I have CTIs Kyle and after my surgery, insurance covered and we’re about $900 a pair. The problem with all these knee braces is they don’t prevent injury from dabbing your foot down. Asterisk is the only brand that has a lock that prevents the twist impact at the knee because it’s harnessed to the boot, which makes the impact felt at the upper leg, pelvis which is much more resistant. I haven’t tried them, and I’m tempted too, but I wish our expensive custom braces had something that prevent knee twist rather than just knee impact… because I twist my knee by dabbing more going high speed and the bike kicking out than I ever fall.
I use the TP199 knee/shin guards by EVS and they have been awesome for impact protection. They aren't a brace, but i really like them for general protection.
**Just got knee surgery to repair my PCL after having it torn for 16 years. I appreciate your breakdown of how much you like it. Definitely gunna get one!*
Minute 5:40. You are removing the side cushions and then installing the shin guard. Do you not have more side to side free play (space between hinge and your side of the knee) once on the leg without those back in place ?
Not knocking your opinions on the Don Joy; however, the POD K8 Carbons are basically the same as the Don Joy. However, the POD K8 Carbons are cheaper, are a medical certified device, lightweight, have a built in knee protection, and have a great 5 year warranty. I researched both of these brands, and made an informed decision to purchase the POD K8 Carbons.
@Brian McGinity I am no expert in braces but I am slowly becoming one. Are you saying the POD braces only protect for hyper extention and not so well in "sideways" forces? If the joint area of the brace has a gap, does that mean the "sideways" force will bend your knee and damage a ligament before the brace does its job?
I had a full knee reconstruction back in April and now I'm 5 months out from that surgery... My insurance company covered the Donjoy Defiance Pro carbon braces along with the patellar protector like you have in the video. I got them custom fit and measured and all that to my specific leg. I got to be honest I absolutely hate them. They are nowhere near as comfortable or supportive as my Mobius X8 braces. I don't understand why you say Mobius aren't comfortable because to me they are extremely comfortable and I don't even know I have them on. But the donjoy setup is so extremely bulky I can barely get my pants around them.... Past that I feel like it doesn't stop my leg from hyperextending, and it digs into my calf in a very painful way on both sides. That patellar guard also doesn't cover the full knee and give you all the protection that the Mobius does, not to mention it kind of slides around. So all in all I've got a $2,000 set of brand new braces that I don't even use and they're just sitting there on the shelf because in my experience the Mobius are just a thousand times better serving their purpose as an MX brace not just as an overall walkaround brace.
Very expensive (specially these ones), but really important protection. Been using knee braces (Asterisk) for more than 10 years, and can`t ride with them! (By the way, never had knee issues or injuries with them, and already had some big slams.)
Thanks for the review! $2,000 is expensive but so is surgery that's more like 10,000 to 20,000 if you don't have insurance. Not to mention the downtime for healing and the pain 😂.
I feel you. I was in an accident on the road, someone hit me at an intersection. 53k later and I'm still getting bills! I may be riding track and dirt only from now on. Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Even taking out the cost. I've had ACL recon and while it's better it's never gotten back to 100...maybe 70 to 80 percent at best. Now that i'm older I would gladly pay thousands of dollars if I could have avoided that injury. There are so many times in my life that I wanted to do something but could not due to the injury, either because I didn't want to risk it or because it was giving me problems at the time. Or I did to it and then suffered with pain after the fact.
I tore my acl at work. I'm part time so I'm uninsured but workers comp is covering the surgery and rehab. I'm going to get one of these if I have to pay out of pocket but I'm going to try and see if workers comp will cover it
Hey Kyle, any comparison to Custom CTI's? Looking at donjoy vs CTI as I am rehabbing a pcl/mcl injury and looking to come back with support before riding/racing again.
Hey Kyle, would love to see the comparison between the Don Joy and the CTI custom braces. My son’s Dr. recommend the CTI, and mine recommended the Don Joy. We are now both using the CTI brace, which were covered from our medical insurance.
do you still use the donjoy a22 wha can you say about the durability, afte 5 year? i plan to buy one for enduro mtb & skiing ? wha you think from you experience after 5 year?
