Neck pain (cervical), upper back pain (thoracic), even the indirect extension of lumbar pain (lower back) are all likely to be felt by those who give in to bad posture for extended periods of time – whether it be days or weeks or even years of improper spinal alignment.

Bad posture can also be caused by any variety of tongue-twisting ailments including kyphosis, scoliosis, spinal stenosis, spondylosis, spondylolisthesis, lordosis – even supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! We’re kidding about that last one. And, yes, we had to Google how to spell it.

All this can cause headaches, muscle and back of neck pain, and even nausea and irritability from chronic back pain.

This is certainly not the way to live our best life.

But fear not, because taking steps to gain back control of your body posture and working toward restoring proper curvature of the spine is simple.

Unless you’re a Contortionist …

… you should look for Posture Correctors that have straps which adjust from the front. 

Many cheap, inferior posture braces on the market have long unwieldy velcro straps which: (a) make you reach awkwardly behind your back to grab them after you put on the brace; and, (b) lose their “sticky” grip after just a few washes. 

Often, cheap braces whose main straps are pulled from behind require a second person to help you put it on and adjust it.  And if you’re wealthy enough to have an assistant like that, you might as well skip buying a posture brace and just hire that person to poke you between the shoulder blades every time you’re hunched over with a stooped posture.

For those of us who can’t afford such mundane help, we should look for a Posture Corrector & Support Brace that slips on easily like a backpack and needs only a simple pull using front-side thumb loops.  This allows you to adjust the straps to your optimal comfort as they pull your hunched shoulders back into proper posture.

Look Behind You!

A good posture brace not only allows you to easily adjust it from the front, but it also allows you to adjust it in the back (before you put it on, of course).

Why?

Because our bodies are all different shapes and sizes. And we need to be able to adjust it so that it optimally supports us in both front and back for an ideal posture.

Look for a posture corrector brace that also allows you to adjust the back for optimal support.

It’s a Brace, Not Body Armour

There are plenty of posture correctors on the market that look (and feel) like you’re ready to defend a castle from an onslaught of flaming arrows. Their thick padding, wide straps, and bulky back support aren’t exactly the most subtle of designs. It doesn’t need to be that complicated.

A good Posture Corrector & Support Brace should be lightweight and breathable. It should be thin and discreet enough to wear under clothes. It should be strong but soft so that it doesn’t chafe against your skin.

It should be like getting a hug from a cat. Without claws.

Quality is Odourless

A hallmark of cheap, poorly-made posture braces is their odour. And this is before you wear it to the gym or while watching a quadruple-overtime sporting event. Cheap braces smell “chemically”. That ain’t good. Neither is a brace that rips or breaks or causes your skin to break out in hives.

Look for braces that are from reputable brands, manufactured with durable stitching, using quality odour-free untreated material.

It’s your body – don’t trust it to anyone or anything of less than premium quality.

You’re Only as Good as Your Word (or Warranty)

“The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry”. Robbie Burns probably wasn’t envisioning a posture corrector but sometimes, things go amiss. And if they do, you want to know that the product you’ve purchased is supported – not just until 11:59pm on the last day of your Warranty.

Look for products that provide exceptional customer service. Look for their Warranty terms to see what’s covered and for how long.  Read how they respond to bad reviews. See how they communicate on social media. Ask questions and gauge their responses. 

It all paints a big picture of what you can expect after your purchase, which is just as important.

Buy the XD Lifestyle Posture Corrector & Support Brace on Amazon

3 BONUS TIPS! Caveat Emptor!

• A Review By Any Other Name Would NOT Be Sweet

Have you ever been shopping on Amazon or an online store, found a product with hundreds or thousands of reviews and instantly thought, “OK, this one is reputable”? Seems like a reasonable assumption.

Until you look under the hood. And then you find that most of those “posture corrector” reviews are for, say, essential oils. Or bicycle pumps. Or lava lamps.

Unscrupulous sellers often mix other (fake) reviews with legitimate ones so that at first glance they seem to be legitimate and trustworthy.

Dig deeper and look under the hood of reviews to get the real picture.

• This Isn’t What I Bought!

Imitation may be the sincerest form of flattery to some, but as a consumer when you buy what seems to be a good product and end up with a cheap knock-off, your results can be less than flattering.

Beware of counterfeits!

On Amazon, always look for the “Sold by” (found under the price of the item) and ensure that it’s from the brand and manufacturer you expect.

 

 

• “Muscle Memory?!” My Muscles Can’t Even Remember Where I Left My Keys

Many manufacturers will try to tell you that their posture brace will create long-lasting “muscle memory”. That’s false.

A good Posture Corrector & Support Brace will, as we said above, remind you to straighten your posture by tightening when you hunch or slouch.

The brace should be worn for brief periods throughout the day, typically when you’re performing activities where you’d normally exhibit poor posture – for example, sitting at a desk, watching TV, etc. And as we mentioned, when you slip into your bad posture habit, the brace will tighten on its own to remind you to correct your posture form.

It’s not meant to replace or augment your own body’s muscles or somehow train them to be better or stronger. That only comes with your own effort – through exercise, flexibility, and strengthening the core muscles that support your good posture.

Buy the XD Lifestyle Posture Corrector & Support Brace on Amazon