iM Sports
iM Sports (DBA Skin Guards) is a San Diego-based direct-to-consumer brand selling Made-in-USA protective sleeves and gloves designed for elderly individuals and others with thinning or fragile skin, distributed exclusively through its Shopify storefront.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- Headquarters—
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What iM Sports does
iM Sports operates as Skin Guards (formerly Nelson Wear), a privately held, 9-employee direct-to-consumer brand based in San Diego, California, that designs and sells protective skin wear — primarily forearm sleeves, full-arm sleeves, fingerless gloves, and gardening sleeves/gloves — for individuals with thinning or papery skin caused by aging, medications, or dietary supplements.
The core product is a thin, breathable, U.S.-manufactured fabric sleeve that blocks 97% of UV rays, tolerates water exposure, and provides mild compression intended to improve circulation. The product portfolio is intentionally narrow and use-case specific rather than performance-athletic, positioning the company in a medical-adjacent consumer niche rather than the broader compression-sleeve market dominated by athletic brands. Distribution is exclusively through a single Shopify storefront at skinguards.com, with marketing supported by organic social (Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest), a content blog (Skin Care Blog), and email — no retail, wholesale, or marketplace channels are in use.
Revenue is generated entirely through one-time unit sales at fixed price points ranging from $19.99 (fingerless gloves) to $29.99 (full-arm sleeves, gardening sets), with a military discount program and no subscription or recurring billing. The company is independently owned with no disclosed institutional funding, no acquisition history, no leadership team disclosed in the source material, and no international shipping footprint, indicating a lifestyle-scale operation rather than a venture-backed growth entity.
iM Sports firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iM Sports
- Legal name
- Skin Guards
- Website
- https://imsportsteam.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- iM Sports (DBA Skin Guards) is a San Diego-based direct-to-consumer brand selling Made-in-USA protective sleeves and gloves designed for elderly individuals and others with thinning or fragile skin, distributed exclusively through its Shopify storefront.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
iM Sports industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Protective Skin Wear Apparel
- NAICS
- Apparel Accessories and Other Apparel Manufacturing (31599)
- SIC
- Apparel & Other Finishd Prods Of Fabrics & Similar Matl (2300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories) (IMAOAFAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers (CRAAAAAI)
Keywords
iM Sports business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Protective Wear Product Sales: One-time unit-based sales of protective skin wear products including arm sleeves, forearm sleeves, fingerless gloves, and gardening gloves. Revenue generated from direct consumer purchases through e-commerce platform. No subscription or recurring revenue model.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Forearm Sleeves - Protective sleeves for forearm coverage |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Full Arm Sleeves - Complete arm protection from wrist to upper arm |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Fingerless Gloves - Protective gloves with open fingers |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gardening Sleeves with Gloves - Combined arm and hand protection for gardening |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Gardening Sleeves - Standalone arm protection for gardening activities |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
iM Sports product offering
Product offeringCore offering
iM Sports designs and sells protective skin wear — including full arm sleeves, forearm sleeves, gardening sleeves, and fingerless gloves — for individuals with thinning, papery, or fragile skin. Products are made in the USA from a breathable fabric that blocks 97% of UV rays, provides mild compression, and can be worn wet or dry. All offerings are sold as one-time unit purchases through the company's own Shopify storefront.
Product overview
Skin Guards by Nelson Wear offers a product line of protective sleeves and gloves designed specifically for individuals with thinning or papery skin. The product portfolio includes Full Arm Sleeves, Forearm Sleeves, Gardening Sleeves, Gardening Gloves with Sleeves, and Fingerless Gloves. These products are designed as a breathable layer of protection against minor scrapes, block 97% of harmful UV rays, can get wet without issues, and are proudly Made in the USA. The products provide mild compression that can help improve circulation and are targeted at people whose thinning skin is caused by medications, dietary supplements, or natural aging.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Full Arm Sleeves Full arm protection sleeves designed to cover the entire arm from wrist to upper arm, protecting thinning skin from minor cuts and bruises while blocking 97% of harmful UV rays. Targeted at individuals with fragile skin due to aging, medications, or dietary supplements.
