Why does Kobe wear a sleeve? Because he wants to keep his shooting arm warm. These arm sleeves help players to practice their shots on their own. In these last couple of years, basketball arm sleeves have been growing in usage. These basketball padded arm sleeves are used to give support during play.
What does the arm sleeve do for basketball players? The sleeves are made of strong, durable stretch fabric. It also offers flexibility during gameplay. NBA players often sustain elbow injuries. So, when players wear sleeves over their elbow, it keeps their joint warmer.
As a result, it reduces fatigue and keeps their muscles warm to help them work better. This basketball gear also protects from several injuries caused by sliding and falling on the court.
When the basketball arm sleeve is worn for more extended periods, it tends to stretch out in and around your elbow. You’re definitely going to sweat into your arm sleeve and rub up against other sweaty guys on the court. You may fall or slide on the court. So these things can degrade your arm sleeve fibers over time. They can get smelly and dirty. It can contribute to a reduced lifespan.
One way to lengthen the tenure of your arm sleeve is to wash it daily or between each use if not worn on a daily basis. So, for that to happen, you need to know the correct cleaning process. Otherwise, it may cause several damages to your sleeve. So, how to wash a basketball padded arm sleeve?
You can use any of the following two techniques to keep your sleeve clean. That will remove sweat, any kinds of odor, and bacteria that accumulate during gameplay.
These arm sleeves can be machine or hand washed. Manufacturers have shown their own specific ways of washing. And you should follow those instructions. In both methods, you should use a mild/delicate detergent such as Ivory soft.
Table of Contents
Things You'll Need To Wash A Basketball Padded Arm Sleeve
Washing Processes of A Basketball Padded Arm Sleeve:
01. Machine Wash Procedure
02. Hand Wash Procedure
03. Drying
Pro Tips
Things You'll Need To Wash A Basketball Padded Arm Sleeve
1. Spray bottle 2. Water 3. White vinegar 4. Dish soap 5. Cleaning rags 6. Washing machine 7. Laundry detergent
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Washing Processes of A Basketball Padded Arm Sleeve:
01. Machine Wash Procedure
If your sleeve is labeled with machine washable, only then can you wash padded sleeves in a machine? Use a mild detergent. Mix 2 cups of water with 1 cup white vinegar and 10 drops of soap in a spray bottle. Now spray the mixture over padded arm sleeves and wipe it off with a damp cleaning rag. Then set the sleeve aside and allow it to dry.
Ultimately, the vinegar will deodorize and disinfect while the dish soap removes residue. Store the spray properly to use again. Now place your basketball sleeve in the washing machine. Then wash with warm water in a gentle cycle.
Maintain the water temperature between 87 and 104 degrees F. Place the sleeve in a mesh bag for more protection. Now allow it to air dry.
02. Hand Wash Procedure
Washing a padded sleeve by your hand is pretty much easy. In the beginning, fill a vessel with water. Dampen the sleeve in water. Then add a small amount of detergent. Let the sleeve soak for some time.
Now without any kinds of stretching, rub the fibers of the sleeve gently. Empty the vessel and refill with water. After that rinse the sleeve. Then gently rub the fibers to rinse out any salts and oils. Empty the vessel again and rinse one more time.
03. Drying
You can dry arm sleeves with a dryer or air dry. If you use a dryer, do not use any heat. You need to turn the sleeve inside out and tumble dry on cool.
In case of air dry, place the sleeve on a towel. For quick-dry, try rolling the sleeve and gentle squeeze the towel. Then unroll and allow it to dry. Don’t wring excess water out of the sleeve. This will only stretch the fiber.
You can even place the towel on a drying rack and then dry it. Don’t hang any sleeve to dry because the water can add extra weight to the sleeve. As a result, it may become stretched.
Pro Tips
1. Your used detergents should be free from bleach, chlorine, and fabric softeners. They can reduce the lifespan of your sleeve.
