San Francisco 49er defensive end Nick Bosa’s helmet is unremarkable from the outside. On the inside, though, are pads custom 3D-printed to the shape of his head that are shown to reduce impact injury better than any other helmet in the game.
The Zero2-R Matrix ID Trench helmet from equipment maker Vicis features customized 3D-printed padding instead of foam that the NFL’s own testing lab has rated as the best player head protection available in 2023. It isn’t just the 3D-printed padding, though — the helmet has other innovations that contribute to its high safety ranking. Yet, 3D printing gives a better fit and a lighter weight that makes a safe helmet even safer.
