WHAT’S UP WITH THE NAME “OOBLOCK”?
Ooblock™ athletic tape uses a patented military-grade formulation of Oobleck to block the force of twists and impacts.
Oobleck is a kind of substance that acts like a fluid at rest but turns into solid under force. Want to see Oobleck in action?
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN OOBLOCK™ TAPE AND REGULAR ATHLETIC TAPE?
Ooblock™ tape provides a 50% increase in protection from impacts or twists because it is impregnated with STF, which stiffens under these forces.
WHAT IS STF™?
STF™ stands for Shear Thickening Fluid, which is a fluid that stiffens when exposed to a force. These types of fluids are called non-Newtonian fluids because they change viscosity based on shear forces.
WHAT IS STF™ MADE OF?
STF™ is a formulation of silica (glass like) Nano particles suspended in a polyethylene glycol and water mixture.
WHAT MAKES THE STF™ STIFFEN WHEN AN IMPACT OR TWIST OCCURS?
A "shear" is a type of force that pushes one part of a body in one direction, and another part of a body in the opposite direction. When a shear caused by an impact or twist occurs, the silica particles lock together and reinforce the fabric of the tape. In a normal state, the silica particles have a weak molecular surface charge. When exposed to kinetic energy from a twist or impact, the energy causes a strong chemical bond interaction between the silica particles called a hydro cluster. The STF™ momentarily becomes as hard as ceramic and stiffens the cotton fibers locking them together.
WHERE CAN I USE THE OOBLOCK™ ATHLETIC TAPE?
Ooblock™ tape can be used anywhere you use traditional athletic tape. Some examples on the body are; ankles, wrists, fingers, shoulder, thigh, groin, calf, elbow, hands etc. Some examples on equipment are lacrosse sticks, baseball bats, hockey sticks, shoes, gloves, shin pads, golf clubs etc.
HOW CAN I BE SURE THAT OOBLOCK™ TAPE WORKS BETTER THAN STANDARD ATHLETIC TAPE?
The easiest test is to do the knuckle test: wrap two layers of Ooblock™ tape around the knuckles of one hand and two layers of regular athletic tape around the knuckles of you other hand. When you knock your knuckles together, you will feel the difference!
IS THE ADHESIVE SAFE FOR THE SKIN?
We have made sure all ingredients used in the adhesive are not only approved for skin contact but are FDA approved for food contact.
IS IT LATEX FREE?
Yes!
DO NEED TO STILL USE PADS IF I USE THE OOBLOCK™ TAPE?
You can still wear the protection you are used to, but with the Ooblock™ tape, you will have additional protection to help prevent injuries.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR THE TAPE TO REACT AND STIFFEN?
The time has been measured to be just under one millisecond.
HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE FOR OOBLOCK™ TO RETURN TO ITS NORMAL NON-STIFF CONDITION?
It is about the same time as it takes to react to the force, just under one millisecond.
WHY IS OOBLOCK™ 4-5 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE THAN REGULAR ATHLETIC TAPE?
The nanotechnology that is added to the tape consists of medical grade quality ingredients that make the tape more expensive to produce than traditional athletic tape. The real question is, how much does an injury cost?
WILL OOBLOCK™ WORK IF IT GETS WET?
Although the STF™ is water soluble, it is sealed into the tape with a patent pending technology so even if it gets exposed to sweat or water, the protection stays sealed in the tape.
HOW DO YOU APPLY OOBLOCK™?
It is applied in the same manner as traditional athletic tape.
WHY DOES IT SEEM A LITTLE HARDER TO PULL OOBLOCK™ TAPE OFF THE ROLL THAN NORMAL ATHLETIC TAPE?
We use a stronger glue in Ooblock™ tape that helps keep more tension when you apply it for a tight wrap if desired. Typical athletic tape glue results in a looser wrap due to low tension coming off the roll.
WHAT IS THE SHELF LIFE OF OOBLOCK™?
Ooblock™ tape has been tested to maintain its protective ability for over 4 years.
WHAT SIZE IS a roll of OOBLOCK™?
It is a 2" wide roll with 10 yards of Ooblock™ tape.
DO YOU HAVE OTHER SIZES AVAILABLE?
Not in stock. We can take orders with other sizes, but they will take about 4 weeks to produce.
WHERE CAN I BUY OOBLOCK™ TAPE?
As a consumer you can purchase it through our online store at ooblock.com. As a business, or professional, we can set up an account for you to purchase in bulk. Please contact us for more information.