Functional Effectiveness and User Experience Assessment of Knee Joint Protective Gear Fixation Methods During Physical Activity

With the increasing awareness of people’s protection during physical activities, the sports sector is gradually moving towards a more diverse and health-oriented development. This trend has propelled the growth of the market for joint protective gear and innovation in gear design. Currently, existing designs for knee joint protection focus on improving the functionality of protective devices but neglect considerations for the user’s wearing method and the real experience during actual use. Therefore, this study is based on four common fixation methods for knee joint protective gear (X-shaped patellar strap, double-layer double-sided fixed-open knee protector, double-layer bottom-fixed open knee protector, single-layer magic tape fixed-open knee protector). We measured aspects such as sports restraint, stability, and ease of operation over a certain period, considering the amount of physical activity, knee protector displacement distance, and wearing time. We conducted practical tests with 54 user samples. Through the analysis of objective quantitative data and the combination with subjective qualitative data from users, we believe that the wearing method of the single-layer magic tape fixed-open knee protector provides better sports restraint and stability, and users have a better wearing experience. There is a certain structural-functional relationship between the objective structure of this knee joint protector and human motion data and wearing experience. Furthermore, the initial impression that the product’s appearance leaves on users significantly affects their wearing experience. Based on this, the protective gear in this study can provide effective support and protection for the knee joint, offering users a safer and more comfortable sports experience. In addition, the research findings provide design references for the optimization of various wearable/protective devices for joints.