Volleyball Wrist Protectors

Wrist protectors are a very important piece of equipment for volleyball players. Passing and receiving are just two of the many repetitive motions in the sport that can cause strain on the body, specifically one’s arms and wrists. For this reason, volleyball players often wear wrist protectors. Read on to learn all about wrist protectors in volleyball.

What Are Volleyball Wrist Protectors Used For?

Hand, wrist, and arm protectors are worn to prevent injury and promote recovery. Overuse and repetitive motions often lead to injury, which may be why hand and wrist sprains/strain are one of the most common volleyball injuries. By providing a barrier between the athlete’s body and whatever surface it is contacting (likely the volleyball or court), wrist protectors reduce the amount of stress on muscles and joints.

Things To Consider

When looking for volleyball wrist protectors, you'll want to consider the following:

• How frequently do you play volleyball?
• Have you suffered wrist or lower arm injuries before?
• How much would you like to spend on wrist protectors?

Types

Each volleyball player is unique and has specific needs. As such, volleyball players have different requirements for their wrist protectors, leading to the different types of sleeves and guards.

Arm Sleeves

Arm sleeves keep muscles warm while protecting the arm from impact with the ball. Sleeves also offer some protection from friction with the floor in the event that a volleyball player has to dive for a ball.

Padded Arm Sleeves

Padded arm sleeves add special cushions in key areas of the sleeve. Some have padding on the forearms where players most often have contact with the volleyball. Other sleeves may have more padding on the elbow to lessen the impact felt there.

Wrist Guards

Unlike the sleeves mentioned above, wrist guards are more focused on protecting the hands and wrists than the arms. They can be extremely restrictive or less so depending on the severity of the injury and the desired level of mobility. This may be better for someone who is worried that a full range of movement will aggravate or worsen the condition of their wrist.

Brands

With volleyball being such a popular sport, there’s no shortage of wrist protector brands to choose from. Below are a few of the ones that have managed to distinguish themselves from the crowd.

• Tandem: Sleeves by Tandem are sold in a set of two, secure around the thumbs, and have a target on the forearms illustrating where the ball should land for optimal passing.
• Nike: Nike sells arm sleeves in a pair and their main selling point is the sweat-wicking technology.
• Mizuno: Mizuno sells both regular and padded arm sleeves specifically for volleyball. Wrist guards may also be purchased from this brand.

Wrist Protector Durability

As with anything, the durability of a product depends largely on how much it is used. A sleeve or wrist guard will likely last longer the less it’s used, but nylon and neoprene are pretty durable. With this in mind, a sleeve will need to be replaced when it starts to show signs of wear and tear, like holes in the fabric or issues with the padding, while a wrist guard typically lasts a long time.

Wrist Protector Cost

In most cases, a wrist protector will cost between $15 and $30. Popular brands such as Mizuno, are generally the most expensive because of the name brand. Padded sleeves or wrist guards with more protection (and less mobility) will cost more since they are supposed to be more effective at preventing injuries.

Wrist Protector Sizes

Most wrist protectors come in one or two sizes for both children and adults. Note that because sleeves and guards are supposed to offer compression, they should fit snug but in no way restrict blood circulation. Wrist guards may be a little uncomfortable and hinder movement.

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