In a working world where safety, sustainability, and comfort go hand in hand, uvex and HexArmor are setting new standards in professional hand protection. With the launch of the HexArmor Helix models 3004IMP, 3013IMP, and 3014IMP, uvex is not only introducing three new protective gloves – but also a technology driven by a customer-focused approach.
i2™:
This abbreviation symbolizes HexArmor’s strong innovative power. Here, the “i” doesn’t stand for innovation, but for impact protection. Since joining the uvex safety group in 2016, the American glove specialist has been fully committed to this principle, developing products that embody this dedication. The new HexArmor Helix protective gloves – models 3004IMP, 3013IMP, and 3014IMP – feature the advanced i2™ technology on the back of the hand.
The highlight:
The impact protection elements, arranged in small hexagons, are crafted from the industry’s lightest and most flexible material – without compromising performance. This design ensures breathability and minimizes material usage, reducing production waste. At the same time, the compact size and unique shape of each element provide exceptional freedom of movement for hands and fingers.
This technology breaks the mold of traditional impact protection: gloves for heavy-duty applications have never been so light, so flexible, and so refined. At the same time, lighter and more delicate tasks can now benefit from impact protection as well. A true innovation with the potential to redefine the industry.
And:
The impact protection hexagons are glued rather than sewn, eliminating irritation on the back of the hand. And of course, all this comes with reliable protection: all three models deliver Impact Protection Level 2 according to ANSI/ISEA 138 and meet the impact protection requirements of EN 388:2016.
“With this new technology, we address customer needs that play a central role in our product development,” explains Dennis List, Director Product Group Management Gloves at uvex safety. “We experimented with dozens of designs and rigorously tested them.”
This underscores a key success factor for HexArmor: working hand in hand with customers to develop and refine products – a process that naturally leads to strong market acceptance. The market often, though not exclusively, consists of companies whose employees face demanding conditions for both people and materials in their daily work.
The new HexArmor Helix 3013IMP, with its flexible polyurethane coating on the palm, is perfectly suited for delicate tasks in the automotive industry as well as mechanical and plant engineering. Thanks to its cut protection level F, it also meets the demands of metalworking. Meanwhile, the HexArmor Helix 3014IMP features a robust SandyGrip NBR coating, delivering excellent oil grip for challenging environments such as mining, oil and gas, or road and civil engineering. Both newcomers to the impact protection range offer outstanding wearing comfort thanks to an ultra-thin, highly cut-resistant blended knit.
This shared ambition of uvex – a nearly 100-year-old German PPE pioneer – and its American subsidiary HexArmor is clear: to develop gloves that revolutionize professional hand protection through innovative technologies. In addition to impact and cut protection, puncture protection plays a decisive role. HexArmor holds exclusive licensing rights for the SuperFabric® solution, which shields hands from the most dangerous workplace hazards: blades, wire, metal, glass, and needles. Tiny protective tiles are arranged to prevent cuts, punctures, and needle-stick injuries without compromising mobility. A prime example is the HexArmor® ThornArmor® 3092, designed for demanding gardeners, hobbyists, and professional landscapers. Even cactus thorns pose no threat – at least to your hands.
Since the beginning of their strategic partnership, uvex and HexArmor have benefited from each other: the exchange of technologies and know-how improves products on both sides of the Atlantic. Wearers of the gloves appreciate this.
A flagship location southeast of Hamburg plays a key role: “We are very proud of our hand protection competence center in Lüneburg,” says Dennis List. “Research & development, our own laboratories, and highly flexible production are all under one roof. This is unique in Europe.” It was in this Hanseatic city that uvex’s most successful glove of all time was conceived: the uvex Bamboo TwinFlex®D XG. The name already reveals that natural bamboo fibers ensure optimal fit and a silky-soft feel on the skin – innovation “made in uvex,” as the traditional German manufacturer calls it. “With HexArmor, we found a partner in 2016 who perfectly complements our expertise,” says List.
For the first time, the new Helix 3004 IMP model combines expertise from both sides of the Atlantic in one product. The brand-new uvex Bamboo TwinFlex D SG, will feature HexArmor’s innovative i2 design. For maximum performance, protection, and comfort. Initial market feedback from customers supports this statement.
Both brands share not only a passion for product innovation but also common values: the goal is to protect people while giving them the confidence of being optimally equipped – in line with the claim “protecting people.” While protection plays the main role, the overall wearing experience, comfort, sustainability, and design are always part of the objective.
This is evident in the consistent implementation of ecological principles in the IMP series: both the Helix 3013IMP and the 3014IMP are made from an 18-gauge knit with 15% recycled nylon – a first in this protection class. The Helix 3004IMP contains 45% sustainable materials: bamboo comfort fiber and polyamide recyclate. Durability and washability of the gloves further contribute to resource conservation.