I used a shitty ossur spirit lateral unloader brace last season and it was not pleasant. it was uncomfortable to wear, but not hard at all to put on. What's one more piece of gear anyway? Just make sure you invest in a good one, breg or donjoy are the best. Also, Asterix knee braces are really good for preventive and they protect just about the entire knee from impacts
Also, super pumped for my custom Donjoy Defiant osteoarthritis I'm using for the summer and next winter. Yellow/purple anyone?