Wrist wraps, a wrist brace or lifting gloves: which one you need

Wrist wraps, a wrist brace and training gloves are easy to mix up, because they all sit on the hand and wrist. They do three different jobs. Wraps are for heavy lifts and intense workouts. A brace is for everyday wear, at work, travelling or training. Gloves are about grip and palm comfort; their wrist strap is there to hold the glove on.

Here is how the three we sell compare, taken from their own product pages.

Wrist wraps: for heavy lifts

A wrap is a strip of elastic fabric that you wind round the wrist, pull snug and fasten. The adjustable wrist wraps we sell are an elastic nylon blend with reinforced stitching and a hook-and-loop closure, sold as a pair. Their page lists heavy lifts and intense workouts, and names weightlifting, CrossFit, powerlifting and general strength training.

One thing to know before buying: they are one size. The hook-and-loop closure lets you set how tight they are, so there is no size to choose.

If your wrist hurts without wraps, even on light sets, read the last section of this piece. The UK's National Health Service (NHS) says to see a doctor if wrist pain is stopping you doing normal things or keeps coming back.

A wrist brace: for everyday wear

Our compression wrist brace is for everyday wear: its page lists work, training, travel and everyday wrist support. It is open-fingered, so your hands stay free for whatever you are doing. It has wraparound adjustable straps, a hook-and-loop fastening and a structured polypropylene support insert, in a breathable textile and mesh. It comes in grey or black.

It is sold as a single brace, and you choose the hand, left or right. If you want one on each wrist, order a left and a right. Its page also mentions S/M and L/XL sizing, but the order form only offers colour and hand, so if fit matters, ask us before you order.

It is a support, not a treatment. It does not diagnose anything or fix anything, and if the reason you are shopping for a brace is pain, read the last section first.

Training gloves: for grip and palm comfort

Gloves are for your hands rather than your wrists. Our gym training gloves are half-finger, with a padded palm, a textured silicone grip print and a breathable mesh back. The adjustable hook-and-loop strap at the wrist is there to keep the glove in place. They are polyester and microfibre with foam padding, and come in blue, black or red.

Their page lists weight training, cycling, rowing and general gym work, and gives two reasons to wear them: the padded palm, which it says adds comfort when lifting and training, and the textured palm, which it says helps improve grip on bars and equipment.

Size is the one decision. They come in M, L and XL. The page text also mentions S, but the order form has no S, and the page does not give hand measurements for each size. If you are unsure which to take, ask us before you order.

Can you use more than one?

Yes. Gloves cover your palm and wraps go round your wrist, so you can wear both. A brace and wraps both go round the wrist, so you would normally choose one of them.

Buying one for someone else

The wraps are the easy one: one size, sold as a pair. For the brace you need to know which wrist, and for the gloves you need their size. If you cannot find out either, the wraps are the safe choice, as long as the person you are buying for lifts.

When none of them is the answer

Wrist pain has a lot of possible causes, from a sprain to a broken bone to carpal tunnel syndrome, and the NHS advises not to try to diagnose the cause yourself. For mild pain or stiffness, it says a doctor will usually suggest resting the wrist when you can, an ice pack wrapped in a towel for up to 20 minutes every 2 to 3 hours, gentle movement, painkillers, cutting down whatever is causing the pain, and a splint, especially at night. A pharmacist can help you choose the splint. For a wrist that already hurts, it also says not to lift heavy objects or grip anything too tightly.

The NHS says to see a doctor if:

• the pain is stopping you doing normal things
• it is getting worse, or keeps coming back
• it has not improved after two weeks of treating it at home
• you have tingling or loss of feeling in the hand or wrist
• you have diabetes
• the wrist is painful, warm, swollen and stiff
• you have wrist pain and also feel unwell with a high temperature

It lists tingling, numbness or pins and needles in the fingers, with an ache that is worse at night, as possible signs of carpal tunnel syndrome. And it says to get urgent advice if the pain is severe, if you heard a snap or a pop when it happened, if you cannot move the wrist or hold things, or if it has changed shape or colour, because those can be signs of a break or an infection. No wrap, brace or glove is the right purchase for any of that.

The wraps and the brace are in the Recover aisle. The gloves are in Wear.