With safety concerns mounting and new concussion research taking place every season, the football helmet has quickly become one of the most scrutinized pieces of protective apparel in sports.
Each year, manufacturers introduce new technologies to make their helmets more equipped to handle head impacts, rotational forces and linear impacts that occur during standard course of play. And now there are two laboratory studies that give us even more insight into how football helmets work.
Even the most casual football fans know the importance of a safe and protective helmet when engaged in competition. With the force and speed of the game, it is essential players equip themselves with a quality helmet. But one piece of the puzzle that is often overlooked, even by the most seasoned players, it’s that of the chin strap. Previously only seen as a way of securing the helmet to the head, the role of the football chin strap has transformed into playing a pivotal part in protecting players.
Helmet manufacturers and sports equipment companies alike have all seen the chin strap as an opportunity to provide players another line of protection from the impacts on the football field. Using the latest technology and protective materials, each has developed a product that will not only be more comfortable, but far more valuable in offering another layer of defense. We’re going to take a look at our Top 5 Football Chin Straps, giving you some insight on gearing up for next season.
As one of the leading helmet manufacturers, it’s of no surprising that they have also developed a high quality chin strap. The Elite Hard Cup from Schutt is everything you would expect in an upgraded chinstrap. The hard plastic shell offers an excellent shield against the big hits. The foam uni-cup design uses an integrated splitter for extra strength, as well as providing a comfortable custom fit. Available in both Youth and Adult sizes, the Schutt Elite Hard Cup is a great choice when improving your protection.
Few brands in sports do style and protection as well as Under Armour, and the Gameday Armour Pro chin strap exceeds expectations on both fronts. Designed to perform as good as it looks, the anodized finish sets the bar very high. But the Armour Flex outer shell is incredible durable and withstands the rigors of a tough football season. Also featuring an internal pad that is removable and washable, and a perforated design that improves breathability. This Under Armour Football Chin Strap offers the protection you need with the look you desire.
SportStar may be a brand that is unfamiliar to many. But when it comes to chin strap protection, very few can compete. Specializing in the production of chin staps, SportStar has taken a science first approach, looking to make the chinstap as advanced as modern day helmets. Rated as one of the safest chin straps on the market, the GX-4 is constructed from 4 different pieces to help absorb blows and prevent concussions. The patented GelPad disperse energy and offers a custom fit for every player. Also featuring a high density EVA foam and a NASA engineered plastic shell, GX-4 is not short on technological designs. Even with all the protective measures, the SportStar chinstrap is also a stand out in appearance. The GX-4 is fully customizable, allowing you to perfectly match your team’s colors.
Like Schutt, Riddell is the maker of the helmets most trusted by the game’s elite. The TCP chin strap is the top level of protection offered by Riddell, making it a serious contender for our top rated chinstrap. Like the other chin straps on this list, The TCP features a hard outer shell constructed from a durable polycarbonate. Also featuring breathable ventilation and soft padding inside that provides incredible comfort. The TCP chinstrap is also available with the Rachet-Loc attachments, allowing you to wear it with the highly rated Riddell SpeedFlex helmet. The Riddell TCP Chin strap is seen every weekend of the fall on the best players in the world for a reason.
When you’ve spent the time and effort in designing a piece of sporting equipment like SportStar has, being seen as the best is the expectation. The Evolution chin strap showcases an advanced design that with layers of protection. Beginning with a hard outer shell and an non-slip EVA foam that is anatomically molded to absorb impacts. Also featuring the GelPad at the base of the chin, to offer a great custom fit. Once you put on a SportStar chin star, you’ll see exactly why more and more professional players are turning to them. Its unmatched level of protection has made the SportStar Evolution our top ranked football chin strap.
For the past several years, Schutt has followed a similar pattern when it comes to releasing new football helmets: take a recognizable helmet shell and tweak the padding inside.
