Beckton-Dickson's lawyers will probably disagree vehemently with me, but "Ace Bandage" is close to being a genericized trademark, as synonymous with what are otherwise called "roller bandages" or "elastic bandages" as Xerox is with photocopiers and Kleenex is with facial tissue. Accordingly, as such products go, they're average, and the most widely sold at retail.

Uses are manifold. An Ace bandage in the first aid kit can be used as a tourniquet, a compression dressing, a sling, or a means to secure an ice pack. Hospitals use similar bandages to cover wounds after surgery, to keep stitches and staples from catching on clothing or furniture, as they allow for considerable motion, stretch and shrink with swelling, and don't stick to wounds like tape does.

As an amateur athlete, I've used Ace bandages to compress pulled muscles, support sprained ankles and knees, and immobilize wrists and elbows when suffering from tendonitis. Muscle compression can be done with a simple spiral wrap, but wrapping for support is a bit of an art. Instructions are provided in a small, easy-to-lose leaflet in blister-packed Ace bandages, or can be found on BD's website. Given the choice between a sleeve-style brace, taping, or wrapping with an Ace bandage, I prefer the Ace; the figure-eight turns involved provide tensile stabilization in directions a woven elastic sleeve cannot, and the Ace bandage, unlike tape, expands and contracts with joint movement.

Ace brand elastic bandages are available in widths ranging from two to six inches. The two-inch size is the best choice for wrists and elbows. Three-inch bandages are well-suited to wrapping knees and ankles, the four-inch width is the best choice for knees. Six-inch bandages are best reserved for securing ice packs.

Each bandage comes with two toothed metal and elastic clips to secure the end of the bandage. While superior to Velcro fasteners or tucking the end of the bandage into the turns, they nonetheless tend to break or pop off during vigorous exercise unless covered with a patch of athletic tape. Safety pins are an inferior albeit adequate substitute. Replacements aren't widely sold, but BD once sent me an envelope full when I complained about this problem. They're also available on the Internet, from Amazon.com and AmericRx.com.

Recommended: Yes