Most people assume their back and neck pain is caused by poor posture—and they’re usually right. A 2015 study published in the International Journal of Occupational Medicine and Environmental Health found a link between poor posture and neck pain in office workers. The good news is that being more aware of your posture—and taking steps to improve it—is an easy way to reduce chronic pain, as seen in a 2018 study published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders.
Given this information, it’s no surprise that interest in back braces continues to grow among Amazon shoppers. In fact, the marketplace’s best-selling back brace, the Truweo Posture Corrector ($20; amazon.com) has more than 13,000 ratings alongside hundreds of reviews from people who say it has helped their posture.
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The wearable contraption claims to correct your posture by forcing your body to sit or stand with the correct spinal alignment. Its unisex design includes two straps that hit in the middle of either clavicle bone connected to a single breathable panel that hits between the middle of the shoulder blades. According to the brand, this forces your chest forward and your shoulders back into optimal alignment.
Developed to be used for just 2 hours a day, its minimalist design can easily be disguised under clothing and worn through a variety of activities, including workouts. And unlike many other back braces, it’s optimized for comfort and made from a lightweight, breathable neoprene material. In fact, more than 1,800 5-star reviewers specifically mentioned the comfortable construction.
To buy: Truweo Posture Corrector for Men and Women, $20; amazon.com
From one person calling it “the simple solution to slouching” to another declaring it “their spine savior,” shoppers can’t seem to get enough of this budget-friendly find. However, New York-based chiropractor, Jan Lefkowitz, D.C., says that while having proper posture is a very important health goal, these back braces are not scientifically proven to be effective. Instead, your posture is a reflection of how stable your body is against the force of gravity, she says, adding that “the only real way to change posture is by retraining and balancing this internal system of muscles and nerves.”
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Though posture correctors are not scientifically-proven, tons of people still say they’ve had success after using one alone or in tandem with other posture-correcting efforts (such as the ones mentioned above by Lefkowitz.) And given that Truweo’s best-selling brace has racked up nearly 7000 perfect 5-star reviews, it’s clear people are still willing to try an affordable and simple at-home method to working on poor posture.
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