Athletic Sports Tape: 10 Researched Including Kinesiology, RockTape, Mueller and Cramer
Whether you play sports frequently or are just getting started in the world of fitness, chances are you’ll have a need for athletic tape eventually. Athletic tape can have a variety of uses, from support to compression, to help you play your best while avoiding a significant injury.
My experience is in basketball. Even if a player wears an ankle brace designed for basketball, if someone has a significant ankle injury during the game, their last hope is to use good old-fashioned athletic tape to get them back onto the court.
But what is the best tape to get? And what should you be looking for in a tape? We curated a list of the ten best athletic tapes currently available so that you’re ready when you need them.
Top 10 Athletic Tapes:
- Mueller Athletic Tape
- KT Tape Elastic Sports Tape
- Sparthos Kinesiology tape
- Nextrino Athletic Tape
- RockTape Kinesiology Tape
- Cramer Team Color Athletic Tape
- FlexTrek Gear Athletic Tape
- Mooerca Athletic Wrap Tape
- Hampton Adams Athletic Tape
- Summum Fit Athletic Tape
What Does Athletic Tape Do?
Before we get to our list, we should briefly cover the uses for athletic medical tape, along with what you should be looking for in a good quality tape.
Types of Athletic Tape
- Corrective
- Supportive
- Compressive
Corrective tapes are designed to support your muscles and joints through specific, strategic placement. The tension from the tape gently holds your muscles and joints so that the chance of injury is reduced. If you already have an injury like a grade 2 ankle sprain, the corrective tape can keep your muscles from moving in ways that might worsen it. It is often fabric-based and offers some elastic properties.
Supportive tape is among the most common types of athletic tape you’ll see being used. This variety of tape is designed to hold a joint in place. This tape does not stretch, as the idea is to stop the joint from moving. It is common to see this taping used around the fingers, wrists, feet, and ankles.
You may hear athletic trainers refer to tensile strength which is the force (or load) required to break a tape. Tensile strength is measured in pounds per one inch of tape.
Compression tape is a lightly supportive tape with plenty of elasticity. It is most often used in cases where compression is needed (such as after a sprain). You can also use it over other types of tape to hold those tapes in place. Compression tape is most often made from a cotton and spandex blend.
When looking for a tape, first consider what you will be using the tape for. This should help you decide if you need a corrective, supportive, or compression style tape.
Second, consider any particular circumstances. Do you have skin sensitivity? Will the tape be exposed to water or heavy sweating?
Lastly, when looking for a tape, it is always a good idea to speak with a qualified professional (doctor, pharmacist, trainer, physical therapist) who can direct you to a tape that is best suited for your needs.
1. Mueller Athletic Tape
Mueller tapes are a supportive style tape best used for wrapping ankles, feet, hands, and wrists. They are made with hospital-grade cotton and come in multipacks—an excellent option for team coaches or parents of kids in sports. If you’re going to need a lot of tape, then this is an excellent option for you.
2. KT Tape Elastic Tape
If you’ve watched the Olympics or any sport on television, there is a good chance you’ve seen Kinesiology Therapeutic Tape (KT Tape). KT Tape is a corrective-style tape in either precut strips or a roll. You can also get it in some specialty shapes.
Unlike other types of tape, KT Tape can be worn for up to a week without any issue.
3. Sparthos Kinesiology tape
Sparthos is another corrective style tape that is designed to improve blood flow and reduce pain so that you can get back to playing or working out. This tape is waterproof and has a strong adhesive that lasts for days. The only downside is the adhesive can be a little too strong sometimes and be difficult to remove.
4. Nextrino Athletic Tape
Nextrino is a supportive tape made to support hands and feet. It comes in ½” thickness, making it easy to wrap those tiny areas between your fingers. Unlike many other supportive tapes, you can cut this without scissors.
Thanks to its small width and strong adhesive, it is a favorite tape for martial artists. The adhesive is also latex-free and won’t leave a residue after your workout.
5. RockTape Kinesiology Tape
If you need your tape to be super flexible, then RockTape may be a good option for you. This supportive tape is made from a cotton and nylon blend that allows it to flex and bend in any direction the user needs while still being supportive. It’s so flexible this tape can handle a 180-degree curve. It also has a powerful adhesive, so you’ll have no worries about it shifting or moving.
6. Cramer Team Color Athletic Sports Tape
Want a tape that’s both effective and colorful? Cramer Tape is a solid athletic medical tape made with elasticized fabric that makes it supportive and strong. This is a relatively inexpensive tape that comes in 12 different colors, making it a perfect option for keeping in a team locker room. You can even get it in bulk.
7. FlexTrek Gear Athletic Medical Tape
FlexTrek is a bit of a middle man between supportive and corrective tapes. It has a unique design that is flexible and can hold worn muscles in place while being sturdy enough to support injuries. It also has easy-tear technology, meaning you won’t need scissors.
8. Mooerca Athletic Wrap Tape
Mooerca is another tape that comes in tons of fun colors. It’ll be easy to find one that matches your team uniform or your workout outfit. These tapes are 2 inches thick, great for supporting joints and muscles or wrapping larger areas like ankles.
9. Hampton Adams Athletic Tape
Hampton Adams is a trusted brand in the athletic community. They are known for their strong adhesive that won’t budge, even in the hardest of workouts. Their fabric-based tape is also made from 100% cotton and is infused with zinc oxide to make it breathable but strong.
10. Summum Fit Athletic Tape
Last on our list is this tape from Summum. If you’re the type of person who needs different widths of tape, this may be a great option. One box of Summum Fit tapes comes with three thicker rolls and one thin roll perfect for fingers. Additionally, the adhesive doesn’t leave any residue and is infused with zinc oxide for better performance.
How Much Money Is Spent On Athletic Tape?
Well, we don’t know the aggregate cost of all sports tape used across all sports. But, I found this quote very interesting in regard to how much the Memphis State football team uses in a year.
This spring, for example, Turner said the Memphis football program used nine different varieties and four different colors of tape. They used athletic tape on ankles, mostly, but also fingers, toes, feet, knees, wrists and more. They spent more than $4,000 on taping supplies. And they used an average of 226 rolls of tape before every spring practice, totaling 2,441 yards.
That’s the length of more than 24 football fields — for every practice.
Memphis State athletic trainer Darrell Turner
Athletic Taping Instructional Videos
How To Tape A Thumb
Athletic Therapist Lauren Gavrailoff explains how to tape a thumb.
How To Tape An Ankle
How to Tape a Wrist
Troy Wright
I am a lifetime basketball enthusiast and loved playing basketball competitively through high school. I still try and play at least 3 times a week and explore all kinds of equipment and training to keep myself on the court and continually getting better. I am a college basketball fanatic and move onto the NBA when March Madness ends.
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