KT Tape, Original Cotton, Elastic Kinesiology Athletic Tape, 20 Count, 10” Precut Strips

Ive been using this tape over the past couple years on my tennis elbows. I went through 4 boxes with varying results. A year ago I would have given it an average 3 star rating but now Ive figured out how to make it work the best, I think it totally deserves 5 stars when used properly. First of all, when the tape is on, it is really effective. I feel a lot of support on my elbow as long as the tape is on. It did take me a while to figure out how to make it stay longer. If the tape has been produced a while ago or box has been opened for a while, then the glue may lose power. Obviously. My leftover box from last years injury didnt work quite well this year. The tapes would start to peel off shortly after I put them on, even though I wiped my arm with rubbing alcohol. Also, even though I didnt use my first two boxes last year with rubbing alcohol, I felt that they were somehow old even when newly purchased. The glue just seemed thinner and not as shiny as the boxes I have right now. Unfortunately it is impossible to tell if you have an old box until you open it. For the best results, definitely clean with soap first, then wipe the area with rubbing alcohol before applying the tapes. (Last year I only used soap to clean my arm and the tape will stay for no more than 12 hours.) And absolutely avoid touching the glue with your fingers. As soon as the tape is on your skin, press on and rub it quickly to generate heat around the area so the heat will activate the glue ingredient to work better. My current box will stick for about 3 days, hardly affected by sweating. Even though some edges will peel very slightly, it doesnt progress further and will hold the support very firmly even after multiple showers. Normally I peel it off myself before the tape falls off because I want to avoid skin sensitivity from frequently and prolonged application and excessive usage of the surrounding muscles supporting the pain spot. Depending on where you use it, picking the uncut roll may be better so you can cut it to a longer length. I just find the pre-cut roll more convenient because of the way I use it, especially because they come with round corners. Whether you buy the pre-cut or continuous roll, you should always cut the corners so that all corners are round. It greatly prevents peeling. [Updated in July 2014] Im returning the rating back to 3 stars because of too frequent occurrences of the failed glue and the skin irritation from the glue+rubbing alcohol. At this point Ive completely switched to Kinesio Tex Gold tape. The Kinesio tape is thinner (fabric+glue), breathes better, water resistant, and can stay on skin for as long as 5 days. The KT tape is thicker, when stretched with the same degree as Kinesio tape, will peel in less than 20 minutes. However, I still want to stress that if you can keep it on, it is still extremely effective. The problem is that its hard to keep it on. It also gives me a lot of skin irritation after more frequent re-applying within, say the same week. If I use Kinesio, I only need to put it on once and it lasts for days. If I use KT Tape, it will peel off and I need re-use rubbing alcohol and re-apply the tape the next time I exercise, subsequently causing a lot more skin irritation. KT Tape is only a little cheaper than Kinesio, with a lot more re-application and failure to stay, I actually run out a lot faster than Kinesio tape. At this point it ceased to become an effective option for me.

When it comes to this stuff, the only thing better than regular KT Tape is KT Tape PRO! This product is wonderful. I have been using this tape on my entire family. From my daughters sprained ankle in basketball, to my hubbys golf shoulder, elbow, and thumb tendonitis and arthritis issues, to my own sad state of chronic knee condition, worn out shoulders (pre and post surgical to help me rehab), and in general on whichever body part is deciding to either fail or not cooperate on any given day for any number of activities, I would highly recommend this product. I also advocate using the prep cleaner and adhesive, and PRO versions if you tend to be a oilier skined or person or if your activities will cause you to get wet or sweat much, as this, along with how well you cleaned and dried your skin before using has a direct impact on how well it adhears and/or how long it stays that way. Also, if the area you are taping has you having to put clothing on and off frequently, (like knees endure when using the restroom, for example) this can sometimes cause ends to get pulled up (another reason why I recommend the prep and adhesive spray as well). Aside from how expensive it can be if you are needing to continue using for for your desired activities, I have found KT tape to be a godsend in it allows me to continue doing the activities and sports I love despite my own genetics determination to fall apart. The products ability to stretch with my skin prevents much of the discomfort that traditional athletic taping causes, and the adhesive is quite gentile on my skin (which is known to react poorly to nearly all adhesives from Band-Aids to paper tape), while still providing the nessesary support needed to stay active. In addition, it is available in a variety of fun colors or skin tones so you can go as bold or subtle as you wish. The online video tutorials are well made and easy to follow to assist you in getting just the right amount support for your area of need. I highly recomend to all and have bought this product many times and will continue to do so until science can fix my battered body. Till then I thank God I found the great product!

I use this Tape when I get injured at the Gym and now I am reviewing it because its worth it.

I bought this and another similar product for my husband to try out, as he has planters fasciitis. This product far exceeded the other. The precut was perfect in size and easy to use. The adhesive was much more long lasting than the other brand as well. The roll lasted my husband a good amount of time, even changing it daily-every other day. He’s requested me to order more, so he’s happy with the purchase.

I love KT Tape I am a runner and I get knee pain and shin splints all the time I use this on race days or speed days just make sure you don’t use this exclusively it’s like a bandage it can only help for so long you need to make sure you are taking care of your body

The tape definitely helped with the pain of my carpal tunnel but caused blisters and rashes all over my wrist.

Does not stay on skin due to lack of adhesion

I would have given this item 5 stars however something that I think is important for people to know is this; KT Tape will likely need to be supplemented with something else to (ill use knees for example) keep your knee cap in place. What I mean by that is, KT Tape works wonders and is a very nice product. It works exactly as intended and for me made my knees feel more efficient. They simply felt like they werent working nearly as hard to perform the very same tasks I did on a daily basis. That isnt where I had my problems... KT Tape needs to be applied in a specific manner, for some finding a place where you can sit/lie down, keep your knee at a 90 degree angle, while being in minimal clothing can become difficult but THAT isnt even the biggest issue. To apply full knee support you will utilize 6 strips for 2 knees w/full support, after doing the math youll get about 3 or 4 applications in one box, I find that these strips can last up to a week and a half but begin to peel/rip hair out and cause discomfort maybe by the 2nd or 3rd day depending on how well you applied the strips/work out/shower. So if one was to keep KT Tape on their knee 24/7 they would have to buy a 10 dollar box once a month depending on much of a beating they put their tape through/messed up applying. Not to mention there are times when I want to sleep and NOT have my pants getting caught on it. I bet youre wondering how much discomfort comes from wearing this tape... Well when its on correctly, not peeling, and youre going about your business as normal, its easy to forget youre even wearing it... however sometimes Id like to be able to not have to commit 5 or 6 days to wearing this tape since Im not big on wasting applications, not to mention ripping this stuff off hurts. My solution for this was I was going to utilize both KT Tape and knee braces, the KT Tape for those weeks when I knew I would be doing a lot of walking in regular clothes/biking/going up and down stairs/ect and the knee brace for the days when Im not too active. This is my story and I hope this will teach you a little about how KT Tape works, this was my first foray into KT Tape and I would say its been positive. My recommendation is that you buy a roll and give it a shot, see if you like it and if you do integrate it into your schedule, just remember this is not a perfect replacement for braces or other larger means of correction.