May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and Champion Activewear just revealed an innovative prototype aimed at championing mental health. The Champion Weighted Hoodie marks the company’s step into wearable weighted products and adaptive apparel.

Champion says the inspiration for the weighted hoodie came from consumers. In a 2022 brand survey of 19- to 35-year-olds, 90% of respondents expressed interest in calming techniques and a weighted wearable product. Champion saw a need for a stress and anxiety-relieving product, and the weighted hoodie was born.

Credit: Business Wire by Champion

“We are committed to listening to what our consumers and communities want and creating solutions through our products,” said Vanessa LeFebvre, global president at Champion, in a press release. “The Weighted Hoodie is a perfect example of that, as mental health concerns and daily life stress is a consistent throughline in our community listening. The inspiration for this came not only from our consumers but from witnessing people in our own lives using weighted products for comfort. We want people to speak about mental health and destigmatize the needs that these products can meet.”

Benefits of the Weighted Hoodie

Champion collaborated with Thera on the prototype. Thera is a small business founded by Jenny Rosenberg, who began manufacturing weighted wearable products during the pandemic. While weighted products are known for reducing day-to-day stress and anxiety, Dr. Kerri McBee-Black, head adaptive apparel researcher and professor at the University of Missouri, is a mental health expert doing testing on the prototype.

“While the benefits of weighted products for neurodivergent populations and those affected by certain mental health conditions have been widely studied, we’re finding that this category of adaptive clothing can actually serve a far larger population,” added McBee-Black. “Feelings of ‘comfort, safety, and security’ are among the most common terms showing up in our research for the Champion Weighted Hoodie prototype, feelings that anyone can benefit from. My team and I are eager to continue evolving the functionality of weighted wearables and also explore new avenues of accessible and adaptive apparel that can have a massive impact on the community at large.”

The 8-lb., machine-washable hoodie features a quilted fabric with evenly distributed glass beads throughout the arms, chest, back, and hood. Additional hoodie features include:

• A stowaway label pocket designed for sensory label issues (and aiding in garment reversibility).
• Two sides for different sensory experiences. One side of the hoodie is textural and quality, while the other is soft and smooth.
• An extra long drawcord for fidgeting, twirling, and other neurodivergent tendencies.

The Champion Weighted Hoodie will be available in stores and at Champion.com beginning in September 2024.