INSIGHTS INTO SPORTS, STUDIES, EVENTS & PRODUCTS
HALO SOCCER LACROSSE FOOTBALL BASEBALL HART EXO SKELETON
HALO INSIGHTS
BEST PERFORMING LINE OF HEADGEAR
Finally, in a first-ever independent study of its kind on soccer headgear, VA Tech, using algorithms and methodology developed in its Helmet Lab, has determined that soccer headgear reduces risk of head injury and that some headgear is definitely better than others! Virginia Tech’s soccer headgear tests gathered linear and rotational acceleration and impact data. All Unequal Halo headgear received the top 4 and 5 Star ratings, the only product performance levels that they "Recommend" and have merit in their view. Bottom line: We offer the best-performing line of soccer headgear in the country and VA Tech confirmed it.
Fit, fashion, comfort and incredibly effective low profile protection… that’s Unequal Halo! Especially our most popular the Halo 3, it looks just like a traditional headband but offer incredibly effective head protection in a lightweight, comfortable design. Halo 3 is extremely easy to transition too, especially if the player is not used to wearing headgear. Great for flag football, basketball, volleyball and cheerleading practice.
HEADGEAR STYLE COMPARISON
PERFORMANCE TESTING
SOCCER INSIGHTS
WHEN IT COMES TO CONCUSSIONS, GIRLS SOCCER ISN’T THAT DIFFERENT FROM BOYS FOOTBALL
When it comes to concussions, at least, soccer isn’t that different from football if you’re a teenage girl, according to a study of 20 high school sports published in the November 2019 issue of Pediatrics, a peer-reviewed medical journal. The sport also has been pitched as a safer alternative to football amid growing evidence of football’s physical toll on participants, including neurological damage. University of North Carolina researchers found football had the highest concussion rate, with 10.4 concussions per 10,000 athletic exposures, followed by girls soccer with 8.19 concussions.
Women’s brains are much more vulnerable than men’s to injury from repeated soccer heading, according to a another study by researchers at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, part of Montefiore. The study found that regions of damaged brain tissue were five times more extensive in female soccer players than in males, suggesting that sex-specific guidelines may be warranted for preventing soccer-related head injuries.
Experts speculate that girls have smaller, weaker necks than boys, making their heads more susceptible to trauma. Hormones also could play a role. And girls might be more likely to report a concussion.
Soccer headgear could help prevent some of those injuries, according to ratings released by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. Several models earned the top score of five stars, which translates to a reduction in risk of at least 70 percent for the impacts tested. “There’s a risk of injury in any sport, but protective equipment can reduce that risk significantly,” said Steve Rowson, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics and the lab’s director.
ADDITIONAL STUDIES
RESEARCHERS FOUND “CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE” THAT REPEATED HEAD IMPACTS CAUSE (CTE), AND THEY CALLED ON SPORTS GOVERNING BODIES TO TAKE MEASURES TO HELP PREVENT THE DEGENERATIVE BRAIN DISEASE
STUDY OF OVER 400 RETIRED PROFESSIONAL MALE SOCCER PLAYERS FOUND THAT HEADING THE BALL MAY BE LINKED TO BRAIN PROBLEMS LATER IN LIFE
LONG-TERM RAMIFICATIONS OF CONCUSSION IN SPORT HAS FOUND CHRONIC TRAUMATIC ENCEPHALOPATHY IN THE BRAINS OF MORE THAN HALF OF DONORS, INCLUDING THREE UNDER THE AGE OF 35
STUDY REVEALS THAT SOCCER PLAYERS WHO HEAD THE BALL ON A REGULAR BASIS ARE THREE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO DISPLAY SYMPTOMS OF CONCUSSIONS THAN PLAYERS WHO DO NOT HEAD THE BALL
STUDY DETAILS THE STRONGEST LINK YET THAT REPETITIVE HITS TO THE HEAD — NOT JUST THOSE THAT PRODUCE A CONCUSSION — CAN LEAD TO (CTE)
RESEARCHERS FOUND, WORSE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN SOCCER PLAYERS STEMS MAINLY FROM
FREQUENT BALL HEADING RATHER THAN UNINTENTIONAL HEAD IMPACTS DUE TO COLLISIONS
RESEARCHERS FOUND STUDY FINDS SOCCER IS THE #1 SPORT FOR CAUSING CONCUSSIONS AMONG FEMALE YOUTH ATHLETES
STUDY REVEALS GIRLS ARE MORE LIKELY TO GET A CONCUSSION IN SOCCER THAN BOYS
STUDY FINDS HEADING ACCOUNTS FOR ONLY 15 TO 30% OF SOCCER CONCUSSIONS
UNEQUAL’S STATEMENT ON THE WISCONSIN STUDY
RESEARCHERS CALL ON GOVERNING BODIES TO TAKE MEASURES TO HELP
Researchers have found "conclusive evidence" that repeated head impacts cause chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a new study showed, and they called on sports governing bodies to take measures to help prevent the degenerative brain disease.