While this strategy hasn’t exactly changed the face (or head) of football, it has strengthened Schutt’s position when it comes to helmet safety. The Litchfield, Illinois-based manufacturer now owns five of the top six ranked helmets in the Virginia Tech Helmet Study and has six styles that have earned five star rankings. Those numbers figure to increase in the 2017 study with the recent release of the Schutt Air XP Pro Q10 Adult Football Helmet.
Following on the heels of 2016’s new offering, the Vengeance Z10, Schutt has taken its Helmet Stabilization System and applied it to the classic Air XP shell in the Q10. The system uses both internal and external stabilizers around the jaw area to give players a more locked in feel. Special jaw pads, also used in the Z10, work in unison with newly designed facemasks to provide addition protection to the side of players’ faces by extending above the helmet shell.
Other than the shell design, the biggest difference between the new Q10 and last year’s Z10 is in the front padding. The Z10 uses traditional foam wrapped in a faux leather comfort pad, while the Q10 has shifted away from that and put TPU throughout the entire helmet, including underneath the newly designed front pad. The lighter padding brings he helmet’s weight down to 2.95 pounds without a facemask. That weight doesn’t increase much when you add an included titanium facemask in your choice of style and color.
While the Q10 has yet to be rated by the Virginia Tech study, Schutt’s track record shows that if they’re releasing a new helmet, it’s sure to be given a 5-star rating. Look for the Q10 to start popping up on NFL and college fields during this spring’s mini camps or get your own on SportsUnlimited.com today.
The health and safety of youth football players is paramount to players, coaches, parents, and us at Sports Unlimited. At the core of the safety concern is the helmet; the one piece of equipment that is designed to protect the brain. Using an improperly-sized helmet is just as detrimental as wearing a helmet that does not provide great protection from cushioning systems and advanced shell construction.
As safety is the most important portion of the decision-making process for buying a football helmet, price and style still have their place because gearing Junior up for football season is time-consuming and cash-consuming. With all exaggerated grandeur, I do now present to you the new Schutt Vengeance DCT Hybrid Youth Football Helmet!
With Schutt’s mastery of helmet design and construction, the Vengeance DCT Hybrid is built with advanced protection technology in the most critical areas at an affordable price. The front, crown, and back parts of the helmet are strategically protected with Dual Compression TPU (DCT) technology that has elite protection against high and low velocity hits. This is accomplished with one layer of hard TPU supplemented by one layer of soft TPU to maximize the absorption of shock from impact. Schutt’s extensive research and development have determined those areas (front, crown, and back) as the highest levels of impact, needing the most advanced defense. The sides of the helmet are lined with a vinyl nitrile padding that supports and protects the rest of the player’s head. The comfort liner allows the DCT Hybrid to rest properly on the youth player’s head for a snug fit, which is not only important for comfort, but also for safety through proper fit.
The immediately noticeable difference from this helmet to others is the brand new Vengeance shell design. The largest standoff of any helmet manufactured, the Vengeance shell provides greater impact absorption as well as strength. The shell is made of ABS plastic, which is lightweight and is featured on all Schutt youth helmets to bolster protection for any young player on the field. Another impact of the new shell design is a redesigned Faceguard Line with offset eyebrow bars to augment impact absorption. Along with the face mask change, Schutt introduces the Twist-Release System to aid in the event of injury. This allows the facemask to be removed quickly and easily.
Schutt is really pushing their TPU technology, which is yet again in the AiR Maxx Jaw Pads to protect the youngster’s face. TPU is the same material used to make United States Armed Forces fighter pilot helmets. The advanced protection of this helmet through Dual Compression TPU, Vengeance Shell design, and new Faceguard Line is truly shocking at the $84.95 price.
Expertly designed and packed with new protection technology, this helmet is one that we recommend with great fervor. You can’t beat the price at Sports Unlimited and don’t forget that we’re rooting for the overall safety of all players and of course, your team!
I leave you with a video of the Doug, our Web Team Leader and the DCT Hybrid…
Schutt is loaded with elite quality football helmets and they’ve added to the arsenal again. An upgrade to the popular AiR XP, the AiR XP Pro Adult Football Helmet has been whispered about for some time, but is now available at Sports Unlimited! Featuring Dual Compression TPU, the Surefit TPU Air Liner, and AiR Maxx TPU Jaw Pads, the beloved AiR XP is now immensely more safe in the Pro version.
