Strategic Sports Ltd.

Founded in 1991, Strategic Sports is a sporting goods company based in Hong Kong, China, specializing in OEM (original equipment manufacturing) and ODM (original design manufacturing) of sports helmets. Strategic Sports serves business customers from more than ten facilities, offering forty product lines. The company is vertically integrated, with all key processes from raw materials sourcing, product development, molding, and tooling to product testing carried out internally.

Product example: Ski helmet SP-S698V

In addition, Strategic Sports holds several hundred patents and, according to the company, operates the largest privately-held safety laboratory in the sports helmet industry. Strategic Sports' market presence extends across Asia, Europe, and North America.

Customers have the option of consulting the company's international support team when making a purchase decision. Strategic Sports' product range comprises various sports categories, as outlined below:

• Bike helmets: Strategic Sports' product range of open-mold helmets includes subcategories such as road, mountain bike, enduro racing, downhill, urban, and child.
• Snow helmets: Snow helmets have integrated sun shields in hardshell and in-mold designs for skiers and snowboarders.
• Motorsport helmets: Motorsport helmets incorporate Strategic Sports' proprietary safety technologies. The motorsports range of helmets focuses on attributes and features such as lightness, active venting, replaceable visors, sweat-resistant padding, and ECE 22.05 (Economic Commission for Europe) or DOT (U.S. Department of Transportation) safety standardization.
• Skateboarding: The company provides a selection of hardshell and in-mold helmets for skateboarders.
• Equestrian: The equestrian collection of helmets offers a variety of helmet styles specialized for horseriding.
• Water sports and climbing: Strategic Sports also offers helmets for water sports and climbing.

Conehead is Strategic Sports' proprietary technology used in the company's products. In the event of an accident, Conehead forces the impact energy to spread sideways within the foam instead of towards the head, resulting in a lesser exertion of g-force to the head. Conehead's fourth generation has improved on the previous iterations in terms of lightness, the foam's shock-absorption capacity, and fit.

Conehead technology preview

Strategic Sports manufactures all components of its products, including the following:

• Agion lining: The lining is treated with Sciessent’s antimicrobial Agion solution to protect against microbial growth. It activates upon contact with microbes and eliminates odors.
• Bamboo lining: Bamboo is used due to its renewability and permeability properties, resulting in a drier and more odor-free alternative compared to cotton, which is approximately 40 percent less absorbent.
• Seamless lining: The lining is cushioned and designed to cover as much of the helmet wearer's head without impeding vent airflow. It minimizes helmet movement during use and helps it stay securely in place.
• Fidlock: The fidlock mechanism is a fastener designed to be operated with one hand, leaving the other hand free to promote user safety.
• Reflective straps: Reflective material on the straps helps users stay visible, especially during nighttime.
• Recycled straps: The straps are made from recycled polyester yarn, which is made from post-consumer plastics, such as water bottles.

Strategic Sports' in-house laboratories adhere to the test-to-fail approach whereby the durability limits of products are tested through a series of stress tests. All of the tested products' weaknesses are addressed before they are released for manufacture so that they can perform adequately even in extreme conditions.

In 2018, Strategic Sports began measuring its CO₂ output. According to the company, by 2020, it has reduced production by 50 percent per product, achieving this result by the following efforts: diminution of energy usage per manufactured unit; investment in solar energy and rainwater collection systems; incorporation of light hydrocarbon gas into the production process; adaptation of sustainable and recycled materials in the production of helmets; increase of green areas in the factory; and more frequent equipment maintenance.