Click here for article on Forbes.com.  

Three minutes into my ice hockey game this past weekend, my forearm was on the receiving end of a crisply whistled puck. It instantly swelled up and frankly still hurts. Hey, I knew getting hit there was a possibility, as my gloves are short-cuffed and don’t provide my arms with much protection. But two areas that are now much better protected are my head and torso, thanks to new products from Unequal Technologies -- a company trying to reduce concussions and injuries across a variety of sports.

Unequal Solo helmet liner

I tried its new Solo helmet liner in my hockey helmet. It’s a cross-shaped padding that I simply inserted inside the helmet, where it’s concealed. It’s also ideal for baseball and lacrosse helmets. It feels like a well-made rubber, but it’s actually made of advanced materials that together handle blunt force trauma and impact shock differently and company officials claim better than typical plastics and foams. While I thankfully didn’t get hit in the noggin during my game, I did notice that my helmet was finally snug enough that it didn’t flap around like usual. And I know that alone provided much better protection than I previously had. After the game, I simply removed it from the helmet, to let it dry out. Which it did within a couple of hours -- without any odor. It’s lightweight (4 ounces) and thin -- I honestly didn’t even think about it while I was playing. I’m extra-sensitive to concussions as my son recently experienced a mild concussion during a practice at his college’s mixed martial arts club. He felt the effects of it for about two weeks. And as a parent, I felt helpless in trying to comfort him, because you just don’t know the extent of it right after it happens. You have to wait. I hate that feeling, and I don’t want any parent to ever have to go through anything similar. The Solo costs $50 but provides peace of mind -- and yes, pun intended.

Unequal Cobalt padded shirt