The Best Cut-Resistant Fabric for Ice Hockey Apparel
In ice hockey, the adrenaline rush combined with the speed of the game, sharp skate blades and aggressive contact moves, expose the players to the risk of cuts and lacerations or commonly known as skate cuts. The rise of these incidents over the past years in professional leagues like the NHL highlight the importance of wearing cut-resistant garments, from hockey socks to neck protection. The most recent tragic accident – the death of former NHL player Adam Johnson from a horrific skate blade injury, has triggered renewed conversation around whether neck protection should be more widely mandated.
The existent solutions on the market are far from ideal, due to heavy, uncomfortable fabrics, and players would rather not wear them, exposing themselves to potentially life-threatening injuries. The fabrics used are often not fit for purpose, as some have a general scope for cut resistance, and can be used in many other industries, and are not specifically designed for sports, others use fibres which irritate the skin like glass fibre, and others use Kevlar fibres which deteriorate with exposure to the sun and moisture. So, what is the best cut-resistant fabric for ice hockey apparel?
Types of common injuries in ice hockey
Many cut injuries suffered by ice hockey players occur on the forearms, calves, lower leg and inside the upper leg. Neck lacerations also occur in hockey when a skate blade meets a portion of the neck, usually when a player loses their balance. The laceration can cause severe injury or death from damage to the airway, nerves, and blood vessels. We recommend wearing cut resistant neck guards, socks and leg guards are, with the expectation that they will prevent a laceration by providing an adequate barrier between the player and a skate blade. The challenge for apparel manufacturers comes from finding an adequate cut-resistant material that covers the vulnerable areas while maintaining an acceptable level of comfort for the player.
Kozane® Pro – lightweight cut resistance
We engineered Kozane® Pro – our lightest cut-resistant fabric, as the ideal choice for the manufacturing cut resistant ice hockey apparel – preventing serious and life-threatening cuts and lacerations. Manufactured in collaboration with an apparel manufacturer for ice hockey, it has met the rigorous demands for cut protection and comfort. As a result, manufacturers already use Kozane® Pro for cut resistant socks for ice hockey in HNL (Canada). This unique three-dimensional knitted fabric combines a high-performance top layer with a soft, breathable polyester bottom layer for optimum comfort and protection.
Tested according to the ANSI ASTM F2992-15 standard for cut resistance and scoring an impressive level A6, Kozane® Pro offers outstanding cut resistance, it is lightweight and breathable, weighting only 345 grams per square meter, and features a 4-way stretch unique for a cut-resistant fabric.
Reduce the risk of suffering from such traumatic and sometimes never fully healed cut wounds and use the correct type of user-friendly cut-resistant garments. Kozane® Pro is ideal for cut-resistant ice hockey apparel, from skin suits, gloves, socks, neck guards, and ankle guards, offering protection against career-changing cuts and lacerations on the ice.
