This is a really good brace for support.

I researched for an hour and I'm happy to report this is nothing short a miracle for me!

I pulled a muscle/ligament in my lower back, just above my hip near my waist.
ANY motion was excruciating, the pain taking my breath away. I was stuck in bed, with ice and meds: immobile. I couldn't do anything...until I put this brace on!

The first thing that impressed me was how lightweight, airy and thin this is. No bulky straps or buckles. Comfortable support, wide yet flexible. Super easy to put on as the entire closure is made of one piece velcro - making adjusting fast and easy. There are two elastic/stretchy horizontal side supports that allow you to tighten, cinch and add pressure to support injured muscles and ligaments. I especially like the ability to tighten just one side if needed.

The vertical boning/supports are located strategically in the back so there is no pinching when bending sideways and forward. They kept the boning away from the middle of the back and added xtra flexible padding to keep the spine from being compressed. There are flat rubbery grips on the inside which keep the support from moving around.

I put this on soon as it was delivered and I'm not kidding - I wore it for 15 hours straight and my pain was virtually gone the entire time wearing it. I was able to do a workout, stationary bike, errands, cooking etc and no meds! I wore it under my clothing while out and over clothing at home. It looks like a workout belt so wearing It on the outside isn't distracting. It's so comfortable I didn't think about it much, but I'm so thankful to get my mobility back and start healing fast. I would buy this again in a heartbeat!

I bought the brace when I recently pulled some muscles in my lower back. I am very physically active, walking, riding horses, etc. it hurt to bend over, lift a saddle or pick up something off the floor. I wore this brace for additional support and it worked effectively. It supported my activities while I recovered. I felt more secure knowing I was wearing this brace. It is Velcro material and easily stays in place. It fit around the top part of my hips.

Over the past year I've searched for the best back brace to suit my purposes.
A thin 5'6" woman, whose back went out after 2 years of heavy stress & strenuous chores. My back pain wasn't caused by accident, albeit it was the worst it's ever been. I purchased a variety of different braces, but this one fit the best and has enough support, (but not too much to make it rigid.) Most braces are made for men so are too wide & tubular for a woman's waist. Adding rigid 'stays' to them makes it worse. This one is just right, with 2 flexible stays on either side, which don't interfere with spine or movement, but gives added support. The small/medium gives me plenty of room to wear over or under clothing and the 2 side velcro panels can be pulled tight to give extra support if needed. All in all an excellent value! I only wish I'd found it sooner!

Due to my long-sitting job everyday, I have been using several back braces/back support belts for years. I had a perfect one long while ago, and used it for many years. Eventually it totally wore out, so I have to find a replacement. So far I have tried at least 4 different ones, but none met my expectation. But, I must say this one is so far the best. First, it is light, not very long nor wide, thus, very convenient for daily use, not bulky at all! Second, its mesh design really helps if you sweat (of course, if you sweat a lot, particularly during summer, you will still feel a bit hot). Third, it has some level of support in the back although the 8 stays are not rigid. Of course, if you are looking for something that can give you very sturdy support, you may want to try something else. As a matter of fact, I do also need a strong support in the back and think this one is not enough for me. So I use scissors to open its back and take out 4 of the original 8 stays (they are just soft plastic strips) and replace them by hard ABS strips I have from my old braces. Another issue with this product is the size. Yes, as mentioned by several other people, the size chart is misleading. I am a fit guy with 33" & 160lbs, the S/M size just barely fits on me. I think the S/M size only works for up to 33";, certainly not for 34" or 35" as indicated on the size chart.