At Gopher, we understand the importance of having high-quality coated-foam balls that stand the test of time. Balls that are thrown, kicked, hit, and squeezed over and over again need to hold up! You’ve told us that these balls break down over time when the coating peels away from the foam, making it more difficult to throw and easier to students to damage further. Gopher’s UltraCoat coated-foam balls tackles this very concern!
The proprietary coating technology included in the UltraCoat fuses the cover to the inner foam, creating a revolutionary bond that makes UltraCoat nearly 3 times stronger than standard coated-foam balls.
Don’t believe us, we can prove it! We ran a series of tests to determine the strength of the coating and it’s adherence to the foam.
Newton Meter Pull Test (Nearly 3x Stronger):
The Newton Meter Pull Test measures the amount of force is takes to pull the coating away from the coated-foam ball. As you can see from the videos below, it takes much more force (nearly 3 times more) to pull the coating away from the UltraCoat ball than a standard coated-foam ball.
A stronger bond between the foam and coating extends the life of the coated-foam ball ensuring more throws, kicks, hits, and squeezes for your students!
Official Test Results:
Newton Meter Pull Test results (amount of strength it took to rip the coating away from the foam. Measurements made with a Newton Meter):
UltraCoat Coated-Foam Ball: 65 N
Standard Coated-Foam Ball: 25 N
Pressure Test (Outlasts 15,000 Presses):
The pressure test repeatedly smashes the ball to 50-75% of its original size using about 55lbs of pressure to test the durability. This test assesses the quality of the foam as well as the strength of the coating. We took photos after 5,000, 10,000 and 15,000 presses. Take a look at the images below to see how the UltraCoat held up!
Even though the machine pressed the same spot 15,000 times, we did not see any cracks in the coating. The foam also fully regained it’s shape after resting for a day.
Official Test Results:
After 5,000 press – small wrinkles.
After 15,000 press –Bigger wrinkles but no cracks of the coating.
After 10,000 press – some wrinkles that will go away if you let the ball rest for a couple hours. Some deformed shape.
The deformation is almost the same after 5,000 & 15,000 presses.
| After 5,000 Presses | After 10,000 Presses | After 15,000 Presses |
After running these series of tests, we can confidently say that these balls will hold up to repeated use and last longer than other coated-foam balls. UltraCoat balls come in two options, “Versa” and “Dodgeball,” and are available in diameters of 6.3 inches and 7 inches. Get your hands on one today to see why it’s the best coated-foam ball available!
