Old-School Wrestling Kneepads

If you are a wrestler or wrestling parent in search of wrestling kneepads, the wide range of styles available can be a bit daunting. On one end of the spectrum, "bubble" wrestling kneepads offer the most protection, at the expense of mobility and flexibility. On the other end,  wrestling shooting sleeves, offer much greater range of motion, yet at the expense of impact protection, as they offer little or no padding. Wrestlers who demand wrestling kneepad with thick padding without a rigid bubble pad can look to a pair of very good alternatives to choose from. Both the BRUTE Quick Strike Wrestling Kneepad and the ASICS Take Down Kneepad are old-school designs that feature a thick slab of PU padding on the front. The BRUTE Quick Strike Wrestling Kneepad features a large mesh panel at the back for greater breathability to minimize sweat buildup. The ASICS Take Down Kneepad features a totally open keyhole back

ASICS Snap Down Sleeve Knee Protection

Wrestlers who want the greater sliding ability of Wrestling shooting sleeves yet still want some padding for knee protection have several options to choose from. The range between bubble wrestling kneepads and Wrestling shooting sleeves recently made room for a unique new variation: The ASICS Snap Down Sleeve. The ingenious design is reversible, making an anatomical fit for either the left of right knee. This makes for much greater comfort and flexibility, and is an innovation so simple that ASICS' competitors in wrestling kneepads are likely kicking themselves. In addition, the ASICS Snap Down Sleeve features antimicrobial properties to help fight odor, as well as perforations to help release sweat at the back of the knee.

ASICS boasts the most options of all brands offering wrestling kneepads. In addition to the aforementioned ASICS Snap Down Sleeve, they offer the ASICS Super Sleeve Kneepad, ASICS GEL Lycra Kneepads and ASICS GEL Reversible Kneepad.

Padded Wrestling Shooting Sleeves for Protection and Mobility

With over two dozen styles of wrestling kneepads on the market, choosing the right wrestling kneepads can prove a bit confusing, and maybe even overwhelming. The wrestling kneepads  you choose will depend on your individual needs and preferences for the wrestling mat.

Bubble wrestling kneepads offer the most coverage and protection. Advanced wrestlers who prefer greater mobility, lighter weight and flexibility and don't want padding go for Wrestling shooting sleeves. What about wrestlers who want the greater sliding ability of Wrestling shooting sleeves yet still want some padding for knee protection? Thankfully, there are plenty of wrestling kneepads that are in the range between bubble wrestling kneepads and Wrestling shooting sleeves. The leading brands of wrestling gear all offer various versions of these in-between  wrestling kneepads.

ASICS wrestling kneepads are the most extensive line, including the ASICS Super Sleeve Kneepad, the new reversible ASICS Snap Down Sleeve with anatomical fit, ASICS GEL Lycra Kneepads and ASICS GEL Reversible Kneepad.

BRUTE wrestling kneepads offer the BRUTE Torq Kneepad with a high-tech look and ventilated panels, the BRUTE EXO Kneepad with a bit more protection, plus the old-school BRUTE Nylon Kneepad and BRUTE Lycra Kneepad, as well as the BRUTE Youth Predator, just for those looking for Youth Wrestling Kneepads.

Cliff Keen wrestling kneepads offer the Wraptor Wrestling Kneepad, which is a Wrestling shooting sleeve with low-profile wrap-around padding for protection without bulk.

Wrestling Knee Sleeves to Enhance Shooting

While some wrestlers prefer wrestling kneepads with a bubble pad for maximum impact protection, many advanced wrestlers at the collegiate and international level prefer minimal wrestling shooting sleeves, which offer much greater range of motion than basic wrestling kneepads. That's because wrestling shooting sleeves are made from much less material, since they do not have the bulk of a pad. Shooting sleeves for wrestling are constructed from lightweight and stretchable material.

Wrestling shooting sleevess increase the distance wrestlers slide across the mat when shooting a takedown. Though they do not have padding to protect the knee from direct impact on the mat, they do minimize the chances of getting mat burn and similar injuries. For many wrestlers, particularly on the elite level, this is just enough protection, and heavy padding would just actually get in the way.

The main brands of wrestling gear all offer a version of wrestling shooting sleeves. One of the most popular is the ASICS Shooting Sleeve, made of Lycra covered neoprene, which is slicker than cotton, enhancing a wrestler's ability to slide across the mat. A similar wrestling shooting sleeve is the BRUTE Icon Knee Sleeve, which also features flexible side panels and a ventilated mesh back panel for greater comfort. A totally old-school shooting sleeve for wrestling is the Cliff Keen Single Leg Shooting sleeve, made of knit stretch polyester. Though wrestling shooting sleeves are not for every wrestler, those who don't require impact protection and prefer flexibility plus range of motion find them the best choice.

Bubble Wrestling Kneepads for Maximum Protection

With so many wrestling kneepads on the market, it is easy to see why a wrestling mom or wrestling dad could get overwhelmed when deciding on which wrestling kneepads to choose for their student athlete. Each of the choices of wrestling kneepads out there have attributes suited to a wrestler's individual needs and preferences.

The leading brands of wrestling gear all offer a version of  bubble wrestling kneepads: Cliff Keen Impact Bubble Kneepad, BRUTE Bubble Kneepad, and ASICS Unrestrained Kneepad (which features a slightly unique contour).

The most common wrestling kneepads seen are bubble kneepads (sometimes called "dome" kneepads), and offer the most coverage and protection to help minimize direct knee impact on the wrestling mat. They feature a large oval-shaped "bubble" pad over the knee, which tends to be a little rigid as well as thickly padded. These wrestling kneepads make shooting takedowns easier on the knees. Cons to bubble wrestling kneepads are that they don't slide across the mat as well as other wrestling kneepads. Wrestlers who prefer greater mobility, lighter weight and flexibility and don't feel the need for much (if any) padding will want to explore other options of wrestling kneepads. Stay tuned!