What XTECH Protective Equipment does

XTECH Protective Equipment, LLC is a privately held, US-based manufacturer of custom football shoulder pads and protective accessories, founded around 2012 by Bob Broderick (President) and Ted Monica (a former NFL equipment manager who serves as chief product designer). The company operates from a single ~5,000 sq ft facility in East Hanover, New Jersey, where it designs and assembles its products end-to-end, and employs approximately 12 people, supported by a US sales force of roughly eight regional account managers. Its customer base spans professional NFL players, 400+ college programs, 300+ high school programs, individual youth athletes and parents, and international buyers in 50+ countries served via regional distributors.

The company's flagship product is the X2 custom shoulder pad system, built around XRD military-grade impact foam and protected by 11 design patents and US Patent No. 9,238,167. Core patented elements include a 3-point swivel arch attachment, dual cantilever system, adjustable body channels, swivel belt buckle system, and ventilation architecture. Pads are 3.75–4.5 lbs, materially lighter than competitor pads (5.5–7 lbs), and ship custom-built within one business day. Customers configure pads via an online 3D Custom Pad Builder, with sizing support from the EQM-Fit online equipment manager. The broader catalog includes rib guards, backplates, sternum pads, bruiser pads, anti-grabs, QB torsos, isolation inserts, removable channels, girdles, and replacement hardware.

XTECH monetizes through one-time hardware sales priced at $615–$625+ per base pad (with add-ons separately priced), multi-year team packages ranging from $12,500 (Starter) to $50,000 (Program) sold via the Cover-2 donation program, and buy-now-pay-later financing through Affirm. Distribution is omnichannel: direct-to-consumer e-commerce, regional field sales for enterprise accounts, international distributors across Europe, Asia, Canada, Mexico, and an affiliate partner program. The company has secured high-profile endorsements from NFL players including Fred Warner, Josh Jacobs, Patrick Surtain II, Puka Nacua, Josh Allen, Justin Herbert, Dexter Lawrence, and Daniel Jones, with Eli Manning joining as an equity partner in 2022.

Name

XTECH Protective Equipment

Legal name

XTECH Protective Equipment, LLC

Website

https://xtechpads.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

XTECH Protective Equipment designs and manufactures custom football shoulder pads in the USA, built around patented XRD foam and cantilever architecture. It serves NFL players, 400+ college programs, 300+ high schools, and international buyers in 50+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Football Protective Equipment

NAICS

Sporting and Athletic Goods Manufacturing (33992)

akta.pro primary industry

Powersports Safety, Helmets & Protective Gear Manufacturing (IMACAEAN)

Keywords

• Football shoulder pads
• Custom protective equipment
• Sports safety gear
• Athletic impact protection
• Football equipment manufacturing

Headquarters

HQ city

East Hanover

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Custom Football Shoulder Pads (X2): Primary revenue stream from the sale of custom-configured X2 shoulder pads. Pads are built to order based on player measurements, position, and selected arch/epaulet/cup configurations. Base price starts at $615-$625 with add-on accessories (rib guards, backplates, sternum pads, anti-grabs) priced separately. Orders ship within one business day.
2. Protective Gear Accessories and Add-ons: Sale of individual protective gear components and accessories including rib guards ($185), belt ribs ($110), backplates ($75), sternum pads ($65), bruiser pads ($85), anti-grabs ($50), removable deltoids ($45), belt cushions ($25), knee pads ($15), thigh pads ($35), replacement hardware ($7.99–$9.99), shoulder harness ($99), and 5-padded girdles ($75–$85).
3. Team/Group Sales (Cover-2 Program): Multi-year programs to outfit entire teams with XTECH pads. Program packages range from $12,500 (Starters) to $50,000 (Program), with tax-advantaged giving options through established charitable 501(c)(3) organizations. Includes consultation, sizing, team fittings, inventory management, and discounted team pricing.
4. Affirm Financing: Partnership with Affirm to offer buy-now-pay-later financing to individual customers, enabling higher price-point purchases with monthly payments (as low as $57/month) while the company receives full payment upfront.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

XTECH Protective Equipment designs, manufactures, and sells custom-configured American football shoulder pads and protective accessories under its X2 platform. Pads are built-to-order based on player size, position, arch profile, and add-on protection selections via an online 3D Custom Pad Builder. The company serves professional athletes, college and high school programs, and individual youth/parent consumers through direct e-commerce, field sales, and international distributors, with all products manufactured in the USA.

