The Best Tennis Elbow Brace to Reduce Pain & Increase Grip Strength

Tennis elbow is a painful, sometimes debilitating injury—you need fast pain relief that gets you back on the court and back to work. Maybe you’ve seen athletes wearing elbow braces, or you know someone who uses one and are curious to see if it will work for you. Finding the right brace to manage your injury starts with understanding how braces work to reduce pain. In some cases, you may be better served by a tennis elbow sleeve, strap, band, or combination. If you already know you need an elbow brace and just want to find the best one, jump down to our review of the Simien Tennis Elbow Brace.

How Do Tennis Elbow Braces Work?

Elbow braces work by reducing tension in aching muscles as they heal and reattach to the lateral epicondyle. By taking stress off of the afflicted area, an elbow brace alleviates inflammation and pain while increasing grip strength, allowing you to get back to your normal life without the pain or discomfort. Braces are commonly used to relieve elbow pain from:

• Tennis Elbow
• Golfer's Elbow
• Elbow Lateral Epicondylitis
• Bursitis
• Arthritis
• Elbow Tendonitis
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

If you’re in pain, a support brace can provide fast, effective muscle and joint relief. Don’t just buy the first brace you find, though. Consider the differences between tennis elbow braces, straps, sleeves, and bands. While they’re all similar in form and function, there are slight differences in how they work. A support brace helps alleviate pain caused by hyperextension, and is quite versatile for use during your regular daily activities, from training to working to doing chores. An elbow strap helps with tendonitis that is associated with tennis elbow, and many braces and sleeves incorporate a strap into their design. The elbow strap compresses the upper forearm and helps absorb shock. It can also allow inflamed tendons to relax and recover without further discomfort. Elbow sleeves help alleviate stiff joints and elbow pain by applying direct pressure to the outer side of your elbow. By putting pressure on your extensor muscles, tension is reduced, helping the muscles reattach to the lateral epicondyle. Support bands allow you to apply compression to specific areas, increasing circulation and grip strength while reducing inflammation. If you aren’t sure what option is best for you, your doctor or physical therapist can provide a recommendation. Many people start by purchasing a brace for its versatility and ease-of-use. The brace can be worn as often as needed, typically during workouts or heavy activity. Braces are extremely effective in alleviating pain associated with tennis elbow, but they don’t actively heal the injury. If you rely too heavily on a brace to mask the pain and you aren’t addressing the real root cause of the injury (most commonly a muscle strength and flexibility imbalance), it can lead to more severe issues down the road. Consult with your doctor to make sure you have an appropriate treatment plan. And check out our tennis elbow support guide, full of prevention and treatment tips.

Types of Elbow Braces

The standard elbow brace is designed to put direct pressure on the outer side of your elbow—where the skin is thickest on your forearm. Some braces include a strap or sleeve to provide relief for multiple tennis elbow symptoms. Dual support braces cover more skin than standard braces or straps, providing additional elbow joint support. The dual support brace is ideal if you are experiencing tennis elbow pain in more than just one location. But due to its larger size, the brace may not feel as comfortable or discreet.

Best Brace: Simien Tennis Elbow Brace [Review]

The Simien Tennis Elbow Brace is versatile, comfortable, easy to care for, and effective. The one-size-fits-all brace helps reduce pain from:

• elbow strains
• previous elbow injuries
• lateral epicondylitis/lateral epicondylalgia (tennis elbow)
• elbow tendonitis
• arthritis
• carpal tunnel syndrome
• and other injuries caused by repetitive stress motions.

The compress gel pads offer comfort as well as muscle support, and can be worn on either arm. The Simien can also be worn alongside sleeves and straps, so you can keep using support gear you already have. Each pack comes with two elbow braces, so you can keep one at home and one at the gym. Simien braces are made of 65% neoprene and 35% nylon, while the logo is made from natural rubber. Caring for your brace is simple: just wash the brace with warm water and a mild soap (ideally without fragrance). Then allow to air dry. With a lifetime guarantee, you don’t have to worry about the Simien breaking, wearing out, or coming apart with regular use. This Simien Tennis Elbow Brace has an average of 5 star reviews and typically arrives within 3 to 5 business days from the time of purchase.

• “I wish I found this brace sooner.”
• “better than the one my doctor recommended.”
• “more effective than other brands I tried.”

And when you buy from TennisElbow.com, your purchase includes a guide to addressing tennis elbow pain.

Brace Yourself

Tennis elbow support braces are an effective way to alleviate pain, inflammation, and stress in your arm, elbow, and wrist. And the Simien brace is currently one of the very best one on the market. It’s versatile, comfortable, and proven effective in reducing pain from tennis elbow and helping prevent the condition from recurring. To get the most out of your elbow brace, wear it as part of a larger treatment plan you discuss with your doctor or physical therapist. Order your Simien elbow brace and learn more about recognizing, treating, and preventing tennis elbow in our support guide.