2. Don’t dry in direct sunlight. This UV light may damage the fibers of the arm sleeve.
Read Other Basketball Guide:
1. How To Fix A Leaking Basketball Valve
2. Portable Basketball Hoop Base Repairing Methods
3. How To Clean A Basketball
How to Use a Compression Sleeve. Nike.com
How to Use a Compression Sleeve. Nike.com
Buying Guide
You've seen pro athletes wearing them, but what do compression sleeves do? What are the benefits? How do you wear them? We tackle these questions and more.
Last updated: October 21, 2021
5 min read
Want to give your athletic performance a boost just by adjusting your clothing? Wearing a compression sleeve, which has been shown to aid in recovery and support performance, may be your answer.
1. What Is a Compression Sleeve?
A compression sleeve is a tight, elasticized band of fabric commonly worn on the legs or arms to improve blood flow.
Specifically, athletes often wear sleeves on their calves, elbows, knees, or ankles.
You pull the sleeve on much like a pair of socks or gloves and get it into the intended position smooth against your skin. Unlike socks, though, compression sleeves are designed with a compression gradient that encourages blood flow back to the heart.
2. What Are Compressions Sleeves Made Of?
Compression sleeves are usually made from a combination of nylon and spandex to form a stretchy, lightweight cover. Compression apparel also often contains polyester.
As compression sleeves have become more popular in recent years, the term compression has been applied as a catch-all for any stretchy, skin-tight activewear.
However, true compression sleeves are meant to apply gentle pressure in order to work properly. That means they need to hug your form. So don't opt for larger sizes if it feels snug. After a while, you’ll forget it’s even there.
3.
What Are the Benefits of Compression Sleeves?
Initially prescribed to treat varicose veins and minimize scarring on burn victims, compression sleeves are now commonly used by athletes to increase blood flow. By applying pressure to a specific area of the body, a compression sleeve may contribute some of the following potential benefits:
More efficient recovery
Improved running economy
Reduced injury risk
Prevention of swelling and inflammation
4. How Do Compression Sleeves Work?
The pressure gradient produced by a compression sleeve manipulates your arteries and veins to increase circulatory efficiency.
Simply put, it increases blood pressure to improve circulation. By increasing blood pressure in a certain area, blood flow around the body increases, which can deliver:
More oxygenated blood to the muscles to break down glucose, creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the muscle’s energy source
Faster removal of lactic acid from the muscle to help prevent muscle fatigue
Increased venous return, reducing inflammation, fluid retention (edema), and swelling, which can help facilitate workout recovery
Compression of the muscles that limits muscle oscillation (ex. impact on your muscles from your feet hitting the ground after a jump) and lowers subsequent injury risk
Compression of the muscles that alleviates symptoms of delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS)
5. What Are Compression Arm Sleeves For?
If you’re asking yourself, “When and where would I wear an arm compression sleeve?” The answer is: During any sport that requires upper-body activity like running, basketball, tennis, golf, volleyball, football, or weightlifting.
You can also wear the arm sleeve during a workout to help blood flow, or afterwards, to help recovery.
Some people also wear compression arm sleeves on airplanes to prevent deep vein thrombosis, because the pressure from the compression stops blood from pooling and clotting.
There are multiple different types of upper-body compression wear, but here are some common examples:
Upper arm to hand - This includes a partial glove and encourages blood flow up into the arm stopping just before the shoulder. A tennis player may wear this during training to protect the arm against injury.
Glove - A glove compression is used to support the wrist. For example, a golfer might wear this to prevent overuse injury during training.
Elbow sleeve - An elbow sleeve keeps your arms covered and protected from bumps and scrapes. You can also get elbow sleeves with added protection, such as in the Nike Contact Support Elbow sleeve. This would be particularly useful for individuals playing contact sports like rugby.
6. What Are Leg Compression Sleeves For?
Sports that require lower body activity and mobility such as soccer, basketball, cycling, running, weightlifting, and football (to name a few) are ideal situations for leg compression sleeves.
The most commonly used sleeves include calf, knee and ankle compression sleeves. Sleeves for joints like the ankle and knee should offer foam padding to provide additional cushioning and support to further reduce muscle oscillation and injury risk.
Combining lower- and upper-body compression sleeves can be useful for sports that require the full body, like football or basketball.
