If you are someone who suffers from upper body poor posture, it can be a major health concern. Poor upper body posture can place stress on the spine, which can lead to back pain and other complications.
Luckily, there are many products on the market that can help to reduce or eliminate posture imbalances. Posture correctors, in particular, are ideally suited to people who have poor upper back posture or who suffer from hunched or strolled over shoulders.
But choosing a posture corrector can be difficult, as there are a lot of types to pick from. That’s why I created this list of the best posture correctors on the market.
With this guide should help you make an informed purchasing decision.
Guide
Comfort
Comfort is a big factor when deciding on the best posture corrector. Since you are likely going to be wearing your brace for long periods of time, it is important to choose one that is comfortable. Pay special attention to things like the overall design of the brace and how it fits to the contours of your body. You should also look into the straps and bands of the brace – poor quality braces will roll over and cut into your skin causing discomfort over time. Additionally, the way the brace wraps around the center of your back can also play a big part in its overall comfort. Look for products that contain a flat ring style wrap through or a flexible center band.
Materials
Some braces are made out of certain materials that can cause an allergic reaction in people who are sensitive to them. The most common of these is latex, although not many braces contain it. If you feel like you have sensitivity to certain materials it may be wise to look for a product that is 100% cotton.
Sizes
Many braced come in various sizes and some manufacturers even offer a product sizing chart. However, men and women come in so many different shapes and sizes that it can be difficult for a manufacturer to provide accurate sizing. For the most part, treat sizing guides as a rough estimate.
This is especially true if you fall close to the upper range of a size. For instance, is a product comes in small (23-27 inches) and medium (27-32 inches) and your chest is around 26 inches, you should generally opt to go with a medium.
BeFit 24
The BeFits greatest strength is perhaps its wide assortment of sizes. There are a total of five, and they range from kid sizes all the way up to adult. The smallest size starts at 23 inches around, and the largest measures 43 inches at its peak.
The manufacturer claims that the Befits material makeup is top-notch, and it certainly shows. The product is made of 63% polyamide and the rest is composed of latex and polyurethane foam/cotton.
Design wise, the Befit 24 is somewhat unique. It features a wraparound style that Velcro’s in the front. There are no loops or clips of any kind. The brace wraps around your waist in a crisscross pattern and over your shoulders, where it then crosses over your back and underneath your arms.
Average user review: users report that the brace is very comfortablethe, but the bands are little on the thin side and can be a little short. It also takes a bit of getting used to because there’s a lot more straps and you’d find on a typical posture brace. This is especially true when you wear the brace sitting down.
Most people like the sizing options, as it is able to fit a wide variety of body shapes and sizes no matter if you’re male or female. Many people who suffer from scoliosis should find this product to be highly useful.
Stability Ace
This is a black colored unisex brace that comes in four different sizes: small, medium, large, and extra large. The small starts at 21 inches in the extra-large maxes out at around 55 inches. The manufacturer recommends that you order a larger size if you are closer to the upper range of sizes. As for materials, the StabilityAce is comprised mostly of foam and velvet.
The design is quite minimalistic and resembles a small backpack strap. It also features a movable “o ring” clasps for an optimal fit. The only downside to the StabilityAce is his rather large profile – it’s definitely a little bit bulkier than most posture correctors.
Average user review: most people feel that the StabilityAce is a good product for the money. The brace gives you good feedback since it tends to run a little tight – forcing you to correct your posture so you don’t feel the whole of the brace constantly.
People also like it for its comfort during day-to-day tasks. You’ll hardly notice it when you’re driving or sitting down all day. This is because the straps are heavily padded and don’t cut into your underarms like some other products on the market.
However a few people found the brace to be a little too bulky due to its large padded straps. These tended to show through when it was worn under tighter fitting clothing.
Posicure
The Posicure features a one-size-fits-all design that is held together with the center o ring style connector, and itis made out of moisture wicking cotton and is very soft. The braces also very thin and concealable – it is hardly noticeable when worn under even a tight fitting garment. And it’s all cotton design makes it machine washable.
Average user review: most people like the fact that the brace retained its elasticity and was quite firm over time. It is also good as an all-around race since its construction makes it hardly noticeable. This means it is ideally suited for those who do a lot of sitting at their desk or driving.
The general consensus seems to be that the race is best suited for smaller people.
ComfyMed
The ComfyMed is a feature packed support brace that stretches and adjusts to offer customized support to your body. It comes in two sizes: regular, which measures 26 to 37 inches wide. And large, which measures 38 to 50 inches in width. The device features a unique D ring design that allows you to easily adjust the band from the front of your waist and prevents the edges of the brace from curling inward.
Although the device comes with a loop in the front, it is actually quite flat and is hardly noticeable even under tight fitting clothing. This is obviously heavily dependent on your body size and type.
This is an ideal brace for people who do a lot of bending and lifting, as the front of it is a narrowed and does not cut into your waist when you lean forward to it.
Note: This is a lower back brace that will cover the L1 area if you use the large size. It will not cover the L5 - S1 region as it tends to sit a little high on the waste.
Average user review: people report that the brace is beneficial in relieving inflammation and back pain. It provides good support and is not overly bulky. It is made of very breathable fabric and feels very well-built.
