Protective Sports Equipment: The North American Market

Report Highlights

The U.S. market for sports protective equipment was worth $1.8 billion in 2012.  The market is projected to increase to nearly $1.9 billion in 2013 and $2.1 billion in 2018, a CAGR of 2.6% between 2013 and 2018.

Report Includes

• An overview of the protective sports equipment market, including an analysis of the items in that category, manufacturing techniques, properties, and prices for the North American market.
• Analyses of market trends, with data from 2012, estimates for 2013, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2018.
• Examination of governmental and organizational rules on national, state, and local levels pertaining to health and safety of those involved in sports or activities at any age level or level of participation.
• Individual chapters that address research and development, sports head protection, eye protection, protective clothing, sports gloves, ear protection, pads, and other protective sports equipment, such as specialized footwear.
• Comprehensive company profiles of major players in the industry.

Report Scope

This report focuses on protective equipment worn in nonmotor sports, including:

• Football.
• Baseball.
• Ice hockey.
• Cycling.
• Inline skating/skateboarding.
• Lacrosse.
• Wrestling.
• Skiing/snowboarding.
• Soccer.
• Equestrian sports.
• Fencing.
• Climbing.
• Water polo.
• Boxing.

The emphasis is on commercially available equipment that is designed to prevent injury, rather than to protect injured tissue and promote healing once injury has occurred.  The report also does not cover devices whose main purpose is enhancing performance and/or comfort, although they may also protect against injury.  

Athletic footwear is not included, because of the difficulty of distinguishing between sales of shoes to serious athletes, to whom their protective value is significant, and more casual wearers who wear them primarily for comfort and/or style.  A similar rationale applies to cold weather clothing, such as ski parkas.

The report format includes the following major elements:

• Executive summary.
• Definitions.
• Regulation.
• Technologies (basic principles, materials, specific applications, major patents).
• Major end-user markets, 2012.
• Market drivers.
• Projected sales, 2013 to 2018.
• Manufacturer profiles.

Analyst Credentials

Andrew McWilliams spent more than 25 years as a consultant with Ernst & Young, McKinsey & Company and A.T. Kearny focused on manufacturing before segueing into research analysis. He has been covering myriad technology categories for BCC Research for more than 15 years. McWilliams has a BA from Princeton University and an MA from Harvard University. He has worked in more than 40 countries and he resides in the greater Boston area.