The Best Wrist Wraps for Crossfit, Weightlifting, and Powerlifting: I Bought 8 To Review & Help My Wrist Pain

A few months ago, after a hero WOD with a ton of squat cleans, I noticed my right wrist was starting to hurt.

I kept pushing through the pain, doing ring muscle ups, more front squats. Eventually it got to a point where I was in so much pain, I couldn’t do a front rack or overhead position at all.

It was time to rest, take NSAIDs, and modify movements (recommended by my PA friend, and my brother doctor!).

So, for the first time in years, I modified movements, taped up my wrist and took it “easy” for 3 weeks.

During this time I also began evaluating wrist wraps for CrossFit.

I purchased the 8 below, and in this post I’ll cover what I liked and didn’t like about each one. I found a number that I will use again.

My top two favorites are the Rogue standard wrist wrap and the Warm Body Cold Mind basic cheap cotton wrap.

2 Wrist Wraps To Avoid For CrossFit or Olympic Lifts

Wrist Wraps I Tested

	Product's name	Best Features	More Info
Best Budget Wrap [amazon fields="B08PKQ5ZXW" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B08PKQ5ZXW" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Lightweight - Easy on and off	[amazon fields="B08PKQ5ZXW" value="button"]
Best Overall Wrap [amazon fields="B01NBP3J7Y" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B01NBP3J7Y" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Best mix of stability and flexibility - Size & color Variety	Check Latest Price
Highest Durability [amazon fields="B01MRBSH23" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B01MRBSH23" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Very high quality construction	[amazon fields="B01MRBSH23" value="button"]
[amazon fields="B00LZFLS4Q" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B00LZFLS4Q" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Comfortability - Stability - Protection	[amazon fields="B00LZFLS4Q" value="button"]
[amazon fields="B00GVHYEZS" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B00GVHYEZS" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Strength And Durability - Variety	[amazon fields="B00GVHYEZS" value="button"]
[amazon fields="B00JEN5OW8" value="thumb"]	[amazon fields="B00JEN5OW8" value="title" title_length="100"]	- Strong - Comfortability - Stability	[amazon fields="B00JEN5OW8" value="button"]

I spent about 3 weeks trying out the wrist wraps below. I found many to be too bulky to want to wear during an entire CrossFit class. Some where too bulky even just to try on. From my most favorite to least, here are the wraps I evaluated:

I got the 18″ version of these wraps, any longer would have been too much fabric. 12″ would work fine as well. They come in three different lengths; 12 inches, 18 inches, and 24 inches and are available in 7 color options, too, encouraging a variety of choices. 

These were my favorite because they were easy to get on and off, they felt very stable during all movements (toes to bar, overhead lifts, front squats, push-ups, burpees), and they feel quality. I think these will last for many years. They are pretty affordable as well. I much preferred these over the thin Rogue wraps.

These became my go to wrist strap, especially as my wrist pain eased. I found I liked these even with my wrist pain gone. They go on very fast. I made a whole blog post and video about these as a great cheap wrist wrap option, so check that out for a full review.

These wraps have one size, with their width at 3 inches and length at 26 inches.

[amazon box=”B08PKQ5ZXW”]

STOIC’s wrist wraps are beasts! These are the highest quality material and construction of all the wrist wraps I tested. If you want a wrap that will last a long time and provide tons of support, these are for you.

Nordic Lifting wrist wraps made of high quality cotton with Velcro closure are one-size-fits all at three inches by twenty-four inches. I liked the construction of these wraps, and appreciated that they marked the Left and Right with a tag, but I wish the tag wasn’t so darn ugly!

These have a reinforced loop and are designed for extra protection, keeping the wrist stable and in check during heavy lifting.

These are fine. I’m not a huge fan of the thumb hole, but they are easy to put on and take off.

Benefits Of Wrist Wraps

Wrist wraps are starting to become a now popularly used accessory in CrossFit culture, and for many reasons too while some people use them simply for aesthetics, some other people like how they pump the muscles up. Wraps also improve performance and prevent injuries. Listed below are a few other perks of adding them to your CrossFit gear;

Wrist stability

Wrist wraps are primarily aimed at preventing any major injuries to the wrist joint, they are for stability and keep the wrist in check if worn with enough stiffness, leading to better weight distribution and guiding against any major injuries too.

Reduces Fatigue

The smaller, weaker muscles get fatigued earlier than the larger, prime muscles and this sounds true for the muscles in the wrist area too, wrist wraps help to hold muscles in place during exercises and prevent early fatigue of muscles allowing athletes to push the larger muscles to good limits.

Improves grip

The fingers move and catch a grip as a result of contraction of muscles in the forearm and during weight lifting, wrist wraps provide an additional and comfortable contraction on the forearm muscles that helps with the gripping effect.

Helps engage the muscles even before workouts

Tight wrist wraps already get the neurons fired up through proprioception and the muscles already start to tighten even before any work is done

Prevent and manages injuries

Very minor strains are protected from escalating during workouts if wrist wraps are on, the chances of an injury escalating have been highly reduced, they also prevent the carpal tunnels syndrome which is a serious contraction injury peculiar to wrists

How To Use Wrist Wraps

How to Use Wrist Wraps

This might seem sort of tricky for first time wearers and there are a few tips to know beforehand;

Wrist wraps might not always feel comfortable, the wraps aim to limit the range of motion of the wrist during lifts and keep the joint tight, so might not feel as comfortable as when the hands are free. 

The hand should be wrapped in a forward motion, during lifts the hand is usually slightly bent forward, and since the range of motion would be limited by wrapping, wrapping the hand in a backward position largely defeats the purpose of a feasible workout.

Ensure to wrap the base of your palm too, this keeps the wrap in check and limits excess extensions at the wrist joint. 

As you start to turn the wrist wrap, gradually increase the tightness around the joint on each turn. For a very firm grip, form a fist while wrapping.

Here’s how to put on the wrist wraps.

1. Find the loop

Every wrist wrap has a loop at one end which the thumb goes into, so the very first step is finding this loop facing it upwards, either hand could be done first, and the length of the wrist wrap is based on preference.

2. Align the loop with your hand

Hold the wrist wrap in such a way that the loop aligns with your thumb and the lower fabric part of the wrap aligns with your hand below your thumb.

3. Pass your thumb through the loop to ensure a tighter locked-in fit 

4. Wrap your wrist

Pass the wrap over the wrist, one thing to check for is the Velcro part of the fabric is on the outside of the hand while turning and tightening the wrap.

5. Tighten till it feels comfortable enough

The tightness of a strap is usually a factor dependent on whoever is wrapping and can be adjusted to whatever degree of stability or support requires. It is usually recommended that the wraps be tighter for heavier lifts to enhance stability and support.

6. Repeat the process on the other hand

Conclusion

Wrist wraps are essential for overhead lifts and bench presses, and there are tons of advantages with them that outweigh risking a wrist injury. They are a perfect fit for a CrossFitter looking to get some work in with added support and comfortability and reduced risk of getting hurt as a result. 

One thing about wrist wrap is how there are a variety and options to choose from depending on however they are preferred by the user. From the cotton-based wrist wraps that prioritize comfort to the stronger rubber wrist wraps and even having a lot of varying adjustable sizes and also different types of Velcro bands. 

Whether the priority is safety, strength, support, or maybe even comfortability, there is a wrap that meets the need and helps to achieve more with your CrossFit workouts.