Redbacks Cushioning Limited was formed by Chairman Cliff Lockyer in 2011 in order to develop a new cushioning technology designed to help protect knees and body from injury whilst kneeling.
Despite the wide availability of kneepads over many years, there were still high numbers of people working on their knees suffering pain and damage. Clearly there was a need for something new and more effective.
Having thoroughly researched the protective clothing market, it confirmed Cliff Lockyer’s belief that existing knee pads did little to cushion, comfort or protect the user’s knees or the body from long term damage.
Says Lockyer, “We discovered then that statistics were even worse than they are now with the NHS carrying out over 106,000 knee replacements per year and 9.6 million adults in the UK suffering from muscoloskeletal (MSK) conditions affecting joints, bones and muscles. We knew that for our knee pads to be really effective they needed to be made with soft, flexible material and not foam or gel, as pressure from kneeling causes them to eventually flatten or disintegrate.
The secret to our own science therefore lies in the use of a special moulded leaf-spring suspended in an arch by a flexible honeycomb matrix. When pressure is applied directly above the spring it bends, dispersing pressure and distributing weight evenly. The matrix provides a holding mechanism for the spring to control its bend and stabilise the entire structure, allowing pressure to be distributed evenly time after time.
The honeycomb matrix and the leaf-spring are made from the same thermoplastic injection-moulded material, ensuring a high compression rate which unlike foam or gel ensures a 100% recovery to its original shape; the combination gives the unique controlled distribution and deceleration of pressure thus protecting the rest of the body from the impact forces whilst kneeling giving the wearer unrivalled, all-day comfort and long-term knee protection, with the added benefit of helping to prevent back and neck pain”.