OPTP SI-LOC, SI Joint Belt for Women, Sacroiliac Belt, Lower Back Support Belts for Men, Low Back & Pelvic Pain Relief - Large/Extra Large

This is the best SI band out of many I’ve tried. It stays in place while and gets really snug to provide that sacroiliac support. I’ve been a fan of this product for many years.

I NEVER take the time to review products, but the SI-LOC belt so far exceeded my expectations that I feel it's necessary. I purchased this belt when I was approximately 12 weeks pregnant and had started having terrible sacro-iliac joint pain (to the left and right of my spine, near the top of my hiney, in my lower-back area). I had never experienced this before, and it was different than having pulled muscles in my lower back. Getting in and out of bed to use the potty multiple times per night became excruciating! It was a physical therapist friend who let me borrow her belt to try out - and I soon ordered my own. It has made ALL THE DIFFERENCE in the remainder of my pregnancy! I am now 30 weeks pregnant, and wear this belt nearly every day.Pros:1. Perfect sizing - the S/M belt can be cinched down if you are smaller or expanded if you are larger due to the long velcro area (nearly the length of the entire belt). Even now, almost 20 pounds heavier than when I bought it (with most of the weight in one place), it still fits me. **NOTE: You wear this belt BELOW your belly, basically right at your bikini zone, so even a large pregnant belly does not interfere. However, I would still recommend checking with your doctor about it if you're preggo. I found out later that the SI-LOC company does make a pregnancy-specific belt, although I think the regular one works just great.2. Simplicity - I would never have believed that something so simple could make such a massive improvement in my SI pain. It's not rocket science, but it works beautifully.3. Cost - I was willing to pay anything to relieve my SI pain, so ~$30 was extremely reasonable. Plus, you'll be able to use this belt through multiple pregnancies/multiple years.4. Construction quality - excellent. I wear it nearly every day, taking it off and on to go to the restroom or when I just want a break (like to eat). I have seen no wear at all, nor with the belt that I borrowed from my friend (which is several years older than my belt) - they look the same, though hers might have gotten slightly darker in color.5. Function - I felt/feel relief beginning the moment that I put it on and cinch it down. It stays in place and doesn't slip. They recommend that you wear it over clothes/underwear, but I have worn it under my underwear to sleep at night so that I wouldn't have to take it off/on when going to the potty during the night. Although it was slightly less comfortable directly against my skin, it did not prevent me from sleeping.6. Long-term benefit - I can tell a significant difference (improvement!) in my pain when I have been wearing the belt for longer periods of time - the pain is decreased when I take the belt off again.7. Improved mobility - when I am wearing the belt, I am able to do things that I could NOT do without the belt on. At this stage of pregnancy, simple bending/twisting with housecleaning would send stabs of pain through my SI joint. The SI-LOC belt TREMENDOUSLY improves what I can do. (I'm not saying that I never have SI pain anymore - but it is very manageable now, with lots of periods of painlessness.)Cons:1. Color/style - it's not a thing of beauty. It's a neutral tan color. If you're looking for something fashionable, this is not it. And, as far as I know, there are no other color options. But, really, who cares? I wear it under my clothes and most of the time it is not discernable through what I'm wearing.2. Instructions - the instructions were a little lacking on how to actually put the belt on. It wasn't just intuitively obvious where the black slider should go, on which side, etc. And it's not very clear where exactly to put it on your body - they use the Advanced Anatomy & Physiology terminology for where it should go on your body (probably because this is meant to be used by medical professionals who would know what those terms mean). You can solve this by 1. asking a smart/medically-saavy friend, or 2. looking up the words on the internet. Nevertheless, I figured it out. **NOTE: the instructions are EXTREMELY thorough, however, in regard to what it does for you and the science behind it (complete with literature citations, if you're interested in that), which I really appreciated.

extremely hard to pull the velcro apart. Works good for S1 support, but next to impossible to remove when you need to use the bathroom. But does do well for support

Bought as gift. It was recommended by her therapist. She says it levels her hips so she no longer has pain walking when wearing it.

The instructions are obtuse at best, and basically show, using anatomical clinical terms, where to position it over your skeleton. Most of us can't see our skeleton, and need to see where it should be placed on the exterior of our bodies, using physical characteristics as markers. Telling the user to exert a certain poundage of force to tighten it is equally ridiculous.The band's edges are rough, raw large pieces of sharp velcro which cut into my fingers every time i touch them to adjust it or put it on. I had to find a way to put tape on the edges so that it wouldn't rip my fingers to shreds. It is very crude and unfinished.After all that, I really can't tell if it does any good or not. I have sciatica, and it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. When it is extremely uncomfortable, however, is after a meal, where it seems to make the stomach bulge out--even a small meal.I always worry when things are unreturnable; and this is. I would not recommend it. The directions are obtuse and it is poorly made.Update: I have tried putting the band on while lying down with my knees up, and it does allow you to tighten it considerably more than while standing. I have started wearing it at night, and it does provide a minor lessening of discomfort in the morning. Sometimes it works better than others, and it is still hard to tell exactly where to place it. If you wear it over underwear, as suggested, it is very awkward going to the bathroom, as you have to remove the band first, then try to refasten it while standing up, which does not give the best placement. If you wear it against your skin, it causes irritation, and the front large plastic buckle is very uncomfortable pressing into the skin, particularly when sitting. I am now trying to wear it on the outside of my jeans with a long overshirt. That is another problem, in that tight jeans or other fitted clothing don't fit well over the band. And, it causes hips above it and thighs below to pouch out more than usual. I used it for a 4-hour concert last night and I was still stiff and had a lot of pain when leaving, but less than I would have.