"Sport governing bodies should acknowledge that head impacts cause CTE and they should not mislead the public on CTE causation while athletes die, and families are destroyed, by this terrible disease," Nowinski added.
Researchers have asked sports bodies, government officials and parents to implement prevention and mitigation efforts, especially for children. "This analysis shows it is time to include repetitive head impacts and CTE among child protection efforts like exposure to lead, mercury, smoking, and sunburns," Dr Adam Finkel, a co-author of the study and a professor at the University of Michigan said.
"Repetitive head impacts and CTE deserve recognition in the global public health discussion of preventable disorders caused by childhood exposures."
CAN SOCCER HEADGEAR HELP?
Soccer headgear could help prevent some of those injuries, according to ratings released by the Virginia Tech Helmet Lab. Several models earned the top score of five stars, which translates to a reduction in risk of at least 70 percent for the impacts tested. “There’s a risk of injury in any sport, but protective equipment can reduce that risk significantly,” said Steve Rowson, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering and mechanics and the lab’s director.
LACROSSE INSIGHTS
THE MOST PROVEN & ACCREDITED LACROSSE PROTECTION AVAILABLE
Unequal has been out front on the development of effective heart protection for years... so we applaud the recent lacrosse standards that were implemented. While we are very confident in the overall effectiveness of the original Unequal Hart pad products that came with a peer-reviewed study and FDA claim, we now have added an SEI Certification to our lacrosse goalie chest protector, player shoulder pads, and Pulse shoulder pad shirt. They are simply the most accredited pads available.
LOW-PROFILE & NARROW DESIGN
Uniquely constructed with a low-profile chest pad that does not negatively impact natural athletic movement of arms when stick handling. The narrow design does not obstruct your vision when you need to play the ball down around your feet. It can be the easiest approved gear for players to transition to as it's made with thin, but powerful aramid fiber technology. Our patented composite allows us to provide superb protection with less padding in your way.
NOT ALL PROTECTION IS CREATED EQUAL
The Unequal HART® Protection Zone utilizes our HART® CC pads which are positioned with the advise of experts in cardiology. The pads surround the center and left side chest and are arranged to help protect against direct impacts as well as the left side where players can be vulnerable.* Dr. Jeffrey Mandak, a Board-Certified Cardiologist, says to properly protect the heart from commotio cordis an effective chest protector will safeguard the player from the sternum to the left nipple. A deficiency in this area may potentially expose athletes to inadequate coverage.
*Left side pads available with CC Lacrosse Shoulder Pads, CC Goalie Chest Protector, Hart Shirts, & Hart Pad products
TRUSTED BY HOF & MVP PLAYERS
HOF Goalie Brian Dougherty was a key contributor to the design of Unequal chest gear... “As a US Lacrosse Hall of Fame goalie, who excelled at all levels of competition including the international and professional arenas, I know how important protective equipment is for all players. I am expd and honored to be a part of the Unequal team that developed a product that will help protect players. It is truly revolutionary design that will finally afford players the proper safeguarding so desperately needed in the game of lacrosse.”
BRIAN DOUGHERTY
MVP Goalie Blaze Riorden chose to wear Unequal during the 2023 PLL season... “I understand the importance of good pads. The sleek, protective, revolutionary padding Unequal has developed made it a no brainer, this is what I want to trust and be a part of. I’ve been lucky enough to help develop and test the gear that will now protect and help advance the next generation”
BLAZE RIORDEN
CLINICALLY TESTED, AN FDA CLAIM & MEETS NOCSAE STANDARD
As the world-leading experts in commotio cordis and after more than two decades of researching a protective solution, Tufts Medical Center, found Unequal had invented the first technology ever proven to significantly reduce the risk of commotio cordis. The result of the research was a peer-reviewed, published study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, March, 2016, “Development of a Chest Wall Protector Effective in Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death by Chest Wall Impact (commotio cordis).” Next, the FDA issued an IFU Claim regarding Unequal Hart pads that states: “When incorporated into a suitable garment and worn in accordance with instructions, the HART CC (commotio cordis) Pad device has been shown to reduce the mechanical impact received by the chest that may facilitate the reduction in risk of commotio cordis.”
