HandShield is one of those ideas that can change our daily reality. Something that arises on any given day and becomes a turning point. It is a protector to avoid direct contact between our hand and a surface, guaranteeing our safety and that of those around us. A comfortable, practical and sustainable product for both individual and industrial use. In addition, it is created, designed and manufactured in our country, as its creator, Roger González, explains in this interview.

What is this product and what applications does it have?

HandShield is a protector with a grip for cylindrical surfaces of various diameters and a special fabric with an antibacterial and antiviral treatment SARS, fully tested and resistant to 100 washes. HandShield is a system to protect the user who makes urban movements in public transport and also for making their routine purchases in supermarkets, for example.

Who can use it?

Everyone who wants to be more protected in their day to day. It is a foldable product that weighs less than 20 grams, making it comfortable and suitable for everyone.

Where can it be purchased?

HandShield has 3 channels for your purchase:

-Buy on your own website www.escudodemanos.com and www.escutdemans.cat, where you can choose between three options:

• The small one, for individual use in public transport, supermarket trolleys, baskets in stores …
• The standard, also for public transport and supermarkets.
• The adaptive, totally versatile for any uneven surface.

-Sale in nearby stores, where you can also choose between the three options.
-In supermarkets, where you can find the most appropriate option for the supermarket where you buy.

What level of protection does your product offer?

The level of protection is total during its useful life of 100 washes. Once these 100 washes are reached, its effectiveness decreases. Anyway, after the tests of 100 washes we have verified that its effectiveness is still 99.98%.

How was HandShield born?

He was born in the month of April, when I was making a purchase in a supermarket and I saw that it was total chaos. People cleaning the bars of the car, puzzled and afraid of not knowing who had used the car before … I thought: “this has to be solved”.

So the Idea came up on the way home. When I arrived and explained the situation to my partner Annabel and my children Aleix and Arnau, aged 13 and 6, the ideas began. In an afternoon of brainstorming we made the first drawing of the prototype. My son Aleix had it clear! He told me: “It has to be cheap and that everyone can buy it.” And the little one wanted him to have pictures of dinosaurs … Quite a challenge!

Then Annabel and I started doing blueprints, prototypes, cost and market analysis, and she pulled it all together. Along the way, different people have been incorporated into the team, such as Pere and Marc, the latest additions, so that today HandShield is a reality in the market.

Due to the dedication that my position represents in the company that I lead, my role in the project is more strategic and supportive of Annabel, Marc and Pere who are responsible for the project. We have opted for a business concept that helps companies that are going through bad times and we are creating jobs for unemployed people and the truth is that the whole team is enjoying it a lot.

An idea, a project, a team … a reality!

What are the main needs that this product solves?

In short, make a concurrent point of contact of people who do not know what their health status is, to become a personal and safe point.

What is its added value?

How safe it is, its innovative anchoring system and its storage, which is very comfortable, practical and 100% recyclable. In addition, the peace of mind it offers to the person who uses it is very important. The fact of being able to use it and save it to use it again is key, because the fabric does not collect any type of polluting residue.

How is its hygiene and maintenance managed?

Very simple: it is washed in the washing machine with the rest of the clothes at 30 ° C and with the detergent of normal use.

Do you think that the COVID-19 pandemic has transformed us individually towards more careful attitudes?

Yes, I believe that due to this dramatic situation that we are experiencing, society has become more careful with hygiene in general and I believe that some of the acquired customs will remain in our day-to-day life for a longer period in the medium term.

How does HandShield adjust to people’s new ways of acting?

It adapts perfectly, since its quality transmits safety of use and its comfort helps with daily use.

What do you think the domestic and industrial impact of HandShield could be?

I think that feeling more secure creates more confidence to face all the daily tasks and increases the speed to return to normality. The creation of new prevention PPE helps to reduce the spread.

Have you been able to protect your idea in any way?

Yes, we have a utility model in the state patent and trademark office, with protection in all the member states of the international PCT treaty.
What are your short-term goals with the creation of HandShield?

Help reduce the spread of the coronavirus and generate greater confidence in our day to day. And I think we are going to achieve it, because companies in Spain, but also in South Korea, China and England have already been interested in the product.

What plans do you have for the future?

It is clear to me that the life cycle of the product is short and that, furthermore, it is a product that itself generates its own decline. I want HandShield to help make this effect as fast as possible. That will mean that we have overcome this difficult situation. But, on the other hand, I also believe that after all this we are experiencing, there will be long-lasting products due to their clear effectiveness. I hope one of them is HandShield.

What would you say to a company so that they bet on your product?

That it is time to bet on HandShield because it is innovative and necessary. It is designed to improve our day-to-day life and its durability makes it totally sustainable when compared to other single-use systems.