Cody has been a gamer ever since his family got a Sega Genesis when he was five-years-old. In addition to his love of narrative-focused RPGs and ho... Read more
Reviewed by Benjamin Barr
Compression sleeves have become popular in the esports community. You see them used all the time, especially on the gamer’s mouse arm. It’s nearly becoming an unofficial part of the uniform, but are compression sleeves good for gaming?
Arm compression sleeves can increase blood flow, but more importantly, they also reduce the friction of your arm. There’s nothing worse than letting your team down in a round of Overwatch just because your arm stuck to your desk at a critical moment. That’s why we decided to put together this list of the five best compression sleeves for gamers!
5 Best Compression Sleeves for Gamers
Are you ready to sleeve up? It’s time to list the five best compression sleeves for gamers!
1. Prosicion Gaming Arm Sleeve
The Best Compression Sleeve for Gamers Overall
Brand: Prosocion | Style: Full arm | Price: $10.95
The Prosicion Gaming Arm Sleeve is our top pick on our list of the best compression sleeves for gaming. In fact, it’s the only sleeve on our list that is made specifically for gamers. Its mix of nylon and knitted fabric is designed for the perfect balance between warm and cool while maintaining a traction-free surface.
Usually, you have to worry about a “gamer tax” driving up the price, but the Prosicion sleeve is actually cheaper than most of its competition. It’s also 100% machine washable! A useful feature for after those tense rounds of Valorant.
- USERS LIKE
- Prevents burn from hours of gameplay
- Stops wrist from sticking
- Stylish “aperture” graphic
- USERS DISLIKE
- Sizes run a little small
- Can drag on larger mouse pads
- Breaths
2. Aegend UV Protection Cooling Arm Sleeves
The Best Budget Compression Sleeve for Gamers
Brand: Aegend | Style: Full arm | Price: $8.69
Not looking to spend any more than you have to on what is essentially a nylon tube? Not only are the Aegend UV Protection Cooling arm sleeves a bargain, you get two for less than the price that most manufacturers charge for one!
They’re made from a stretchy protofilament which is supposed to keep your skin cool while comfortably fitting a wider range of arm sizes. They also have silicone dots at the upper arm and wrist to keep the sleeve from riding. We also think the Aegend sleeve is the best unisex compression sleeve for gamers.
- USERS LIKE
- Two for one
- Anti-slip silicon
- Cool and stretchy
- USERS DISLIKE
- All white, easy to get dirty
- Thin material tears easily
- Run a little small
3. HODORPOWER UV Protection Gloved Arm Sleeves
The Best Gloved Compression Sleeve for Gamers
Brand: HODORPOWER | Style: Full arm + fingerless glove | Price: $12.68
Want a glove that doesn’t stop at the wrist? The HODORPOWER UV Protection Gloved Arm Sleeves are designed to be a fingerless glove and arm compression sleeve all in one. They are made of a soft, breathable material meant to ensure zero-pilling while maintaining a comfortable compression and keeping your arms cool.
The palms have an anti-slip texture on them that was designed for bicycling and golfing, but isn’t too shabby at helping you keep a grip on your mouse either.
- USERS LIKE
- Light, comfortable and cool
- Easy to pull on
- Offers finger compression
- USERS DISLIKE
- Not as much compression as other brands
- Thin fabric rips easily
- Slightly transparent
4. Sparthos Wrist Support Sleeves
The Best Compression Half-Sleeve for Gamers
Brand: Sparthos | Style: Glove | Price: $15.97
The Sparthos Wrist Support Sleeves are a great option if you want a glove that goes just far enough over your wrist to prevent friction with your desk without sacrificing your entire arm to the compression sleeve gods. They are made of a blend of nylon, latex, and spandex. Sparthos’ sleeves are specifically for wrist pain relief. They reach about a third to halfway up your forearm and go all the way down to your knuckles.
They come with a hexagonal pattern on the back. You can get them in cobalt blue, desert beige, flamingo pink, and black.
- USERS LIKE
- Machine washable
- Helps with wrist pain
- Stylish design options
- USERS DISLIKE
- Thick fabric runs warm
- Thick seems near thumb webbing can rub
- Contains latex
5. B-Driven Sports Athletic Compression Arm Sleeves
The Best Graphic Compression Sleeve for Gamers
Brand: B-Driven Sports | Style: Full arm | Price: $18.88
Compression sleeves aren’t just about blood flow and getting a competitive edge – they’re also about looking rad!
We picked B-Driven Sports Athletic Compression Arm Sleeves as the best graphic compression sleeves for gamers because there are so many graphic designs to choose from. You can pick from 45 different designs in nine different sizes!
- USERS LIKE
- Lots of design and size options
- Non-slip band at the top
- 10-15mmHG compression for pain relief
- USERS DISLIKE
- Pilling issues
- More expensive than other brands
- Colors aren’t always pictured accurately
Honorable Mention: Flashe Standard Gaming Sleeve
The most stylish gaming sleeve
Manufacturer: Flashe | Style: Full arm | Price: $19.00
Flashe Gaming Group is a smaller brand that offers gaming gloves, gaming sleeves, and an assortment of other accessories. What we really like about their gaming sleeve is the design — it’s like something straight out of Tron. You can get this sleeve in red, blue, green, or white in the pixelated design; or a plain all white/all black.
Of course, just like the other brands, Flashe makes all sorts of claims about how their sleeve improves performance. That’s something we’ll talk about in the next section. What really distinguishes Flashe from the pack is that they offer their sleeve in a whopping 10 different sizes. That makes it easier to get a custom fit. For $20 more, you can get their compression sleeve that’s both full arm plus a fingerless glove.
- USERS LIKE
- Holds up after multiple washing machine runs
- Looks cool
- 10 sizes, custom fit
- USERS DISLIKE
- Sometimes difficult to find the right size
- Expensive
- Slower shipping (company based in Sweden)
Do Compression Sleeves Actually Help with Gaming?
A lot of pros use them, but are compression sleeves worth it for gaming? A Reddit user asked the community that question, and to everyone in the thread’s general surprise, a real professional responded. Reddit user 1HPMatt identified himself as a physical therapist and a member of the physical performance staff for Immortals, a professional esports organization based in the US.
So, why do pro gamers wear arm sleeves? According to Matt, “the major benefit may be the reduction of friction at the forearm which allows for more smooth flicks however if you have a long mousepad or wear a sweater — it basically achieves the same purpose. Most pros I’ve worked with only use it for this reason.”
He goes on to explain that their health benefits leave a lot to be desired, stating, “while it does provide an external compressive pressure to facilitate increased bloodflow – the benefit to “carpal tunnel syndrome” (…) is MARGINAL.”
Check out our list of the best hand and wrist stretches for more ways to help prevent joint pain!
Dress to Compress
Thanks for reading our list of the 5 best compression sleeves for gamers. Be sure to follow High Ground Gaming for news, reviews, and more lists like this one.
Happy gaming!
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Hi Cody! Thank you so much for this great list and informing the uses of gaming sleeves! If you ever get a chance check out Gamer Sleeve (Gamer-Sleeve.com). I started the brand last year and am aiming to make THE brand in gaming sleeves! Keep up the good work 🦾