Tested under NOCSAE standards at an independent accredited lab-06/16/16. Testing Measure: SEVERITY INDEX (SI). Results may vary.
DISCLAIMER: Unequal reduces risk of head injury as compared to a helmet alone. Leading medical doctors, PhD’s and scientists have concluded that a reduction in acceleration correlates with a reduction in concussion risk. Any player in any activity, game, or sport, can sustain a head injury even with head protection, and that no helmet, pad or Unequal product can prevent concussions or eliminate the risk of these injuries. See full product warning at unequal.com
FOOTBALL INSIGHTS
PLAY WITH A COMPETITIVE EDGE
Life’s too short to deal with football headaches and side-lining head injuries. Granted, nothing can prevent concussions in collision sports, but reducing the impact force and severity index up to 35% can help reduce the risk and make a difference in how you feel afterwards. Unequal Gyro is a supplemental helmet liner engineered to absorb, disperse and dissipate impact energy. Layered inside each Gyro is military grade, patented, coated aramid fabric, like that found in law enforcement vests. You’ll be surprised how that added protection leads to greater confidence and better play on the field. Many players report a competitive edge: “Hits feel different, better”… “less headaches”…“ I play stronger... after playing with a Gyro. Feel the Unequal difference... and tell your team!
THIS CONCEALED LINER OFFERS MORE
One important benefit of our concealed insert unlike other helmet padding products... not only can it be worn at practice, but since it’s inside not out, it can be worn during more competitive gameplay. Why fortify your protection during practice, and then leave yourself more exposed during games? Gyro is permitted for practices & games by the NFHS.
CAN HELP WITH YOUTH HELMET FITTING
Parents of youth football players sometimes find their children being issued a helmet that is slightly too large and discover the Gyro can improve the fit while supplying added protection and piece of mind. It simply drops in the helmet (no adhesive necessary). While we recommend having the Gyro on-hand during a helmet sizing to correctly dial in the proper fit, it can be trimmed with sharp scissors if necessary.
Gyro is backed by independent testing from accredited lab, tests results show a reduction in severity index up to 35%.
PROTECTIVE HEADBANDS FOR FLAG & 7-ON-7
Head injuries do not occur only in tackle football. No helmet, soft or hard, can eliminate all head injuries, but protective headgear with shock-absorbing padding can reduce the risk of a injury by decreasing the force of a blow to the head. The extra protection can also lessen the chance of a head wound while playing flag or 7-on-7 football.
Unequal Halos look just like a headband but offer incredibly effective head protection in a lightweight, comfortable design. Each Halo includes patented NURO® protection that Virginia Tech, in their extensive independent research, found reduces concussion risk as mush as 77%. Fit, fashion, comfort and incredibly effective protection... that's Unequal Halo!
CARDIAC CONCUSSION ON LIVE TV
When a national TV football audience watched a Buffalo defensive back go into sudden cardiac arrest on the field after making a seemingly routine tackle, viewers scrambled to better understand what happened. Medical experts quickly suggested that a lowered shoulder to the chest from the oncoming player may have caused a rare but often lethal heart disruption known as commotio cordis.
Commotio cordis is like a concussion of the heart, that kills. A random, non-penetrating blow to the chest wall area near the heart by a ball, bat, stick or hand causes the heart to fibrillate. The heart stops pumping blood. Its occurrence is relatively rare, but when it happens, it is catastrophic.
CLINICALLY TESTED & AN FDA CLAIM
As the world-leading experts in commotio cordis and after more than two decades of researching a protective solution, Tufts Medical Center, found Unequal had invented the first technology ever proven to significantly reduce the risk of commotio cordis. The result of the research was a peer-reviewed, published study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, March, 2016, “Development of a Chest Wall Protector Effective in Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death by Chest Wall Impact (commotio cordis)”
Next, the FDA issued an IFU Claim regarding Unequal Hart pads that states: “When incorporated into a suitable garment and worn in accordance with instructions, the HART CC (commotio cordis) Pad device has been shown to reduce the mechanical impact received by the chest that may facilitate the reduction in risk of commotio cordis.”