Shawn Robinson I have both Donjoy Defiance and Donjoy A22 that was billed to my insurance. My insurance paid most of the cost I think I paid $12 in total for both braces. But it could be considered a need as I had recently gone through my 3rd knee surgery in the span of 4 years. I would recommend contacting your local sales rep. Go through companies like better braces is used if only self pay but you may want to contact your local sales rep to see if they can bill insurance directly before paying 100s of dollars if insurance may cover it.
I’m awaiting reconstruction, I’m a welder fabricator, and when I eventually get back to work, I’m up, down, climbing, crawling, one legged, hanging, all kinds of positions to do my job. Would this be functional for every day use when I go back to work?
Kyle... You should try the Alpinestars Fluid Carbon... awesome fit, light, comfortable and very effective. I’ve been wearing them for a long time and for me it’s the best. Tried other brands as Asterisks but these ones were way better and more comfortable. Recommend
I re injured my bad knee a year after surgery riding bmx again. looking for the best brace cheap out of pocket lol. Was looking at the donjoy defiance armor. not sure how it compares
I wear the armor. Its heavier but designed to take impacts. I wear knee guards with it similar to Kyle's old setup, but the Donjoy knee caps he showed fit the Armor as well. My ortho and a family member who is an ortho surgeon recommended using these over motocross specific braces. These do not have rigid components over the top and bottom of the leg, instead over the thigh and behind the calf. That design greatly reduces the risk of bone breakage.
@@jasondearman3743 Thanks for the info, not worried about bone breaking or crazy impacts lol. My knee just keeps tweaking from small awkward movements on my bike. hoping this will help, I was using a cheap non hinged brace before.
Just as a counterpoint to this video - I bought DonJoy braces - custom fit Defiant III - and it's been one of the most miserable customer service experiences of my life. 9 months after my accident and I am still waiting on a set of braces that fit properly. I'm on the second set. They just can't seem to get it right and they are really dragging their heels. I have had to send multiple messages at every juncture to get a response and the rep I am dealing with exhibits absolutely no sense that he cares about my situation. I have suffered a number of small re injuries while wearing the braces because of the poor fit. These braces cost literally thousands of dollars and I would have expected a much better level of service. I am really wishing I went with CTI braces instead.
You can also criss cross the posterior straps to open up the popliteal space. If you'd like any help in getting these braces fit, please call our office at 801-400-5318. We would be happy to help you and give more recommendations on how to fit these braces properly and comfortably. There are many accessories that improve the fit and function for the brace.
I'm using EVS sport braces and they are OK. I got a 50% off coupon from a race promoter. The main thing I don't like is the bunching behind my knee. Its only when I'm sitting down. I might lower my pegs to get me some more room.
I think all of the guards or braces with a strap in that location are going to create the same issue. Compression pants or sock sleeves are a must and you just have to find the balance when adjusting them. Basically, as tight as you can before creating an issue. You can still chafe yourself raw if too tight with a base layer in place.
How can you say they're the best when there's nothing to compare them to besides the Mobius that you didn't hardly wear? Also $14 knee pads for $100??? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they work for you. I would just prefer to get one more geared towards mx than tennis and for a quarter of the price. Or even the POD K8 that you can get a prescription for. Which I wouldn't doubt it if you could get a prescription for DJ, I just didn't hear you mention it.
I spent weeks talking to sports and medical professionals before makings these purchases. Fit is EVERYTHING. The reason they are expensive is because they are custom made for my leg. I've tried on many other pairs, but only ever used the 2 different options for actual riding.
@@DirtBikeChannel were you able to purchase you're with a prescription? The reason I'm asking is most riders are poor. Someone's gotta buy up all your used bikes, Right! Thanks for your input on the DJ.
My insurance didn't cover anything on these, so I paid out of pocket. Didn't matter what the doc prescribed with my insurance company. Tried on the CTIs and researched them heavily. Same thing with the Pod K8. In the end, I felt the DJ A22 was better.
You obviously have never had a serious knee injury. Your average knee surgery is about $18K. And no, insurance doesn't pay everything, not even close. I'm down to the final $700 for my surgery four years ago. 900 per leg isn't bad at all.
@@DirtBikeChannel yes in Australia and as an Australian citizen we have free healthcare system similar to Canada. The Australian government provides help with medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. Medicare delivers free hospital care and also helps with the cost of seeing a local doctor or specialists, paying for medicine and other treatment.
just tore acl while wearing braces...not these but spendy ones and they did nothing. Not even a bad spill...ill still wear some when i get back but yeah they dont do much
@@rafemordente Yes I did the same thing in February, goofy little spill in a wash and felt my knee pop. My Orthopedic Surgeon works for the US Ski team and he told me they have tried for years to develop a knee brace that would stop an ACL injury but they cant stop a foot from twisting which will over-stress the ligaments. I will wear my knee braces going forward and keep fingers crossed :).