The original AiR XP was made famous by its on-field performance and lightweight design, and the new AiR XP Pro maintains its light weight (3 lbs, 2 oz) with the added benefits of the most advanced cushioning system in existence. I would say this is shocking, but when it comes to Schutt, nothing really shocks me anymore. Consistent innovation and excellence are now the expectation from Schutt, and truly, they have not disappointed.
We’ve witnessed the Dual Compression TPU (DCT) system in Schutt Vengeance helmets and by golly have we been impressed with this technology. It is no surprise that they’ve moved on to add this system to the lightweight AiR XP series to improve shock absorption from both high velocity and low velocity impacts. If you’ve ever been on a football field, you know how often collisions happen, and the way a helmet responds to these impacts is vital to the health of any player. The DCT system simultaneously utilizes two types of TPU to best protect from every-play impacts as well as infrequent violent collisions. The combination of protection and lightweight construction will surely make this one of the greatest on-field performing helmets we have ever seen and as Schutt spoils us with so many exceptional helmets to choose from, now is the time to give your game a boost with a brand new helmet with the safest, lightest, and strongest technology football has ever seen!
We, here at Sports Unlimited, are devoted to bringing you the very best football equipment because we take pride in our passion for the game. Stay safe and practice hard!
Welcome to the 2013 Sports Unlimited Football Equipment Draft. With all of our minds on the upcoming NFL Draft, we decided to present our own style of draft that features the best of the best football equipment that you can find at SportsUnlimited.com because we want to equip you with what you need to make 2013 the most memorable season of your life.
We have randomly generated a draft order for some of our expert compatriots at SU and I will be documenting the draft so that you can stay informed with the top-of-the-line, most advanced products in the industry. Here are the top ten picks!
With the luck of the draw, the coveted first overall pick in our draft goes to Andre from the Customer Service department. With every product still on the board, Andre selects the Schutt Titanium Big Grill 2.0 Football Facemask. Lighter and stronger than steel, this facemask brings the performance of a No.1 pick. Peak performance with the most intimidating and wicked design on the market make the Titanium Big Grill 2.0 one fearsome mask only available at Sports Unlimited.
With so many incredible products remaining, Jason felt the pressure when he was on the clock and let it get down to 00:01 before deciding that the Schutt AiR Maxx Flex Adult Football Shoulder Pads – QB / WR were worthy of the 2nd pick. I have to agree with him because the Quarterback to Wide Receiver connection can put six points on the board on any given play. Ultimate protection with strategically placed TPU and superb range of motion give these pads the best draft rating in the biz. Drafting performance and protection for some of the most important positions on the field is always an excellent choice.
In an early shock, Steve from our Web Team is going deep with the Cutters X40 C-Tack Revolution Adult Football Receiver Gloves. Equipped with a self-restoring C-Tack grip and available in an array of colors, these gloves make plays. Steve knows that fumbles and drops can cost dearly on the gridiron and he wasn’t afraid to snag an elite pair of ‘hands’ this high in the draft. Great pick!
The fourth pick belongs to our wise leader and President, Don who makes the most popular pick of the draft with the Schutt Vengeance DCT Adult and Youth Helmets. Don goes with the numbers here because he knows this popular helmet lives up to the hype and “has been our number one selling helmet this year”! The TPU in the DCT is the same material used in United States Armed Forces fighter pilot and paratrooper helmets. Combined with a re-imagined shell design, I wouldn’t have been surprised to see this go first overall!
Having had head and jaw injuries in the past, I knew from the start that I needed to draft a great helmet. With Don having taken the Schutt Vengeance DCT off the board, my decision became a lot easier because my internal argument was between the former and the Riddell 360 Adult Football Helmet. With Concussion Reduction Technology, Flex Face Guard, and Riddell’s Hexagonal Liner System, I may have just picked up the best helmet in the world.
