MPDS Elbow Sleeves Review 2026: Full Stiff vs. Half Stiff Elbow Sleeves for Streetlifting

The MPDS elbow sleeves are the secret behind the unlocking of many new PR’s, and are a frequent sight at Streetlifting competitions. MPDS is a Dutch brand and stands for “Muscle-Up, Pull-Up, Dip and Squat”. In other words, they make Streetlifting Equipment. All their products are made in close cooperation with big-name Streetlifting professionals. Just like the MPDS Dip Belt, the MPDS elbow sleeves are Final Rep approved for use in competitions. Time for us to take a closer look at these “record-breaking” sleeves.

You can also watch my MPDS Elbow Sleeves Review on YouTube:

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The MPDS Elbow Sleeves

Of course, personal records don’t break themselves, and even with elbow sleeves, you still have to do the work yourself. The sleeves can compress your muscles, keep your elbows stable, and provide a little rebound as you come back up. The rest comes down to your technique and strength. There are two types of sleeves, the “half stiff” and the “full stiff” sleeves. Adolescent jokes aside, both types have their advantages. 

The Half Stiff sleeves are thicker on the inside part of the elbow and thinner on the outside. The thicker part, which rests partly over the bicep, compresses during the Dip. When you come back up, this compression gives you a bit of a rebound. 

The thinner half of the Half Stiff sleeve goes over the outside of the elbow. It is more flexible, making the Half Stiff sleeve much easier to put on and take off than its Full Stiff counterpart. 

The Full Stiff elbow sleeves are the same thickness on both sides. They give you more support and a bigger rebound effect. However, they are also harder to put on and often require a gym buddy to help you put one on and take it off. 

We have both the Half Stiff and Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves. Both sleeves are made of a strong neoprene, feel high-quality and are reinforced with deep stitching. They have a clean look with a crisp MPDS logo on both sides. We got the black and the red versions, but they also come in blue.

Both the Half Stiff and Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves come in various sizes. The Half Stiff sleeves by MPDS come in 6 sizes from XS to XXL. The Full Stiff sleeves come in 7 sizes, with an extra-large XXXL as an option.

There is a handy size chart on the MPDS website which you can consult. The key takeaway here is that you measure your forearm a couple of centimetres below the elbow joint and add 1 centimetre to get to the right fit on the chart.

Half Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves

The Half Stiff sleeves are made for training, preparation and volume. With the sleeves, you should expect to perform 5 to 10 kg more on weighted dips than you do without the sleeves. Certainly, during my own tests, I managed a new 1RM PR that was 10 kilos higher, so it is possible. Of course, the Half Stiff sleeves are meant for volume training, so for that, a lower added weight compared to sleeveless is more realistic for me. 

Putting on the Half Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves is the easiest when you fold the top part over itself, insert your arm as far as it will go and then flip the top part back over your elbow. You can also go one size up if you don’t have a regular gym buddy, and itis usually possible to just slide the sleeves on in one go. However, the tighter the fit, the better the control and gains. 

The advantage of the Half Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves is that they are easier to put on, and the added flexibility makes them better for higher volume workout sessions where you want to do more sets and repetitions.

Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves with Jordin Vliegen

The Full Stiff sleeves are much stiffer, and you probably need a buddy to help put them on and to take them off. Luckily, we found just the right person to help us with this: professional streetlifter Jordin Vliegen. He showed us how he uses sleeves, particularly the MPDS Elbow Sleeves, for both training and competition. 

It’s from Jordin that we learn that he uses both the Half Stiff and Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves. The Half Stiff sleeves are great for secondary training when you need higher-volume repetitions to build technique, stamina, and strength.

It’s on the “heavy days” where he does singles, doubles and maybe triples that he uses the Fill Stiff sleeves. He also added that the sleeves are really only useful for dips and that he doesn’t wear them for any other exercise. 

The Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves add between 10 and 15 kilos of weight, depending on the person and their technique. Jordin also admits that his best 1RM was actually with the Half Stiff sleeves, but that this was a uniquely “good day” for him. In general, you can expect the best 1RM performance with the Full Stiff sleeves.

Putting on the Full Stiff sleeves was another area where Jordin shed some light. He mentioned the fold-over method we already discussed for the Half Stiffs. But, for the Full Stiff’s, you either need a gym buddy or wear a thin long-sleeve shirt. The elbow sleeve tends to slide over fabric much more easily than over skin. You should choose a thin, smooth or “slick” fabric for the easiest results. Compression shirts would be perfect for this. He also recommends going one size up from the chart if you expect to put the sleeve on by yourself most of the time.

For the perfect fit, he recommends that two-thirds to three-quarters of the sleeve rest over the biceps, with the remainder covering the elbow and forearm.

My Results with MPDS Elbow Sleeves

Of course, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to train with Jordin Vliegen of all people, and he instructed me on dips with and without sleeves. We worked on my technique, especially the rise after the dip, focusing on lifting my head back up. That really helped my form improve. 

The difference with and without the sleeves was really noticeable. My arms shook much less, and my form remained much more compact and consistent through the whole move with the sleeves. I did 50kg of added weight first, and I could do it without the sleeves, though I was shaky. With the sleeves, the shaking and unsteadiness almost completely disappeared, and I could even sneak in a second repetition that was better than the first.

The trick with the sleeve is not to do your technique too slowly. If you go a little faster, the rebound from the sleeves helps you more. 

Feeling confident now, Jordin challenged me to break my PR of 65kg, and I broke that. Plus, I got a fist bump out of it.

Pricing of the MPDS Elbow Sleeves

Here is a price breakdown on these sleeves, along with the CWW10 discount code price:

MPDS Elbow Sleeves	Regular Price	CWW10 Discount Price (est.)
Half Stiff	€75,-	€67,50
Full Stiff	€95,-	€85,50

Conclusions about the MPDS Elbow Sleeves

These sleeves do a lot to improve your technique and increase your gains. The advertised added weight of 5 to 15 kilos, depending on the sleeve, rings true. Of course, it also depends on how your technique is, and what weight you can dip now. But the gains and advantages are certainly there. 

If you want the maximum gains or if you want to participate in competitions, you definitely need the Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves. These sleeves give you the highest 1RM performance and are specifically approved by Final Rep for Streetlifting competitions. They are hard to put on by yourself, especially if you want the perfect fit. A long-sleeve compression shirt helps you put it on yourself. 

The Half Stiff sleeves are easier to put on and take off. They are also more flexible and better suited to higher-volume exercises. This is important for your preparation, work on your technique and muscle mass. If you’re starting with Streetlifting or Weighted Calisthenics as your general workout, the Half Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves are much nicer.

Their high quality and their contribution to our dip performance make both sleeves a solid recommendation from us. If you want either MPDS Elbow Sleeves, don’t forget to use our CWW10 discount code for 10% off your purchase.

Frequently Asked Questions About MPDS Elbow Sleeves

Here are a few more frequently asked questions about these Half Stiff and Full Stiff MPDS Elbow Sleeves.