How to choose an ankle brace

Ankles are fragile joints that are called into play in almost all active sports. Choosing the right ankle brace is the best way of protecting the ankles.

An ankle brace helps in holding the joint in its correct position thanks to the compression it applies and to its integrated reinforcement elements. Either as a preventive measure or on return from injury, an ankle brace can be considered as an aid to your confidence when enjoying your favourite sport. We can help you select the model that best suits your needs.

The constituent parts of an ankle brace

The fabric and its weave

For most such products, our design teams use a compressive fabric such that the joint is subjected to a uniform compression.The weave of the product follows the ankle's movements, providing maximum comfort at the same time as stabilising the joint.With both thin and stretchable zones, the product is designed to fit your morphology.So, for certain uses, our engineers have incorporated thin seam-less edges to avoid unnecessary thickness and guarantee optimum comfort.Finally, the fabric has been thinned out to encourage better ventilation and more easily evacuate any perspiration.

The "comfort pad"

In the Soft 900 model, lateral foam pads provide optimum comfort around the ankle adding particular support between the malleolus and the Achilles tendon.

Take a look at the soft 900 model

The strap

The tightening strap is there to adjust the brace to the shape of your ankle.The straps also help maintain the reinforcement casing in place and safeguarding the joint by keeping it working on its correct axis.

What type of ankle brace is best for you?

1. Preventive ankle brace

The preventive ankle brace exerts pressure to give support to the joint.This compression force enables both treating chronic ankle pain and correcting chronic functional instability.

While all models provide the same degree of support, the choice for you will depend on the intensity of activity to which you will be asking of your ankles:

2. Post-injury use of ankle braces

Braces designed for use on return from injury stabilise the joint and help to reduce any residual pain.There are two types: 500 and 900. The severity of your injury will determine which of the two models 500 and 900 is best for you.

Strong 500: minor injuries:

Supple reinforcing plastic has been injected underneath the elastic in various parts of the brace.This increases the support for the joint.Also, the opening at the back of the brace facilitates putting it on, a help even for those with only a slight sprain.

Strong 900: severe injury

For a greater level of support, rigid reinforcements have been integrated into the fabric.For help with the tightening, our engineers have developed a tightening system called 'wire-lock': a system of reinforced threads which grip the ankle and impart the pressure in an optimum manner around the joint.

What is an ankle brace certified as a medical device?

To obtain medical device certification for a product, strict adherence to standards is required in both the design and the manufacturing processes. This implies that one knows and understands the sourcing and technical characteristics of all its constituent parts, and that they are all compliant with the standards. In addition, it is essential to understand the supply chain to be able to certify component suppliers, and also to determine the product's characteristics over time. But at DECATHLON, we go even further. We carry out our own 'clinical trials' to be sure that our products provide the advantages that the customer expects.

How is the effectiveness of our products tested?

The support provided by our products is tested mechanically. Machines equipped with integrated sensors measure the pressure exerted by our ankle braces. The compression achieved must reach a minimum threshold to validate a claim of effectiveness for our customers.

In parallel, certain research centres, such as those that exist in the teaching hospitals in Lille and Boulogne-sur-Mer, carry out their own clinical trials for validating the product's effectiveness.

Finally, our design teams work with a few physiotherapy centres for carrying out other clinical trials. Patients suffering from mild ankle sprains or twists test the effectiveness of our ankle braces and benefit from a medical follow-up.

Choosing the right size of ankle brace.

NB: having the right size is very important because proper functioning of the product depends on it. For example, if the brace is too big, it will not produce the expected level of compression. It is therefore essential to choose a model that fits your particular morphology.

To have the right size, you simply need to measure your ankle at 6 cm above the malleolus. If you are in any doubt, please ask one of our in-store experts. You may, of course, also seek medical advice.

SIZE GUIDE:
20 - 22 cm: size 1
22 - 23.5 cm: size 2
23.5 - 25 cm: size 3
25 - 26.5 cm: Size 4

DECATHLON's ankle braces are designed for sportsmen and women. Their effectiveness goes 'hand-in-hand' with sporting activities involving the ankle. Getting progressively back into training and competition is thus possible after the go-ahead from your doctor.

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How to choose the right knee protection or knee brace

Check out our advice for selecting the right knee protection for you. There are 3 categories related to the required level of protection and your sporting aspirations: the preventive (or proprioceptive) knee protection, the supple knee protection and the rigid knee brace.