Web Team is here with another pick, and Steph, with an understanding of how important vision is on the field, dashes to our imaginary podium to select the Oakley Football Eyeshield. Steph trusts the Plutonite construction and HDO (High Definition Optics) technology from Oakley because wherever you are on the field, your decision-making relies on vision. The value here is playing smart and Steph’s team is going to be built on great vision and smart decisions.
At the seventh pick, Doug, the feared Web Team Manager, picks up the product at the top of his draft board, the Schutt Vengeance DCT Hybrid+ Youth Football Helmet. “I like the combination of all the latest protection technologies and the value you get versus the Youth Vengeance DCT.” The innovative combination of Dual Compression TPU and traditional vinyl nitrile padding makes this youth helmet high in protection and low in price. This could be the steal of the draft!
Michele, one of our Customer Service Supervisors, has the football knowledge and competitive spirit to know that winning on the gridiron takes great footwork and her strategy is speed, speed, speed. She’s getting some traction with theNew Balance 993 Mid Mens Lacrosse / Football Cleats. These cleats were designed to have the versatility, durability, and lightness to make a player dangerous. Speed with stability can go a long way.
We have back to back Customer Service Supervisor picks and this one belongs to Jamie. One of the friendliest people around, he cares about our products and our customers, which is why he is going with the Wilson TDS Leather High School Football. Without a ball, you can’t play and this beauty is approved by NFHS for high school play. Practice your skills with the ball or play some catch out back because a tight spiral just looks better with an official ball. You can see and feel the quality with 899 full-grain leather.
Ryan received the tenth and last pick in the draft, but with the expertise he has as a Buyer and Customer Service Manager, he can draft in any position and come out with a winner. He calls the Schutt Y Flex All Purpose Youth Football Shoulder Pads, “great youth shoulder pads that our customers love for all positions. Value is excellent.” Ryan picks for strength and versatility with these youth shoulder pads that feature Air Flex tech and vapor holes to maintain protection with great comfort. Safety is paramount whether you are developing football skills or playing at an elite level.
There you have it, our inaugural Sports Unlimited Football Equipment Draft is complete. I’d like to thank the participants for lending their expertise. I’ll declare the draft a success due to my personal happiness with my pick and I know you all were rooting for me. This draft could have gone any which way because the top ten draft picks were only a tiny sample of what SportsUnlimited.com has to offer!
Good luck this season folks!
By Isaac Clark
Isaac is a writer at Sports Unlimited.
One of the highest-rated and most sought-after football helmets in the game today has finally been re-designed and re-sized to protect the young, developing grid-iron star! Schutt Vengeance Youth helmets have hit the market…and they’re not alone. In addition to the fully-featured Youth Vengeance DCT, Schutt has also developed new Youth Vengeance DCT Hybrid helmets, delivering the protection and performance of dual compression TPU, and the aggressive look of the Vengeance, at a much more affordable price for youth players.
The new Youth Schutt Vengeance DCT Helmet gives you all of the same amazing and innovative features you get with the incredibly popular adult version. A larger offset, Mohawk-style shell houses two layers of TPU cushioning, designed to absorb different levels of impact force, protecting developing heads from any kind of hit they’ll experience on the field. In addition to taking huge amounts of force, both layers of TPU never break down, develop mold, or compress. And because of the lightweight and rounded design, TPU also breathes naturally, so these helmets never get super-heated and uncomfortable. The Youth Vengeance also features the aggressive new Vengeance facemask design and twist-off bumper, for a great look and easy facemask removal.
The key difference between the youth and adult version is the weight and the fit of the helmet. Designed for smaller heads, the Schutt Vengeance Youth is built with an ABS plastic shell (the adult version uses a stronger polycarbonate shell) to provide solid protection while abiding by youth football league rules.
Coinciding with the release of the fully-featured Youth Vengeance DCT helmet, Schutt has also produced the Vengeance Youth Hybrid and Hybrid + helmets.