7. When Should You Wear a Compression Sleeve?
Compression sleeves are most commonly worn during exercise, since that’s when your muscles most need increased blood flow, oxygen and energy.
You can also wear compression sleeves after a workout to support recovery. The increased venous return can reduce exercise-induced inflammation, remove lactic acid buildup, and minimize swelling.
Aside from workouts, it's also common for athletes to wear compression sleeves during travel to fight swelling and fluid retention caused by blood pooling from having to be sedentary for long periods of time.
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Basketball sleeve: how to determine the right size
The basketball sleeve is a special retainer that is pulled tightly over the arm from the wrist and reaches almost to the shoulder. Its main function is to protect muscles, tendons and ligaments from injury, sprains and impacts. It is worn by athletes who play not only basketball, but also volleyball players, handball players. Their main tool in matches is their hands, the muscles of which experience extraordinary tension during the game, not to mention the strong blows of the ball into the hand.
The use of a basketball sleeve will help to avoid microtrauma. It not only keeps the muscles and ligaments in good shape, but also maintains a constant temperature in the area. For the first time, the famous basketball player Allen Iverson put on such a product. Since then, many athletes in the world have used such a fixative at games and trainings.
In the article we will consider in more detail the types of sleeves, what materials they are made of, how they should be selected and processed.
Types of product
Basketball sleeves can be classified by the level of protection of ligaments and muscles from damage.
1st level implies protection of the player's throwing arm from sprains, microtraumas during training. This type of sleeve will be able to perform a supporting function for the arm with minor injuries or not yet fully recovered after sprain.
Level 2 has enhanced protection for the elbow joint and better maintains the body's core temperature. It is made of a denser material and has a correspondingly greater compressive effect on a given group of muscles and ligaments. It is designed for more serious injury to the limb. With such fixation, pain does not have such an effect on the nervous system, the player can participate in the match even after moderate injuries.
Level 3 provides the most protection for the throwing arm. Such a basketball sleeve is worn by players after serious injuries and sprains. The sleeve has a special structure for strong support of the elbow. In such a product, the player will be able to calmly bring the match to the end and will not experience pain even with unstable injuries. It is made of nylon material that warms the body and reduces pain.
Nike Basketball Sleeve
The Nike brand produces several types of these products. There are simple containment and warming sleeves made of nylon fabric. This is Nike Pro. Its main advantage is support and a snug fit. The fabric has a moisture-wicking structure. All seams are made invisible and flat, they do not rub the surface of the skin even during active physical exertion. The fabric consists of two types of threads: nylon - 95% - and spandex - 5%. The sleeves are machine washable according to the instructions.
The next basketball sleeve is the Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong Elite Arm Sleeve. This is a variant of the latch with reinforced elbow protection. It's made from special De-Tech foam that greatly reduces impact force. The fabric has a mesh structure that allows the skin to breathe and releases excess moisture. The skin remains dry even after intense physical exertion. The fabric is stretchy and stretches well.
How to choose the size?
In order not to make a mistake and not to buy a product that is too long, you need to know your size. Oddly enough, but when taking measurements, it is not the length of the arm that is measured, but the volume of the muscle. You need to take a flexible centimeter and measure the girth of the biceps. This is done only in a relaxed state.
Biceps volume
Spear size
20 - 25 cm
S
25 - 30 cm
M
30 - 35 cm
L
Compression properties
Compression basketball sleeves are now very popular among players. During a huge load in matches and training, lactic acid accumulates in the muscles. The main property of this type of fixatives is the slowdown of such a process. They squeeze the muscles from the wrist right up to the shoulder, although the pressure is light, but even it contributes to the fact that the blood circulates more actively in this part of the arm and its oxygen supply improves.
With this sleeve, the player is able to work longer and gets tired less. They are available in two versions - simple and with elbow joint protection, having a HexPad insert. An elbow bruise is a very painful condition, because many nerve endings are concentrated in this place.
