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Hi. This is my very first post, so please excuse any ignorance on my part if I missed something pertaining to this post. By the way, nice to meet all of you! I'd like to do a 2 part review on two different sets of Inzer Knee Wraps
Gear being reviewed: Inzer True Black Knee Wraps & Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps
True Blacks: 2.5 mm (at least that's what I ordered, but they appear much shorter than the Grippers)
Pros: Very firm but flexible. Soft material doesn't cut into your skin (I'm a hairy bastard, and some wraps seem to like serving as a waxing service). Good, solid support and nice rebound.
Cons: While it's nice the soft feel doesn't rub my legs raw, they are soft to the point of being slick. I've spent many a times having to re-wrap the damn things due to them slipping out of my hands while wrapping. If it weren't for my Texas Strength Systems knee wrapper, I'd be constantly camping out in pissed off city.
Another gripe is they appear much shorter when relaxed. You have to really crank and pull these suckers hard to get a double wrap around the knee. (I use a traditional wrap starting at the base of the knee, working my way to the top and then back down, getting a double wrap over the knee cap). If you wish to use these for passive support; forget it. You'll be lucky to reach the top of your knee. I only use these when I hit reps below 5, and primarily only use for singles.
Another thing I'll say about the soft feeling material is I've had these pop out from where they were secured, ruining my lift. I'm sure it's because I'm doing something stupid, but this is my overall assessment of the Inzer True Black Knee Wraps.
Inzer Gripper Knee Wraps: 2.5 mm
Pros: This is an interesting and impressive wrap. I can use these for lighter, passive support, and I can also crank down hard for much heavier work. I was skeptical about the exposed rubber strips and how they'd feel on my skin, but honestly, they're not bad at all, and they haven't been a problem. These are extremely flexible, yet still firm. A bit more spongy than the True Blacks, but they still hold their integrity just fine.
In addition, I've had absolutely no problems losing the wrap while going around the knee. I also can keep the tension even while wrapping, and have plenty of length to complete two wraps around the knee cap. I use these for reps, as well as singles, and I really like this wrap.
Cons: Nothing's perfect, and with the benefit of the exposed rubber surface comes a few challenges. Really, the only pain is securing them when you're finish wrapping. I suppose with a partner, it's not as big a deal, but when squatting solo, the "gripper" aspect holds true, and pulling the end through is tough. Also, when you're done with the lift and want to get the wraps as quickly as possible, they can be very stubborn to remove from their anchored position.
With that said, the trick in getting these secured and removed is not a deal breaker, and I highly recommend this wrap. (Grippers). Even wrapping them using my knee wrap winder, they come out off the spindle just fine (takes some practice, though).
Final Thoughts:
I still like the True Blacks, but they are more of a pain when trying to wrap them myself. For meets, I wouldn't mind using them as long as I had one of my buddies to stretch them to their potential and ensure they were anchored good. However, between the two, I really like the Grippers. They aren't just Z-Wraps with exposed rubber strips. They're easy to use, stay in place and are good at testing your patience when you're trying to get the damn things off. :-)
PS: This was exactly the type of forum I was looking for, and all of your posts have been extremely informative. Thank you for letting me share.
Kid
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