“It's a Kevlar® padded helmet... hard on the outside, padding on the inside, and it inserts under my hat brim.”
TYLER ZOMBRO
Triple-A Durham pitcher speaking to reporters about his custom Unequal Uncap
BASEBALL INSIGHTS
THE BALL LEFT THE BAT AT 104 MPH
Though the exact numbers aren't tracked, on average, a pitcher is hit in the head a couple of times per season at the highest levels of baseball. When Tyler Zombro stepped to the mound at Durham Bulls Athletic Park and threw the 2,245th pitch of his minor league career — a 90.6 mph sinker. He faced his first batter of the night. The pitch left Zombro’s right hand, and the batter made contact. The ball left the bat at 104 mph on a line drive up the middle. Zombro barely began to react before it hit him on the right side of the head, just above the ear. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
After four days in the ICU and two more in the hospital for monitoring, Zombro went home. He had a long road of therapies ahead -- occupational, speech, physical, and cognitive. Now, Zombro is completely back to normal and back playing with his team. When Tyler's at the ballpark, he now wears a custom-fitted, Unequal Uncap insert in his hat to protect his healing fracture.
WHEN A BASEBALL CAP ISN’T ENOUGH
When a helmet is too much and a hat isn’t enough. The Uncap Baseball & Uncap HDR are two options of patented protection from Unequal. One full coverage, while the HDR covers just the forehead. Each fits comfortably under a baseball cap. They combine FlexShell™ protection with a military grade composite that absorbs and disperses impact forces. For players looking for even more flexible protection, field players and pitchers can drop in an ultra-thin Dome or Solo composite pad. Both can also be used as supplemental padding within a batting helmet. Backed by independent testing... use of these concealed, lightweight, comfortable liners predict a lower risk of head injury.
THE EXACT WRONG MOMENT TO BE STRUCK
In the fifth inning of a 13U tournament game between the Houston Warriors and the Katy (Texas) Invaders, Walker threw a changeup, and a Katy hitter lined it up the middle. The ball struck Walker on the chest, over his left ventricle, and he fell to his knees. His father, Carey, bolted from the sideline. When he reached the mound, he found Walker lying on the dirt, mouth open but unable to breathe. Walker spent the next six days at Texas Children’s Hospital, where doctors marveled at him. According to pediatric cardiologist Lisa D’Alessandro, the ball hit Walker’s chest in the 20-millisecond window during each heartbeat when the heart is vulnerable to impact. As a result he suffered a sudden-death event known as commotio cordis, in which a blow to the chest induces a heart arrhythmia.
In the U.S. commotio cordis is most common in baseball because of its screaming line drives and in players less than 18 years old because their chest walls are more elastic, with less developed muscles. But it’s still “exceptionally rare,” D’Alessandro says, “and the fact that Walker spontaneously woke up is extremely uncommon.” In the vast majority of similar cases a defibrillator is required to shock the heart into beating again.
Once Walker returned to the ballpark, he wore an Unequal Hart Pad under his jersey to help face his first game back as a starting pitcher.
CLINICALLY TESTED & AN FDA CLAIM
As the world-leading experts in commotio cordis and after more than two decades of researching a protective solution, Tufts Medical Center, found Unequal had invented the first technology ever proven to significantly reduce the risk of commotio cordis. The result of the research was a peer-reviewed, published study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, March, 2016, “Development of a Chest Wall Protector Effective in Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death by Chest Wall Impact (commotio cordis)”
Next, the FDA issued an IFU Claim regarding Unequal Hart pads that states: “When incorporated into a suitable garment and worn in accordance with instructions, the HART CC (commotio cordis) Pad device has been shown to reduce the mechanical impact received by the chest that may facilitate the reduction in risk of commotio cordis.”
“I am excited to have played a role in discovering a technology that offers excellent protection against commotio cordis.”
MARK LINK, M.D.
Board-certified cardiac electrophysiologist, Leading worldwide authority on commotio cordis
HART INSIGHTS
A CARDIAC CONCUSSION THAT CAN KILL
When a national TV football audience watched a Buffalo defensive back go into sudden cardiac arrest on the field after making a seemingly routine tackle, viewers scrambled to better understand what happened. Medical experts quickly suggested that a lowered shoulder to the chest from the oncoming player may have caused a rare but often lethal heart disruption known as commotio cordis.
Commotio cordis is like a concussion of the heart, that kills. A random, non-penetrating blow to the chest wall area near the heart by a ball, bat, stick or hand causes the heart to fibrillate. The heart stops pumping blood. Its occurrence is relatively rare, but when it happens, it is catastrophic.
