THIS or THAT (thumb support edition)
Today we are talking about a 'gold standard' base-of-the-thumb brace (the Push Metagrip) versus its 1/3-of-the-price Amazon knockoff (the Velpeau).
But before we get to the 🥤 juicy 🥤 details, I'm going to start with a story. Make sure you read all the way to the bottom so you can see the comparison between these braces 👀
When I first began my business, I typically recommended the *gold standard* hand therapy products because I came from a traditional hand therapy clinic.
Now, there's nothing WRONG with these types of products... but they tend to be on the more expensive side. Who can blame them... they work really well lol 🤷
BUT...
As I have started serving more and more people (y'all there are over 145 people inside Hypermobile Hands Blueprint!! 🎉)...
...and as I, myself, have become more symptomatic...
(I was recently officially diagnosed with Hypermobile Ehler's Danlos Syndrome. A story for another day 💛)
...I have started to appreciate the 'knockoff' over-the-counter brand products.
Because they are more accessible.
And as someone who has a chronic illness and who treats clients with chronic pain/illness...
...I know the importance of having a lot of different options. The thumb support you use for cooking and cleaning may be drastically different than the ring splints you use for typing or crocheting.
So with all of that being said...
I’m breaking the differences between the Push Metagrip ('gold standard') & the Velpeau (knockoff) down into four different categories:
👇
1️⃣ Support ✋
The Push metagrip feels more supportive to me - the metal bar is very rigid and doesn’t lose its shape easily. The brace material extends into the palm, which also helps me feel more supported 💯
The Velpeau is slightly less supportive - the metal bar doesn’t feel as rigid, and the strap wraps around the entire hand into the palm. The only rigid material of the brace surrounds the thumb, and doesn’t extend into the palm
2️⃣ Comfort 💆
The Push metagrip tends to feel less comfortable (to me)
The Velpeau is more comfortable, largely due to the material in the thumb webspace that offers more of a ‘give’ 😍
3️⃣ Price Point 💰
With the Push Metagrip priced at $100, the Velpeau at $30 is a more accessible price point for many
The reason for the higher price of the Metagrip is because it’s a premium brand, the hand therapy world’s gold standard. It was intentionally designed by Judy Colditz, a world-renowned hand therapist 🌎
4️⃣ Extra features 🎉
The Velpeau wins this category! It comes with an extra strap - so when your velcro starts to lose its strength or gets fuzzy, instead of replacing the whole brace just replace the strap!
The Velpeau also comes with a free thumb compression sleeve which offers not just better comfort while wearing the brace, but also increased support of the base of the thumb and even extends into the thumb MCP joint 🤩
OVERALL… I would highly recommend EITHER of these options as thumb braces that provide max support yet don’t get in the way of your daily life.
AND… if you like this review, you’ll LOVE Hypermobile Hands Blueprint 😍
With 25+ specialized video trainings breaking down the different types of hand supports, you’ll be doing your activities with WAYYYY less pain 👏
Or, sign up for this free masterclass and get $100 off the Blueprint 🎉