do this for you as self-massage might be too effective.
Do ankle braces weaken your ankles?
This question has been asked by so many ankle brace users. They are very inquisitive about this subject matter to know how safe they are using an ankle brace.
What ankle brace does is to hold and support your ankle. This prevents movement of ankle joints during the recovery process from an ankle injury. Now using ankle brace every day for injury prevention makes your ankle to rely so much on the rigid brace.
The ankle needs some motion to get it stronger and using ankle brace every day prevents that, thereby making the ankle to weaken more. Therefore to answer the question straight forward, over-reliance on ankle brace can weaken your ankle.
Final Words
Whichever you decide to choose among our best ankle brace after sprain will definitely be a good buy and worth every penny spent on it. Our overall best PowerLix Ankle Brace Compression Support Sleeve was chosen based on good customer’s feedback, customers rating and the number of buys.
Our best cheap was also chosen based on the criteria as overall best but a very lesser price. We believe anyone you decide to go for will work well and save you from unnecessary and avoidable issues of the ankle.
Getting the best ankle brace after a sprain can be daunting due to a lot of products available to choose from. We are quite certain of these ones and strongly recommend them
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