The Spud inc. basics

Based out of South Carolina, Spud Inc has been making "strong straps for strong lifters" for over ten years now. Their most popular product offerings include various straps (of course), belts, the bowtie, and sleeves. Their products can be seen in action at events like The CrossFit Games, the World's Strongest Man finals, or local powerlifting meets everywhere. Order sleeves here: Spud Inc.'s Sleeves

No Bias or BS Here

Spud Inc. sent us some of their elbow sleeves, singly ply knee sleeves, and 2-ply knee sleeves to put through the Massenomics ringer. So that is exactly what we did. We took a look at the quality of the products, as well as their usefulness. Massenomics is in no way affiliated with Spud Inc., so rest assured this review is straight from the heart.

What Makes These Sleeves Different?

God made all knee sleeves equal, right? Wrong! There can be key differences with sleeve design. Those differences ultimatley determine what the best application for each type of sleeve will be. We aren't here to be the judge and jury on which options will be best for you, but what we will do is tell you what Spud Inc. has to offer with their sleeves.

The first thing you will notice with Spud's sleeves is the innovative loops on the top of each sleeve. The reason for the loops is to be able to pull your sleeves on more easily. If you've never put on a pair of tight sleeves (without loops) before, then you might not immediately understand why this is such a novel idea. It can sometimes take more energy to get traditional sleeves on than it does to complete your heaviest working set of squats for the day. Needless to say, we were really excited about this idea before even getting our hands on the sleeves. When we did get our hands on the sleeves, we were not disappointed. The loops REALLY work and they make it a lot easier to get the sleeves on, even if the sleeves are a very tight fit.

Another notable design point is that Spud's sleeves are made from a breathable nylon material. Many other brands offer sleeves that are made from neoprene, which has a way of trapping sweat and creating an odor that could make Pepe Le Pew sick to his stomach. Not to say that the Spud Inc. sleeves will smell like roses after a few hundred training sessions, but it is logical to believe that they may be the lesser of two malodorous evils.

*Note: These sleeves are not IPF approved.

Putting them on

Putting these sleeves on might be the funnest part about owning them. It is refreshingly easy, and the whole process takes about 3 seconds. We don't really need to describe it in much detail. You can see how simple they go on in the pictures and video above. For the knee sleeves, just put a couple fingers in each loop and pull them up. For the elbow sleeves find something to hold the outside loop in place (like one of the plate racks on the side of a squat rack), then pull the inside loop with your off hand. Even if you size them for a very tight fit, they still slide on easily.

How Do they Feel?

If you size them right, these sleeves have a very snug, yet comfortable feel to them. They give your knees and elbows that warm "prepared for battle" feeling that you get with most quality sleeves. The 2-ply sleeves fit tighter than the single ply. These 2-ply sleeves are best suited for heavy high percentage squats or heavy strongman training. The single ply knee sleeves are more of a general use utility sleeve. They still work well for squats, but are comfortable enough that you wouldn't mind leaving them on for a full training session. The elbow sleeves are basically the same thing as the single ply knee sleeves, but sized differently. They feel great for any pressing movement.

There is a little give and take with the addition of the loops at the top of the sleeve. As we have stated, it makes putting them on much easier. But if you have sensitive skin, you may notice the loop stitching rub slightly. We had some users that didn't notice that whatsoever, but we did have a few who mentioned it as a minor inconvenience. We still definitely consider the loops to be a net positive, but we just wanted to let you know the full story in case you have delicate baby skin.

Sizing

We included the sizing charts for each of the three different types of sleeves. These can also be found on Spud Inc.'s website. These charts can be a little overwhelming at first. Just take your measurement a couple inches above either your knee or elbow, subtract 4 to 5 inches from that, and see where it falls in the top line of the respective chart. Often times it lands somewhere in between two sizes. Then you just need to make the determination of if you want to go with a more or less tight fit. That will be a personal preference, and neither choice is wrong.

*Take the measurement two or three times to make sure you've got it right.

Craftsmanship & Durability

As has been the case with any other Spud Inc. products that we've gotten our hands on, their sleeves seem to be well made. It is apparent that Spud Inc. prides themselves on producing long lasting quality products that are durable enough to take on the tasks that they are designed for. The sewing of the loops on the sleeves is well done, and stands up to the stress of pulling up tight sleeves. It is worth noting that we have not used the sleeves for an extended period of time, so we can not speak to long-term durability of the product first hand.

Price

Very reasonably priced compared to alternatives.

$29.00 + shipping for elbow sleeves
$29.00 + shipping for single ply knee sleeves
$39.00 + shipping for 2-ply knee sleeves
*Sold in pairs

That's a wrap on the Massenomics Spud Inc. knee and elbow sleeve review (no pun intended). Massenomics has more product reviews like this in the pipeline, so stay tuned. If you enjoyed this one, check out the ShouldeRok Review and the BowTie Review. Like us on Facebook and subscribe to our YouTube channel to stay in the loop. You can also subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of the page. We discuss all things lifting on our weekly podcast and we try to put protein powder on our table at home with sales from our apparel shop, check out our world famous Weekend Warrior "LIFT" Shirt pictured below.

Spud Inc. Knee & Elbow Sleeves Review