The global market for protective sports equipment hit the $9bn mark in 2019, but a number of reports suggest that it could grow by at least 30% over the next five years.
One paper, from Global Market Research, examined the trends that are happening worldwide with regards to the effectiveness and affordability of protective equipment and found that it is likely to be one of the largest growing areas in the entire outdoor sports equipment industry.
There are a variety of reasons for this, from the growing popularity of ‘extreme’ sports, through to a greater awareness of the impacts of head injuries in many of the world’s most notable sports. Additionally, while gym attendance has been hit significantly this year, once society opens up in 2021 and people regain confidence in going to the gym, the protective workout equipment market will only continue to grow.
Here at Creative Play, we are huge proponents of offering the most engaging and effective play and workout opportunities in the safest manner possible. The majority of our equipment is designed for children, so we are even more aware of the need for safety provisions as they are still learning specific motor skills and their physical capacities are still developing.
We would expect to see many of the major players in the Sports Protective Equipment market – CENTURY, McDavid, Shock Doctor Sports, Storelli, Nike, Vista Outdoor, Xenith, Bauerfeind, Adidas, Amer Sports, Under Armour, BRG Sports and Decathlon – to continue to grow, as well as new and innovative suppliers join the market, whether through private investment or public crowd-funding platforms.
The key protective items that are likely to see the most growth would be helmets, eyewear, mouth guards, pads, facemask, straps and protective footwear. Protective equipment is a vital presence across field sports, snow sports, water sports, motor sports and airborne sports, so it makes total sense that their market would grow as the popularity of these sports continues to grow.