CLINICALLY TESTED & AN FDA CLAIM
As the world-leading experts in commotio cordis and after more than two decades of researching a protective solution, Tufts Medical Center, found Unequal had invented the first technology ever proven to significantly reduce the risk of commotio cordis. The result of the research was a peer-reviewed, published study in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine, March, 2016, “Development of a Chest Wall Protector Effective in Preventing Sudden Cardiac Death by Chest Wall Impact (commotio cordis)”
Next, the FDA issued an IFU Claim regarding Unequal Hart pads that states: “When incorporated into a suitable garment and worn in accordance with instructions, the HART CC (commotio cordis) Pad device has been shown to reduce the mechanical impact received by the chest that may facilitate the reduction in risk of commotio cordis.”
CARDIOLOGISTS AGREE... NOT ALL HEART PROTECTION IS CREATED EQUAL
The Unequal HART® Protection Zone utilizes our HART® CC pads which are positioned with the advise of experts in cardiology. These pads surround the center and left side chest and are arranged to help protect against direct impacts as well as the side where players can be vulnerable.*
WHAT CARDIOLOGISTS HAVE TO SAY...
“Developing chest protection effective against commotio cordis is very complex. A traumatic blow to essentially any site on the left ventricle can produce the fatal arrhythmia associated with commotio cordis. So protective devices must be positioned in the correct location. The silhouette of the left ventricle can extend from the sternum to at least the left nipple line chest protectors that do not properly cover this entire area may be ineffective in preventing injury to these exposed regions. Be aware of devices that are in use, but have portions of the left ventricle unshielded. This deficiency can render the chest protector inadequate with regard to commotio cordis protection and expose athletes to unnecessary danger.”
DR. JEFFREY MANDAK, M.D. FAC
Board-Certified Cardiologist
“The size, shape and position of the heart can vary The heart is positioned centrally within the chest cavity that can extend to the left nipple, known as the cardiac silhouette. To properly protect the heart from commotio cordis an effective chest protector will safeguard the player from the sternum to the left nipple, with proven certified protection.”
DR. BRYAN DONOHUE, M.D. FACC
Heart and Vascular Institute, UPMC
*Left side pads available with CC Lacrosse Shoulder Pads, CC Goalie Chest Protector, Hart Shirts, & Hart Pad products
EXO SKELETON INSIGHTS
GET CREATIVE WITH YOUR PROTECTION
Upgrade your gear with Unequal’s Exo Skeleton. We are pleased to offer amateur athletes full sheets of our superior composite to design and supplement your gear with custom protection. The pads an be cut with scissors, sewn into garments, placed into garment pockets or taped into position to protect areas prone to impact or injury.
EXO Skeleton® sheets are ultra-thin, customizable, supplemental sports pads, trusted to take your protection to the next level. Unequal’s patented composite helps protect athletes from high-impact shock and blunt force trauma by suppressing and dispersing most shock laterally, away from the head or body. Tested under the most rigorous conditions, EXO™ offers three levels of defense for any sport; helping protect catchers from 90mph heat, goalies from fast flying pucks or quarterbacks from bone-crushing blitzes.
So get a sheet of Exo Skeleton, grab a marker, a pair of sharp scissors, some good double-sided tape, and get creative with your protection!
SELECTING A COMPOSITE PAD
Start by determining how much impact protection you need and space is available within your existing gear. Full sheets of Exo Skeleton are offered in various thicknesses, as well as with and without Blast Shield; our fortified thermoplastic layer. Do you need a more flexible option, or would a more rigid pad be your choice?
ARMORLITE — For incidental or unintentional contact in sports. For optimal performance, use to supplement your existing hard shell or rigid padding. The thickness is approximately 4 mm or similar to 2 stacked quarters.
SUPERMAX — For direct impact sports. For optimal performance, use with your existing hard shell or rigid padding. The thickness is approximately 5 mm or similar to 3 stacked quarters. Includes a Blast Shield; our fortified thermoplastic layer which makes the composite more rigid than the others. The optional selection of our SUPERMAX DST also includes a tape adhesive layer.
REPEL — Thicker padding for medium to hard impact in sports. Can be used alone and/or with your existing hard shell or rigid padding. The thickness is approximately 6 mm or similar to 4 stacked quarters.
The below chart will give you the basic specifications of each pad option.
