DonJoy Performance Bionic Knee Brace – Hinged, Adjustable Patella Support, Lateral / Medial Ligament (ACL, MCL, LCL), Meniscus, Knee Sprains for Soccer, Basketball, Skiing, Hockey, Running, Water Sports

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.

This brace has decent support and is well made. The reason for my 3-stars are the following. If these things aren't issues for you, then I'm sure this brace will serve you well.I have a completely severed PCL from a roller derby injury 5 years ago. Since I was retiring anyway, there was no point in having expensive surgery to repair the tear since it doesn't inhibit daily mobility. However, I now play a lot of racquet sports and do kickboxing occasionally and find that I need the stability and support of a brace for those activities.Downsides of this brace for me were:• Posterior closure. I needed a butterfly flap style closure; I have large thighs and pull-on braces do not fit. This is indeed a flap closure, but it closes in the back. That's difficult to do well and get good alignment when you're having to fully bend over, pull tightly, and overlay flaps you can't see.• Velcro straps get caught on clothing. Because I wear this on my right knee and because these are not knee specific, the velcro straps that wrap around (after closing the posterior flaps) end up between my thighs (on the upper portion). The straps are not low-profile; instead they have a big thick tab on the end and this constantly gets rubbed by my left leg causing the tab to open and get stuck to my left leg (the sticky side of the velcro is on the thick tab). I have to adjust and re-stick several times during an hour-long game.• Because of the above, I often feel like the brace isn't positioned correctly. I end up twisting it to try to get the tab to not open all the time and this results in the brace not being well aligned.• The stabilizing strips aren't as firm/thick as my old brace. The strips that run vertically along the sides of the leg (off the hinges) feel a lot more flexible than my old brace (that had been worn so much the sleeve was falling apart). This is likely fine for most people, but it feels too "squishy" for me with my injury and the activities I'm using it for.

Very sturdy and limits MOST lateral and hyper extensive movements. Certainly FAR superior to cheaper slip on with strapbraces. If one is between sizes, I suggest going up. The straps are very sturdy, no back of knee discomfort, easy to wrap onbut a little tight within the securing loop. They do not mention which knee; I called Amazon. They stated right, but it appearsreversible. I only use it for walking so can not comment on athletics. Worth the money and recommend.

Without this brace, my wife would not be able to go to work. She has been wearing one on each knee for about 2 years now, since her prescription brace broke. I just bought this as a replacement for one of the old ones which got fungus on the inside. We washed them and they are ready to go as backups.The only other major drawback is that the soft part of the hook and loop fasteners gets worn out and eventually becomes uselessIf you find this review helpful, please click on the tab below

I have had this for almost a year purchased this in 2017 and cannot wear it any longer, the material has stretched out so much it does not fit any more, even if I pull the straps all the way up it will still slip down my leg after a few steps. have tried to shrink by washing but that does not work at all. My McDavid brace fits much better and never loses it's shape and fits very well. Would not ever buy from DonJoy again. For what I purchased this for and it lasted less than a year but my McDavid is still going for less money. I waited for a while before writing a review just to see how it would last, well it did not last, wasted my money!

I tore my MCL when I broke my leg in half and when the feeling came back in my knee, I was not able to put much weight on it at all. With this brace, I was able to keep my lower leg from turning and within a month, all healed and no more pain. Very adjustable for swelling throughout the day. would say it is worth the money and highly recommend it. I am still wearing it for safety sake since it has only been 3 months since my accident.