These helmets give you everything you’d get with in a fully-featured Vengeance helmet, but utilize a Hybrid Padding System, which combines the next-generation protection and performance of DCT cushioning with the traditional lightweight impact protection of vinyl nitrile padding. Strategically constructed with DCT in key hitting areas along the front, crown, and back of the helmet, and traditional padding in the sides, these new Vengeance Hybrid helmets give young players the latest look and protection, at an incredible value.
The Vengeance DCT Hybrid is the most affordable option, delivering the Vengeance look and DCT performance with a basic, non-inflatable comfort liner.
The Vengeance DCT Hybrid + ups the ante a bit, with a more advanced SUREFIT ventilated air liner, allowing kids to inflate their helmet for a more secure, safe, comfortable, and custom fit.
Whatever option fits your needs and you budget, it’s just great to know that finally you can give your kids one of the most protective and highly-rated football helmets out there!
Can I get a custom football facemask? Can I customize a big grill 2.0 facemask? Can I get a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D? Customers are more and more set on creating custom football facemasks for their game, but today, people are confused if this is even possible.
Custom football facemasks have been a part of the game for years, but only recently have they taken on a completely new form, changing from mere performance and protection pieces into full on branding mechanisms! Starting last year with players like Justin Tuck and Chris Canty, and now with even more unique facemasks like the sick one worn by Ray Lewis recently, players are seeing the wide benefits of customized and unique facemasks. Custom configurations not only give football players a more aggressive look, and better protection, but they are also starting to identify players, make them stand out, and are getting people talking…like, in this blog for instance.
But with this big move towards facemask customization in the NFL, comes a clamoring for all of these new, unique, and aggressive facemasks from the masses of football players around the world! Not surprisingly, everyone from Pop Warner kids to NCAA College players want to rock their own custom football facemasks, to get the same look they see on their favorite NFL players. That’s why over the passed two years, since appearing on famous players, the original Justin Tuck facemask, and now the new Big Grill 2.0 Ray Lewis facemask have together become the best selling facemasks of all time!
But now people are starting to wonder, how can I get my own custom football facemasks?
The reasons are many. Some players want the new Big Grill 2.0 look, but on a helmet that the retail-produced facemask simply isn’t compatible with. They want a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D, or a Big Grill for a Riddell Revo Speed. Others want completely new football facemasks bar configurations never seen before, to create their own look. Whatever the reason though, the question is always the same; where can I get a custom facemask, and how much would one be?
The answer is short, and unfortunately disappointing. You can’t.
According to football gear production companies, they simply cannot allow end users (i.e., retail customers…people like you and me, who aren’t professional football players like, say, Ray Lewis) to create and use their own faceguards. Many things come into play, but mainly, the issues are logistics, engineering, and overall, safety.
Creating a new facemask configuration for full production and manufacturing can be an expensive and difficult process, one which is too involved to warrant making only one custom facemask for one person. But in addition to the complications and costs arising from the production process, every facemask that helmet manufacturers like Schutt, Riddell, Rawlings, or whoever else creates and releases for sale, must be approved by NOCSAE (the National Operating Committee on Standards for Athletic Equipment), and unfortunately, this doesn’t necessarily apply to NFL players.
NOCSAE approval in and of itself can be a lengthy process, and is done to ensure the facemask is safe for use by adult and youth football players in regular game situations. It would be extremely difficult, and take a huge amount of time for football gear companies to create, manufacture, and have NOCSAE examine and approve a slew of individualized custom football facemasks for retail sale. And without the NOCSAE approval, facemask performance and in turn, player safety could be at risk.
It’s disappointing to hear, I know. But it looks like, for now, we non-NFL pro players are just going to have to settle for football facemasks manufactured and approved for retail sale. Thankfully though, companies like Schutt and Riddell have responded to the call for custom football facemasks, and are creating new and even cooler configurations for mass release all the time, developing styles similar to the Chris Canty, Ray Lewis, and Justin Tuck facemasks for sale!
