South-African neurosurgeon and a keen Motocross enthusiast, Chris Leatt, provided medical services at international competitions. One day, Leatt witnessed the death of a pilot during an Enduro Motorcycling competition and he was powerless to prevent it. This event affected him profoundly occurring right at the same time when his 4-year old son was just learning to cycle. And thus, he decided to build a neck brace prototype that would prevent such an accident from ever happening again.
Dr Leatt spent three years on research and development before his concept materialised. He then launched his first Leatt neck brace in South Africa.
At EICMA – the Milan motorcycle show -, the product was noticed by influential stakeholders in the industry, namely BMW Motorrad. The product was then mass-produced. The finalised version of the neck brace was presented at the Cologne International Motorcycle Conference and was sold on a large scale.
The product was immediately very successful: the Leatt neck brace made the cover of Racer-X – an expert magazine – who named it product of the year. Motocross Action gave it a score of 5/5 and famous pilot, David Bailey, who became a paraplegic following a fall, sings its praises in a video. These accolades made demand shoot through the roof.
Chris Leatt then created the Leatt Lab research laboratory to do even more to protect pilots and add more fuel to his ambitions. This entity is renowned worldwide for its high quality tests and protocols.
Leatt’s continuous efforts to improve the product were recognised numerous times at international trade shows and by the trade press (Transworld Motocross, Racer-X, Motocross Action, Freeride Magazine, Dirt Bike Magazine, etc.)
After his unequivocal success in the Motocross world, Leatt decided to throw himself into cyclist protective wear with DBX, the first neck brace specially developed for MTB. This product received the BikeExpo Award (Safety Equipment category). This item was adopted by Sam Hill upon his return to competitions following an injury. Sam Hill then went on to win his third DH World Champion title. That same year, motorcycle pilot Ryan Dungey won the Supercross Championship wearing the DBX neck brace.
Leatt then used his expertise in pilot safety to extend his range and create the Pro Lite vest, which, thanks to its unparalleled level of protection, then won the prestigious product of the year title, awarded by Transworld Motocross Magazine.
Leatt launched new products: the Fusion 2.0 Junior (now 2.5), a model specially developed for children, which includes a neck brace and a chest and neck protection, and the neck brace 5.5 (to replace the GPX 6.5 Carbon), a new generation of neck braces with even better performance. That same year, Cyril Despres won his fifth Dakar rally while wearing Leatt protections.
The brand tirelessly continued to innovate. That year, it launched the Leatt DBX 5.0 helmet and the DBX Enduro Lite WP 2.0 hydration system, both of which won a Eurobike Award. Also, Racer-X magazine readers ranked Leatt top for neck braces.
In 2017, Leatt was once again recognised for the neck brace 3.5, which won awards at the Eurobike and Interbike trade shows.