I have CTIs Kyle and after my surgery, insurance covered and we’re about $900 a pair. The problem with all these knee braces is they don’t prevent injury from dabbing your foot down. Asterisk is the only brand that has a lock that prevents the twist impact at the knee because it’s harnessed to the boot, which makes the impact felt at the upper leg, pelvis which is much more resistant. I haven’t tried them, and I’m tempted too, but I wish our expensive custom braces had something that prevent knee twist rather than just knee impact… because I twist my knee by dabbing more going high speed and the bike kicking out than I ever fall.
I've got them astrix ones I think there good need knee sock but I like them I don't have it set to my boot but will now
I use the TP199 knee/shin guards by EVS and they have been awesome for impact protection. They aren't a brace, but i really like them for general protection.
You should test/review the POD K4 and K8 braces.
Yes
**Just got knee surgery to repair my PCL after having it torn for 16 years. I appreciate your breakdown of how much you like it. Definitely gunna get one!*
How is your knee doing?
I’m getting my surgery in October
@@wdvu90 how was your surgery? I recently tore my pcl and not sure what to do.
Minute 5:40. You are removing the side cushions and then installing the shin guard. Do you not have more side to side free play (space between hinge and your side of the knee) once on the leg without those back in place ?
Cti braces look exactly the same as that and were the brace to use in the 1990s, lots cheaper as well !
Gazza my CTI were $1750 per side. I was able to get them through my medical insurance
Vonsolo22 the new price has gone mental, I looked at a used pair on bay last week for £300 !
no they're not, CTI just sits on the front of the leg, they are not an over under design like the Donjoy.
Not knocking your opinions on the Don Joy; however, the POD K8 Carbons are basically the same as the Don Joy. However, the POD K8 Carbons are cheaper, are a medical certified device, lightweight, have a built in knee protection, and have a great 5 year warranty. I researched both of these brands, and made an informed decision to purchase the POD K8 Carbons.
@Brian McGinity I am no expert in braces but I am slowly becoming one. Are you saying the POD braces only protect for hyper extention and not so well in "sideways" forces?
If the joint area of the brace has a gap, does that mean the "sideways" force will bend your knee and damage a ligament before the brace does its job?
I'm using Pod K8 carbon knee braces. They're great.
I love my K8’s.
Would you recommend knee braces over knee pads when riding on the street (no serious canyon riding, or track riding. Only cruising on a V-twin)?
Did you consider the defiance?
I had a full knee reconstruction back in April and now I'm 5 months out from that surgery... My insurance company covered the Donjoy Defiance Pro carbon braces along with the patellar protector like you have in the video. I got them custom fit and measured and all that to my specific leg. I got to be honest I absolutely hate them. They are nowhere near as comfortable or supportive as my Mobius X8 braces. I don't understand why you say Mobius aren't comfortable because to me they are extremely comfortable and I don't even know I have them on. But the donjoy setup is so extremely bulky I can barely get my pants around them.... Past that I feel like it doesn't stop my leg from hyperextending, and it digs into my calf in a very painful way on both sides. That patellar guard also doesn't cover the full knee and give you all the protection that the Mobius does, not to mention it kind of slides around. So all in all I've got a $2,000 set of brand new braces that I don't even use and they're just sitting there on the shelf because in my experience the Mobius are just a thousand times better serving their purpose as an MX brace not just as an overall walkaround brace.
Very expensive (specially these ones), but really important protection.
Been using knee braces (Asterisk) for more than 10 years, and can`t ride with them!
(By the way, never had knee issues or injuries with them, and already had some big slams.)
I use Asterick knee brace I tore my mcl but it saved my life (main artery in leg ) I don’t ride without them I’m worth the money 👍
Could you make a playlist for all you Acl injury videos?
Thanks for the review! $2,000 is expensive but so is surgery that's more like 10,000 to 20,000 if you don't have insurance. Not to mention the downtime for healing and the pain 😂.
