Grand Rapids’ MLXT Unveils Hoodie with Removable Face Mask

Grand Rapids-based MLXT has unveiled the Rhoodie, a hoodie that has attachable sleeves, masks, and gloves that store in the garment’s zippable pockets. Rhoodies, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, come in lightweight fabrics for men, women, and children.
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people wearing Rhoodie
MLXT has unveiled the Rhoodie, a hoodie that has attachable sleeves, masks, and gloves. // Image courtesy of MLXT

Grand Rapids-based MLXT has unveiled the Rhoodie, a hoodie that has attachable sleeves, masks, and gloves that store in the garment’s zippable pockets. Rhoodies, developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, come in lightweight fabrics for men, women, and children.

The mask attaches to the hood, preventing discomfort from masks that wrap around the ears. The Rhoodie is designed to provide a convenient remedy for social distancing, especially for travelers and those in crowded areas.

“This isn’t about making a stance on wearing masks or not wearing masks. I simply believe in creating,” says Micah Lancaster, an NBA basketball skills training innovator. “At MLXT, we wanted a remedy. I’ve always wanted a hoodie that was light enough to wear in the summer. I’ve wanted gloves that actually train for my ability to feel the ball’s rotation in my hands while dribbling. And if I have to wear a mask for any reason, at any time, I don’t want it attached to my ears and pressed uncomfortably tight to my face.

“If our normal ends up changing, if I’m ever required, or if it ever becomes a safety concern, I simply want a solution. And the remedy is the Rhoodie. The first hoodie with social distancing concepts built in, so I never have to stop training, and neither do you.”

MLXT is Lancaster’s personal training academy. First deliveries of the Roodie are scheduled for June. A Kickstarter launched this week to provide early supporters a chance to get involved with the product rollout.

The product announcement comes after Holland, Mich.-based SearchPPE.com was launched on Wednesday, May 13. The cloud-based portal provides personal protective equipment manufacturers a state-focused, direct order fulfillment process designed to expedited delivery of the equipment to buyers. The website, which is free to use, connects manufacturers, many of which retooled to create the equipment, and local buyers who need it.

“Whether you are a retailer, a hair salon, a restaurant chain, or an elementary school, the need for hand sanitizer and non-surgical masks is probably part of a reopening strategy,” says Betsy Freeman, CEO of Radius Advisory Group in Holland, a founding partner of SearchPPE. “Likewise, health care providers, first responders, and individual specialty clinics still need PPE as they continue to care for and protect our most vulnerable citizens. We all must work together to ensure the timely delivery of PPE where and when it is needed.”