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Aug 31, 2023

The 5 Best KT Tapes for 2023

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us? To overcome a nagging running injury, just tape yourself back together. Kinesiology tape is a component of

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article. Why Trust Us?

To overcome a nagging running injury, just tape yourself back together.

Kinesiology tape is a component of many top athletes’ training regimens, and a crucial aid for all kinds of runners who want to relieve soreness and remain cognizant of their form. Kinesiology tape, nicknamed “KT tape” after the popular brand, mimics the elasticity of skin and lifts your skin away from tissues beneath, creating space that may help relieve joint pain, improve circulation, stabilize muscles, and reduce muscle soreness. Physical therapists also use it to help runners correct bad habits by helping them focus on activating muscles they may be underutilizing.

At the same time, it’s not a panacea for muscular health. In fact, it isn’t for everyone. We’re here to help you figure out whether KT tape can help you support your muscles, improve circulation or prevent injury. We’ll also point you toward the best kinesiology tapes you can buy right now, from KT and other brands, based on expert advice from physical therapists who recommend the tape to their athletes.

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Kinesiology tape, created by Japanese chiropractor Dr. Kenzo Kase in 1973, is a stretchy therapeutic tape made of mostly cotton that uses medical-grade acrylic adhesive to stick to your skin. When stretched tight, the tape pulls the skin away from the tissues beneath, reducing the pressure against the underlying tissues. In theory, this promotes circulation and the removal of waste products through lymphatic drainage.

Our experts said that some runners use KT tape to reduce pain. “Once you reduce the perception of pain, you can get an increase in range of motion and an increase in muscle activation,” says Dr. Karena Wu, clinical director of ActiveCare Physical Therapy. Because nerve fibers associated with touch stimulation are larger than pain fibers, the brain receives the touch stimulation faster, reducing your perception of the pain.

The tape can also inhibit certain muscles or facilitate others. Instead of immobilizing muscles and joints like athletic tape, kinesiology tape is stretchy, and runners can use that elasticity to adopt a stronger, healthier stride. “People who have shoulder or trap pain as they’re running tend to hike their shoulders up toward their ears,” says Denise Smith, PT and owner of Smith Physical Therapy + Running Academy. “We’ll tape down their shoulders. As their shoulder creeps up as they fatigue, that triggers a sensation of the tape pulling on the skin, so they relax their shoulders.”

Scientific research confirms some of kinesiology tape’s purported benefits. A 2022 meta-analysis of eight studies conducted by the University of Padova in Italy found that kinesiology tape was able to improve gait function, range of motion, and muscle activation in athletes. However, a 2020 study out of Leeds Beckett University in England found that the tape made no difference in cutaneous blood flow, calling into question some of the tape’s purported benefits for muscle soreness and recovery.

Even without hard science behind all of its claimed benefits, KT tape has been widely adopted by athletes and trainers. At less than $20 per roll on average, it’s a low-cost, low-risk way to at least try to optimize your training regimen.

Most KT tapes are made from hypoallergenic materials like cotton and nylon, and specifically avoid using those that commonly trigger allergies, such as latex. Even so, make sure to check the composition of any tape before applying it if you have a skin allergy.

Even if you don’t have a specific, intense allergy, some adhesives may irritate sensitive skin. Several brands offer “gentle” tapes with weaker adhesives that are less likely to cause redness or swelling.

Separately, keep in mind that removing KT tape will likely affect your skin, since the adhesive is very strong. Make sure to read the removal instructions before yanking the tape off—some manufacturers recommend using baby oil to break down the adhesive before removal.

You don’t need to shave your body hair to use kinesiology tape, but you should know that too much body hair will defeat even the stickiest adhesives. If your tape is coming off more quickly than it should on a hairy area, shaving down to a quarter-inch or less may improve the tape’s staying power.

Some areas of your body are easier to tape yourself than others, so consider where and how you’ll apply the tape before you buy. Ideally, you should consult a doctor or physical therapist before using KT tape so they can show how to properly cut and apply it in a way that will enhance your performance, instead of harming it. “It is very important to know the anatomy where you are trying to apply the tape,” said Bruce Allen, DC, a chiropractor and certified kinesiology tape practitioner at the San Diego Running Institute. “If taped incorrectly, you could give yourself a separate injury.”

We also have a guide to using KT tape, with expert instructions for taping yourself up to deal with a handful of common running injuries, including plantar fasciitis and shin splints.

If you’re concerned about mis-taping, we recommend looking for pre-cut KT tape strips and patterns, which are made to support specific trouble spots, including knees, shoulders, and the lower back.

To choose the best KT tapes, we consulted eight physical therapists, trainers, and running coaches to find out which ones they use and recommend to their athletes. We also gleaned insight from popular running forums like Slowtwitch, impressions from additional experts, and hundreds of customer reviews at major retailers, such as Amazon and Walmart.

RockTape was favored by more of the physical therapists I contacted than any other brand for its superior stickiness, ease of application, and muscle awareness benefits. “RockTape seems to stay on longer than most of the other tapes,” said Allen, adding that it’s the only brand he uses in his office. Vikash Sharma, DPT, a doctor of physical therapy and certified running coach in New York, also found the tape outlasted other leading brands.

Smith said she appreciated that RockTape isn’t as stretchy as the original variants of kinesiology tape, making it easier for her clients to replicate the taping techniques she shows them in her office.