When buying a sleeve, first consider the type of product, take measurements to choose the right size. Then, while playing basketball, get the most out of the latch.
types, advantages, how to determine the size
The basketball sleeve is a special retainer that is pulled tightly over the arm from the wrist and reaches almost to the shoulder. Its main function is to protect muscles, tendons and ligaments from injury, sprains and impacts. It is worn by athletes who play not only basketball, but also volleyball players, handball players. Their main tool in matches is their hands, the muscles of which experience extraordinary tension during the game, not to mention the strong blows of the ball into the hand.
The use of a basketball sleeve will help to avoid microtrauma. It not only keeps the muscles and ligaments in good shape, but also maintains a constant temperature in the area. For the first time, the famous basketball player Allen Iverson put on such a product. Since then, many athletes in the world have used such a fixative at games and trainings.
In the article we will consider in more detail the types of sleeves, what materials they are made of, how they should be selected and processed.
Types of product
Basketball sleeves can be classified by the level of protection of ligaments and muscles from damage.
1st level implies protection of the player's throwing arm from sprains, microtraumas during training. This type of sleeve will be able to perform a supporting function for the arm with minor injuries or not yet fully recovered after sprain.
Level 2 has enhanced protection for the elbow joint and better maintains the body's core temperature. It is made of a denser material and has a correspondingly greater compressive effect on a given group of muscles and ligaments. It is designed for more serious injury to the limb. With such fixation, pain does not have such an effect on the nervous system, the player can participate in the match even after moderate injuries.
Level 3 provides the most protection for the throwing arm. Such a basketball sleeve is worn by players after serious injuries and sprains. The sleeve has a special structure for strong support of the elbow. In such a product, the player will be able to calmly bring the match to the end and will not experience pain even with unstable injuries. It is made of nylon material that warms the body and reduces pain.
Nike Basketball Sleeve
The Nike brand produces several types of these products. There are simple containment and warming sleeves made of nylon fabric. This is Nike Pro. Its main advantage is support and a snug fit. The fabric has a moisture-wicking structure. All seams are made invisible and flat, they do not rub the surface of the skin even during active physical exertion. The fabric consists of two types of threads: nylon - 95% - and spandex - 5%. The sleeves are machine washable according to the instructions.
The next basketball sleeve is the Nike Pro Combat Hyperstrong Elite Arm Sleeve. This is a variant of the latch with reinforced elbow protection. It's made from special De-Tech foam that greatly reduces impact force. The fabric has a mesh structure that allows the skin to breathe and releases excess moisture. The skin remains dry even after intense physical exertion. The fabric is stretchy and stretches well.
How to choose the size?
In order not to make a mistake and not to buy a product that is too long, you need to know your size. Oddly enough, but when taking measurements, it is not the length of the arm that is measured, but the volume of the muscle. You need to take a flexible centimeter and measure the girth of the biceps. This is done only in a relaxed state.
Now spray the mixture over padded arm sleeves and wipe it off with a damp cleaning rag. Then set the sleeve aside and allow it to dry.
After that rinse the sleeve. Then gently rub the fibers to rinse out any salts and oils. Empty the vessel again and rinse one more time.
Don’t dry in direct sunlight. This UV light may damage the fibers of the arm sleeve.
What Are the Benefits of Compression Sleeves?
impact on your muscles from your feet hitting the ground after a jump) and lowers subsequent injury risk
A tennis player may wear this during training to protect the arm against injury.
ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6628249/
Their main tool in matches is their hands, the muscles of which experience extraordinary tension during the game, not to mention the strong blows of the ball into the hand. 
This is Nike Pro. Its main advantage is support and a snug fit. The fabric has a moisture-wicking structure. All seams are made invisible and flat, they do not rub the surface of the skin even during active physical exertion. The fabric consists of two types of threads: nylon - 95% - and spandex - 5%. The sleeves are machine washable according to the instructions. 
You need to take a flexible centimeter and measure the girth of the biceps. This is done only in a relaxed state. 
An elbow bruise is a very painful condition, because many nerve endings are concentrated in this place. 
For the first time, the famous basketball player Allen Iverson put on such a product. Since then, many athletes in the world have used such a fixative at games and trainings. 
With such fixation, pain does not have such an effect on the nervous system, the player can participate in the match even after moderate injuries. 
The sleeves are machine washable according to the instructions. 
