In recent years, the amount of head injuries occurring in sports has begun to receive extra attention. Lawsuits coming from former NHL and NFL players have been flooding the news headlines and an MLB pitcher wore a protective cap for the first time over the weekend:
Padres’ Alex Torres says Alex Cobb’s injury a year ago made him want to wear the protective cap. http://t.co/Svgck5tctt
— theScore (@theScore) June 23, 2014
According to ClearedToPlay.org, injuries associated with participation in sports and recreational activities account for 21 percent of all traumatic brain injuries among children in the United States.
There have been numerous companies that have attempted to create a product that would help to decrease head injuries in athletes, but many of these companies have struggled with bulkiness or effectiveness.
However, one company has aimed to revolutionize head protection by constructing a product that is lightweight, comfortable, and effective.
Created in 2010, 2nd Skull is a head-protecting product that aims to help reduce the increasing amount of athletes who suffer head-related injuries.
2nd Skull’s technology is working to reduce the impact of head injuries in athletes of all activities ranging from youth to adult. The name of the product derives from it’s use of acting as a ‘second skull’ for ultimate protection from head injuries.
2nd Skull has created a skullcap for sports that involve helmets including baseball, football, lacrosse, and hockey. The company has also created a headband for non-helmet sports such as soccer and basketball.
The major feature of these products is their two-millimeter layer of a lightweight material called Poron XRD. This material is made from urethane molecules that are soft and flexible at rest but harden momentarily under sudden pressure. Poron XRD also keeps athletes cool and comfortable when using the product.
Other key features of the products include their ability to absorb more than 90 percent of energy when impacted at a high strain rate, as well as their lightweight, breathable, texture that gives athletes a comfortable wear. The product is also conveniently washing machine safe and includes moisture wicking for sweat management.
In order to accurately test the products and prove how protective they are, 2nd Skull chose to field test the beta versions with athletes of all sports ranging from youth to college level. This testing helped 2nd Skull to enhance their products in the categories of design, function, and fit. The testing also helped 2nd Skull collect a significant amount of data, which can be found on their website along with a video showing how products were tested for each major sport.
One example from the data shows how 2nd skull proved that their product can reduce impact on baseball players by up to 63 percent. The company used a dummy for testing and measured the impact of a hit from a baseball from the side and from the front of the head. After placing a 2nd Skull skullcap underneath the helmet and performing the same testing, the results showed an improvement of 17 percent when hit from the front and a 63 percent improvement when hit from the side.
2nd Skull uses the latest and most efficient material to give athletes of all sports and all ages the ultimate protection against head injuries. With concussions and other related injuries becoming a growing problem, these products have been tested and proven to significantly reduce impact on the head.