The Story Woven Into Every Material
If you’ve ever pulled on a pair of your trusted gloves, whether for a cold morning run, a long bike ride, or a day on the jobsite, you probably didn’t stop to wonder what they’re made of. Most people don’t.
Over time, these gloves become part of the routine, part of you, and something dependable enough so you can focus on the ride, the work, the game, or whatever comes next without thinking twice.
A glove becomes important when the temperature drops, when a surface turns slippery, when a sharp edge appears, or when the job becomes dangerous. In those moments, the material is no longer an invisible detail. It becomes the reason someone can keep holding on.
And that’s exactly where our story begins.
AX Materials isn’t a name you see in big, flashy letters on the back of your glove. We aren’t splashed across billboards or trending on social media (at least not yet, but feel free to give us a follow).
Quietly, for decades, we’ve been the secret thread running through the glove industry. We’re the team behind the materials that make your gloves feel just right: the ones that fit so well, perform so reliably, and last through season after season.
The Glove Industry’s Best-Kept Secret
Before explaining what AX does, we should probably address something first.
Despite our name being AX, we don’t have anything to do with axes. We do not manufacture hatchets, chopping tools, lumberjack equipment, or firewood. (Although if you are chopping wood while wearing gloves made with AX Materials, we are still happy to be involved.)
Our name has tripped up more than a few people. We’re countlessly referred to as “Ax Materials,” “Axe Materials,” or, when said out loud, “A–X Materials.” And even though our pronunciation guide reads: “axe /aks/ like the tool typically used for cutting wood,” our name still doesn’t have anything to do with axes.
Honestly? “AX” was intended to be a shortened version of “action,” but it got a bit lost in translation.
Many folks also know us as “AX Suede,” which isn’t necessarily wrong, but it does bring some of our longstanding history to light. Back in 2010, our very first material was named AX Suede, which proudly became the inspiration behind the company.
Eventually, that one material turned into a much broader collection. We expanded into grain materials, textiles, touchscreen-compatible options, recycled materials, and protective technologies engineered for specialized industrial applications. “AX Suede” no longer described everything we had become, so the company rebranded into AX Materials.
Regardless of how you’ve addressed us, spelled our name, or thought about us, here we are. And now that we’ve gotten it out of the way, it’s time to tell you the most important story you’ll ever hear about the best glove materials on the market.
Why Haven’t You Heard of AX Materials?
Even as AX Materials quietly became the industry standard, our name has mostly lived in the shadows. The brands you know and trust have relied on us for years, but the story behind glove materials is rarely told to end-users.
It’s a strange sort of fame, being the backbone of gloves while remaining largely anonymous. We’ve been passed hand to hand, brand to brand, and with word of mouth being our strongest driver. That’s how we became the go-to for over 250 brands: by letting the quality speak for itself, not by chasing the spotlight.
Our contribution is woven into the very fabric of the gloves themselves, but you can also find us on hang tags displayed in retail, in online product specs, or as an embossed logo on glove palms. These are things that most people might overlook, but those who know gloves, whether it’s designers, athletes, or industry insiders, recognize the difference instantly and eagerly veer towards a glove when it’s advertised with AX Materials.
Look closely at a pair of hockey gloves next time you’re at your local sports shop. Chances are that you’ll spot an AX logo embossed into one of the palms. Back in the day, one hockey brand started using our highest-abrasion material (AX 10W) and stamped their gloves with our logo to show players they were using the best of the best. The rest of the industry caught on. Today, our materials are well known as the gold standard across the industry due to this logo’s visibility.
Even when our brand is not boldly visible, we’re still everywhere. And the most reliable place you can find us is in the wild: on the hands of pro athletes, on job sites, gripping bike handles, turning the key for a motorcycle ride, at the terrain park of your local mountain, and lining the product racks of your favorite stores.
Every year, millions of gloves are designed using AX Materials. So, when you purchase your next pair of gloves, chances are they’ll be made with AX.
The Unseen Engine of Glove Innovation
Our journey started in 2010 with a simple observation: gloves on the market were using materials that simply weren’t designed for gloves.
At the time, designers often relied on synthetic materials originally created for footwear. Natural leather remained another common choice, even when its variability or performance limitations made it less than ideal for a particular design. There were few alternatives, so glove makers adapted to what was available.
Back then, if gloves were comfortable, chances are they also weren’t durable. If they had grip, the coating would peel off in days. In this case, we wondered what it would take to make a material truly designed for gloves. We began by listening.
We spoke with brands, product designers, manufacturers, and people wearing gloves. We examined why materials failed, what users found uncomfortable, and which compromises the industry had simply learned to accept. Our verdict was that the materials shouldn’t just be softer or stronger, but smarter and more responsive to the needs of real people: whether they’re pro athletes, weekend warriors, or dedicated workers.
Then, we got to work.
Thankfully, we had the resources to bring our ideas to life through our parent company, Matmarket LLC.
Back in 1999, Matmarket began working with a select group of overseas material manufacturers, with the original Matmarket team living and working in China. They trained partners on how to create materials and incorporate them into final products. The company’s history and insight into these manufacturing systems connected us with the right people across the entire supply chain. So when we had the idea to create a line of glove materials, we had the network to make it happen.