Learn how to properly attach a Big Grill 2.0 facemask to a Schutt Vengeance helmet. Complete video directions include attaching an XL Super Pro and DNA facemask to the helmet. All directions can be applied to the new Big Grill 2.0, as well as any XL Super Pro or DNA style facemask.
In response to many of your questions and requests, we went ahead and shot a video explaining how to properly attach the new Schutt Big Grill 2.0 facemask to the equally new and equally cool Schutt Vengeance helmet! Our video explains how to attach the new XL Super Pro and DNA Big Grill 2.0 facemasks to the Vengeance football helmet, but it’s important to understand that these techniques can be used for any XL Super Pro or DNA style football facemasks!
[EDIT: Sadly, our Youtube page went rogue, so we no longer have this video]
The Vengeance is designed to fit specially designed Vengeance facemasks, as well as Schutt DNA and Super Pro XL facemasks. The sizing and attachment specifics can get confusing though., I think it’s important to spell out all of the details and hopefully answer some of your questions:
1. Only XL Super Pro facemasks will fit on a Medium or Large Vengeance football helmet. Unfortunately, no Super Pro facemask will fit on an XL Vengeance.
2. Attaching an XL Super Pro facemask to a Vengeance helmet requires no additional hardware (outside of those included with the facemask) or modification.
3. Regular size DNA facemasks will fit on a Medium or Large Vengeance.
4. An XL DNA is required if you wear an XL Vengeance.
5. To attach a DNA facemask to a Vengeance helmet, you must drill holes in the shell to accept the increased depth of the facemask design.
Big Grill 2.0 Questions
There are also some similar issues surrounding custom football facemasks that I’d like to address, to answer any further questions and dispel some rumors. For one, as of now, there is no big grill facemask for the Revo Speed, or any Riddell helmet for that matter. The Big Grill 2.0, and original Big Grill facemasks are products of Schutt, and are not designed to fit any Riddell football helmet, including the Revo Speed and 360. If Riddell develops a similar custom facemask, we will definitely stock it, and let everyone know immediately!
Secondly, many customers wonder why there is no Big Grill 2.0 for the ION 4D helmet? Although there is an original Big Grill for the ION 4D, the latest version, the Big Grill 2.0, is not compatible with it. For many, this is frustrating, because they’d like to get the look of the Ray Lewis facemask on their ION 4D. Unfortunately, Schutt is not going to produce a Big Grill 2.0 for the ION, because, with the introduction of the new Schutt Vengeance, Schutt is tapering back production of the ION 4D. This is not meant to reflect poorly on the ION 4D as a great, and highly rated helmet. It is simply a business decision of the helmet manufacturer.
By Brandon Porter.Brandon is a product specialist at Sports Unlimited.
The new Schutt Big Grill 2.0 football facemask is available for immediate sale at Sports Unlimited! The single most intimidating facemask ever created by man, the Big Grill 2.0, made famous by a certain New York Giants defensive back, will transform your game! Available in a wide variety of colors and styles, including the new Aqua Tech specialty color designs.
The wait is over and one of the most insanely aggressive football facemasks ever devised is finally available for sale to the public! That’s right, the infamous Big Grill 2.0 facemask (made famous by a certain New York Giants defensive end) is here and ready for immediate purchase (at Sports Unlimited).
We all remember where we were the first time we saw the original Big Grill on TV. It was unlike anything else out there; 6 horizontal bars and three vertical pegs made it look like a dangerous Darth Vader mask of intense football aggression. Then the guy goes ahead and one up’s himself…starting the 2012 NFL season with a completely new and even more ridiculously intimidating facemask!
The new Big Grill 2.0 revamps the original grid design, creating something completely unheard of. A modified ROPO (Reinforced Oral Protection Only) facemask with a 5 horizontal bar structure, and 12 diagonal bars cutting across the face, literally daring any opponent to just try and get his fingers in there. It’s intense athletic aggression sharpened to a razor’s edge!