Can you do an update on your knee fitness and the brace? Are you still using it today or have you upgraded the braces for when you ride?
Anyway to buy these braces through your channel to give you credit for it?
Unfortunatly, no.
Hi Kyle are you still using the same knee brace setup?
Expensive! But I know that 2k is alot less than getting a knee replacement. Worth the money IMO, thanks for another great video Kyle
My ACL reconstruction was over 25K. That doesn't count rehab or time lost.
I feel you. I was in an accident on the road, someone hit me at an intersection. 53k later and I'm still getting bills! I may be riding track and dirt only from now on. Thanks for taking the time to reply!
Even taking out the cost. I've had ACL recon and while it's better it's never gotten back to 100...maybe 70 to 80 percent at best.
Now that i'm older I would gladly pay thousands of dollars if I could have avoided that injury. There are so many times in my life that I wanted to do something but could not due to the injury, either because I didn't want to risk it or because it was giving me problems at the time. Or I did to it and then suffered with pain after the fact.
I tore my acl at work. I'm part time so I'm uninsured but workers comp is covering the surgery and rehab. I'm going to get one of these if I have to pay out of pocket but I'm going to try and see if workers comp will cover it
Hey Kyle, any comparison to Custom CTI's? Looking at donjoy vs CTI as I am rehabbing a pcl/mcl injury and looking to come back with support before riding/racing again.
Hey Kyle, would love to see the comparison between the Don Joy and the CTI custom braces. My son’s Dr. recommend the CTI, and mine recommended the Don Joy. We are now both using the CTI brace, which were covered from our medical insurance.
do you still use the donjoy a22 wha can you say about the durability, afte 5 year? i plan to buy one for enduro mtb & skiing ? wha you think from you experience after 5 year?
Its all going to come down to personal fit, but I think DJ's or CTI are the way to go if you have had an injury, then POD K8 otherwise
I am trying to get that brace for my son thank you for letting me know the cost $900 he plays QB and going to College and I want him to have the best
Shawn Robinson I have both Donjoy Defiance and Donjoy A22 that was billed to my insurance. My insurance paid most of the cost I think I paid $12 in total for both braces. But it could be considered a need as I had recently gone through my 3rd knee surgery in the span of 4 years. I would recommend contacting your local sales rep. Go through companies like better braces is used if only self pay but you may want to contact your local sales rep to see if they can bill insurance directly before paying 100s of dollars if insurance may cover it.
Kyle does this patellar guard strap right over the 2 pads near the meniscus or did you remove the pads to get it to fit? thanks
what about the fact that the donjoy is considered a non-impact brace? i.e., it's not designed for motocross impact.
Appreciate the vid, I wonder how their ski braces are.
you still using these, i see its the non contact version. Do you think the contact version would be better ?
They still holding up? I'm about to pull on the trigger on these.
I’m awaiting reconstruction, I’m a welder fabricator, and when I eventually get back to work, I’m up, down, climbing, crawling, one legged, hanging, all kinds of positions to do my job. Would this be functional for every day use when I go back to work?
Why brace do you suggest to just trail ridding ?
Glad my insurance just paid for custom CTI braces. All I had to pay for was my doctors appointment.
No longer listed on their website...
@dirtbikechannel Do you still ride your trials bike because i loved those vids
Kyle... You should try the Alpinestars Fluid Carbon... awesome fit, light, comfortable and very effective. I’ve been wearing them for a long time and for me it’s the best. Tried other brands as Asterisks but these ones were way better and more comfortable. Recommend
Great vid. Have been waiting for this vid from you. Thanks for sharing!! How can we obtain the don joys without an injury?
I re injured my bad knee a year after surgery riding bmx again. looking for the best brace cheap out of pocket lol. Was looking at the donjoy defiance armor. not sure how it compares
I wear the armor. Its heavier but designed to take impacts. I wear knee guards with it similar to Kyle's old setup, but the Donjoy knee caps he showed fit the Armor as well. My ortho and a family member who is an ortho surgeon recommended using these over motocross specific braces. These do not have rigid components over the top and bottom of the leg, instead over the thigh and behind the calf. That design greatly reduces the risk of bone breakage.
@@jasondearman3743 Thanks for the info, not worried about bone breaking or crazy impacts lol. My knee just keeps tweaking from small awkward movements on my bike. hoping this will help, I was using a cheap non hinged brace before.