Its few negatives lie in the fact that it is difficult to adjust properly and maybe a little short on some people with smaller frames.
FLA Orthopedics Posture Brace
The FLA brace is a comfort oriented product that comes in a wide range of sizes. The smallest size measures 19 to 25 inches and the largest comes in and around 43 to 49 inches respectively.
This brace is another backpack style product that features the center loop which rests on your middle back area. The device it is soft but well-made and the material is very breathable.
The brace features simple closing straps that are designed to ensure quick removal and replacement is necessary. This makes it was easy to adjust while being worn.
User opinion: people found the product to be very soft and comfortable but a little tight under the armpit area. Some reported that it is useable when you are sleeping, provided you didn’t wear it too tight.
As far use appearance, most users found that it was noticeable unless worn under more than 1 layer of clothing.
Some reviewers reported that wearing the brace really tightly restricted their arm movement to a small degree.
Str8-N-Up
The Straight-N-Up is a uniquely designed brace that comes in five different sizes. It is notable for having an extra small size that starts at around 13 inches. It comes in black and white colors and is comprised primarily of polyester.
This brace features an interesting tightening mechanism: you simply twist the ends of the band and the center will tighten while inside of the ring. This will increase the overall tension of the brace. You can do this up to three times for an extra tight fit.
What is notable about the St8-N-Up is that it features an over the shoulder style fit for its shoulder bands. Basically, the top straps encompass the whole top of your shoulders which makes for a much more comfortable fit.
For the most part, the Str8-N-Up is more of a “posture reminder” rather than a very firm posture brace. If you are looking for something to firmly keep your shoulders in place it may be wise to consider an alternative.
Average user review: overall, people found the brace very easy to put on and take off. They also said it was comfortable to wear for long periods of time.
The two most common complaints were that the price was a little high and the bands don’t stay put if you do lots of moving around during the day.
Postureific
The Postureific is a posture reminder style device that comes in beige, black, and blue. It comes in five different sizes, from 29 inches at the small end to 48 inches at the largest.
This brace is just a simple elastic band that crisscrosses over the center of your back. It can also be worn with the straps around the outside of your shoulders. This will allow you to target certain portions of your shoulders or upper back more effectively.
This brace is notable in that it was designed by a chiropractor who was disappointed with the many of the other posture brace offerings on the market.
User opinion: a lot of people found that the brace was very effective at relieving tension. The braces light weight was also a topic of frequent praise. They also noted that the brace was fairly discrete and could easily be worn under clothing.
Some people claim that the lower straps dig into the underarms a little bit. Also, some users found that tension to be a little on the low side. (However this may have been intended.)
Bax-U
The Bax-U was designed by Dr Romina Ghassemi to reduce the effects of kyphosis. The brace comes in sizes extra small all the way to extra-large.
The manufacturer has placed an emphasis on comfort here, which means that the brace does not provide overly large amount of tension. For some people this may be a good thing. It is simple to use, lightweight, and highly concealable – you could easily wear this under a tight fitting garment.
Average user review: people found that this brace tends to run a little on the large side – which is unusual for posture correctors. They liked how simple and lightweight it was and felt it was also very easy to use.
Unfortunately some users found that the Velcro on the front tended to be a little irritating on the skin when the brace was one for long periods of time.
Camp Ben
For a shoulder support brace, the Camp Ben is quite well padded. It also features an O ring style design where the Velcro straps thread through the ring and attach horizontally to the back of the brace.
As it may be a little difficult to hide this one under your clothes, this price is ideal for someone who is dealing with a sports injury rather than just a posture issue, due to its extreme rugged and thickly padded design.
Unfortunately, it only comes in two sizes: small and large. The medium-size fits a 31 to 38 inch chest, while the large size fits in a 38 to 43 inch chest.
Average user review: the consensus was fairly unanimous on this one. People like the fact that you can adjust one side at a time, which is ideal for targeting a specific shoulder. This brace was also praised for its relative thickness and comfort, although most people felt that it could not be concealed under clothing. Most people felt the material and make were of a very high quality.
As for negatives, some people felt that the band was way too strong, which resulted in too much underarm tension.
SoulGenie Posture Support
The thing that stands out most about the Soul Genie is the design of the back portion. Rather than having an O-ring that the straps loop through, the Soul Genie has a 6 inch length of foam pad that rests on the center of your back. This separates the top and bottom straps by a good margin, which greatly reduces the pull on your underarm area.
The brace comes in small, medium, and large. And the range is quite limiting: you only get 34 to 40 inches Max.
Additionally, this is another brace that runs a little on the thick side. The brace features thickly padded straps that Velcro from the front. This is definitely a brace that is better suited to functionality and comfort rather than conceal-ability. If you need to wear your brace for long periods of time or in a social setting you may want to avoid this one.
Average user review: people found the brace to be an excellent posture supporter, and it was found to be especially adept at handling shoulder injuries. They also praised its overall comfort.
As is common with many shoulder braces, a lot of people found that the brace ran a little on the small side. Another common complaint was that the brace was difficult to put on and came with no instructions.
Conclusion
There are quite a few different posture races on the market, but these 10 are probably the most popular. The products on this list are quite varied, and should be ideal for most people, regardless of whether or not you are looking for a brace for simple posture correction or a serious injury.