Available in a wide variety of colors, Schutt has released the new Big Grill 2.0 in DNA and Super-Pro styles. The Schutt Big Grill 2.0 DNA facemask will fit on your youth or adult Schutt DNA Pro +, and the Big Grill 2.0 Super Pro will fit your youth or adult Schutt AiR XP, AiR Advantage, or XP Hybrid. XL versions of both of these Big Grill 2.0 facemasks are also available for players, to fit your extra large helmets.
For those of you with a brand new Schutt Vengeance, don’t fret; the The Big Grill 2.0 is designed to fit the Vengeance as well! An XL Super Pro Big Grill 2.0 will fit on any Schutt Vengeance helmet easily. But if you’re more interested in the DNA Big Grill 2.0, that will fit as well, with slight modifications. All you’ll need to do is drill holes in the pre-marked spots on the Vengeance shell, and the DNA facemask should fit perfectly.
For an even more intimidating and unique look, check out the exclusive Schutt Big Grill 2.0 DNA Aqua Tech or Super Pro Aqua Tech Facemasks! Designed with permanent specialty coloring effects, Aqua Tech graphics turn your face guard into something sleek, beautiful, and dangerous on the gridiron.
Buy your Big Grill 2.0 today, and protect yourself with the single most impressive and aggressive football facemask on the planet!
Few brands in sports do style and protection as well as Under Armour, and the Gameday Armour Pro chin strap exceeds expectations on both fronts. Designed to perform as good as it looks, the anodized finish sets the bar very high. But the Armour Flex outer shell is incredible durable and withstands the rigors of a tough football season. Also featuring an internal pad that is removable and washable, and a perforated design that improves breathability. This Under Armour Football Chin Strap offers the protection you need with the look you desire.
SportStar may be a brand that is unfamiliar to many. But when it comes to chin strap protection, very few can compete. Specializing in the production of chin staps, SportStar has taken a science first approach, looking to make the chinstap as advanced as modern day helmets. Rated as one of the safest chin straps on the market, the GX-4 is constructed from 4 different pieces to help absorb blows and prevent concussions. The patented GelPad disperse energy and offers a custom fit for every player. Also featuring a high density EVA foam and a NASA engineered plastic shell, GX-4 is not short on technological designs. Even with all the protective measures, the SportStar chinstrap is also a stand out in appearance. The GX-4 is fully customizable, allowing you to perfectly match your team’s colors.
Like Schutt, Riddell is the maker of the helmets most trusted by the game’s elite. The TCP chin strap is the top level of protection offered by Riddell, making it a serious contender for our top rated chinstrap. Like the other chin straps on this list, The TCP features a hard outer shell constructed from a durable polycarbonate. Also featuring breathable ventilation and soft padding inside that provides incredible comfort. The TCP chinstrap is also available with the Rachet-Loc attachments, allowing you to wear it with the highly rated Riddell SpeedFlex helmet. The Riddell TCP Chin strap is seen every weekend of the fall on the best players in the world for a reason.
When you’ve spent the time and effort in designing a piece of sporting equipment like SportStar has, being seen as the best is the expectation. The Evolution chin strap showcases an advanced design that with layers of protection. Beginning with a hard outer shell and an non-slip EVA foam that is anatomically molded to absorb impacts. Also featuring the GelPad at the base of the chin, to offer a great custom fit. Once you put on a SportStar chin star, you’ll see exactly why more and more professional players are turning to them. Its unmatched level of protection has made the SportStar Evolution our top ranked football chin strap.
Following on the heels of 2016’s new offering, the Vengeance Z10, Schutt has taken its Helmet Stabilization System and applied it to the classic Air XP shell in the Q10. The system uses both internal and external stabilizers around the jaw area to give players a more locked in feel. Special jaw pads, also used in the Z10, work in unison with newly designed facemasks to provide addition protection to the side of players’ faces by extending above the helmet shell.
While the Q10 has yet to be rated by the Virginia Tech study, Schutt’s track record shows that if they’re releasing a new helmet, it’s sure to be given a 5-star rating. Look for the Q10 to start popping up on NFL and college fields during this spring’s mini camps or get your own on SportsUnlimited.com today.
