Carpal Tunnel Gloves, Braces, Sleeves: The Best Supports Available in 2024

In our comprehensive guide for 2024, we look into the latest advancements in carpal tunnel syndrome management, focusing on carpal tunnel gloves, braces, sleeves. This article provides an insightful overview of the most effective carpal tunnel supports currently available, highlighting their unique features, comfort, and functionality.

OUR RECOMMENDATIONS: 

Best for light and flexible support:

Dr. Arthritis Copper Infused Gloves ($17.95)

Best for sturdy support while maintaining dexterity:

Dr. Arthritis Wrist Support ($16.95)

Best for robust support and minimizing movement:

Dr. Arthritis Carpal Tunnel Brace ($17.95)

Carpal tunnel syndrome is a more common condition than you think. In fact, up to 5% of our population suffers from it, usually on both hands.

Like many other forms of wrist and hand pain, carpal tunnel syndrome affects your hands and wrists, which is used throughout the day. Simple tasks that many of us would never think twice about, such as typing on a computer keyboard or opening doors, can be incredibly painful for anyone who suffers from carpal tunnel syndrome. And activities which require hand, wrist, and arm dexterity and strength will prove to be very difficult as well.

Carpal tunnel syndrome has a wide range of causes and risk factors. Fortunately however, most cases will resolve over a few weeks or months depending on severity, cause. And with non-invasive, simple treatment options like carpal tunnel syndrome gloves, you can regain more mobility and manage symptoms.

There’s a huge range of compression gloves, sleeves, and braces available today, each designed for everything from arthritis to sprains and, of course, carpal tunnel syndrome. While they all share some similarities and benefits, thoughtful design changes can provide support or structure to different parts of your wrist or hand, and help your body heal naturally in different ways.

That being said, support gloves being non-invasive and accessible means they are one of the best ways to treat carpal tunnel syndrome. This means that they have no chance of interfering with any medications or treatments you might be taking for related or unrelated conditions. And in this article, we’ll go over the different options for treating carpal tunnel syndrome, their pros and cons, as well as the different causes and symptoms.

Carpal Tunnel Gloves, Sleeves, & Braces

Carpal tunnel gloves – or sleeves, braces, and supports – are designed to provide support to relieve the pain caused by carpal tunnel syndrome. It is designed to complement your body’s natural ability to heal through steady compression and reliable joint support.

It’s important at this stage to differentiate between the different kinds of supports you can get, and why some are much better suited to carpal tunnel than others. Compression gloves, for example, are one of the most popular forms of support on the market and are constantly praised for their ability to relieve swelling and soothe the pain caused by a wide range of conditions like arthritis, ganglion cysts, and much more. Compression-based supports operate on the basis of applying pressure to the area to prevent fluid build-up and swelling, which is what causes the pain. However, carpal tunnel syndrome is a little different, and so compression gloves don’t work as well.

Carpal tunnel gloves or sleeves are designed to provide support to your wrist to prevent it moving in ways that tend to worsen the condition or cause pain. They achieve this through using resting splints within the support itself, but specifically on the lateral or dorsal sides (top or sides) of your arm. This is because any pressure applied to the palmar side of your arm will stress the median nerve, which is what is worst affected by carpal tunnel. 

Understanding Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be an incredibly difficult condition to manage, as often it’s people’s jobs or hobbies that cause it. Treatment often requires you to stop the activity that's causing it, which can be impossible to do if your carpal tunnel syndrome is caused by the kind of work that you do. 

A better understanding of what causes carpal tunnel syndrome however helps you understand what potential lifestyle changes could be made to aid the healing process.

What are the symptoms / how to know if you have carpal tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome is characterized by a numbing, tingling sensation in your hand as well as weakness and pain. The condition gets its name from the fact that much of the pain is caused by a damaged median nerve, which is the nerve that controls movement in much of your hand, that travels through part of your wrist called the “carpal tunnel”.

If you notice yourself waking up with numb fingers or have a painful and weakened grip, there is a good chance you have carpal tunnel syndrome. At this point, you should consult your doctor as the speed and effectiveness of your recovery always depend on an accurate diagnosis.

Causes and risk factors of carpal tunnel

Carpal tunnel syndrome can be caused by a wide variety of things. The specific syndrome is caused by the carpal tunnel (the section of your wrist which the median nerve travels through) swells and applies pressure to the median nerve. This is also precisely why compression gloves of the wrong type will not do much to benefit your symptoms and can instead make your carpal tunnel syndrome worse.

Swelling of this part of your wrist can be caused by repeatedly bending your wrist in awkward ways or gripping too hard for excessive amounts of time. This means that those who perform manual labor for work, or even simply just typing on a keyboard for hours each day, have a high risk of developing carpal tunnel syndrome.

Furthermore, those who are overweight, pregnant, have previously injured your wrist, or have other conditions such as arthritis are at a higher risk of developing carpal tunnel then those who do not. It is also worth noting that you may have a genetic predisposition to developing carpal tunnel. If many of your relatives have the condition, it’s likely that you may have it too if you are experiencing similar symptoms.

Carpal Tunnel Gloves, Sleeves and Braces Available from Dr. Arthritis

Dr. Arthritis was founded by practicing medical doctors with extensive first-hand experience treating conditions like carpal tunnel syndrome. Given their understanding and expertise, they have designed carpal tunnel gloves and supports to support and help users find the relief they need to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. 

Carpal Tunnel Wrist Brace

Designed specifically for carpal tunnel syndrome, this is one of the best options when it comes to supports that alleviate painful symptoms and help with a swift recovery.

The brace is designed with secure strap systems and a perfectly positioned splint to provide great support without restricting mobility and movement too much. The brace is available for both left and right hands, so be sure to choose the brace for the correct hand, based on your symptoms. 

Best for:

Those who want a speedy and effective recovery from carpal tunnel syndrome, and do not mind having restricted movement through the use of a splint. This carpal tunnel brace is also one of the best options for a wide range of other conditions that can benefit from having some extra support, including sports injuries, ganglion cysts, arthritis, and more, doing so without applying excessive compression to the area.

Copper Infused Carpal Tunnel Gloves

Our copper infused wrist sleeves can be used as carpal tunnel gloves. They are a more general solution and work by providing a reliable support while still a great deal of flexibility to the area.

Best for:

Those experiencing a minor case of carpal tunnel syndrome and still want to have some form of flexibility in your hands for day-to-day activities like sports, a copper infused glove is the right option for you as it will not provide too much compression to worsen the condition.

As an option however, these carpal tunnel gloves can be worn with a carpal tunnel brace if you need sturdier compression to ensure that your wrist remains in a neutral position through strenuous activity as your condition heals. 

Wrist Supports

Wrist supports are a great option for those looking for a carpal tunnel glove. The sturdy, compressive material ensures that you can wear it for extended periods of time without having to worry about odors or anything thanks to its antibacterial properties. A wrist support can support the area and keep your wrist in a neutral position, preventing it from moving around in ways that could exacerbate your carpal tunnel symptoms.

Best for:

If you need flexible support, this is the option for you. If you have some other underlying conditions as well, such as arthritis, this is a great versatile option to pick up and wear throughout the day or as you sleep.

Comparison Table

Remember to make sure you use your carpal tunnel gloves correctly

The best gloves for carpal tunnel syndrome are also the ones that do not pinch or compress your hand unecessarily, but instead provide support in the right areas. It should go without saying, then, that you need to ensure a sufficiently tight fit – but also one that does not restrict blood flow or feel uncomfortable to wear.

A good piece of advice to follow is that you should ensure you can just about fit a finger in between your arm and the sleeve or glove.