How it Works
How It Works
Most knee braces only support. This one strengthens too.
A conventional knee brace or compression sleeve does one job: it holds the joint steady and takes some load off it. That's useful, but it's passive. Wear it for six months and the muscles around your knee are no stronger than when you started, and those muscles are a big part of what keeps a knee steady and comfortable.
Pflexx does the supporting part too. The difference is what happens while you're wearing it.
The mechanism
Pflexx is a seamless-knitted compression sleeve with springs fitted into the fabric on the inner and outer sides of the knee.
The springs are made from a memory-retentive, high-performance polymer. They resist the knee in both directions, as it bends and as it straightens. That resistance has to be worked against, and the muscles doing the work are the quadriceps, hamstrings and calves.
In practice, ordinary movement becomes light resistance training. Walking to the shops, going up stairs, standing up from a chair: each becomes a small rep. You're not adding an exercise session to your day; you're getting the work from movement you're already doing.
Because the spring returns to shape, it also gives a little back as you straighten up: support on the way down, resistance on the way up.
Three resistance levels, included
Every Pflexx comes with all three spring sets. They're interchangeable, so you can start light and build up as you get stronger without buying anything else.
3.5kg, white. The starting point. Gentle resistance for comfortable, everyday wear.
5.0kg, yellow. General use. Everyday wear, general fitness and light sport.
7.5kg, black. The heaviest. For structured training, gym work and sport.
Most people start on the white springs, however fit they are. The resistance adds up over a full day of walking in a way you won't notice in the first ten minutes, and building up gradually is more comfortable than starting heavy.
The sleeve
The springs do the strengthening; the sleeve does the supporting.
It's knitted as a tube, giving even compression around the knee rather than the pressure points of a strapped brace. The compression helps the knee feel stable and supported without restricting your movement.
The yarn is a performance fibre designed to regulate temperature and move moisture away from the skin, so the sleeve stays comfortable under clothes for a full day.
What the testing showed
The Pflexx mechanism was tested at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. Testing measured muscle activation around the knee while wearing the brace and recorded increases during both walking and running, larger during running, where the knee moves faster and further and the springs work harder.
That result is the basis of the whole design: it shows the springs are doing measurable work rather than just sitting in the fabric.
Who it's designed for
Pflexx suits people who want to get stronger, not just get through the day:
- People who find stairs, standing up or long walks harder than they used to
- People on their feet all day at work
- Anyone whose knee feels less steady than it should
- People getting back into walking, sport or the gym
- Active people who want stronger legs for running, golf, cycling and more
If you're currently seeing a physiotherapist or doctor about your knee, check with them before you start, and begin on the white springs.
Getting started
Wear it for an hour or two on the first day and build up from there. The resistance is light but constant, and the muscles doing the work may not have been worked properly in a while.
Once wearing it all day feels easy, move up a spring level.
Not sure which size? The fit guide is on the product page; you'll need a thigh and a calf measurement.