ATLANTA (February 26, 2026) – Guardian Sports today announces the official launch of the Guardian FLEX Chinstrap for individual sale and team order, the first-ever chinstrap specifically engineered for impact absorption on facemask blows. The Guardian FLEX Chinstrap reduces HARM (Head Acceleration Response Metric) by up to 35%, offering better protection in a critical location. It is the first and only safety-focused chinstrap designed to address a gap in helmet protection. Research shows that approximately 50% of impacts occur to the facemask1 , an area where traditional helmets underperform in reducing force transmission.

“Coming off of the excitement of seeing the Guardian Cap in the Super Bowl this month, we couldn’t be happier to share our chinstrap with athletes across the country, ” says Erin Hanson, CEO and Co-founder of Guardian Sports. “Our priority is athlete safety at every level of play, and this product addresses face-to-face impacts in a way that hasn’t been done before.”

By integrating advanced hydraulic shock-absorbing systems of SoftShox™, the Guardian FLEX Chinstrap represents a new approach to chinstrap protection and impact mitigation. Following the presale in August 2025, the chinstrap is fully compatible with all major football helmets and is available for individual and team sales in the color white and in two sizes, S/M and L/XL.

1 Arbogast et al., Sweden. “Kinematics of Facemask Impacts in Professional American Football.” International Research Council on Biomechanics of Injury. September 2024. Stockholm,

ABOUT GUARDIAN SPORTS

Founded in 2010, Guardian Sports is on a mission to better protect athletes at every level of play. Its flagship product, the Guardian Cap, was originally developed to reduce head impacts during football practice and has since expanded into game-day use across all levels of play. Guardian Sports also created the LOOP flag football headband, PEARL lacrosse balls, FLEX chinstrap, and bio-based turf INFILL. Trusted by athletes nationwide, Guardian continues to lead in safety-driven innovation. Learn more at www.guardiansports.com

ABOUT SOFTSHOX®

SoftShox is a pioneer in hydraulic impact reduction technology, developing systems that cushion, adapt, and absorb energy in ways foam and plastic can’t. Its patented approach to protection is now making its way into sports equipment through its collaboration with Guardian Sports. Learn more at www.softshox.com. No helmet, headgear, or chinstrap can prevent or eliminate the risk of concussions or other serious head injuries while playing sports or otherwise. Researchers have not reached an agreement on how the results of impact attenuation tests relate to concussions or other injuries. No conclusions about a reduction of risk or severity of concussive injury or other injury risk should be drawn from impact attenuation tests. All headgear, helmet pads and chinstraps must be used along with properly fit and maintained helmets.