Just as a counterpoint to this video - I bought DonJoy braces - custom fit Defiant III - and it's been one of the most miserable customer service experiences of my life. 9 months after my accident and I am still waiting on a set of braces that fit properly. I'm on the second set. They just can't seem to get it right and they are really dragging their heels. I have had to send multiple messages at every juncture to get a response and the rep I am dealing with exhibits absolutely no sense that he cares about my situation. I have suffered a number of small re injuries while wearing the braces because of the poor fit. These braces cost literally thousands of dollars and I would have expected a much better level of service. I am really wishing I went with CTI braces instead.
You can also criss cross the posterior straps to open up the popliteal space. If you'd like any help in getting these braces fit, please call our office at 801-400-5318. We would be happy to help you and give more recommendations on how to fit these braces properly and comfortably. There are many accessories that improve the fit and function for the brace.
I'm using EVS sport braces and they are OK. I got a 50% off coupon from a race promoter. The main thing I don't like is the bunching behind my knee. Its only when I'm sitting down. I might lower my pegs to get me some more room.
I think all of the guards or braces with a strap in that location are going to create the same issue. Compression pants or sock sleeves are a must and you just have to find the balance when adjusting them. Basically, as tight as you can before creating an issue. You can still chafe yourself raw if too tight with a base layer in place.
Man i bought the carbone ones almost 700 hundred i cant ride with them
Tooooo bulkie
@@fernandofernandez5719 glad I only paid $250 for mine.
My insurance covered my Donjoy braces 100%
Waiting to get injured to get a pair
@@bilboswaggens2975 I have done just that, unfortunately. I hope I don't have to cover it. Fingers crossed.
How can you say they're the best when there's nothing to compare them to besides the Mobius that you didn't hardly wear? Also $14 knee pads for $100??? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they work for you. I would just prefer to get one more geared towards mx than tennis and for a quarter of the price. Or even the POD K8 that you can get a prescription for. Which I wouldn't doubt it if you could get a prescription for DJ, I just didn't hear you mention it.
I spent weeks talking to sports and medical professionals before makings these purchases. Fit is EVERYTHING. The reason they are expensive is because they are custom made for my leg. I've tried on many other pairs, but only ever used the 2 different options for actual riding.
@@DirtBikeChannel were you able to purchase you're with a prescription? The reason I'm asking is most riders are poor. Someone's gotta buy up all your used bikes, Right! Thanks for your input on the DJ.
My insurance didn't cover anything on these, so I paid out of pocket. Didn't matter what the doc prescribed with my insurance company. Tried on the CTIs and researched them heavily. Same thing with the Pod K8. In the end, I felt the DJ A22 was better.
Mine were 1100 for both legs including the impact protecteres.....you got ripped off!
900 per leg is way to much, you could buy a new leg for that price
You obviously have never had a serious knee injury. Your average knee surgery is about $18K. And no, insurance doesn't pay everything, not even close. I'm down to the final $700 for my surgery four years ago. 900 per leg isn't bad at all.
My ACL reconstruction was over 25K. That doesn't count rehab or time lost.
Healthcare is free in Australia so I wear what I can afford. I know it's not the "right" thing to do but Im not going to stop riding because of it.
It's not free. You are paying for it with each paycheck :)
@@DirtBikeChannel yes in Australia and as an Australian citizen we have free healthcare system similar to Canada. The Australian government provides help with medical expenses through a scheme called Medicare. Medicare delivers free hospital care and also helps with the cost of seeing a local doctor or specialists, paying for medicine and other treatment.
CTi customs is way better, better knee cap protector build in
Great info, thx. Too bad none of these will stop an ACL injury.
just tore acl while wearing braces...not these but spendy ones and they did nothing. Not even a bad spill...ill still wear some when i get back but yeah they dont do much
@@rafemordente Yes I did the same thing in February, goofy little spill in a wash and felt my knee pop. My Orthopedic Surgeon works for the US Ski team and he told me they have tried for years to develop a knee brace that would stop an ACL injury but they cant stop a foot from twisting which will over-stress the ligaments. I will wear my knee braces going forward and keep fingers crossed :).
True that nothing is a silver bullet, but after the experience I went through, I'm wearing these suckers!
@@lanceg.8458 Mine was in Feb as well...had Surgery in may...
Sweet I will wear them in Texas that can't be that hot 😂
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