After suffering a concussion during a game in April, U.S. women’s soccer player Ali Kreiger is using a protective headband as her team competes in this month’s Women’s World Cup.
Kreiger is donning the Halo headband made by Unequal Technologies, which has developed a product that can absorb impact and decrease acceleration from head collisions. Unequal’s technology, also found inside some football helmets, is a four-layer military-grade composite material that can block, disperse, and convert impact energy. The headband, which is five times stronger than steel and 10 millimeters thin, retails for $39.95.
“I have learned the hard way that concussions are not fun,” Kreiger said in a statement. “Unequal has empowered and bolstered my confidence.”
Kreiger, who has suffered two concussions during her career, is using a custom-made headband from Unequal, Fox Sports reported. She noted today that the protective headgear is lightweight and comfortable.
“The fact that that it helps protect me and doesn’t affect ball control made it an easy decision to wear in the World Cup and beyond,” Kreiger added.
Her story is similar to Alex Torres, the New York Mets pitcher who now wears a protective cap on his head after seeing a teammate get hit in the head by a line drive.
There are a handful of Seattle-based companies all developing their own concussion-reducing and/or monitoring technology, from X2 Biosystems to Vicis to i1 Biometrics.