The tape also feels thicker than some, a trait that helps runners remain aware of it (and therefore, their running form). “It has enough pull to make you aware it’s there,” said Ryan Sweeney, DPT and orthopedic clinical specialist at Specialists in Sports and Orthopedic Rehabilitation.

It seems as if RockTape has been fine-tuned to maximize the benefits of kinesiology tape, making it an optimal pick for all kinds of athletes, including runners.

KT Tape Pro pre-cut strips are a favorite of runners and physical therapists who want to apply or reapply kinesiology tape quickly. “KT-Tape Pro is what we use with our athletes at the Olympic Trials for Track and Field,” said Robyn Pester, lead physical therapist for the Olympic Track & Field trials 2016 and 2020. “Having it pre-cut makes it super easy to quickly get an athlete into action. It also comes in a number of colors—the athletes do like being able to choose a color that feels empowering for them.”

In general, KT Tape has earned a strong reputation among athletes. Its synthetic construction helps it stay breathable, even as you wear it for multiple days. The adhesive also lasts a long time: Users on Amazon frequently reported getting five days of use out of the tape with daily runs and showers.

In her practice, Smith works with swimmers and triathletes who need extra-sticky tape that can keep up with their aquatic lifestyles. “We’ll use the really sticky tape if someone has an Ironman that week and we’re taping before the race,” Smith said.

Likewise, runners who aren’t satisfied with the stickiness of other kinesiology tapes due to sweat, climate or body hair may find better results in RockTape’s more powerful adhesive.

Aside from that stronger adhesive, this is the same RockTape our physical therapists lauded for being easy to apply (mimicking the technique of your PT) and being thick enough to help runners remain cognizant of their movement patterns as they ran. Try this one if you’re having trouble getting your tape to stick for more than a day or two.

The original Kinesio tape developed by Dr. Kenzo Kase back in 1973, Kinesio Tex Classic is still on the market after 50 years for a reason. The thin, elastic tape gets praise from physical therapists and Amazon users alike for its all-day comfort and breathability.

Its all-cotton construction improves its comfort, and reviewers said the medical-grade adhesive didn’t leave residue or rashes afterward. “I have found that the durability and adhesive works the best compared to other brands like RockTape,” said Pete Dills, DPT and clinical director of Therapeutic Associates Physical Therapy.

Users recommended stretching the tape roughly half-way to its maximum length to enhance adhesion, and rounding off the edges to prevent premature peeling.

Dynamic Tape technically isn’t a type of KT tape, but several of the physical therapists I interviewed prefer it. A “biomechanical tape,” Dynamic Tape acts as an “external bungee cord,” providing extra support for painful and sore muscles.

“Dynamic tape can be thought of more as having a much stronger mechanical influence,” said Pester. “This type of tape can help unload tendons and provide additional support to painful muscles while still providing a full range of motion.”

It also offers the same muscle-guiding benefits as our experts’ other picks. “For achilles tendonitis or plantar fasciitis, you can apply Dynamic Tape for awareness, but also when you push off it actually contracts with the calf,” said Matt Silver, DPT at Alpha Project Phyzio and Performance. “It’s like if you pull a rubber band and let go like you’re going to shoot it.”

I love that Dynamic Tape comes in a few different styles with varying amounts of resistance and recoil, allowing runners to customize the feel of the tape. The “beige tattoo” version offers the least resistance, the “black tattoo” tape offers a tighter spring. The ultra-firm “eco gray tattoo” tape is better suited for ligaments than calves, creating tension in areas with minimal movement. If you have been using athletic tape to brace a joint or support a muscle structure, Dynamic Tape can provide similar support while also helping you generate momentum.

Who should avoid using kinesiology tape?

You should avoid kinesiology tape if you have a condition where more blood flow would be bad—deep vein thrombosis, diabetes and active cancers are among conditions that have excluded people from participating in kinesiology tape research. Also avoid taping over open wounds due to the risk of an infection.

If you’re unsure how your skin will react to an acrylic-based adhesive, or any of the components in a specific tape, test it first by applying an inch-long strip and waiting a few minutes to see how you react.

How long should I leave kinesiology tape on?

According to our experts, you should leave your KT tape on until it starts to slide or fall off. “The tape is meant to be a sensory stimuli so it is meant to be worn for the length of the activity and even afterwards,” said Wu. “In rehabilitation, it should be used for a few weeks in order to retrain or support or inhibit tissues during the recovery process.”

In most cases, a piece of tape should last for a few days, up to a week. Most of these tapes are water-resistant so you will be able to shower after a run while wearing your tape, but it will likely weaken the adhesive.

How do I prepare my skin before applying KT tape?

Our experts recommend applying rubbing alcohol to the area to remove natural oils before taping up. Make sure the skin is not red or irritated before putting it on, especially if you are reapplying to a recently taped area. “You never want to take the top layer of skin off or irritate the skin or else you cannot re-tape until the skin has calmed down,” Wu said.

How do I remove KT tape?

Dills advises his clients to remove the tape in the shower using warm, soapy water. To avoid leaving a residue, “don’t pull the tape straight away from your skin,” Dills said. “Gently peel it back a little at a time.” If your tape does leave some adhesive behind, Smith recommends starting with soapy water and a sponge or scrub brush, and graduating to an adhesive remover pad for persistent adhesives.

A former Division 1 runner, Dan grew up riding fixies and mountain bikes and now reviews everything from performance running shoes to road and cross bikes, to the latest tech for runners and cyclists at Bicycling and Runner’s World.

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