The world has tried so many methods to combat ankle sprains. What I really needed was a brace that didn’t work like braces. Yes, it’s difficult. Berlin-based Betterguards is doing just that by creating high-tech braces, backed by support from the NBA’s Launchpad program that supports emerging technologies, and offering athletes in a variety of sports a new way to prevent ankle injuries. He says it has come true.
“We designed based on science, not tradition,” says Better Guards CEO Tony Verruti. “Athletes are forced to choose between mobility and protection, sometimes sacrificing mobility and sometimes sacrificing protection. We invented The BetterGuard. to provide protection and mobility.”
A team of mechanical engineers based in Germany founded Betterguards 10 years ago with a focus on injury prevention. This technology – a new hydraulic piston that allows for natural movement and instantly transforms into a protective device when needed – will serve as a key design element of the BetterGuard brace, which will be launched in 2022 with support from the NBA Launchpad incubator. The company brought the technology to market, first in Europe in 2023 and later in the United States. Due to his connection to the NBA, this brace has been adopted not only by his NBA, but also by the NFL, professional football, the NCAA, and more.
Verruti said the technology works because it only activates when needed, and can be worn like a sock while providing the protection of a brace. There are no restrictions on shoe styles. It works equally well on soccer cleats, low-top basketball shoes, tennis sneakers, and high-tops, and weighs 40% less than comparable ankle braces on the market.
“It helps with maneuverability and performance, but it also gives you protection and a sense of security, which is so important for confidence,” says Verruti.
What makes the brace work is a hydraulic piston, which acts like an additional ligament. If you pull it slowly, the piston will flow with the body. Therefore, during normal gameplay, it moves with the athlete without restricting cuts, jumps and other movements. At critical moments when the ankle is at risk, the pistons are all speed-based and locked.
“If you move very fast, you’ll be blocked three times as fast as your body,” Verruti says. “That’s Hero Technology, and what makes this product so unique is that it’s only there when you need it. It’s like a seat belt in a car.”
Aaron Cooper, Betterguards advisor and former director of NikeNKE innovation, calls this the holy grail of ankle protection. With more than 30 years of experience designing shoes, he pointed out how performance-enhancing sports equipment can negatively impact the body’s natural kinetic chain. “The idea that an athlete could wear an ankle sleeve that doesn’t impede the flow of force through the kinetic chain and instantly blocks that force and protects the athlete from misdirected forces has always been the holy grail,” he told me. Masu. “Once you learn about The BetterGuard, it’s your only smart choice.”
The sleeves slip over socks. His 90% of all ankle injuries occur due to lateral inversion, so the piston is on the lateral (outside) side.
Bertti says clinical trials have shown that Better Guard also helps athletes return to play faster from injury, but the combination of mobile protection could make the technology the answer to everyday wear. He says he thinks it is.
“My mission is to make this a non-negotiable sports item,” says Verruti. “It’s so comfortable and so protective that there’s no reason why anyone shouldn’t wear it. We think a lot about prevention and try to encourage athletes to think of this as protective performance gear.”
Better Guards plans to expand its lineup beyond Better Guard to include new products for a variety of uses, but Bertuti said the ankle is one of the often overlooked injuries that gives athletes both mobility. There hasn’t been a modern solution for this, so there’s still a lot of emphasis on the ankle. And protection.
BetterGuard first started with basketball, and about half of BetterGuard’s customers came from that sport. However, as he grew up, in Europe he expanded to the NFL, professional soccer, baseball, softball, tennis, and handball. One of the fastest growing markets today is volleyball.
Cooper says this performance integrates well with any footwear, so it works for a huge variety of activities. “An all-new adaptive ankle sleeve that slips over your socks for even more proprioceptive security during play and instant protection just for those unexpected end-of-season moments.”
follow me twitter Or LinkedIn.