Many physical therapists and fitness trainers don’t think twice about the therapy bands and exercise tubing they purchase for their practice.
To them, they’re a commodity product whose main difference is price.
It turns out there are significant differences in how these products are made. These disparities dramatically impact their quality, durability, and user safety.
There are two primary manufacturing methods the makers of these products use.
The Extrusion Manufacturing Process
The first manufacturing process for resistance bands and tubing is extrusion. It is the method most manufacturers use to produce resistance bands and tubing. This process essentially consists of forcing hot elastic rubber through a mold.
The product coming out of the mold is comprised of a single layer. Most of the low-priced products sold are made from this process.
Having a single layer means there’s no redundancy built into the product. That means if there is a weakened spot or slight tear in the band or tubing, it is prone to snapping. This breaking often occurs without visible signs of wear or weakness showing in the tubing or band. Even the slightest tear that is invisible to the eye can quickly turn into a problem with a single layer extruded product.
Continuously Dipped Bands and Tubing
The second manufacturing method for resistance bands and tubing is the continuously dipped process. This approach, particularly a special proprietary version done by Stretchwell, involves having dozens and dozens of layers built into the bands and tubing. Some of our power bands tubing have been dipped over 100 times. Our technology provides the needed redundancy to make the longest-lasting and safest therapy and home or gym exercise products possible.
Continuously dipped tubes are long-lasting and robust. You can stretch them for an extended period of time before they start losing their original length and tension (far longer than extrusion-based products). In addition, continuous dipped bands are difficult to snap. A tear in them will affect the outer layers only, making them far more durable and safer for users.
Not all multi-layered products are the same
More companies are now manufacturing their products with several layers. However, some producers make products with separate layers that are then ‘pressed’ into a single resistance band or tubing.
That approach is better than the single-layer extrusion process, but it falls far short of what’s needed to make the longest-lasting and safest resistance bands and tubing. That is achieved only with the continuously dipped process.
Stretchwell’s place in the market
Stretchwell is one of the first companies to manufacture continuously dipped, multi-layered bands and tubing. We continue to innovate and refine our processes to ensure we provide the highest quality, longest-lasting products on the market.
We supply physical therapy practices and fitness trainers with over 100 fitness and PT/OT products.
A significant part of our business is supplying fitness product companies. The reputations of these enterprises rely on providing safe and long-lasting equipment. Many of them turn to us to supply their exercise bands and tubing.
Because we manufacture resistance bands and tubing, we can provide the best quality products at modest prices.