About McDavid
McDavid traces back to 1969, when Dr. Robert F. McDavid Jr. developed one of the first widely used protective knee braces for football; the company incorporated as McDavid Knee Guard Inc. in 1980 and has grown into a full sports-medicine and protective-gear brand headquartered in Southern California, with subsidiaries in Canada, Japan, and Europe. Its SportMed line covers braces and supports for the ankle, knee, shoulder, and elbow, alongside its patented HEX impact-padding technology and a range of compression apparel. McDavid is part of United Sports Brands, which also owns Shock Doctor, Pearl Izumi, Cutters Sports, and Nathan Sports.
On BestRatedDocs, we've independently reviewed McDavid's Ultralight Ankle Brace in our ankle brace guide, where its figure-8 strap system stood out for replicating the mechanics of an athletic tape job without the shoe-sizing compromises of a rigid brace. That combination of moderate-to-firm support and a low-profile fit has also drawn outside recognition: Garage Gym Reviews named the McDavid Ultra Light its Best Overall pick in an expert-tested roundup of ankle braces, citing its durable materials and intuitive lace-up design.
Brand website: mcdavidusa.com
What McDavid makes
McDavid's range runs wider than the products we review. The lines we know best from our own testing are marked with a star:
Ankle braces
Lace-up figure-8 strap and sleeve-style braces for sprain prevention and support — featured on BestRatedDocs
Knee braces and supports
Hinged, sleeve, and strap-style braces across support levels
HEX protective padding
Patented hexagonal closed-cell foam padding for knees, elbows, and shins
Shoulder and elbow supports
Compression and strap-based supports for joint stability
Compression apparel
Arm sleeves, leg sleeves, and compression tops/bottoms for performance and recovery
Sport-specific protective gear
Padded sleeves, tops, and bottoms built for basketball, football, and other contact sports
Why we recognized McDavid
The BestRatedDocs Top Brand recognition isn't paid for and can't be applied for. We award it to the brands whose products consistently stand out in our category reviews. McDavid earned it on the strength of the products below, evaluated the same way every product on this site is: assessed against clinical criteria, verified specifications, and real-world user outcomes, and judged on merit.
McDavid products we rated highly
McDavid Ankle Brace Ultralight for Sprained Ankle, Figure 8 Ankle Braces, Lace up Ankle Brace
Its figure-8 strap system mimics the mechanics of athletic taping, delivering firm inversion and eversion control without the bulk of a rigid brace, and the ultralight build fits inside most standard athletic shoes without sizing up. The bilateral design works on either foot, and independent lace-up tension adjustment lets athletes dial in support around the lower ankle and malleolus separately.
Read the 7 Best Ankle Braces of 2026 guide →What earned McDavid the recognition
- The McDavid Ankle Brace Ultralight is one of our top picks in ankle braces, valued for a figure-8 strap system that reproduces the support pattern of athletic taping in a reusable brace.
- Its ultralight construction is built to fit inside standard athletic footwear, a detail that matters for athletes who need support without changing shoe size.
- The brace's bilateral design and independently adjustable lace-up straps let one product serve either foot with tunable compression at the lower ankle and malleolus.
- Outside our own testing, Garage Gym Reviews named the McDavid Ultra Light Best Overall in its expert-tested ankle brace roundup, citing durable materials and an intuitive fit.
- McDavid's five-decade history in sports medicine, dating to Dr. Robert F. McDavid Jr.'s original football knee brace, underpins a product line built specifically for injury prevention and support rather than general athletic wear.