Protective Gear: What To Look For When You’re Looking For The Best
When it comes to purchasing something as important as athletic equipment, especially protective gear, it’s usually wise to invest in the best.
When it comes to purchasing something as important as athletic equipment, especially protective gear, it’s usually wise to invest in the best.Why spend top dollar for gear that isn’t even visible, as your players wear them under their uniform or in their mouth? Proper protection and injury prevention, that’s why.
With so many options, it’s important to understand what to look for in your team’s equipment. For example, what makes one mouthguard superior to another? Let’s take a look at three keys to look for when shopping for your athletes:
Sport-Specific Protection
First and foremost, a mouthguard — like any piece of athletic equipment — is a valuable piece of protective gear. Especially when you consider your players have a 33-56% of receiving an orofacial injury during their playing career.
Oral injuries are costly and last a lifetime, so be sure your players’ mouthguards are providing the right protection.
While this may vary from sport to sport, with some sports requiring more protection than others, all mouthguards should have at least 4mm of material in the important impact zones — the areas in front of the teeth and under the molars.
The Perfect Fit
Again, just like any piece of gear — whether it’s a helmet, shoulder pads or skates — your player’s mouthguard should always fit correctly.
And for mouthguards, that means a snug fit on their upper teeth, tight enough to firmly stay without being held in place with the lower jaw. That means no biting or clenching. They should only be able to remove their mouthguards by pulling it out with their fingers.
If their mouthguards don’t fit properly, your players are not guaranteed to have the proper protection in place when impact occurs.
A Cut Above The Rest
Fit isn’t the only important thing to look for though. The cut and or engineering of your athletes’ mouthguards make all the difference when it comes to their comfort.
Make sure there isn’t any extra or bulky material in areas where protection is less important than comfort. Any material in the soft palate area causes discomfort for your players and, similarly, any material in the free flow space makes it difficult to speak and breathe clearly — leading to a decline in athletic performance.
And sure, it’s hard to see the sense in spending good money for something like shin guards or thigh pads that are covered by a uniform and never seen. But while mouthguards reside in the mouth, they are definitely seen … and sometimes feared.
When it comes to buying protective gear, it’s important to get the best. Make sure your players have the right fit for their sport and the comfort they need to succeed.
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