Those relationships provided more than access to factories. They created a deep understanding of how materials are engineered, how they behave inside finished products, and what it takes to produce them consistently across a global supply chain.
When AX Suede launched, it didn’t just join the market; it set a new industry standard. Suddenly, glove makers were given a material engineered specifically for their products, not another “good enough” option.
No more sacrificing comfort for protection, or vice versa. A new era of glove design had begun.
The Science Inside: How AX Materials are Made
Beyond our suede materials, we’ve developed everything from grain materials, leather replacements and touchscreen-compatible textiles, to ultra-breathable mesh and the world’s first bio-PU material for gloves. Our patent-pending fire- and cut-resistant options, along with our abrasion-resistant palm suedes, are the choices for gloves where safety is non-negotiable.
Sustainability is at the forefront of our innovations and is also connected to our mission of creating the most durable glove materials. A glove that wears out quickly must be replaced quickly, regardless of the environmental claims printed on its packaging. Extending the life of a glove by engineering it with extreme durability properties reduces waste while giving the wearer a product they can depend on for longer.
Additional sustainability strides include our entirely PFAS-free material collection, our range of recycled materials, and certifications like the Recycled Claim Standard and OEKO-TEX® Standard 100 to help brands achieve their sustainability goals and limit environmental impact without lowering performance
Third-party testing is another essential part of that trust. Our commitment is backed by more than just words: every material we produce is tested against the toughest abrasion benchmarks so brands know they’re getting the highest protection, tested rigorously, again and again.
One Stop Shop for Glove Materials
Being specialized in the glove industry means our materials meet the exact needs of any glove brand, something other suppliers simply can’t match.
Our batch-to-batch consistency, global presence, and readiness to adapt to unique design and compliance needs have made us the go-to source for glove makers looking to innovate and protect. Instead of juggling multiple suppliers for specialized needs, brands turn to AX for a full suite of high-performance, industry-specific solutions.
With manufacturing locations around the world, we’re flexible, fast, and present where our customers need us most, offering answers in their language and time zone, and adapting to evolving demands.
Signature Glove Material Innovations: Recent Stories from R&D
As the AX collection grew, brands began approaching us with requests beyond our existing suedes or textiles. They came to us with problems. And they wanted solutions.
A brand needed more abrasion resistance but could not sacrifice dexterity. A winter glove palm was cracking in extreme cold conditions. A cut-resistant design had become too bulky. A designer wanted safer fire-resistant chemistry made without leather.
So, AX listened and came back with new materials to meet those needs. Now, AX 10W delivers up to four times the abrasion resistance of standard suedes in a high-dexterity design; AX SubZero is engineered for cold-weather performance down to -30°C (-22°F); AX Cutora™ packages a palm suede and cut-resistant textile into a single layer; and AX Medora™ FR is the first synthetic grain material meeting higher levels of fire/flame resistance and all global chemical compliance requirements.
Who Is AX? (And Why We’re Not Like Anyone Else)
Despite our global reach and the many brands we serve, AX is powered by a small but mighty team. Our headquarters are nestled in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where our president and marketing team work side by side. We’re also next-door neighbors to our parent company, Matmarket, and our sister company, INSITE® Insoles.
Our office is located at Regeneration Park, a former auto dealership that was converted into a campus centered on sustainability. The setting reflects our own values and the way we approach materials: by looking closely at what already exists and considering how it can be transformed into something better.
For the rest of the AX team, our European sales director is based in France and is constantly on the move throughout Europe, bringing materials directly into our brand partners’ hands. In Asia, our research and development is led from Busan, South Korea, with additional teams and manufacturing in China, Vietnam, and Taiwan. Our global presence means we’re close to our wide range of customers, able to answer questions, adapt to material needs, and meet in-person when it matters most.
Our team brings together people with different types of expertise, including material development, manufacturing, compliance, product design, sustainability, sales, and marketing. The work may happen across several countries and time zones, but it is connected by a shared focus on one highly specific product category and a shared passion for innovation.
Always Looking Ahead: What’s Next for AX Materials?
Innovation at AX never stops. We’re constantly surveying the market, anticipating new needs, staying up to date on regulations, and imagining new material possibilities. Our team is dedicated to helping brands adapt, compete, and lead with the best in glove performance and quality.
AX Materials is the layer between a worker’s hand and a power tool, between a cyclist and the handlebars, or between an athlete and the equipment they depend on.
It is a company that began by asking questions that no one else had considered. It is a collection of technologies developed around real problems, and a small global team that has spent years listening to the people who make and wear gloves.
When a glove performs well, there is little reason to stop and question what makes it work. The details, the materials, and the fit and feel become intuitive, part of the experience without calling attention to itself.
You may have seen our logo before. You may already have worn one of our materials. You may have relied on AX without knowing our name.
So, what is AX exactly?
Glove materials made for the tool you rely on most: your hands.
Whether you’ve worked with AX for years or are just discovering the name behind the glove, there is more to explore.
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