Product overview

XTECH Protective Equipment is a sports protective equipment company specializing in football shoulder pads and accessories. The core product is the X2 Custom Shoulder Pads system—a modular platform offering three main arch configurations (Standard, Skill, Super Skill) with customizable components including epaulets, cups, shoulder foam, and multiple add-on protection accessories. The system is complemented by the 3D Custom Pad Builder (an interactive online tool) and EQM-FIT (a sizing/equipment management platform). Add-on modules include rib guards, belt ribs, backplates, sternum pads, bruiser pads, anti-grabs, QB torso protection, girdles, and replacement hardware. The company also operates the Cover-2 Program for team donations. All products are designed and manufactured in the USA.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• X2 Custom Shoulder Pads The flagship customizable football shoulder pad system featuring three arch types (Standard, Skill, Super Skill), multiple epaulet and cup options, and XRD foam technology for impact protection. Configurable via 3D Custom Pad Builder for positions including QB, RB, WR, TE, OL, DL, LB, DB, CB, and S. Base price $615–$625.
• X2 Custom Pads (Preconfigured) Preconfigured X2 pad combinations available in size/arch bundles (XS-Skill through XL-Skill) at $615 each. Includes fixed combinations of arch, cup, epaulets, and shoulder foam optimized for specific positions.
• Rib Guard Universal football rib protector providing side torso protection, priced at $185, riveted on during manufacturing.
• Belt Ribs Torso and rib coverage accessory available in Medium and Large sizes, priced at $110 each, riveted onto the pad for additional protection.
• 5-Padded Girdle Lower-body protective girdle utilizing XRD Technology with padded protection for tailbone, hip, and thigh areas, priced at $75.
• Backplates (Rectangle, Trapezoid, Vented 5-Sided, X-Mold) Collection of lower back protection plates in multiple styles including Rectangle, Trapezoid, Vented 5-Sided, and X-Mold configurations, priced at $75 each.
• Sternum Pad Chest protection pad for sternum and frontal contact coverage, available in Medium and Large sizes at $65 each.
• Bruiser Pad Chest protection accessory for direct frontal contact, priced at $85.
• Anti-Grabs Hand-fighting and grab-resistant coverage for linemen and rushers, priced at $50.
• QB Torso Quarterback-specific torso protection pad, priced at $75.
• Removable Channels Adjustable front and back body cushion system allowing customizable pad fit, priced at $75.
• Removable Deltoids Front shoulder flap padding for extra shoulder coverage, priced at $45 per pair.
• Isolation Inserts Protective shoulder padding inserts, priced at $65.
• 360 Insert Full-range protective shoulder padding insert, priced at $65.
• Horseshoe Shoulder protection accessory providing concentrated coverage around the shoulder joint, priced at $75.
• Shoulder Harness Structural harness system for shoulder pad attachment and stability, priced at $99.
• Knee Pads Lower leg protective pads, priced at $15.
• Thigh Pads Upper leg protective pads, priced at $35.
• Belt Cushions Waist belt comfort padding available in XS-MD and L-3X sizes at $25 each.
• Replacement Hardware Backplate Hardware ($7.99), Rib Guard Hardware ($9.99), and Belt Rib Hardware ($7.99) for pad maintenance and repair.
• XTECH Hook Kit Velcro hook kit for secure jersey-to-pad connection, available in multiple sizes (SM through 3XL) and arch styles (ST/SK and SS) to fit different pad configurations.
• XTECH Performance Snapback Hat Branded athletic headwear accessory sold via the XTECH website.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80%+ NFL player adoption rate, trusted by 400+ college programs and 300+ high school programs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers20 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and flagship.

• Futspo (Germany)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman-based sports equipment retailer and distributor for XTECH products in Germany. Part of the XTECH International distributor network covering the European market.
• Wiking Sports (Switzerland)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwiss sports equipment distributor for XTECH products. Part of the European distributor network.
• Sportus CompanysupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEuropean sports equipment distributor carrying XTECH products.
• BLiTz Equipamos Tu Pasión (Mexico)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMexican sports equipment distributor for XTECH products, serving the Mexican American football market.
• Football America (UK)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUK-based American football equipment specialist and distributor for XTECH products in the United Kingdom.
• Contact Sports (Sweden)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish sports equipment distributor for XTECH products serving the Scandinavian market.
• QB Club (Japan)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJapanese American football equipment retailer and distributor for XTECH products in Japan.
• Area Fifty-One Sports (Canada)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCanadian sports equipment distributor for XTECH products serving the Canadian American football market.
• Taobao / Shanghai Touchback (China)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChinese e-commerce platforms distributing XTECH products in China. XTECH sells to amateur players as far away as China through these channels.
• Ted MonicaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormer NFL equipment manager and co-founder Ted Monica designed the XTECH X2 shoulder pad system. Described as a 'mad scientist' by Rams director of equipment Brendan Burger. Monica personally customizes pads for professional athletes and serves as the company's chief product designer.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Wilson Sporting Goods: Wilson is an iconic broad-sporting-goods incumbent with a football product line that includes official NFL footballs and protective accessories. It is comparable to XTECH as a portfolio sports brand with overlap in team-level football equipment categories.
• Under Armour: Under Armour is a broad athletic apparel and protective-gear incumbent with an established football division (gloves, cleats, protective base layers). Comparable as a large-category incumbent serving the same football consumer and team procurement channels as XTECH.

Direct peers

• Battle Sports: Battle Sports designs and sells football protective equipment (mouthguards, shoulder pads, gloves) with a direct-to-consumer lean. It is comparable to XTECH as a younger, marketing-driven challenger brand in football protective gear.
• Riddell: Riddell is the established market leader in American football protective equipment (helmets and shoulder pads) and is the most directly comparable peer to XTECH. Both compete for NFL, college, and high school equipment budgets with position-specific protective pads.
• Schutt Sports: Schutt Sports manufactures football helmets, shoulder pads, and facemasks, serving the same NFL, college, and high school protective equipment market as XTECH. It is a long-standing incumbent with broader product breadth and team-wide equipment relationships.
• Champro Sports: Champro is a value-oriented American football and team-sports equipment manufacturer that competes on price across shoulder pads, helmets, and accessories. Direct peer via shared product category (football shoulder pads) with a more mass-market go-to-market model.

Regional players

• Adams USA: Adams USA is a smaller, long-tail manufacturer of team-sports protective equipment with strength in football and baseball. Comparable to XTECH as a peer in football protective equipment manufacturing, though with a more legacy/diversified product line.

Emerging players

• Xenith: Xenith is a football helmet company with proprietary protective technology. It is comparable to XTECH as a newer football-protection brand that uses engineering-led differentiation to compete with Riddell/Schutt, though it focuses on helmets rather than shoulder pads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/xtechpads
• Instagraminstagram.com/xtechpads
• Facebookfacebook.com/xtechpads
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/xtech-protective-equipment-llc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about XTECH Protective Equipment