Industry Spotlight- Hook and Loop in the Sport and Fitness Industry
Hook and Loop fasteners play an important role in many products we use every day. Because the fasteners provide years of trouble-free performance, it is easy to overlook the significant benefits they provide in a diverse array of applications.
In this post, we feature some products in the Sport and Fitness industry that benefit from hook and loop fasteners. Let’s take a look at how hook and loop is used in a variety of sporting applications.
In Major League Baseball, when a batter steps up to the plate wearing an elbow or foot protector, chances are this equipment is kept in place with elasticized hook and loop fasteners. The fasteners allow the player to quickly don the gear for their plate appearance and then easily remove the protector once they reach base or return to the dugout.
Hook and Loop is prominent in modern gymnastic facilities and training gyms. In the gym, hook and loop straps make life easier for boxers, replacing traditional lace-up gloves with easy on hook and loop secured gloves, saves time and makes ‘lacing-up’ a one-man job.
Supportive weight belts use hook and loop to let a lifter secure and remove the belt between lifts. Hook and Loop strips secure gym mats to each other or to walls and floors.
Even if you are not a runner, we are sure you are familiar with some running accessories that use hook and loop fasteners. The bottles of water firmly secured to a runner’s waist rely on a belt with a hook and loop fastener to keep the bottles in place during long runs. Similarly, hook and loop fasteners secure the ubiquitous armband style mp3 player / phone holders. Hook and Loop strips also enable reflective safety straps that attach to a runners arms or legs, improving runner visibility in low-light conditions.
Recreational and professional athletes alike are bound to suffer an injury at some point. Various braces and supports help the athlete recover and prevent re-injury by stabilizing the joint. A majority of these braces rely on hook and loop closures to keep them securely in place during all types of activities. Hook and Loop is especially beneficial for elbow and wrist braces, since it allows one-hand fastening in instances where the wearer cannot use both hands to secure the brace.
Hook and Loop is even found in sticky walls. While we are not sure this is a true ‘sport’ industry application, this last example of a sticky Velcro® wall is too fun not to share.
In a gymnastics environment, long lengths of hook and loop serve as multi-purpose training aids, limited only by the creativity of the instructor. One example are these these vinyl floor strips for training.
The above are just a few examples of hook and loop products in the sport and fitness industry. At HookandLoop.com we are amazed at the new applications our customers continue to find for our wide range hook and loop products. Our team of product experts have experience helping incorporate hook and loop fasteners in products across a range of industries. Please contact us today if we can help you improve an existing product or provide new product development support in bringing your idea to market.
In this post, we feature some products in the Sport and Fitness industry that benefit from hook and loop fasteners. Let’s take a look at how hook and loop is used in a variety of sporting applications.
Major League Baseball:
In Major League Baseball, when a batter steps up to the plate wearing an elbow or foot protector, chances are this equipment is kept in place with elasticized hook and loop fasteners. The fasteners allow the player to quickly don the gear for their plate appearance and then easily remove the protector once they reach base or return to the dugout.
Gymnastics, Gymnasiums and Gyms:
Hook and Loop is prominent in modern gymnastic facilities and training gyms. In the gym, hook and loop straps make life easier for boxers, replacing traditional lace-up gloves with easy on hook and loop secured gloves, saves time and makes ‘lacing-up’ a one-man job.
Supportive weight belts use hook and loop to let a lifter secure and remove the belt between lifts. Hook and Loop strips secure gym mats to each other or to walls and floors.
Even if you are not a runner, we are sure you are familiar with some running accessories that use hook and loop fasteners. The bottles of water firmly secured to a runner’s waist rely on a belt with a hook and loop fastener to keep the bottles in place during long runs. Similarly, hook and loop fasteners secure the ubiquitous armband style mp3 player / phone holders. Hook and Loop strips also enable reflective safety straps that attach to a runners arms or legs, improving runner visibility in low-light conditions.
Injury and Preventive Care:
Recreational and professional athletes alike are bound to suffer an injury at some point. Various braces and supports help the athlete recover and prevent re-injury by stabilizing the joint. A majority of these braces rely on hook and loop closures to keep them securely in place during all types of activities. Hook and Loop is especially beneficial for elbow and wrist braces, since it allows one-hand fastening in instances where the wearer cannot use both hands to secure the brace.
Creative Athletics:
Hook and Loop is even found in sticky walls. While we are not sure this is a true ‘sport’ industry application, this last example of a sticky Velcro® wall is too fun not to share.
In a gymnastics environment, long lengths of hook and loop serve as multi-purpose training aids, limited only by the creativity of the instructor. One example are these these vinyl floor strips for training.
Hook and loop provides a multitude of solutions:
The above are just a few examples of hook and loop products in the sport and fitness industry. At HookandLoop.com we are amazed at the new applications our customers continue to find for our wide range hook and loop products. Our team of product experts have experience helping incorporate hook and loop fasteners in products across a range of industries. Please contact us today if we can help you improve an existing product or provide new product development support in bringing your idea to market.