- Forearm Sleeves Forearm protection sleeves designed to shield thinning skin on the forearm from minor cuts, bruises, and scrapes while providing breathable comfort. Targeted at individuals with fragile skin during daily activities.
- Gardening Sleeves Protective arm sleeves designed specifically for gardening activities, providing coverage for thinning skin while outdoors with UV protection and breathability.
- Gardening Gloves with Sleeves Combined gardening gloves and sleeves offering comprehensive hand and arm protection for individuals with thinning skin during outdoor gardening activities. Includes fingerless gloves paired with arm sleeves in a single set.
- Fingerless Gloves Fingerless protective gloves that cover bruising and minor cuts on hands while maintaining dexterity for everyday tasks. Targeted at individuals with thinning skin who need hand protection without sacrificing finger mobility.
Quantifiable outcome
- Blocks 97% of harmful UV rays
Companies that use iM Sports
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
iM Sports technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
iM Sports partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators1 record
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
iM Sports competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Tommie Copper: DTC compression apparel brand selling copper-infused sleeves, gloves, and wraps marketed for pain relief, recovery, and daily comfort. Closest direct comparable to iM Sports' compression/protective sleeve positioning in a D2C, mass-consumer context.
- Ames Walker: Specialty retailer and brand of medical-grade compression garments including arm sleeves and gloves for conditions such as lymphedema and fragile skin. Closest comparable in medical-adjacent use case.
- CopperJoint: DTC copper-infused compression sleeve and glove brand. Comparable product form factor (arm/leg sleeves, gloves), similar D2C motion, and overlapping end-customer pain points around aging joints and skin.
Emerging players
- Zensah: DTC compression apparel brand offering sleeves and gloves primarily for athletic recovery. Overlaps with iM Sports' product form factor and D2C motion, but targets athletes rather than medical/aging needs.
- 2XU: Performance compression apparel brand offering arm sleeves and gloves marketed primarily for athletic recovery and performance. Comparable in compression sleeve form factor, though aimed at athletes rather than aging-skin consumers.
- Vitalsox: Compression sock and sleeve brand targeting athletic and medical use cases. Comparable in compression wearable form factor and D2C orientation, though more focused on lower-body products.
Broad incumbents
- Jobst: Established medical compression brand (part of Essity) offering arm sleeves and gloves for medical indications. Comparable in protective sleeve/glove form factor and aging-patient use case, though distributed primarily through medical channels.
- Hanesbrands: Major apparel incumbent with broad sleeve and undergarment product lines. Relevant as a scaled mass-market player that could enter or already serves overlapping protective apparel categories.
- Lululemon: Global athletic apparel leader with a growing 'everyday' compression and lifestyle sleeve category. Comparable product form factor and brand-led DTC model, with far greater scale and marketing firepower.
- Sigvaris: Global medical compression brand with arm sleeve and glove offerings. Comparable in product category and patient demographics, with broader medical-channel distribution and stronger institutional brand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
iM Sports social profiles
Digital presenceiM Sports financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iM Sports leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
iM Sports funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iM Sports M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iM Sports
What does iM Sports do?
iM Sports designs and sells protective skin wear — including full arm sleeves, forearm sleeves, gardening sleeves, and fingerless gloves — for individuals with thinning, papery, or fragile skin. Products are made in the USA from a breathable fabric that blocks 97% of UV rays, provides mild compression, and can be worn wet or dry. All offerings are sold as one-time unit purchases through the company's own Shopify storefront.
Is iM Sports a public or private company?
iM Sports is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was iM Sports founded?
iM Sports was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
How does iM Sports make money?
One revenue line is on record: protective Wear Product Sales.
Who are iM Sports's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Tommie Copper, Ames Walker and CopperJoint. Emerging players are Zensah, 2XU and Vitalsox. Broad incumbents are Jobst, Hanesbrands, Lululemon and Sigvaris.
Does iM Sports have an API?
No public API is recorded for iM Sports.
What industry is iM Sports in?
iM Sports's product category is Protective Skin Wear Apparel. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAOAFAH, Protective & Work Accessories Manufacturing (Safety Gloves/Hi-Vis Accessories), with a secondary code of CRAAAAAI, Outerwear & Cold-Weather Apparel Manufacturers. Its NAICS code is 31599 and its SIC code is 2300.