Tubigrip is an elasticated tubular bandage that provides low-level compression to support injured or swollen limbs. It’s most commonly used for sprains, strains, and soft tissue injuries, but it also plays a role in post-surgical recovery, edema management, and holding dressings in place. Unlike a traditional bandage that wraps around a limb, Tubigrip slides on like a sleeve, making it simpler to apply and more comfortable for extended wear.
Common Uses for Tubigrip
Tubigrip’s primary job is providing firm, even support to injured soft tissue. The most frequent uses include:
- Sprains and strains: ankle, knee, wrist, and elbow injuries where gentle compression reduces swelling and stabilizes the joint
- General edema: swelling in a limb from injury, surgery, or venous insufficiency
- Soft tissue injuries: muscle bruises, minor tears, and overuse injuries
- Post-burn scarring: sustained pressure to healing burn sites to help manage scar tissue
- Ribcage injuries: light support around the torso for bruised or strained rib muscles
- Dressing retention: holding wound dressings or padding in place without tape
Tubigrip is also used to manage venous insufficiency and venous ulcers. The compression helps push blood back toward the heart, reducing the pooling that causes swelling and skin breakdown in the lower legs. For this purpose, it provides a lower level of compression than dedicated graduated compression stockings, which makes it appropriate for mild cases or as a step in a broader treatment plan.
How Tubigrip Works
The bandage is a cotton-elastic tube that delivers nongraduated compression, meaning the pressure is relatively uniform along the limb rather than strongest at the ankle and lighter at the knee (which is how medical-grade compression stockings work). In a single layer, Tubigrip provides roughly 10 mmHg of pressure at the low end. By doubling the bandage over itself or choosing a snugger size, clinicians can increase that to low-medium, medium, or high compression.
For context, a standard graduated compression stocking used for venous ulcers delivers 30 to 40 mmHg. Tubigrip sits well below that range, which is why it’s suited to general support and mild swelling rather than serious vascular conditions. The trade-off is comfort: most people find Tubigrip easy to tolerate for hours at a time, and it doesn’t require the careful fitting that higher-compression garments demand.
Post-Surgical Recovery
Orthopedic clinics frequently send patients home with Tubigrip after procedures like knee arthroscopy. A typical protocol looks like this: the day after surgery, you remove the bulky wool-and-bandage dressing down to the wound dressing underneath, then slide a doubled-over Tubigrip onto the joint in its place. The Tubigrip stays on for the first five days or so, at which point you can remove it to shower and let the surgical site get wet.
The doubled layer keeps gentle pressure on the joint to control swelling while being far less cumbersome than the post-op bandaging. If it feels too tight at any point, you can simply take it off and leave it off. It’s a support tool, not a critical part of the healing process.
Choosing the Right Size
Tubigrip comes in lettered sizes based on the circumference of the limb where you’ll wear it. Measuring the widest part of the area you need to cover gives you the right fit. The sizes from the manufacturer’s guide are:
- Size A: 10 to 14.5 cm (small fingers, toes)
- Size B: 14.5 to 29 cm (hands, small wrists, children’s limbs)
- Size C: 22 to 35 cm (large ankles, small knees)
- Size D: 26 to 40 cm (medium knees, large arms)
- Size E: 29 to 46 cm (large knees, medium thighs)
- Size F: 35 to 53 cm (large thighs)
- Size G: 40 to 62 cm (large thighs, small trunks)
- Size J: 54 to 82 cm (medium trunks)
- Size K: 70 to 113 cm (large trunks)
Getting the size right matters because both the size and the number of layers determine how much compression you get. A bandage that’s too loose won’t provide meaningful support, while one that’s too tight can restrict circulation. If you’re between sizes, going slightly larger is generally the safer choice.
How to Apply It
For a single layer, cut a piece long enough to cover the injured area with a few extra centimeters on each end. Gather the tube onto your hand (the way you’d bunch up a sock), slide it over the limb, and smooth it out so there are no folds or wrinkles. It should feel snug but not tight, and your fingers or toes beyond the bandage should stay warm and their normal color.
For a double layer, cut a piece roughly twice as long as you need. Slide the full length over the limb so the extra fabric extends past the foot or hand. Then fold that extra length back over the limb so the bandage is doubled. This nearly doubles the compression and is the most common clinical recommendation for joint injuries and post-surgical swelling.
Who Should Avoid Compression
Even though Tubigrip provides relatively light pressure, compression of any kind can be dangerous for people with reduced arterial blood flow. If you have peripheral artery disease, particularly if your ankle-brachial pressure index is below 0.8, compression can further restrict blood supply to the limb. Heart failure, kidney failure, liver failure, active cellulitis, and acute deep vein thrombosis (before anticoagulation is started) are also situations where compression needs careful medical oversight.
People with diabetes or cardiovascular disease should use Tubigrip with extra caution, because most of the safety research on compression was done in populations without those conditions. The key safety rule is straightforward: you need to be able to feel if the bandage is getting too tight or causing pain, and you (or someone near you) need to be able to remove it quickly if something feels wrong.
Washing and Reuse
Tubigrip is reusable, but it gradually loses elasticity with repeated washing and wear. Hand wash it in warm water with mild soap, rinse it thoroughly, and line dry it. Don’t wring it out or put it in a dryer, as heat and mechanical stress break down the elastic fibers faster. Make sure it’s completely dry before putting it back on your skin to avoid irritation or maceration of the skin underneath. Once the bandage feels loose or no longer provides noticeable compression, replace it with a fresh piece.