**BUY YOUR SLEEVES!**

There are a lot of options nowadays for knee sleeves, but finding a good pair that’s actually going to last and isn’t going to break the bank has never been an easy task. A quick Amazon search will bring  up hundreds of options, but pretty much all of them are off the shelf imported sleeves with questionable materials and durability over time. Leave it to Rogue to bring out a knee sleeve that’s not only affordable, but is made in the USA.

Whether or not you need knee sleeves is a whole other post, but I think anything to preserve the set that you have, is probably something you should invest in. They don’t just keep your knees warm and give you a little more bounce out of the hole for your lifts, but they do help to relieve achy knees and keep your knees tracking better. That being said, I like to think of knee sleeves as a baby blanket – they might make you feel safe while you’re wearing them, but you should still address the underlying issues with your knees. I.e. Don’t get reliant on using knee sleeves.

Rogue’s new knee sleeves are offered in both 3mm and  5mm options, and are both sold in pairs; no word on a 7mm option as of yet. They’re constructed with a combination of SBR (styrene-butadiene rubber) and neoprene with a nylon shell, which surprisingly won’t make everything in your bag smell like a wetsuit.  As of right now, there are 4 color options to choose from, but I expect to see more as time goes on (pink?). Sizing options go from XS to XL and have a slightly contoured fit. They are IWF and IPF legal for raw and open competition, so they’ll have a little more utility outside of training.

I went with the 5mm sleeves in size medium, which is usually the size I go with knee sleeves; sometimes I’ll go large depending on the thickness. When I first put the Rogue sleeves on, they felt pretty tight and I was almost worried I sized them incorrectly (I didn’t measure). Since then, they’ve broken in and feel comfortable – so if you’re in the same situation, unless they’re cutting off your circulation, snug will eventually stretch to a comfortable fit. In turn, this leads me to worry about how much they’ll deform over time, but so far in a month’s use, they’re doing fine.

5mm sleeves are my preferred thickness because they offer light to medium support but don’t put your calves in a choke hold. If I’m going for one rep max squats, I’ll probably reach for my 7mm sleeves, but for just about everything else I’ll wear 5mm sleeves. Personally, I don’t care to wear sleeves for WOD’s because I feel like they just get hot and constricting, but the Rogue’s are breathable and comfortable enough to wear through even the longer workouts. They do, however, soak up sweat like a mop and don’t dry all that quickly.

So far, I haven’t had any issues with the Rogue sleeves slipping down my knees at all, but it’s still kind of early. If they continue to stretch, I would imagine that’ll eventually lead to them slipping. The jury is still out on overall durability and if the stitching will hold up as well, but the sleeves are made in the USA and seem as well made as the best sleeves from Rehband and Workt. Overall, they feel more robust than off the shelf knee sleeves that might cost you the same price on Amazon. If you want your sleeves to last a long time, make sure you don’t use them to cover your shins for rope climbs, they’re not meant for that.

Pricing per pair is on the lower end of the spectrum when comparing the sleeves to Workt and Rehband, which are made in the USA or Europe. The Rogue sleeves fall in line with the pricing of the imported sleeves, which is pretty crazy when you factor in that the manufacturing of Rogue’s is done in the USA. That may or may not make a huge difference when it comes to performance, but I can rest easier knowing I’m supporting American businesses and families.

Rogue’s first foray into support wear is a hit and I highly recommend that you check out their sleeves if you’re in the market for some. Personally, I’d recommend the 5mm sleeves over 3mm because I think they’re unobtrusive enough and provide excellent comfort while remaining somewhat supportive. They’re perfect for someone doing CrossFit, lighter weights or someone looking for something to just keep their knees warm and not looking for a ton of rebound. If you’re looking for a sleeve to use only for 1RM’s or dedicated powerlifting or weightlifting, I would probably wait until they come out with a 7mm option or go with Rehband or Workt’s sleeves, though I’m sure you won’t be waiting on them for much longer.

Verdict:

Highly Recommended!

BUY YOUR SLEEVES!

The good:

• Affordable
• Made in the USA
• Comfortable to wear for longer workouts

The Bad:

• They’ve already stretched out quite a bit in a month’s time.
• Not the fastest drying sleeves and soak up sweat like crazy.
• No 7mm option.

The Weird:

• Should ship for free. -_-